FW
Fischer Workshops
Aug 28, 2026
A vehicle breakdown turned into a seven-hour nightmare!
I rented a vehicle from Enterprise that suffered a serious mechanical malfunction while I was driving between Pine and Strawberry, Arizona. The vehicle lost power and instructed me to pull over, leaving us stranded alongside the highway.
Cars can break down. My reason for leaving this review is how Enterprise handled what happened afterward.
From approximately 2:30 p.m. until after 9:00 p.m., I spent much of the time trying to get Enterprise and its roadside-assistance system to actually coordinate help. I had to repeatedly call and follow up myself because I wasn't being adequately updated. Estimated arrival times changed or passed, information was inconsistent, and different departments and providers did not appear to be communicating with each other.
Instead of Enterprise taking control of the situation and keeping a stranded customer informed, I felt like I had to manage their roadside-assistance process for them.
As daylight disappeared and we were still stranded, the situation became concerning enough that I contacted 911/emergency dispatch. A Good Samaritan also stopped to check on us.
What was especially frustrating was what happened when the tow-truck driver finally arrived. He told me that he had been available earlier in the day and could have responded much sooner. I obviously cannot know what happened internally between Enterprise, roadside assistance and the towing providers, but after waiting approximately seven hours, that was extremely troubling to hear.
I do want to be fair to the employees at the local Enterprise branch. They were courteous, and the branch ultimately refunded the entire cost of my week's rental. I genuinely appreciate them doing that. Many of the problems I experienced appeared to involve Enterprise's larger roadside-assistance and corporate systems rather than the conduct of an individual employee at the counter.
However, Enterprise has not reimbursed the hotel expense I incurred as a result of the breakdown, which I believe should also be covered.
I also don't believe customers should be expected to separate Enterprise into corporate, roadside assistance, towing contractors and individual branches when something goes wrong. I rented a vehicle from Enterprise. It is Enterprise's responsibility to make those different parts work together.
My warning to anyone considering an Enterprise rental, particularly for a road trip or travel through less populated areas, is to think seriously about what happens if the vehicle breaks down. I never imagined that a mechanical failure in a rental vehicle could leave us dealing with the situation for approximately seven hours while I repeatedly had to pursue the company for information and assistance.
I appreciate the local employees who treated me respectfully and the refund they provided. But based on my experience, I would not feel comfortable relying on Enterprise's roadside-assistance system if I were stranded again.
Update: Enterprise has since contacted me and agreed to reimburse the full cost of the hotel stay, in addition to refunding the rental charges. I appreciate the company taking responsibility for those expenses. However, my primary concern remains how the roadside emergency itself was handled and the approximately seven hours we were left stranded while I repeatedly had to contact different departments and help coordinate the response.