Budget Car Rental Reviews

ZERO STARS! Deceptive representatives! Each rep had a different lie to add charges then trying to get a refund was horrible!! I tried to cancel my reservation 1week prior, and I was charged 100$! Horrible service! Filed complaints with BBB and my bank and you can get anywhere. Budget's call center reps are totally manipulating, deceitful people!!! Do not use this company!!!!

The car windows and mirrors were spotted in dirty and difficult to see-through. The dash was dusty. I returned the car two days early and was charged a daily rate that was double the quoted rate I called customer service and they would not make an adjustment.

When I returned the car to the Jackson International Airport there were no attendants in the garage. So, I took the keys and my receipt to the customer service counter to officially return the car. I had the very unfortunate experience of engaging Myron **, a customer service agent from hell. I informed him that the staff had not properly cleaned the car when I picked it up and that the windshield fluid resevoir was empty. He responded in a very indifferent manner and promptly instructed me to place the keys in a black box on the counter, which I did. Next, he asked for the mileage, to which I informed he I didn't know as I had not been instructed to make a note of the mileage, which I had not done with past rentals. He insisted that he could not close out the return until I produced the mileage, which meant returning to the garage. I asked for the keys so I could re-enter the car. He instructed me to wait as he served other customers.

In August 2025, I rented a car from Budget at the Austin airport. I signed a form stating that I would return the car with a full tank, recorded the return, and kept the receipt. Despite that, Budget charged me $50 for prepaid fuel. I believed the charge was improper, but paid it and moved on. When I booked another Budget rental through Costco in September 2026, I took every reasonable precaution. I recorded the rental process, my conversation with the counter employee, and the return. I explained what had happened in 2025. The employee told me, “That has been happening a lot.” I made sure my agreement clearly showed that I had not prepaid for fuel.

I will absolutely never rent from Budget Rental again. My initial rental agreement contracted for $233 and was charged $531. When calling to have the difference explained, I was originally told they would uphold the contracted price. Called to follow up a week later and was told the first agent miscommunicated and nothing could be done. Asked to talk to someone higher and was told I was I was outside of my rental parameters (I picked the car up 1.45 hours later than anticipated due to flight & baggage delays) and a refund or adjustment was an impossibility.

Knoxville Budget Rental Car is the most inefficient process imaginable. It took longer to rent my car than it did to fly from Houston to Knoxville. The other car rental companies do not have these problems. This is the third time (though this is the longest it has taken) an enormous amount of time to wait in line at the counter and finally get your contract, go to the parking lot counter and wait in line again to get your car assignment then go wait again for them to “clean” your car and give it to you. 2+ hours later, I left with a dirty car that they splashed a little water on. It did have a full tank of gas. Never again. Use another car rental co. - you’ll be glad you did!!

Budget told me after making reservation they did not take debit. Never rented the car. Next day they took money out of my account. When called customer service to find out what happen got the runaround. Took me 30 day to get my money back. Keep telling me they could not find info or money transaction. Send bank statement then was told still do have info. Also had transaction number. Did not get money back till FTC to get involved. Avoid them.

We will never rent from this company again. We flew into Covington Cincinnati Airport, we went to the car rental location at this airport. We waited in line over an hour to finally reach the counter service rep. We go through the process to pick up the mid size SUV that was reserved. The counter person said the only vehicle we could take was a 15 person transit van for only two of us. I asked several times what happened to the car I reserved, they said the only cars left are for preferred customers only. Confused I asked aren't all of your customers considered preferred. We were told all other locations in Ohio or Kentucky were completely sold out, the old bait and switch. We had to drive 5 hours to Westland Michigan to swap the bus out for a regular size vehicle. I would never recommend this lousy company.

Told it was per-day and early return would reduce the cost. Never informed that a different drop-off would change the rate. Returned 2 days early, same city, different location - charged over double. If there's an extra transport fee for a different drop-off, that should be disclosed - not used to recalculate the entire period and double the rate! After showing all contracts, Budget only refunded the 2 days for early return (out of the overcharge of more than double) and claimed the new charges were fair. Then they stopped responding. Totally unfair and disrespectful to consumers! 100% not recommend!

We use Budget a lot and we go through Costco. Never had any issues until this last trip. We flew into Punta Gorda and pickup time was set for 3:30 but with the time it took to unload the plane we picked up the car at 3:43 (13 min late). We were scheduled to return the car at 3:00pm but instead we dropped it off an hour early at 2:04. Our price through Costco was $279.97 that was a base rate of $180.25 + Taxes and Fees came to $279.97. Got the bill from Budget who charged us #337.04 ($57.04 difference). I called Budget and was told it was because we did not pick up on time and we dropped off early. WHAT!!!! You're charging us extra because we were under on our time.

Location: Denver International Airport (DEN). Be very careful when picking up a car here. While the vehicle itself was fine, my experience with the counter staff involved deeply misleading practices. As a single traveler, I had specifically chosen a small, practical car. When I arrived, the agent stated my reserved car wasn't available, suggested an alternative vehicle, and asked if I would be happy with it. At no point did he say it would cost more. Being European, I didn't even know what a Chevrolet Tahoe was until I walked out and saw it—a completely inappropriate, massive vehicle I had zero need for. I briefly thought about going back inside to swap it for something sensible, but decided against it simply because I couldn't be bothered, assuming I was getting it for free as a courtesy.

Waited one hour in line to get the car. With hidden fees and taxes, the stated rental price of the car tripled. Long, long walk with suitcase from check-in counter to car pickup.

I traveled with my family of 7 to Orlando, rented from Budget a car. When I arrived at the counter to get my rental car, I was told that a credit check needed to be run before they could rent a car to us. Never mind traveling with this many kids was enough, this should have been pointed out at the time of booking the rental car. Not everyone has A+ credit, especially nowadays with this economy the way it's going. Anyways, I was denied, and thankfully I was with my husband that didn't get denied and we were able to rent the car.

I am extremely disappointed with the service I received from the representative. The service representative was unprofessional, impatient, and completely unwilling to properly explain the charges on my rental agreement. When I asked about the various rental fees, instead of providing a clear explanation, he repeatedly told me that these charges were only temporary and were simply a deposit. He even told me that I did not need to know the details and that everything would be settled when I returned the vehicle. He then pressured me to sign the agreement.

Absolutely the worst. This company is unprofessional and dubious. I went to go pay my credit card bill and found additional charges over $700 for the rental. The responses I got from customer service were circular and contradictory - never to the point. Never again will I rent from this company.

I am extremely disappointed with Budget Rental Car and the way I have been treated. The first time I ever rented from Budget, they wrongfully charged $5,000 to my credit card. It took me almost an entire year of fighting with them before I finally got that money back. After that experience, I stayed away from Budget for years. Eventually, I was told that things had changed and that the company was under new management, so I decided to give them another chance. Unfortunately, that was a mistake. This time, Budget claims I returned my rental car one day late. That is completely false. I returned the vehicle before it was due, and I personally turned it in directly to the general manager.

I reserved a Kia the night before, but was handed a small Honda the next early morning.

I will never rent from Budget again. They are scamming their customers. I returned the car with a FULL TANK OF GAS. I even made sure I stopped at the gas station just outside the lot at the airport return center to top it off. When I got the final bill they charged me a flat rate of $17.99 for gas. Apparently they do this with everyone, and cover themselves by having the agent tell customers to make sure you keep your receipt for gas or you’ll be charged. Well, I kept my receipt, but there is no one to give it to when you return the car. Very convenient to make thousands of extra dollars off their customers. So I had to call and go through the hassle of calling to try to get it refunded, and the agent confirmed it showed the car was returned FULL. I still have NOT received my refund. NEVER AGAIN BUDGET, and I’ll be sure to tell all my friends & family.

I rented a car for 10 days. In the second day the car wouldn’t accelerate, would not go uphill or take curves. Returned it to a nearby airport where I was told at first that there was nothing available to replace it, that I’d have to ride in the tow truck to San Juan airport (2 hours away). Finally they found a car for me. Never received a discount for the two terrible days. Never again.

2 stars. Person that assisted us didn’t seem any more excited about his job as I felt about getting a root canal. What was really disturbing was that he failed to tell us the type of car that we were given was a hybrid so when he “encouraged“ (actually persuaded) us to pay for prepaid gas we did. Had we known that we were getting a hybrid car we would’ve realized we wouldn’t be using very much gas.

I recently rented a vehicle from Budget and the entire process was smooth, until I caught my flight back home and realized I left my personal car keys in the center console of the rental. Not anyone's problem but mine, I get it but it's been 5 days since I've returned home and filed a lost and found claim. I haven't received any answer from Budget at MLB airport. They are supposed to check the cars, to report mileage, fuel level, etc and clean them, so someone should have found my keys. Unless, of course, Budget employees aren't doing what they're supposed to and pencil whipping the forms they have to fill out, which is fraud and illegal!

After traveling 18 hours, I went to pick up the car. The clerk asked about insurance. I told him I reserved it through USAA booked on a travel card, so I was good. He said here sign to decline. The agreement was for $700+ dollars. This was $200+ more than my reservation. When questioned about the excess, he reported that it was a deposit that would come back. There are multiple blocks, and I saw "decline". I was tired, so I signed the pad and left. When I got the final bill, the $700+ remained. I called customer service. They were curt and said, "You agreed to extra insurance; read it closer next time." They get paid to upsell. Beware!

We rented from Budget for the first time (normally use Alamo) in Los Angeles. The first car they gave us showed car needs MAINTENANCE and the screen on the dash was blank and not operating. Then we had to hunt down an agent to get us another car and that car refused to synce with my phone or my daughter's phone the entire trip. When I sent a message about issues, they wanted pictures to go further with my complaint. ENTERPRISE values their customers but not Budget. We will NEVER use them again. It's not worth the couple of bucks you save.

Horrible. Had a reservation that a booked weeks in advance. When I got to the location in Fullerton Ca. They didn’t even have the car, they offered different one. When I gave them my driver's license and I gave them my debit Visa card. He said no I wasn’t able to rent the car, I needed a credit card. He said my credit wasn’t good enough to rent from them. So me and my son were stranded in Fullerton no way home to Stockton. When I booked the reservation lady said it was fine with a Visa debit card. Right know we're going thru hardship. My husband booked a Uber. Wish he thought it would only be 504.00 but it turned out to be 1554.00. Wish it was ridiculous.

My experience with Budget was extremely frustrating, and unfortunately, this was my second issue with the company. After this experience, I will not be renting from Budget again. When I picked up the rental car, it only had about 3/4 of a tank of gas. I filled the tank completely before returning it, and Budget refunded me the difference, which I appreciated. However, the situation became uncomfortable when the manager, Arfak **, questioned me about where I had filled the car. He said his “magic computer” showed that I had driven farther than where I said I had filled up. The way this was handled made me feel as though I was being accused of lying, which was very upsetting and unnecessary.

My Budget Car Rental had a flat tire one morning early in my rental period. I had to get someone out, then had to go to multiple places to find a replacement 7-seater though the help desk told me each place would have an appropriate replacement. I sent in a complaint and, instead of getting a reply or refund, I was charged for the person who came to deal with the flat as if I had an accident or damaged the car myself. Truly horrible company despite a few nice people working at the branches (and some terrible ones).

Rating: 1 out of 10. I specifically reserved a Ford Mustang Mach-E because I wanted an electric vehicle and planned my travel expenses accordingly. When I arrived, Budget did not have the vehicle I reserved and instead provided me with a gasoline-powered Chevrolet that I would not have selected. Yes, I technically could have refused the vehicle and walked away. However, I was traveling for business and had a meeting to attend. Trying to find another rental company at that point could have caused me to miss my meeting, so realistically I had little choice but to accept the vehicle offered.

Was charged $200 extra cleaning fee I was not notified of. I happen to look at my American Express statement the next day. I have been emailing back-and-forth to budget customer service. Yesterday, I was told that the extra cleaning was due to ashes in the car and a smoke smell. I am a non-smoker. If the car smelled like smoke, when I rented it, I would’ve asked to have another because smoke gives me a headache. Luckily, American Express handled this issue and credited me $200.

Most car rental companies now allow renting with a debit card as long as you have a second form of I’d. Apparently, not this one and you don’t find out till you get there. Was trying to rent one way to get from Ocean City to Baltimore and was going to keep it there until my flight home. My friend was sick do her sister drive me 1 hour to get the car, only to find this out. Then she had to drive me back where I had to get an Uber to take me 45 minutes to catch a bus, that now isn’t running, now I’ve requested another Uber to get me to Wilmington to catch the Amtrak. That’s very expensive ubering!

I reserved a Mustang and when I picked up the rental car it was a Genesis. The car smelled so bad of cigarette smoke it made me ill. I tried to exchange it at the local Budget and they told me since I didn’t rent it from them I couldn’t exchange it. I was back and forth with them for 5 or 6 days and at the end of my rental I still had that smelly car. I will never rent from them again.

I tried to rent a car from Budget Car Rental at the Prescott, AZ location and was REFUSED for not being able to RETURN the car back to the Prescott location. I needed to return it to Phoenix. I am disgusted with the Customer Service I received from the Customer rep and the supervisor Colin. I was left with NOTHING to help me get to my next location in Arizona. I WILL never use Budget for business or leisure travel.

My experience with Budget was extremely frustrating and completely unacceptable. I reserved a 7-passenger vehicle because I needed to transport three children and their belongings to college. The vehicle category was essential and absolutely non-negotiable. I attempted to pick up the vehicle one day early so we could leave earlier and be prepared for the move.

Very disappointing experience with Budget Car Rental. I reserved and paid for a full-size car, but when I arrived, they did not provide the vehicle class I had booked and instead gave me an SUV, which was not what I wanted. To make matters worse, the SUV was given to me with less than half a tank of gas. I expect a rental company to provide the vehicle category that was reserved, or at minimum clearly explain the situation and offer an appropriate alternative. I also should not have to start my rental worrying about how much gas is already missing from the tank. Overall, this was a frustrating and disappointing experience. Budget needs to do a much better job honoring reservations and making sure vehicles are properly prepared before handing them over to customers.

Darron and his staff have been the best for 15 years of renting. They all need a raise!!

We have always used them. Best price.. No paying for mileage. They have some amazing staff in there. Complaining usually comes from those that complain about everything.

Should be 0 stars! The car got me 20 miles before the tire went flat. The spare tire was also flat. It was critically important that I got to my destination ASAP so I called Budget (the phone number provided to me as "customer service") but got a bot that could not do anything forcing me to then look up another phone number on the internet and repeatedly say "speak to a representative," which took hours just to tell them where their car had abandoned me (a woman alone at night in an unsafe area). 5 hours after I got to my destination, in the middle of the night, the tow truck driver called me. It is unreasonable, and TERRIBLE service to expect someone to sit in a car with a flat tire on the side of the road for 5 hours. Budget thinks it is reasonable to charge me for the rental anyway and today (over a month later) Budget thinks it is reasonable to also bill me ~$600 for the cost of towing their doubly defective car!

We rented a van months in advance and paid up front. We drove 4 hours to pick it up the vehicle. When we got there, they said they didn't have our van and offered us a little SUV. Way too small for what we required. We couldn't find a van anywhere else at that time. Ruined our trip we had planned for months. No apology or help finding another vehicle. I'll never go there again and don't recommend it.

I declined all coverages in the reservation and again when the agent asked at the counter. He buried the $33/day coverage in my actual contract that I signed unaware of the deceitful behavioral.

Terrible company. They charged me insurance when I verbally declined it and then it showed up on the receipt! I booked my reservation through Costco for $262. and then my receipt totaled up at a whopping $386!

Car broke down halfway through the rental period and had to be towed. Completely inconveniencing our trip. We had to eat the cost of the Budget rental (they would not refund) and pay twice the price for an emergency rental. Do not rent from budget, customer service is horrible.