Lyft 13-year-old car Experience
 

Last week, on my Sunday evening 25-mile trip from the airport into town, I called a Lyft. I usually alternate between Lyft and Uber on the route -- based on time to pick-up (sometimes it's as long at 10 minutes for Uber at this airport, Lyft is often faster).

The car that arrived was a 2007 (meaning built 13 years ago, in 2006) Honda Accord, with a completely shot suspension. Combined with the rough highway and the interstate highway speeds, the experience was downright frightening. Not sure if this vintage car was even road-worthy. Note -- this was standard Lyft service, not some discounted shared or "cheap car" service offering. Total fare was over $70.

Naturally, I contacted Lyft the next day to ask about the appropriateness of a teenage car doing airport runs in a major metro. Lyft responded that the car met their criteria. Gobsmacked! I would never accept a car like this from any rental facility, nor from any taxi service.
1. Does Lyft really feel it is OK to dispatch seriously old cars ? How much value does a 13-year-old Accord hold anyhow, like $3000?
2. Even for newer cars, I would hope that Lyft has a maximum mileage criteria -- I wouldn't want to get into a car of unknown maintenance, with greater than 100k mileage, for example.

No maximum mileage criteria, only age. A lot of Uber/Lyft drivers will buy or rent a relatively new car with higher than average mileage. Rental companies are finding this a lucrative way to dispose of busted up 2 year old sedans with 50k mi.

In some suburban areas, cars up to 15 years old are allowed. Buying a $3k car with over 100k mi is often the most profitable choice, especially when drivers increasingly make hardly anything per ride.

Some states mandate regular safety inspections for all cars as a condition of registration (tags), although the requirements can be more or less seriously enforced.

lyft itself is the cheap car offering!

IMO, your expectations regarding the year and mileage seem too high for a standard Lyft ride. There is nothing dangerous or seriously old about a 2007 car. 100k miles is really not all that many. Professional drivers can easily drive 50k miles a year, expecting them to get a new car every two years is silly, especially given the low rates.

I'm not disagreeing with you about the suspension issue. That should be addressed, and I would agree that Lyft and Uber aren't really set up to address these issues well. I don't know enought about cars to say dangerous an old suspension is, versus the comfort factor.

thoughts and prayers heading OP's way

A) Using hyperbole like ‘downright frightening’ for a ride in a 10+ year old Honda Accord on roads and highways in the USA...
Yeah, you’re not going to get a lot of sympathy here.

You called a car from your phone, they showed up, and took you to the airport to go somewhere via airplane.
That’s amazing, really.

Is that not enough in life?


B) Did you really need to complain to someone about this?

C) and then post here?



I just spent 6 days on mostly dirt roads in West Africa in the back seat of a 22 year old pickup with poor air conditioning, and that broke down twice.
The only words that came to my mind were ‘omg, traveling is so amazing, how lucky am I’

I don't judge the age of the car, I judge the condition. Sounds like it was the suspension that bothered you, or else maybe you were hoping for a "Black car".

I was torn on if I should drop my rating when heading to the airport in Vegas. The guy was hustling and friendly but there was something up with his car for sure. He was babying his transmission (in and out of neutral constantly which doesn't help fuel economy on ATs) and it made an unholy racket accelerating (which could have been a bad exhaust like a missing or modded muffler). But he had no check engine light, and he drove safely, so I still gave him 5*. I've seen worse in yellow cabs.

You realize that you are quoting a three-month old post? I have long forgotten the incident, but at the time it was noteworthy. These boards are thankfully not restricted to life-altering events.

Well-run companies encourage customer response. They were grateful for the feedback.

This is a travel forum. Lyft and ride-sharing have a dedicated sub-forum. This is clearly an appropriate place to post.

Humblebrag much?

Total fare was over $70, of which, if the driver was lucky they got $40 of.

Yes I realize this original post is several months old.

Uber and Lyft do not have a maximum mileage limit, nor do most states, unless it's a regular limo service. As someone else pointed out you should be concerned about the overall vehicle appearance. Given the poor rates at which drivers are paid, see above, most drivers are struggling to eat, let alone repair their vehicles. Recently I was at a tire shop getting a flat fixed on my vehicle, a young woman that I know (I've talked to her before at rideshare holding lots around town), who drives full time for Uber and Lyft (she's in college and caring for an elderly parent) came in for new tires on her 10 yr old SUV. The most she could afford was $350 for 4 tires, the minimum tires for her vehicle, mounted, balanced, tax, etc., out the door was $470. She had been scrimping for 4 months to buy tires and didn't have enough. Luckily for me, I have the ability to buy the correct tires for my vehicle, I stepped in and helped her out and picked up the difference for her, no she doesn't owe me anything. The store manager and I were talking about it, he sells 90% of his used tires to rideshare drivers, as the majority cannot afford new tires, or the tires they want.

I too have ridden in some sketchy rideshare vehicles, it sucks, but until drivers are paid the correct amount, until riders realize how bad drivers are being screwed over, and stop with the "find a better job" line of BS, it will only get worse. Guess what, depending on the state your in, there's a good chance your rideshare driver doesn't have car insurance either, simply because they can't afford it. The oldest, and newest, insurance situation, buying a 6 mo. policy, only paying the minimum and letting the policy expire. Uber and Lyft only check once to see if the policy is active, if they check at all.