Major Rental Car Company's New Policy Drives Controversy

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Major Rental Car Company's New Policy Drives Controversy originally appeared on Parade.
If you plan on hitting the road in a rental car or truck this summer, consumers are warning about a new policy that took effect at one of the biggest vehicle rental companies recently.
Back in April, popular car and truck rental service Hertz announced it would employ artificial intelligence (AI) to check over its returned vehicles instead of tasking a human with the inspection. At the time, Hertz explained it partnered with Israeli AI vehicle inspection system company, UVeye, to "transform" how it maintains its vehicles and "bring efficiency and greater accuracy" to the process so it can "focus on our vehicles being ready when and where our customers want them."
While Hertz intended the process to be smoother, some consumers complain that the new system is reason to "never rent from them again." Especially after hearing the story of one customer who returned his Thrifty rental vehicle (part of the Hertz Corporation) to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and was later charged over $400 for a 1-inch scuff discovered on a tire by the AI scanner, according to a report by The Drive.
The outlet reported a $250 charge for the repair, $125 for processing, and another $65 administrative fee, totaling $440. The renter said he was made aware of the fees only minutes after dropping off the car, but could not speak to a human about it.
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Social media has now become a hot spot for concerns sparked by the "frustrating" situation.
"AI can't keep a reservation right for the amount of cars on the lot," one X user said, suggesting the entire system is flawed.
"What a scam," a second declared.
"How many times is Hertz charging customers for the same small scuffs," another asked, worried that a scuff picked up and paid for by one renter could then be "found" by the AI again when the next renter returns it. But those who have used it say that it doesn't work that way–some are even applauding the new policy.
"Customers are directed to a web portal where they can view before-and-after photos captured by the scanners," a second X (formerly Twitter) user shared. "I've used this in Columbus OH and it was great."
"I actually love this technology. It captures the before & after image of the car detail, and charges the renter who caused the damage rather than having to raise rates on the rest of us," they added.
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In a statement first shared with USA Today, a Hertz spokesperson said: "Over 97% of cars scanned with this technology show no billable damage, proving that the vast majority of rentals are incident-free. Vehicle damage has long been a common pain point across the car rental industry for customers and companies alike. At Hertz, we're using this technology to tackle this head-on."
"As we continue rolling out this technology, we remain committed to ongoing innovation and continuous improvement," they added, noting that any issues flagged by a customer in the chat are reviewed by a live agent.
"With regards to this specific incident, a live agent reviewed this customer's escalation and manually reviewed the photos at pickup and return and confirmed the damage was new," the spokesperson said. "While we understand that some customers may hope for a different outcome, we want to ensure every case is handled fairly and objectively, using the best information available."
Hertz said it's working on integrating its live agents into its app to make communicating with a customer service representative easier.
The rental company, which also owns Dollar Car Rental, Thrifty Car Rental, and Firefly Car Rental, said it began the rollout of its AI scanners at the Atlanta airport this spring, but plans to expand to most major U.S. airports by the end of the year.
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Major Rental Car Company's New Policy Drives Controversy first appeared on Parade on Jul 2, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.