Rental fleets sell tired cars all the time, and most buyers assume a dead one is dead for good. But an electric-car fixer who posts as @RichRebuilds says he paid just $2,900 for a non-running ex-rental Polestar 2 that came with a warning about “undercarriage damage.” Then he found the real problem, and the car ran 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds.
He says he saw these cars at auction for $7,000, $5,000, $4,000 and some as low as $2,000, so he bought one.
“I paid $2,900 for this thing. And obviously at that price point, it doesn’t run,” he says at the 45-second mark.
Where Is The 12-Volt Battery?
The car arrived on a tow, and the first walk-around went better than he expected. He and his co-host Joey found curb rash, a rental-car smell and a toll transponder still inside. However, nothing looked cheap to them.
Like most electric cars, it needs its small 12-volt battery before anything else wakes up. Finding it took a while, so the pair checked the trunk and the front trunk before pulling panels.
“There is no 12volt battery,” he says at 7:58, just before they finally find it at the front of the car. After about two hours on a charger, the dash lights up. Even so, it warns that the cooling system needs attention, and the range reads zero.
The Ex-Rental Polestar 2’s Real Problem
Next, the car goes on the lift to look for the “undercarriage damage.” Instead of a smashed battery, they find a cracked plastic shield and a bent bracket.
Then a homemade pressure test finds coolant dripping near a pump. “There’s a crack in this hose,” he says at 30:49. So he trims the hose and fits a new clamp.
Still, the car refuses to drive. After that, he finds a missing fuse near the high-voltage service loop and replaces a coolant valve with a $12 part, according to the video. Finally, the codes clear and the car charges.
A Broken Shock And A 3.9-Second Run
The first drive ends quickly because of a loud bang from the rear. It turns out a shock absorber had snapped in two, so he fits a used one.
After that, the car fast-charges with no new drips. Then come the launch tests: 4.1 seconds to 60 mph on the first try and 3.9 seconds on the next, with the battery at only 47% for the first run, he notes.
What To Check Before Buying A Cheap Salvage EV
If a bargain like this tempts you, a few habits help:
- Find out where the 12-volt battery lives before the car arrives, because nothing wakes up without it.
- Treat a vague damage note as a starting point, then put the car on a lift and look for yourself.
- Check the coolant level early, since a small leak can make an electric car refuse to drive.
- Budget for wear items like shocks, because a car that took a hit may hide more than one problem.
Where The Car Stands Now
By the end, the former rental runs, drives and charges, according to the video. He says it has about 80,000 miles and no squeaks or rattles. Even so, he warns viewers not to copy him at a salvage auction, and the car is staying in his collection for now.
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