SIXT Car Rental - San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

Reviews

• DN

  Diana Navarro

  1 day ago
  1.0
  If I could give zero stars, I would. My friend booked a rental through a third party for pickup at the San Francisco Airport location. Upon arrival, we were informed that a $500 deposit was required, which was not the issue. The issue was that after presenting a debit card, we were told it would not be accepted due to airport policy. We understood that policies exist and were not arguing against that. We were simply trying to understand our options and problem-solve. I offered to use my credit card, but because I was traveling, I only had access to my digital card information on my phone rather than a physical card. Instead of helping us explore possible solutions or calmly explaining alternatives, the interaction became unnecessarily dismissive and condescending. The employee assisting us, Jaddy, spoke to us in a way that felt rude and belittling while we were trying to navigate an already stressful situation. We then asked to speak with a manager in hopes of getting clarification or assistance. By the time we reached customer service downstairs, Irina had apparently already been contacted, and unfortunately the interaction only became more frustrating. Before even hearing the full situation, we were met with an attitude that felt defensive and dismissive. What made the experience especially disappointing was that we were not there for a vacation or casual travel; we were in San Francisco for a deeply personal matter and already under significant stress. We were not asking anyone to break policy. We were asking for patience, empathy, and basic customer service. We ultimately left and rented through Hertz instead. Their staff treated us with kindness, listened to our situation, and helped us find a workable solution immediately. Not only was the rental less expensive, but the difference in customer service was night and day. Policies are one thing. The way people are treated is another.
• WF

  Wayne Fisher

  1 day ago
  5.0
  Saved by SIXT! On returning our car to the San Francisco airport, I stupidly left my iPad on the roof of the car before heading off to catch the blue line to the terminals. I did not realize my mistake until a SIXT employee approached me while I was waiting for the train, which fortunately was quite late due to maintenance on the tracks. The employee was holding my iPad and he had chased me down after they realized I had left it. The iPad is like my wallet so you can imagine my relief when it was returned to me. SIXT certainly went above and beyond to ensure my iPad was returned to me quickly. That level of service is exceptional. Most other companies would likely just have waited for me to return to the counter to look for my iPad. With SIXT, and God’s help, I was reunited with my iPad. What could have easily been a disaster, turned into a grateful moment thanks to the wonderful employees at SIXT.
• VB

  Va B

  May 12, 2026
  1.0
  Paid $6,000 for a full size suv for a 3 week trip. Gave us a 40,000 mile Sequoia with dead suspensions, clunky transmission and insane brake judder… I don’t even know how we survived really. To the Sixt guy who is going to answer that : 1. Brake judder, caused by Disc Thickness Variation, can only be feelt above a certain speed. So no, I could not have noticed and ask a different car at pick up time. 2. Same for the suspensions. Can’t be noticed in a clean, flat airport parking lot. 3. Same for the transmission. It was hybrid, in electric mode while leaving the parking lot. So again, there was no chance I would have noticed any issue at 5mph within the parking lot. And they know that. That’s why they let you go on a 3,000 mile trip in a motorized coffin, just hoping everything goes well. What’s the secret to getting a car in good condition at Sixt ? $10,000 ? $20,000 ? I’m curious really.
• TT

  TBZ

  May 10, 2026
  1.0
  Charged $3,940.69 for a car they then refused to hand over. Still chasing my refund over a month later. On April 9, 2026, I arrived at SFO to pick up a pre-booked rental. The associate at the desk, Gabby, suggested an upgrade specifically to a low-mileage, higher-tier vehicle at a higher rate. I agreed based on the specific car she showed me — 1,400 miles, brand new, excellent condition (she mentioned this explicitly in her sales pitch). She printed the invoice with the plate number and vehicle details (attached), charged my card $3,940.69, and handed me the paperwork. The transaction was complete. As I was walking to collect the car, she shouted after me to come back. Her manager, she said, had just texted her saying I couldn't have that car. The reason? He "doesn't like certain cars going to LA" — my confirmed, pre-booked destination. She admitted she hadn't noticed the destination was LA before completing the transaction and charging my card. So their own staff failed to check a basic detail, charged me nearly $4,000, and then pulled the car out from under me minutes later. I asked to speak with the manager. She said he'd left — while claiming he was actively texting her. I went to the basement lot to check alternatives; nothing matched the condition or mileage of the car I'd already been charged for. I found a manager downstairs who told me he wasn't the one who texted Gabby and that it may have been another manager. Regardless, he offered no resolution, no apology, no alternative, and was the most dismissive and rude manager I've encountered in years of renting cars globally. He told me there was nothing he could do and that I should call customer service, then scribbled the details on my invoice (attached). Their team created the problem, then told me to go solve it myself. I refused and demanded at minimum a cancellation confirmation at no charge. He said he would ask a colleague to send me an email, so he emailed Samuel DiAngelo, who then sent me a cancellation email (attached) confirming Sixt had unwound the rental on their end — yet my money has not been returned. They acknowledged their own mistake and still won't give me my money back. Since then, I've contacted Sixt through their digital channels — no response. Nobody on the other side, just a useless chatbot that leads nowhere. I sent follow-up emails to Samuel — no response. I called their US call center on April 17 (ticket #16262404) — the agent had no idea how to process a refund and was completely unhelpful. To summarize: Sixt completed a rental transaction, charged nearly $4,000 to my card, then revoked the car minutes later — not because of a company policy, but because a manager personally didn't want that specific car going to LA. They then left me to chase a refund across unresponsive channels for over a month. They created this mess entirely on their own and put the full burden on me as a customer to clean it up. This is the absolute worst customer service I have ever experienced. I've been a loyal Sixt customer for over a decade — my email and the bookings attached to it reflect rentals across Sixt locations worldwide. This experience has ended that relationship permanently. I rented from Avis at SFO instead — seamless, no issues — and will be making sure my family, friends, and business associates are aware of this experience so they can make their own choices about which rental companies to trust. Let me be clear to anyone reading this: Sixt will charge your card, deny you the car they just rented you, and then make you chase them for months to get your money back. I demand my refund immediately and without any further delay. As of today — over a month later — I have not received my refund, not a single apology, not even a response. Complete silence from Sixt. They created this entire mess and I'm still the one chasing them.
• KR

  Kendra Royston

  May 9, 2026
  3.0
  I feel like I was taken advantage of. I reserved an intermediate SUV. When I walked up to the counter, the clerk, Khaled, initially said he couldn’t find my reservation but he had cars and could treat me as a walk up. Confused I told him I had my confirmation, and I booked through my company… he immediately corrected and said “Oh, here you are. Something must be wrong with my computer… it did that earlier as well”. As he was looking up my reservation, I told him I reserved an intermediate SUV. He told me I booked an intermediate sedan which was incorrect. I told him I specifically booked an SUV because I was traveling with a baby and luggage. I asked could I get a vehicle that accommodates my needs since he said my reservation wasn’t showing up as the intermediate SUV that I am sure I booked . He the showed me 3 cars, a bmw, a Cadillac and a Tahoe. Each more expensive than the last. I was in a hurry and needed to get to work and he made it seem as those were the only SUVs that could accommodate my belongings. I asked him his recommendation and he said the bmw could fit my things, but it would be tight and since I was traveling to Oakland he recommended the Tahoe.. which was the most expensive. Trusting him I said okay. When I got to the garage I saw multiple SUVs that could have worked. Walking up to the Tahoe, I realized it was entirely too large, but I needed to hurry to get to the place I needed for work. I called someone who I know who also works at Sixt and she informed me that he likely did not have any intermediate SUVs and instead of telling me that and upgrading me for free or at a discounted rate; he showed me a narrow scope of vehicles, made my options appear limited, and upsold me by using my jet lag and desperation against me. 1500 dollars for 5 days with no insurance and add ons is ridiculous… and for the price, the vehicle had several dings, knicks and scrapes on the exterior. I feel I was swindled. 178 dollars more a day was way too much. He even made it seem like it was a deal by telling me that he was marking 50% off and instead of nearly 400 extra a day he was giving me a steal at 178 a day. I’m frustrated because he began by trying to make it seem like I didn’t have a reservation, and then used my ignorance and need for a vehicle that accommodated me, against me. I honestly feel like he lied about my reservation when he said I had an intermediate sedan booked to up sale me. Since I have a limit on my company card; I’m left with paying the extra out of pocket. This was my first time ever renting with SIXT and unfortunately it will likely be the last if this is how they treat their customers. Leaving me with a financial burden and I have a newborn is just not okay.