Enterprise car hire consistent poor quality and bad cars

[mobile chicane22]

For context: All these rentals were through a company portal and enterprise is the only option, I don't pay a penny for them...... however


Asked for a Volvo X60 was given a base model JLR evoke with shredded tyres and the normal JLR dashboard light xmas tree. complained and got given a hybrid cash cow as an equivalent (a truly terrible car)

Asked for a ford focus and stated in rental request form and on the phone to supplying branch "NOTHING FRENCH" dropped off a 2024 pug 5008 with the lap mounted steering wheel complained and got "upgraded" to a Vauxhall grand land with a red service spanner and broken auto boot close.

Asked for and actually got a c class mercedes, slow puncture with warning lights present on first key turn + missing tyre pump / repair kit / spare

How hard is it to look at the dashboard and see the obvious issues and maybe get them rectified.

Am I just un lucky or is this now just common practice ?

[LRDefender]

Car hire is always a lottery, poor cars, hidden charges, broken promises etc.

I've learnt to manage my expectations and not stress when it comes to hiring a car.

[MikeM6]

I have a car each week from enterprise and must say they have generally been very good. The cars are naff, but that isn't their fault really, they can only work with what the manufacturers make.

I use them through work and can only select the cheapest cars, but I generally get whatever they have. Have had a wide variety of cars over the years

[Sheepshanks]

How big is your company? You should be complaining to whoever manages the contract with Enterprise.

Having said that, the last corporate I worked for didn't give a toss even about anything car related. No one was the slightest interested in any complaints.

[sam.rog]

Ive got a hire car through enterprise at the moment.
Mot man crashed my company car driving it into the bay. Yes really.

Tried giving me a 2008 as a like replacement for a model y. Refused it and next morning got a delivery milage xc40 twin motor. Still had the volvo plastic covers on the seat.

Quick search and it’s the highest spec volvo do.

I find enterprise fairly reasonable. Explained a 2008 wasn’t adequate and got the volvo next day.
Ideally it would be an xc60 for the boot space but its fine.

If the car isn’t road legal just refuse it. They will sort you another.

[NDA]

mobile chicane22 said:

was given a base model JLR evoke with shredded tyres and the normal JLR dashboard light xmas tree.

A family member worked for a little while for Enterprise - very recently.

They fired a load in his branch for letting a car out on hire with a damaged tyre - this followed a BBC investigation on Enterprise and tyre damage.

The Enterprise model is to accept any booking, whether they have the vehicles available or not - this leads to a lot of confrontations with customers in the branch. You can imagine hiring a van, paying for it and then finding it's not available. Not good. This had been raised a dozen times internally and nothing was done.

[Agent57]

Car hire. The same the world over for the last 30 years or more.

Some things never change.

[CoupeKid]

I'm sure I used to use Enterprise before I got my company car. They were mostly ok and I got to know the staff at the branch too.

The lowest point was probably when they rang me up the night before dropping off a car. The conversation went something like -
Them: Hi, are you ok with autos?
Me: Yes
Them: Are you ok with diesels?
Me: Yeeees?
Them: Oh good. The only vehicle we have available is a Mercedes Vaneo.

Which is how I ended up driving just me and a laptop bag from North London to Hove in a 7 seater with a missing fuel filler cap.

The drive was fine. Trying to park it was a nightmare but I did blow a Corsa off at the lights on the way home.

[andy43]

My Portuguese hire car a couple of weeks ago. I swapped it for another one that had tyres.

[Earthdweller]

I had a hire car from enterprise last year provided by BMW warranty whilst my car was being repaired

Enterprise delivered an Audi

[Pica-Pica]

My last hire experience was with Enterprise, a Vivaro van. It was brand new, no issues at all. Vans were cheaper to hire than cars back then.

[OIC]

It's a crap line of business.

Many punters hire cars to wreck.

Unless you vet all customers or have full GPS trackers in all cars (with 3g cameras, including cabin) then you're just going to have to accept spillage.

Some people are vermin.

[Sofa]

Earthdweller said:

I had a hire car from enterprise last year provided by BMW warranty whilst my car was being repaired

Enterprise delivered an Audi

My Dad had something similar a few years ago when his iX had an issue- apparently Enterprise would've quite happily given him a Range Rover as that was what they deemed to be an equivalent car but said were only allowed to give him a BMW as it was through BMW warranty/roadside assistance.

He ended up with a knackered 420d Gran Coupe that stank of weed...

[vikingaero]

We have to rent through the Enterprise company portal, and 90% of the time used to get the same Volvo S90 - a wonderful wafty barge when all I used to request was a Fiat 500.