If you promise to take good care of it, then yes it is unethical. On the other hand, if you walk into the rental place and tell them you are going to drive the heck out of it and they still rent it to you (which most places will), then no it isn't unethical.

 

The best cars to abuse are loaners. Lots of people drive them so it's hard to say who caused the damage.

I still literally laugh out loud at a lost afternoon 15 years ago when myself and 2 friends sytematically abused a loaner at an offroad motorcycle area. I thought I was driving crazy, but my friend Dave was on a mission to destroy, that car caught so much air LOL.

When we had completely ruined the motor and suspension we took it back to the stealership, complained and they even apologised for the state of the car. Happy times

 

Seems like it is without question that purposely damaging something that does not belong to you is unethical. It's just that with Rental Cars, it's socially acceptable.

We used to rent the $25/day GMC Jimmy/Blazers from Budget and take them to Hollister off road park, never did anything that a pressure washer and a load of zipties wouldn't fix though. Those things suck off road, but they are tough. If you get the jumps just right on some of those hills, you can actually land the thing on the frame which makes an interesting sound.

I have had a load of rental cars in my time, and had a lot of fun with them, but only done real damage to a couple. I was bad of course was when I was younger - in Hawaii they had this $15/day thing for Ford Escorts back when I first got my license and for some reason they had no problem renting to young folks back then... Never had one that was disabled, but we did break a few handbrakes and actually needed to rotate tires a few times. LOTS of close calls. One friend jumped one into a lava field, but that was in someone else's name and yes the car was pretty much destroyed before it caught fire. I have to say my worst return was in the UK on a "tank road" which had this huge sign that said "not suitable for road vehicles" so of course I had to see what that was all about. Got lots of stares on the drive home from Stonehenge to Stratford-Upon-Avon...

 

I've heard that story in person and it's a good one.

I used to rent cars quite often - two or more times a month. Usually for rally-x abuse, but sometimes just for fun/trips. The local Enterprise manager knew me by name and would always tell me "if you wreck it just call us. We'll go get it." She knew.

I've returned cars missing bumpers (I put it in the trunk, don't worry) all the way up to cracked wheels and more. I can admit it. I traveled for work for a few years. You get 5 guys in a rental car and see if crazy stuff doesn't happen.

Reverse donuts in the hotel parking lot in Seattle in our "Cossie" Escort - ask Wagonmonster about that one. Good times.

I must say that the Explorer is quite a bit harder to break than I remembered.

A REALLY good reason to NEVER buy a rental car besides abuse is maintenance. Those companies are so cheap they rarely do required maintenance. Usually they go 10k+ between oil changes. No thanks!

Ahhhh... I might need to call a rental car company today.

 

I once got 300c srt8 for a month, tires became bald by the time I returned it.
dramatic turns and starts

 

i don't go crazy with it, but I do drive it a bit harder than I would with my own car...

 

You said it, brother.

 

I used to rent C4 Corvettes for about $70/day and take them to the track. I also rented two Vipers and a Ferrari 360. Today fast rentals have GPS. They know where you are and how fast you go. Some are programmed so that you can't drive outside a certain area (like out of state or into Mexico),and some are even programmed so that they can't be driven within a certain distance of area racetracks.

 

which is why you don't get caught!

 

I shouldn't be shocked at how many of you abuse the crap out of rentals but in a way I am lol. I know I said before that I have heard a lot of funny stories but dang you guys are rough!! I think the most I have done was take a speedbump hard.. or rofl what I think is hard but I think you all would say it was taken softly rofl. I was raised to take care of things and especially other peoples things. I tend to take really good care for the fear I will get charged. The last rental I had I felt bad I didn't wash it before returning it. Bryan laughed at me I know what people do to rentals but I can't seem to do it. So for all the reasons in this thread is why I can't even bring myself to buy any kind of used car let alone a rental car

 

I remember a rented CTS-V at Infineon once that wrecked and flipped over... Turns out On-Star calls 911 and reports GPS in the event of a rollover and this was a rental.... YAHTZEE!

 

pics!!!

 

Haha.. Sadly all the pics were handed over. All I have left from safety days is pics of the dude's brand new '04 Z06 he plowed into the wall in the middle of the back straight at T-Hill after getting pissed off that he had to drive with all the "slow cars."

 

haha damn you paul!! i got caught lol

hey hey, rental cars is a different story, i paid to rent it!!