National Car Rental

Reviews

• SS

  Sam

  Jan 5, 2026
  1.0
  National Car Rental at Toronto Pearson (YYZ) used to be a professional and well-run rental company prior to COVID. The staff were knowledgeable, management was strong, and as a long-time customer and member, you genuinely felt valued. I rented from this location for many years and consistently had good experiences. After COVID, things changed drastically. Much of the experienced management appeared to be removed, and overall standards declined as business slowed. The focus now seems heavily commission-driven, with staff frequently pushing “upgrades” or unnecessary insurance rather than prioritizing customer service. This approach feels more sales-oriented than service-oriented. The quality of staff has also declined. Many employees appear inexperienced and lack basic understanding of vehicles or rental policies, which often makes the customer experience more difficult than it should be. I rent regularly in the United States as well, and the difference in service quality is very noticeable—Toronto YYZ no longer comes close. At YYZ, vehicle options are typically limited to Emerald or Executive, with little regard for Elite status. The layout and use of a so-called “Premium” section rarely makes sense, and I’ve repeatedly observed greeters showing favoritism toward certain customers, often based on familiarity or language, which is concerning. Additionally, the practice of rotating greeters into checkout booths and quickly promoting them into management roles should be reviewed more carefully to ensure individuals are actually suited for leadership positions. The work environment often appears unstructured—either no one is available at the booth, or there are multiple staff members crowded into one booth treating it casually, sometimes alongside a new manager, which discourages accountability and efficiency. Finally, National and Alamo should operate with clearly separate teams. Using the same greeters for both brands creates confusion and leads to inconsistent service, making the rental process more frustrating for customers. Overall, National at Toronto YYZ has significantly declined from what it once was, and the operation would benefit from stronger management, better training, and a renewed focus on fair, professional customer service.
• DS

  Danilo Silva

  Jan 4, 2026
  1.0
  Booking was made on 01/12 for a rental starting 26 December. After joining the Emerald Club, I checked my reservation and noticed the total had changed. That’s when I realized the winter tires I had requested were removed without any notice, even though they were mandatory for my trip to Quebec. I contacted customer service multiple times. First call: I was told the tires were added back, but no confirmation email could be sent. Second call: the reservation still wasn’t updated, and I was told to contact the airport counter directly. Third call: finally, the reservation was updated and I received email confirmation. On the day of pickup at Pearson Airport, the car still didn’t have winter tires. I had to wait almost one hour until a suitable car was finally available. The staff provided no clear or useful information about the rental. I even had to return to the counter to ask how to pay, only to be told payment would be taken at the exit — something that should have been explained upfront. Overall, terrible service at the Pearson Airport counter. Poor communication, poor coordination, and poorly trained staff. I wouldn’t rent here again. Next time, I’ll stick with Dollar, which has consistently delivered exceptional service from start to finish. National — your airport staff seriously needs better training.
• AP

  Anand Patel

  Jan 1, 2026
  5.0
  This was my first time renting experience with National. I had issues with my car as it was showing some error. The gentleman named Jay was very helpful. He immediately got in touch with me, understood the issue with the car and switched the car with the same class. He ensured that I as a customer do not have bad experience from the company. He is super helpful and a friendly person. I wish to work with him again in the future.
• CN

  Claire N.

  Dec 28, 2025
  3.0
  Currently renting a vehicle with National and am not having a good time. While my service and pick up at the desk was very pleasant and smooth, the driving experience thereafter has been far from it. The wipers on this rental are absolutely abysmal and make the windshield’s visibility even worse by smearing everything around—leaving behind large streaks. On top of this, despite this car being equipped with winter tires—signalling a renter who probably expects to drive in winter conditions—it would appear as though the windshield wiper fluid was never changed to winterized stuff. Specifically, when I’ve been utilizing the fluid it essentially just freezes to the windshield. This was a careless and frankly dangerous oversight. These cars should be turn-key safe and ready to go at the price point of rentals these days. I will have all my fingers and toes crossed that I make it back safely because so far my time with this vehicle has been rather dicey.
• PP

  Peter

  Dec 25, 2025
  1.0
  National Car staff should be required to wear visible name tags so customers know who they’re dealing with. Too many employees clearly don’t want to work. The service is inconsistent and often poor compared to staff who actually take their job seriously. Instead of helping customers, some are on their phones or chatting with each other in the booth, causing unnecessary delays while customers wait and try to figure out who is even there for National. This was never a problem before, one staff member used to manage the line efficiently. Now there are more people in the booth, but less accountability, more attitude, and worse service overall. Management should look into the employee with the glasses who is working on Christmas. Her lack of professionalism and seriousness is damaging National’s reputation.

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