New host here! Got my car listed today and have a rental for tomorrow for a week. Any tips moving forward or advice? Gas tank is full, pre-trip photos are taken in abundance. It is my personal car, i WFH so it sits all week and decided to try Turo for wedding savings. Feeling nervous yet excited for the extra cash lol
Turo owners. How do you handle car seats?
Looking to rent my first time through Turo and will have an 8 month old; so I’ll need a car seat. I’m afraid to fly with my own car seat for the risk of it being damaged by the airline and we end up stranded.
Is it common as an option? Will I be able to know the info on a car seat and its history before accepting it?
Open to any and all advice :)
When I search I have two options:
Pick up at BNA
Pick up near BNA
I chose Pick Up at BNA, booked and everything. Turns out there is a shuttle to the Turo and I get refunded after changing the location.
My question is, can one literally pick up at BNA? Like, leave the gate and walk to a car?
Long story short: Reserved a car in Montreal. Checked in, owner gave me code for lock box on window, everything is set, I get on my plane. I get a message, car has dead battery, owner asks if I can pick it up later. No problem. He does not mention that, for whatever reason, even though everything has been set up and he has all my paperwork, license approved, everything, he has to meet me. I mean, if there is a specific time to meet, why bother with a lock box and code? I do not show up for the meeting, figuring the car will still be there a couple of hours later. Owner cancels the contract.
OK. I call the owner. The car is still sitting there (we're talking a couple of hours after the contract is canceled, I've just gotten off the plane). He's perfectly willing to let me have it, as long as Turo reinstates the contract. I call Turo. I talk to three people. They all refuse to even contact the owner, let along reinstate the contract. No refund. No appeal.
I want at least one person considering Turo to not use their service because of my story. I want the company to suffer at least as much of a financial loss as I did because they simply refused to even try to fix a situation that was easily within their power to fix. And I will never use the company again.
The only bright side of this is that I found an Enterprise with a last-minute deal for a car that was reasonably priced, nearly brand-new and was an absolute joy to drive.
(I will accept responsibility for not knowing that I was supposed to meet the owner in person. However, I am still completely perplexed as to why someone would have the keys in a lock box on the car window, have Turo review and approve my license, insurance, etc., email me a code to get into the lock box, acknowledge that I had checked in, and then still need to meet me in person to - what? Watch me enter the code he'd emailed to me? I mean, I use Airbnb all the time and do self check-in, and no one in a decade of doing that has met me at the front door to watch me enter the code into the lock box. Just makes no sense whatsoever.)
Besides one random guest showing up that had no idea how to drive a manual (she said she didn't realize it was a manual when she ordered it and the app never asked her), every single person has had The ability to drive a manual confidently enough.
Then one time a someone showed up and claimed she could drive it. I showed her how reverse works etc (because every car is a little different for that), and she didn't seem confident driving it away. She also drove away on the wrong side of the road, which definitely freaks me out. She claimed she is from the same country but her heavy accent suggested otherwise. She had a local license, though.
An hour later she called Turo support when "the vehicle lost power and also had braking issues". Definitely sketchy that she didn't even message me.
Turo offered to tow the vehicle for $350 but I declined and picked it up. it drove perfectly fine, But it smelled like something was burnt. The mechanic assessed that she was driving with the handbrake on.
My vehicle was unlisted and I had to pay for an inspection, even though I had a video of the vehicle driving perfectly fine.
But the fact is, 50 trips until someone fucked something up mechanically is really damn good and better than my expectations.
Yeah, I know, listing a manual transmission car on Turo is terrible, but I hold STRONG that we shouldn't give up on cool interesting cars, no matter how much people suck and Turo sucks. We can't let that suck the life out of life.
Preface: I only know what she has told me so I apologize for not having all the information. I also have never rented a car so I don’t know the specifics on that either. Also, we have all told her how stupid this was and she’ll probably take the fall! But what does that mean for her?
My very naïve sister let some guy shes only known maybe 2 months talk her into renting a car on Turo ( I’m not 100% sure why he didn’t rent it out himself but hindsight 20/20 he’s sketchy and a lying scammer). As I stated I have never rented a car but I would believe pick up and drop offs take place at the same location. They drove the car from Maryland to California, she stayed a few days and flew back as he told her he would return it(stupid). She has been back for about 3 days now and believes he has no intentions on returning the car. What can she do? What’s the next steps as far as the renters and how do they get their vehicle back!!!? He was also not even an authorized driver!
Title: My car was stolen through Turo over a month ago, and I feel completely abandoned.
I honestly don’t know what else to do, so I’m hoping someone here has gone through something similar or can offer some advice.
I’m a Turo host, and on May 26 one of my guests never returned my vehicle. At that point it became a stolen vehicle, and I expected Turo to guide me through the process and keep me informed.
Instead, I’ve been left feeling completely in the dark.
For weeks, I’ve barely received any meaningful updates. Nobody calls me. I have to constantly reach out just to find out if there’s any progress, and most of the time I’m told someone will get back to me—but they never do.
This has been one of the most stressful experiences I’ve ever gone through.
This wasn’t just “a car.” It’s a vehicle that I’m financially responsible for every month. The payments didn’t stop because it was stolen. Insurance, bills, and everything else continue while I sit here with almost no communication about what’s happening with my claim.
The worst part isn’t even the theft anymore—it’s feeling like I’ve been forgotten.
Every day I wake up wondering:
Is my case even moving forward?
Has anyone looked at it?
Is someone actually working on it?
Why can’t anyone simply pick up the phone and tell me what’s going on?
Even if there isn’t an update, a simple phone call would make a huge difference. Instead, the silence has left me anxious, frustrated, and honestly scared about what the outcome will be.
I trusted Turo to help when something like this happened. Right now, I don’t feel supported at all.
Has anyone else experienced extremely poor communication after a vehicle theft on Turo?
How long did your claim take?
Did things eventually get resolved, or did you have to escalate the situation somehow?
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been through this, because right now I feel completely alone in the process.
Warning to Anyone Considering Turo as a Host or Guest-
I never expected to have this experience, but I want to share it so others can make an informed decision before using Turo.
I joke that I’ll forever have PTSD from Turo’s hold music after spending so many hours waiting for someone to answer. It became a symbol of the frustration I experienced trying to get help.
A guest kept my vehicle far beyond the scheduled return time. Throughout the process, I repeatedly contacted Turo for assistance and was told my case had been escalated. Despite that, I received little to no meaningful follow-up or written explanation regarding my case.
I also encountered significant difficulties seeking reimbursement for expenses related to the trip. The support process felt slow, inconsistent, and frustrating. I often had to repeat my situation to different representatives, and it was extremely difficult to get clear answers or accountability.
Another important consideration for anyone thinking about becoming a Turo host is what happens after an accident. Three of my vehicles were involved in accidents while listed on Turo. Although repair costs may be covered if they qualify under Turo’s protection plan, your vehicle can be unavailable for weeks or even months while repairs are completed. During that time, the vehicle generally can’t be rented, meaning you may lose rental income while your monthly loan payments, insurance premiums, registration, and other ownership costs continue. Even if repairs are covered, the lost income and ongoing expenses can create a significant financial burden.
My biggest concern is that I felt unsupported as a host when I needed Turo’s assistance the most. If you rely on your vehicle for income, understand that disputes can become lengthy and stressful, and the outcome may not match your expectations.
These are only a few of the issues I experienced. I had too many to list, and all of this occurred in less than 12 months as a host. For me, it was one of the most stressful years I’ve experienced, and I would have made a very different decision had I known what to expect.
This post reflects my personal experience. I encourage anyone considering Turo—whether as a host or a guest—to thoroughly read the policies, understand the risks, and decide whether the platform is the right fit for them.
I wanted to share my experience so other hosts know what they're agreeing to before listing a vehicle.
A guest kept my vehicle for approximately 12 days beyond the scheduled return date without an approved extension. Like many hosts, I assumed I'd be compensated for the additional time the vehicle was out of my possession. That was not the outcome.
After weeks of emails with multiple Turo support representatives, I learned that Turo's Additional Usage Policy generally limits compensation to one additional day plus the applicable late return fee, even if the vehicle is retained much longer.
I also questioned why the $50 Improper Return Fee wasn't applied. Turo confirmed it reviewed the case but stated the fee was not included because its application depends on Turo's review of the guest's conduct. No specific explanation was provided for why my case didn't qualify despite the guest knowingly keeping the vehicle beyond the scheduled return date.
I submitted:
After several reviews, Turo stood by its decision.
My biggest takeaway is that many of these policies are written with broad discretionary language such as "may" or "upon Turo's review." That makes it difficult for hosts to know in advance when certain fees will actually be applied. I wish those standards were more clearly defined instead of relying on internal case-by-case decisions.
I'm not saying Turo violated its written policies. I'm saying I don't believe the policies clearly communicate how limited host protections are or how much discretion Turo reserves when deciding whether to apply certain fees.
If you're thinking about hosting, read every policy before listing your vehicle—especially Additional Usage, Improper Return, Cleaning, EV Charging, and Reimbursement. Don't assume the outcome will match your expectations.
Has anyone else experienced something similar with prolonged late returns or the Improper Return Fee?
I pay for the parking fees, and it's always prepaid for the guest, but now I’m seeing a new charge called 'Airport parking credit.' I also contacted Turo; they said they will refund this to the customer or it will go to the airport, which I believe is total rubbish.
I'm curious if anyone here has a direct contact at Turo who can help me resolve this directly with them. If I can’t, I will file in small claims court next week.
TL;DR: My Turo rental broke down on June 1, 2026, leaving me stranded all day. A Turo agent assured me that Turo would reimburse me for the cost of trying to fix their car and get home, but now Turo is giving me the runaround and I’m out close to $700.
Details:
For context, I've been a happy Turo customer since 2013, using them for most of my car rentals about once or twice per year.
After intermittent engine trouble, my Turo-rented Kia Soul stopped running entirely, leaving me stranded in Phoenicia, New York, about 2.5 hours from home.
With phone support from the car owner's mechanic, I made several attempts to get the car running before contacting Turo, all of which were unsuccessful:
While stranded, I called Turo roadside support and explained that getting me and the carload of belongings home could cost around $900 all included (that is, if I could get a same-day rental car and get to the rental location, would likely need to garage the rental overnight upon arrival, etc). The Turo roadside agent emphatically assured me that Turo would reimburse my costs to get home to Brooklyn. I asked him to send me a message with that promise in writing and he either couldn’t or wouldn’t.
After every other option failed (couldn’t get an Uber, rental cars had limited availability and closed early, etc), I took a car service home for $637.90 - Lower than the cost I estimated to Turo which they said they would cover. I also spent $49.65 on oil and jumper cables trying to fix the Turo vehicle, and the reservation itself cost $568.39, for a total of $1,255.94.
Shortly after arriving home, I provided Turo with receipts for the expenses I incurred, as well as video of the Turo car not starting (Turo sent a tow truck later that night to tow it back to the owners so...Turo should know that it broke down) and waited. I followed up several times over the following few weeks.
Turo is giving me the runaround on reimbursing the costs they promised to reimburse. They refunded the reservation but haven't acknowledged their promise to reimburse for the remaining expenses, close to $700.
I’ve called Turo multiple times over several weeks and have been repeatedly put on hold then disconnected (hung up on). Turo chat support was inconclusive and often automatically disconnected while agents were "looking into" my case. After emailing Turo's notice of dispute email address, I got a response from “Executive support” saying they were working on my case, only to hear nothing for weeks. After contacting chat support again, executive support wrote back saying they could reimburse $119.16, far less than the $687.55 I incurred.
I really liked their service but this entire experience has destroyed trust with Turo. Turo broke a promise to reimburse me, I lost a full day because of their car and even more wasted time trying to get them to cover the expenses.
I’m filing in small claims court next week if they don't commit to reimburse me for the full amount of the expenses I incurred.
Has anyone else had a Turo host submit questionable tire or smoking claims after a trip?
I’m looking to connect with anyone who may have had a similar experience with a Turo host, especially involving tire damage, nail-in-tire claims, smoking fees, cleaning fees, or other post-trip charges that were submitted with unclear or non-identifying evidence.
Here’s what happened in my situation:
After I returned the car and left the host a positive review, the host claimed there was a nail in the tire and said I needed to pay to replace the entire tire. The photo he sent was a close-up of a tire, but it did not show the car, rim, license plate, timestamp, location, or anything clearly tying that tire to the vehicle I drove.
The biggest issue is that the tire tread in his close-up nail photo does not to match the tire tread in my photos of the rental vehicle.
When I asked for wider photos showing the nail in the tire on the actual car, he refused. He said the nail was in an inside spot where it could not be photographed from farther away, but in the photo he sent, the nail appeared to be on the outside-facing portion of the tire.
I also offered to send someone to inspect or patch the tire if appropriate, but he refused. He said I needed to pay for a full tire replacement or else he would submit a claim with Turo and that it would be a lot more expensive.
He also told me Turo does not allow tire patches and requires full tire replacement, which does not appear to match Turo’s published tire guidance.
Then I was charged a smoking fee. I do not smoke, and no one smoked in the vehicle during my trip. The evidence submitted was a photo of a lighter on a car floor (I never saw one when I cleaned the whole car out) and photos of alleged ash, but again, the photos did not clearly identify the car I rented.
The host also harassed and bullied me, saying I had 15 minutes to pay him or he would escalate this to Turo and that I would not win.
I’ve disputed the claims with Turo and asked them to review the full picture, including the tire tread mismatch, the lack of identifying evidence, the host’s messages, and whether there is a pattern of similar claims.
I’m not posting the host’s name publicly because I want to keep this within Reddit rules and avoid doxxing. But if you’ve had a similar experience with a Turo host involving questionable damage, tire, smoking, or cleaning claims, especially after leaving a good review, please comment generally or DM me.
I’m trying to understand whether this was an isolated situation or whether other guests have experienced the same type of post-trip charges.
How does one go about finding a great host on Turo,i live in Maryland 20 minutes outside of Baltimore,im looking to rent a pickup truck for 10 days.and recommendations on looking for good hosts on the Turo app?
I rented a Tesla Model S Plaid, about 3 weeks before the trip date. 24 hour before the trip, the owner send me a long message with irrelevant details about airports (not where I'm picking up/droping off). At the end, there's a snippet
>Plaid and sports mode not available. Speed limit is 90mph. Turo has restricted the plaid and sports mode to decrease the number of claims.
I message the host, he confirms that's the case. I suggest he make this transparent in his listing, and all he has to say is that "we don't have a discreption" (spelling error his). Fine, waste of time, but I contact Turo to cancel w/o the cancellation fee.
Turo tells me
>there is no documented Turo policy or platform‑wide restriction that limits “Plaid mode,” “sports mode,” or imposes a specific speed cap such as 90 mph. These types of limitations are not outlined as standard Turo restrictions in our support documentation.
Doesn't matter, proceed to explain to me
>After reviewing your case with our support team, we found that the cancellation request is not eligible for a full refund, as the trip falls outside the cancellation window
I ask Turo to reconsider. This is clearly bait and switch, advertising a Plaid model, while making only "chill mode" available. Turo's website boasts about these modes on Teslas.
>Mind-blowing speed >Long gone are the days of small puttering EVs. Tesla vehicles are some of the quickest-accelerating production cars on the planet, thanks to instant electric torque from their giant batteries — especially with Ludicrous Mode.
Doesn't matter, tells me I'm outside the cancellation window.
When a company chooses whatever fee they got out of this incident over building trust and protecting its users, it's all downhills from here. I didn't even have the opportunity to leave feedback for this host.
Booking made 2 weeks in advance. Host cancels < 24 hrs before pickup time. Says car is damaged and not suitable for pickup. Extremely annoying but fair enough cuz shit happens.
Turo calls me to try and resolve this issue. But refuses to cover even a fraction of the cost for a new vehicle. Especially bullshit since they increase prices the closer your reservation date is.
As a customer, Turo could not care less about you. If something out of your control happens, Turo tells you you're shit out of luck and does nothing to help / improve the situation.
Deleted my account right after this experience.
Payed for vehicle up front. Paid $45 up front to take care of gas tank upon return which Turo offered at the beginning of signing up. The vehicle was filthy with food and chips under 2nd and 3rd row seats. 1 seat in 3rd row no belt exists. Transmission slipping, windshield was so hazy I couldn’t see well. Reached out to the owner of the car and offered no resolution to my poor experience except to tell me he will have a talk with his people. So I will now never use this service again
I rented a Turo and ended up with a crack across the windshield. I tried working with the host to cover the cost. We agreed on 50/50 coverage. He sent me a screenshot of a safelite quote and told me to Venmo him for half. I told him I would be more comfortable waiting for the final receipt and that I would send him a deposit or a signed contract saying I will pay half. He didn’t like these options. So he finally came back with a “receipt”, but it was obvious it was fake- the company listed didn’t exist, there was zero tax, and the amount was the exact same as the safelite quote. I asked him for the businesses information as I could not confirm it was real. He got very mad and demanded payment and threatened to escalate to Turo if I didn’t pay. I tried to report this to Turo but they don’t seem to care. I am happy to pay this guy 50/50 as we agreed but I also want to make sure I’m not getting scammed. I also don’t want other people getting scammed by him in the future.
Any advice on what I can do??
For sure avoiding Turo at all costs in the future !!
Please include any challenges you may have faced while using this or any similar platforms!!
I would not rent from LA Auto Spot again. Every time I’ve rented from them, the vehicle pickup has been delayed, which is incredibly frustrating when you’re trying to stay on schedule. The cars have also consistently been dirty, making it seem like they aren’t properly inspected or prepared between rentals.
What concerns me most is the maintenance. The vehicles I’ve received have had issues that should have been addressed before being rented out. When you’re paying for a rental, you should expect a clean, well-maintained vehicle that’s ready to drive—not one that raises questions about its condition.
Based on my experience, I can’t recommend this host. There are plenty of other Turo hosts who are more reliable, punctual, and take better care of their vehicles.
I’m tired of this subreddit, really am. All I read is complete fan fiction or horrible experiences. THIS IS YOUR DOING! Stop renting cars for $40 a day, stop renting from hosts who are NOT All-Star 5 star hosts, stop renting cars that are below 4.9 star rating. READ THE REVIEWS. You put yourself into bad situation, get bad results and then come on here to cry about it. Ive been a host on Turo for 5 years and I have had bad guests - yes - I’ve had people smoke in my car / I’ve had people damage my car and not take responsibility / I’ve had people total my car. But you know what? I’ve had an amazing experience 98% of the time. And I have been able to make this into a business that supports me and my family. So again, you get for what you pay. Want a good experience? Pay for the quality car and pay for a quality representative of the business.
and stop this bs about Turo support not helping, not understanding, fraud, etc. stop it. I have been able to explain my situation every single time, I have been able to get a solution every single time. So if fail to communicate and express your issue clearly and within the rules and regulations - that’s on you