National Car Rental

Reviews

• PS

  Phillip Spence

  1 day ago
  3.0
  I reserved about three weeks prior through the Emerald Club. They promised: Reserve a Midsize at more than 70 participating locations in the U.S. and Canada. • Bypass the counter when you arrive at the location, and go directly to the Emerald Aisle®. No waiting. • Choose any car (Midsize and above) and pay the reserved Midsize rate. The keys are in the cars. They say you can walk the isle and pick the car you want! What they did not say was that they had no cars to choose from. It was disappointing to see a line of disgruntled customers competitively clamoring for cars while I was told nicely to wait while my car would be brought up. They offered me a so called upgrade to placate me. I honestly did not want to spend time and hassle waiting for another car to become available so I took the car the offered. I felt disregarded as a customer member and a sort of loss and let down. The car turned out OK for my 9 day rental but it pulled slightly which was slightly annoying on a 230 mile trip. Then the oil low or add oil light came on. So I had to spend time calling in about that. All said, the staff throughout were polite respectful and helpful. Had they not been, I would have really been angry. So the take away here is maintenance of cars should be better and always deliver what you promise. I am not sure if I will use National again, since I've had a more seamles experience at other agencies in the past.
• TC

  Tricia Carpino

  4 days ago
  5.0
  I recently rented from National Car Rental at MIA and had a great experience from start to finish. The pickup process was quick and efficient, especially using the Emerald Aisle — I was able to choose my vehicle and be on the road within minutes of arriving at the rental center. The car was clean, well-maintained, and exactly what I needed for my trip. The staff was friendly and professional, answering my questions clearly and making the process seamless. Drop-off was just as easy — clearly marked lanes and a fast check-in made returning the vehicle stress-free before my flight. Overall, National at Miami International Airport delivered convenience, quality, and excellent service. I would definitely rent from this location again.
• KS

  Kayla Schmitz

  Feb 24, 2026
  3.0
  I recently rented with National and had a mixed experience. The team I worked with in person was truly excellent. There was an issue where the name on my reservation didn’t match my ID, which meant my original reservation had to be deleted and rebooked after I had already selected a car and was preparing to leave. While that wasn’t ideal, the gentleman at the garage desk was incredibly helpful, patient, and professional in getting everything sorted out. Where the experience became frustrating was after I returned the vehicle. I’ve had ongoing difficulty trying to resolve toll charges. I’ve contacted customer support through chat, responded to follow-up texts, and emailed, but have not been able to get clear assistance. I was told there would be additional fees since I didn’t opt into a toll package; however, I went through the booking process twice and was never offered that option. I am more than willing to pay the tolls directly and even attempted to do so through the toll authority website, only to learn they are automatically routed to the rental company, preventing me from paying them myself. I’m not sure if this is standard across all rental companies, but the lack of clarity and difficulty resolving it has been a significant frustration. I truly appreciated the in-person customer service, but the post-rental support regarding tolls has been disappointing.
• JJ

  Jon

  Feb 22, 2026
  5.0
  I’ve always been impressed with National’s Executive Emerald Club program. I used to dread standing in line to pick up a car I had already reserved. Now, I simply choose any available car in the aisle and I’m on my way within minutes. It also eliminates the uncertainty of customer service interactions, which can vary depending on the airport and local culture. IYKYK. Returning the car is just as seamless and convenient. I’m glad National is available at most of the airports I travel to. Keep up the great work with this outstanding program!
• SC

  Soumya Chakraverty

  Feb 19, 2026
  4.0
  Arriving at the National Car Rental desk at MIA, I found it to be closed. A notice asked everyone to go over to the Enterprise desk across the hall. The Enterprise desk had a long line due to a surge in arriving passengers. There was a person who was helping customers standing in line by sharing information and asking that anyone who was not a primary driver, step out of the line (to help ease congestion). I tried to use the automated kiosks, but since my reservation was with National, it didn't work. I explained to the Enterprise rep that I had Emerald Club membership and asked if I could proceed directly to the garage. He couldn't confirm and said that I could go to the garage only if my rental was paid in full (which it wasn't). So, after waiting in line for nearly an hour, I finally walked up to the counter wherein the person told me to proceed to the garage directly. At the garage, cars were in short supply, but after a few mins wait, I was able to pick up what became available. It sounds like National Car Rental can do with better planning, resource and fleet management, specifically during surge hours.

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