Car hire in the south of Tenerife: looking after bodywork between rentals

The south of Tenerife lives largely on tourism, and the hire car is a key part of it: the airport, hotels, trips up to Teide, beaches and inland villages. For a car hire company, every car is a product handed over many times a year to different people. And every customer judges the car within seconds of seeing it in the car park.

A very demanding life

Hire cars get treatment no owner would give their own car. Not out of bad faith, but because they are driven on unfamiliar roads, parked in tight spots and used by drivers with very different habits. Add to that the environment:

• Strong sun almost all year, which punishes paint, exterior plastics and headlamps.
• Salt air for cars that sleep near the coast and spend the day in beach car parks.
• Calima (Saharan dust), which leaves abrasive dust on the bodywork and scratches the clear coat if wiped off dry.
• Mountain roads with tight bends and stone walls, and narrow parking in tourist resorts.

Typical damage between rentals

• Scrapes on bumper corners and on their lower edges against the kerb.
• Scratches along the sides and scuffed mirrors.
• Small door dents from tight parking.
• Stone chips on the bonnet and windscreen.
• Cloudy headlamps and faded plastics as the months go by.

Record every handover and every return properly

Many disputes with customers come from not knowing when damage appeared. A clear record, with photos of each panel at handover and return, protects both the company and the customer. It also shows which cars are building up damage and need a workshop visit. If the damage was caused by an identified third party, it can be handled as a claim event with their insurer; otherwise it will depend on the excess and conditions of the rental agreement.

Repair quickly and properly

A car at the workshop in high season is a car that is not being rented. So for a hire fleet, the ideal is to:

1. Sort the damage: what prevents the car being rented with a good image, what can wait for a quiet window, and what should be fixed before it gets worse, such as chipped paint.
2. Fix small damage with quick techniques where possible, such as polishing or paintless dent repair.
3. Use the low season for longer jobs: painting whole panels, restoring headlamps or refreshing the appearance of the most worn cars.
4. Order parts in advance for damage you already know about.

Wash without scratching

In a hire fleet, each car is washed a great many times, and poor washing is one of the quietest causes of paint wear. After a calima, the dust left on the bodywork acts like fine sandpaper. Always rinse thoroughly with plenty of water before any sponge or brush touches the paint, use suitable products and dry with clean cloths. Over time, good washing habits show in the gloss and delay the need to polish or repaint. It is a small routine for the staff who prepare the cars, but across a whole fleet and a whole year it makes a real difference.

Think about resale

Many hire companies renew their fleet periodically. A car with well-kept bodywork and properly done repairs sells better than one covered in mismatched touch-ups. Quality repairs throughout the car's life are also an investment in its final value.

We are in Las Chafiras, very close to Tenerife South airport and the main tourist areas. If you run a hire fleet, see what we offer businesses and fleets and our collection and delivery service.