The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association has hit back at recent revelations that customers had unwittingly purchased ex-rental cars under the guise of second vehicles claiming that the outdated or off-loaded fleets represented excellent value.

Last week it was reported that numerous purchasers of supposedly second-hand vehicles were outraged when they discovered that their new purchase had been part of rental fleets primarily owned by hire car giants Avis and Europcar. An inquiry has since been called for into the dubious marketing practice of claiming that ex-rental cars had only one previous owner.

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association has now responded that ex-hire cars were usually maintained at a much higher standard by the leasing group than if they were privately owned, including regular cleaning and maintenance. The association also claimed that the shelf life in any dealership for a fleet car was usually around six months before re-sale which allowed vehicles to remain within the warranty period. While prices may have been seemingly high the group argues that any vehicle under 12 months of age would struggle to match the re-sale price of an ex-rental.

With an annual turnover of over quarter of a million vehicles the standards of ex-hire cars remained much higher than those with more frequent use by private owners according to the association. The prices apply mainly to second hand Peugeots which have been at the centre of the scandal.

The second-hand car market in Britain is worth an estimated £35 billion each year.