MJ
Margaret Johnson
Jul 22, 2026
I recently had to rent a car while my vehicle was being repaired for collision damage. The insurance company paying for the rental approved an economy-sized car. When I called for a time to pick up my car, they told me they didn’t have any economy-sized cars available and would have to wait until the next day to pick up a car of that size. They didn’t offer to check for availability at another location and honestly, were short with me on the phone. I asked for the next size up, which felt like my only option at the time (I needed a car that day). Then, I was told I would have to put down a $200 deposit because of the upgrade to a larger car. My husband and I drove up to the location, and the parking lot was so tiny, his car (a Prius) could barely fit. When we walked into the office, the man at the back of the room immediately asked for my license and credit card. I realize they need to be efficient, but this was already a frustrating situation, and a little hospitality would have gone a long way. The woman who checked me out was nice and walked me through the rental agreement. The rental they gave me was awful. The driver’s seat was uncomfortable - no lumbar support, and the seat was sunken in, I sat a good couple inches lower in the rental than I do in my vehicle. Plus, the interior smelled like it had been cleaned with harsh chemicals to cover up something – not that “new-car smell” many rentals have. It was uncomfortable every time I got in it. My husband even noticed stains on the roof of the car by the rear-view mirror. The only redeeming quality was that the rental was a hybrid. I didn’t expect top-of-the-line, but every rental I’ve ever had has always been super clean, and very comfortable, and this just was not up to par. The charges were confusing – I had to have the rental extended a couple times and have 3 charges on my card. I had added the insurance, because I am always nervous about rentals, but they didn’t give me the daily cost of the insurance, so I didn’t have a great way of estimating the final cost. They told me I had to go to a location in-person to remove the insurance – which is a pain! Something I should not have had to pay for in the first place ended up costing almost $500. Renting a car should not be this hard, and shouldn’t feel like I’m being punished for an accident that was not my fault.