Amazon Autos has charged ahead with its foray into used cars by signing up Hertz Car Sales.
Hertz, the second largest car-rental company in the U.S. after Enterprise, operates a significant resale business with 45 dealerships across the country. (Hertz Global Holdings, the parent company, also owns the Dollar, Thrifty and Firefly rental brands.)
Hertz becomes Amazon Autos’ first car rental affiliate and also its first non-Hyundai dealership. Amazon Autos launched nationwide at the end of 2024 with several Hyundai dealerships and focused on new inventory only until opening up to used cars earlier this month.
The move into used cars widened available inventory to non-Hyundai vehicles. Now that Hertz has signed, the selection has grown further and includes Fords, Toyotas, Chevrolets, Nissans, and others.
The Hertz link with Amazon lets car shoppers browse, finance, and purchase from thousands of vehicles and visit a Hertz Car Sales location for pick up. The offer for now includes Hertz stores in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Seattle, but the company plans to roll it out to all its locations.
“Our goal is to reimagine the car-buying experience and meet customers where they are – whether online or in person – with convenience, confidence and scale,” EVP of Hertz Car Sales Jeff Adams wrote in a news announcement. “Amazon Autos is the ideal partner to help us deliver on this as customers can shop our expansive inventory of high-quality used cars on the same trusted marketplace where millions shop every day.”
Fan Jin, global head of Amazon Autos, added: “We’re excited for Hertz Car Sales to join the hundreds of franchised dealers in our store, bringing thousands of additional vehicles for customers to choose from. This collaboration allows us to offer an expanded selection of well-maintained vehicles from more dealerships across the country, while maintaining the simplicity that customers expect from Amazon.”
Hertz said it offers the following benefits in its Amazon sales program:
- Often priced below suggested retail values from Kelley Blue Book
- Hertz certified vehicles undergo a 115-point inspection
- Vehicles are backed by a 12-month/12,000-mile limited powertrain warranty, 24-hour roadside assistance, and a 7-day/250-mile buy-back guarantee
- Flexible financing options are available from multiple lenders
- Vehicle history and condition reports
- Online purchase experience with e-signature and pickup scheduling
After a year-long pilot test, Amazon Autos launched publicly in December 2024 with cars from 48 participating Hyundai-branded dealerships. As of early August, the program operated in 130 metros nationwide.
In March, the company admitted service was thin in some markets, one reason why it was keen to involve other retailers.
