If you’re interested in buying a car, you may have seen the term “fleet use” on its AutoCheck or Carfax vehicle history report. So what exactly is fleet use? Should it cause you to turn and run away? Not so fast: Before you do that, allow us to explain exactly what these reports mean when they say that a vehicle has endured fleet use in the past.
What is Fleet Use?
If you see that a car’s vehicle history report indicates that it’s previously had fleet use, your first thought is probably that it was a rental car — and that may cause you some stress, as rental cars aren’t always treated too well. But don’t worry: Fleet use doesn’t always indicate that the vehicle was a rental car. Both AutoCheck and Carfax will separately list a vehicle’s rental car status if they can verify it. So fleet use typically means that a car was part of a fleet, but it wasn’t necessarily a rental fleet.
So what other kinds of fleets are there? Dozens of examples spring to mind, from shuttle services to corporate businesses (employees usually receive a ‘company car’ when they reach a certain career level). Even leased vehicles are also sometimes considered fleet vehicles on a history report.
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Is Fleet Use Bad?
Fleet use is not always bad. Although we may be wary about buying a former rental car — and we’d certainly be concerned about buying a former taxi — it’s hard to have qualms about a fleet vehicle if it was used as a company car, for example, and otherwise driven normally. As a result, you shouldn’t let a vehicle’s fleet designation stop you from buying a car you really like. Instead, we suggest that you have the vehicle inspected by a trusted mechanic before signing the papers if you have any qualms.
A Word About Fleet-Only Vehicles
It’s worth noting that some specific vehicles are only available for fleet sales. Although it’s rare, some automakers market certain cars specifically to fleets. The Chevrolet Captiva was brought to the U.S. for no sales to retail customers through dealerships. Instead, rental car companies purchased the Captiva SUVs directly from GM. However, these cars eventually find their way to the used market, where they’re sold just like traditional cars.
Although we don’t necessarily suggest avoiding these cars, we do think shoppers should use a little caution with them. Since they’re equipped for fleets, they aren’t always designed with today’s latest gadgets and equipment. Fleets usually look to save money in any way possible, so they don’t necessarily use the highest quality materials. Fleet pickup trucks are generally stripped of most options because of hefty work use. See our used truck buying guide for more information. If you’re considering fleet cars, bring a checklist of features that you find essential to ensure that the vehicle is equipped with the items you want.
Our Take
If you’re interested in buying a car, you shouldn’t necessarily consider a fleet use designation on a vehicle history report to be a deal-breaker. The same goes for buying a used car that was made explicitly for fleet use. However, you may want to be extra diligent in ensuring that the car you’re considering offers everything you’re looking for in both cases.
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Editor’s Note: This article has been updated for accuracy since it was originally published.
My concern is that I have heard fleet/rental vehicles can circumvent damage/accident history reports because they are self insured and/or make repairs in-house.