03 ex very dispointed

[jar2187]

The rental ex my neighbor had, has tan leather seats, the truck has 18000 miles on it and the drives seat on the top edge closest to the door is all ready starting to wear. What the hell is this. Not for nothing what did they use cheap leather. The truck is the xlt with the gray moldings on the bottom. So maybe it isn't the best leather. But it still shouldnt be wearing after 18000 miles. I could see if it was like 80000 miles but it isnt. Anyone else with an 03 and have the leather problem.

 

[Alec]

It's also a rental and that is the spot most likely to wear on any seat.

I've seen luxo cars wear at that spot after 20k miles, the courtesy loaners the local dealers have.

 

[jar2187]

Thats true it is a rental. But what is the difference between a rental and one that someone owns. They both are going to wear the same. If someone had two of the same exact cars or truck but one was a rental and the other they owned, the person would get in and out the same way in both. weither or not the slide them selves off the seat. What I guess I am trying to get at is that I dont think people intentionally say I am going to drag my a$$, or legs across this seat because its a rental.

 

[X~FACTOR]

Most rental cars have cloth seats, so to start that's a rare car to have. Maybe it's vinyl or something. Or maybe the rental company ordered fake leather just for their fleet of cars just so they look luxurious.

 

[jar2187]

They do that, I dought they did, cause it has a sunroof and keyless entry and power drivers seat, cd play,and rear air plus 4 wheel drive, with 4x4 auto

 

[ExplSport02]

I work for Enterprise Rent-a-Car cleaning and detailing cars. I can tell you one thing. People DO NOT give a SH$% about a rental car. 90% of them treat is like a trashcan. Its really pitiful. So yes there is a difference between a rental car and a normal car. You have no idea about how bad people treat them. We dont ever have vinal or fake leather. Only our luxury cars usual have leather but like X-Factor said most have cloth seats. Anyway what im trying to say is that people treat them like crap so dont get the wrong idea.

 

[Big Green]

Well stated!! I work with rentals at a Ford Dealership People could care less how they treat the cars. Their thinking is "Oh well... its not my car!" It is truely sad, and yet amazing how many slobs are out there. I have had a new F-150 rental come back with literaly piles of ashes, and actual dishes with food still stuck on them. People just dont care.

 

[ExplSport02]

Originally posted by Big Green
Well stated!! I work with rentals at a Ford Dealership People could care less how they treat the cars. Their thinking is "Oh well... its not my car!" It is truely sad, and yet amazing how many slobs are out there. I have had a new F-150 rental come back with literaly piles of ashes, and actual dishes with food still stuck on them. People just dont care.

Oh yea i have some stories about some of the things i have found in there. The funniest is prolly a few womens "toys". She actually CAME BACK TO GET THEM.

Jar. we rented out a brand new Stratus the other day and it came back with stains all over the seat and cig. burns and the pass seat had about a 4" rip in it.

 

[X~FACTOR]

Basically, we do to rental cars what we wouldn't dare try with our own car. People want their money's worth all the time and by thrashing the rental car they feel they have accomplished this. Sad but true.

 

[Flounder]

As for what people do to rentals, I once had to use an '01 Cadillac DeVille (or Seville? the 4 door sedans that old people drive...) and accidentally went over a low concrete median and scraped the frame. Did no body damage, but also thought, 'eh, it's a rental.' There's something about not caring when it's a rental. Not that it is right... but it happens.

 

[dogfriend]

There was a guy that I used to work with who was so brutal on rental cars that the company would no longer let him get a car when on business. He was a (mostly) grown man with a wife and kids, but he would just thrash the rental cars. He was pretty hard on his own car too.

 

[jar2187]

I understand who people act with rental cars. I feel bad. But what I am saying is that who can someone make a seat wear more in a rental then in a car personally owned. I am not talking about rips or burns in the seat I am talking about actually wear of getting in and out of it. The wear looks like normal wear that would happen after a few years. Maybe the way the seat is set up, makes it easier to get in or out by sliding across the seat. This wear on this seat is not from intentional abuse its normal wear and tear. But it only happened at 18,000 miles. I am not putting down the new explorer, I would love to have one myself. The reason for this thread wasnt to talk about rental car abuse. I was just wondering if anyone else noticed early wear on their seat.

 

[X~FACTOR]

Hehe... sorry to get off topic there on you, man. Well, the answer is yes. I bought my eXplorer new in '97 and around 20K miles I did notice some wear on my leather driver seat. I remember this because during those times I was still into keeping my X showroom new.

Good news, though, it didn't get much worst after that. I now have 57K miles and I don't even notice the wear anymore.

 

[dcd]

Okay, I have a 2003 Eddie Bauer (6000 miles or so) and no sign of wear on the leather. But... me and my wife are always careful not to slide across the seat. It takes a little time to get the technique down just right, though.

 

[dmasini]

Had an 03 Sable as a rental last week. It only had 15k miles on it and it felt like the tranny was about to go! I had to take it back. Someone really did a number on that car before they brought it back...