We rented a car over the weekend because we had friends visiting from the mainland and needed a full-size vehicle. The only Budget option available was a Chevy Malibu with approximately 30,000 miles, which looked like a battered island car before we even opened the door.
There was a large dent on the front (our lead photo), scratches and wear everywhere, and an interior that felt tired. The suspension sagged so badly it drove like a low-rider. Staff handed us the keys without comment, and there was no acknowledgment of the apparent condition problems. We took photos and drove off.
Driving it confirmed what the looks suggested. The car wandered on the highway, rattled around corners, and the steering was loose. It gave us no confidence that it had been appropriately maintained. For a trip that cost several hundred dollars for just four days, this was precisely the kind of vehicle you hope not to see on vacation.
The condition raised a larger question about what visitors are really getting for the premium prices charged in Hawaii. We began by examining what others are reporting, and here is what we found.
Checking whether it was just us.
After our experience, we checked what other travelers had to say. The newest reviews for Honolulu’s car rental counters tell a story that is anything but consistent.
Budget customers often describe cars in rough condition, ranging from those with broken seats and heavy dents to those infested with pests. Others mention being billed for fuel despite returning the car full, or being handed something far smaller than they reserved.
One recent review even called it the worst rental experience they had ever had. Adding to our own frustration, a full day after returning the car, we still had not received the promised emailed receipt. Odd at best.
Avis renters report cars that break down with dead batteries, interiors that smell or are dirty, and surprise charges for fuel or insurance.
Hertz reviews mention one and two-hour waits, confusing bills, and cars that felt worn out. Some said that even after waiting in line to pick up the car, there was yet another line to exit the garage.
If there is a takeaway, it is this: read the most recent reviews before you book. They are easy to find on Google Maps and will provide you with exact information about what to expect at each counter. We should have done that before our own rental. Instead, we knew better and still chose the lowest-cost option offered through Costco Travel.
Some Hawaii car rental counters are doing better.
Not every Hawaii rental counter is creating the same headaches. Recent National and Alamo reviews show a noticeably different tone.
National customers describe quick service, newer cars with low mileage, and the ability to travel from baggage claim to the highway in minutes.
Alamo renters echo the same sentiment, praising the staff for being friendly, the cars for being clean, and the pickups for being straightforward. One traveler put it bluntly, “Avis equals long lines, Alamo equals short lines and better cars.”
There are still occasional hiccups, from billing questions to a car not quite ready, but the overall impression is far more positive. While some counters are clearly struggling, others seem to be maintaining the level of service visitors expect when paying Hawaii’s high rental rates.
Why Hawaii rentals feel different.
Hawaii’s rental car market is unusual. During the pandemic, companies sold off a significant portion of their fleets to survive, resulting in thin inventory. Prices soared, and while more cars have since returned to the islands, the quality gap has remained to this day.
Salt air, heavy visitor use, and constant year-round demand mean vehicles here seem to age faster than those in many mainland locations. Hawaii also has quirks in how specific makes, such as Toyota, are sourced through local distributors, often leading to base models rather than the better-equipped trims travelers might find elsewhere. We even remember a Thrifty rental a few years ago that came with roaches crawling out of the dash, a memory that still makes us shudder.
The stakes are higher here than in many destinations. According to research by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, more than 90 percent of visitors to Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island rent cars, and over half do so on Oahu. That means rental vehicles are not just about getting to and from the airport.
On each island, the car is the key to every part of the trip, from beaches and waterfalls to food stops and cultural sites. When the vehicle itself feels old, unsafe, or dirty, it becomes a daily frustration rather than just a bad start at the counter.
What we can take away from this.
The larger lesson is not about pointing to one brand as good and another as bad. It is about the unpredictable nature of Hawaii car rentals today and the need to conduct more research than we initially thought advisable. You may pay hundreds of dollars and still end up with a dented, tired car like we did. Or you might step into a nearly new SUV and be on your way in minutes. The inconsistency is what frustrates visitors, especially when rental cars are among the highest priced in the country.
How to check before you book.
One simple step can help set expectations. On Google Maps, open the Hawaii airport location for your chosen rental company, sort reviews by “Newest,” and skim the past few weeks. The patterns are usually clear within minutes. Look for three red flags: long wait times, poor vehicle condition, and unexpected add-ons.
If you have a membership program, use it to skip the counter and go directly to the aisle. If you do not have one, it is worth signing up before you rent. We have stood in very long lines that wrecked our arrival experience.
Always take photos of the car at pickup and drop-off, including the fuel gauge and the exterior, to avoid disputes later.
Share your experience.
Our Budget car this weekend was a junker, dented and worn from the start. But what about you? Have you rented in Hawaii recently? What did you find? Was the car what you expected, did you have to wait in line, and how did the return go?
Please share your experience below and help us create a clearer picture of what visitors can expect today.
Lead Photo Credit: Beat of Hawaii
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
I have read recently that quite a few people have reserved ahead and when they get to counter there are No cars available. This is the Big Island I am talking about m. We have been very happy with Kihei Rent a Car on Maui.
You should use Turo, it is peer to peer so a local is receiving the money and I have never had a bad experience with Turo.
My recent rental had chunks of the tire missing… obviously for awhile too.
The rental car experience I’ve had for the past 6-7 years has been pretty good. I have a membership with Enterprise and they have never let me down. I booked a rental within 10 minutes because I have friends on Oahu, I called when we’re landing told my boy I had a 3 hour lay over and I’d rather hang for a few days then wait for my departure. By the time we’re getting off the plane, I had my reservation and was driving away from HNL all under 20 minutes. I use them on da big island as well. Hawaii is getting too greedy and might find itself biting the hand that feeds it.
Surprisingly my recent experience was the exact opposite of what you have discribed in you article. I belong to Hertz Plus Gold Rewards and only rent from Hertz. I do use a AAA discount code and that seems to get fair pricing. Additionally, I never seek out the lowest price “Manager Specials”. Because I’m afraid of what the might be!
While Renting at HNL and OGG this past June. We were happily surprised that we were upgraded to a Luxury Car each time. And using if Plus Gold Rewards your name is desplayed on a sign outside of the counter building and you just go the section and stall number already given for you. You car is waiting. At Maui we were directed to a specific section and you could pick any car from a row of about 6 or 7. Which was terrific because the first car (small SUV models) we tried had a trunk that didn’t fit all of our bags. So I just moved over to another model of the same brand of car and bags went in perfectly.
I’ve always rented from Hertz. Been a gold club member. Never had any problems renting in Hawaii or anywhere else, even rented in France. I think i pay more with Hertz, uneven wait, just walk out to the lot and take any of the several cars in my section. Except on Kuai. It was a specific car, a bit worn but not awful or unsafe. Im always sorry to hear of others flights and worry that some day it will be my turn. My next Hertz rental will be in Girona Spain. Hopefully all goes well there.
That’s about right! We rented a Charger and it was all banged up. I could roll the passenger windows down but it needed to be rolled up from the driver side. Driving down a mountain i prayed our breaks wouldn’t give out. The car shaked when Driving high speeds and the breaks were grinding and drew attention. All that aside we had a blast in Hawaii.
We had positive experiences last summer with Budget on one island and Alamo on another. We also reserved through Costco but have in the past used DiscountHawaiiCarRental.com with good results.
That said, I am not surprised at anything reported by others. If anyone hasn’t figured out or admitted it by now, time to wake up and smell the greed.
Rental car companies, resorts, and most businesses run on a profit-maximizing-above-all-else basis will lower costs while sneakily or openly raising prices or maintaining high ones where they can. They are trying to recoup pandemic losses or costs from every rental customer. Your only protection from this is corporate agreements/standards/pricing or powerful volume-building arrangements as through Costco.
It won’t get better, sad to say. Tech and profit demands while cutting staff will just make such low quality experiences more common. Unless we demand better!
I had opposing experiences on Kauai in late July.
I had booked a car on Turo far in advance. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the car was. Turo can be a bit of a mixed bag, but this car was very nice with many upgrades the owner had applied.
Because of the tsunami warning, we ended up missing several activities. We had planned on returning the car and staying just at the resort for a few days before we left. The only thing available was from SIXT. I appreciate that they had the car, and the checkout was great. What was shocking to me was how bad the car had been treated. It was a 9 month old Jeep Compass, and that car had been through a lot. Fortunately SIXT had documented all of the damage and rental and return was fine. One or more renters must have really paid when they returned that Jeep.
Totally agree. Have a corporate agreement with National and when were out of cars, they charged me the National rate, but forced me to pick from the Enterprise lot (National and Enterprise is owned by the same parent company). The Enterprise quality was shame. Completely shame. The attitude of the staff on the Enterprise side was horrible. Everybody had attitude and the customer service was zero. Maybe on a scale from 1 to 10, maybe a 2 at best. Since time was at a premium, I took a car from the Enterprise side, but it was practically falling apart. Although there was a non-smoking policy, the only car that was left had a strong smoke smell and the staff made no attempt to clean or switch it out. The car was dirty and in poor condition. Wasted so much time coming back to switch it out with a National branded car, but there was no price adjustment and zero customer service. Nobody really cared about the rental car experience and it was practically customer, self-service.