This was my 3rd booking through Turo and unfortunately my worst experience so far.

The Hosts (UR Drive) themselves were responsive and professional, and I don’t have any complaints against them personally. Most of the problems came from Turo’s systems and customer support handling.

At pickup, the original vehicle had tyres that were considered unsafe/unroadworthy, so the host staff immediately offered me a replacement vehicle of the exact same model, which was appreciated. However, Turo handled the rebooking process terribly. My trip was cancelled and recreated multiple times, support was confused, and I was unexpectedly charged a $1000 security deposit that was not part of the original booking.

Phone support promised me that this deposit would be refunded within 3 business days due to the inconvenience caused. That never happened. When I followed up around 15 days later, I was told “the system processes it automatically.” If that’s the case, support staff should not be making promises they cannot control. Overall, Turo wasted around 4 hours of my time on the day I was supposed to pick up my family from the airport.

Another important thing people should know: Turo pickup times are EXTREMELY strict. This is not like a hotel booking where arriving later is fine. My original pickup was 10am, but I got delayed due to Wollongong train delays and informed both the Host and Turo in advance. I was told that if I did not modify the trip time through the app, the booking could be cancelled without refund.

The shocking part was that changing my pickup from 10am to around 1–2pm on the SAME DAY resulted in Turo charging me an additional $168. I was effectively paying extra money to use LESS time than I had originally booked. Under the pressure of potentially losing a 24-day family trip booking without refund, I had no real option but to pay immediately.

When I later raised the issue with Turo support, they refused to help and simply stated that because I “paid voluntarily,” nothing could be done — despite the fact that I was on continuous calls with support while trying to avoid cancellation.

I mailed them couple time and called them but Turo didn't take any responsibility for anything. These guys are masters at blaming.

Another warning regarding Turo protection plans/insurance: read the terms VERY carefully before purchasing. Many people may assume it works like normal comprehensive car insurance, but smaller issues may still fall under the excess/deductible amount depending on the situation and protection plan chosen.

During my trip, I got a puncture while travelling in a remote area during a public holiday. The tyre shop advised that the tyre was too worn and unsafe to repair, so I had to replace the tyre at my own expense to continue the journey safely with my family. The Host later handled the matter fairly, but Turo support was again not particularly helpful during the situation.

Overall:

* Host experience: good
* Vehicle itself: good
* Turo customer support, policies, and trip modification system: extremely frustrating

I would strongly advise future renters to:

* Read all protection plan fine print carefully
* Understand how strict pickup timing rules are
* Be prepared for unexpected charges when modifying bookings
* Keep records/screenshots of every conversation with support


I'd strongly recommend that book straight away from hosts and small companies rather than Turo to avoid all this. It will be much smoother process.

Also, Turo, please get better english speakers on your support call line. Most of the time i was reiterating myself so that the support person could atleast understand my situation.

Good:
Quick and smooth pick up
Very quick response via chat service
Timely answers to questions
Car was loaded with features as stated and as car was exactly as shown in photos
Could complete drop off without staff available on site

Could have been better:
Car needs bit more love. I got message on dash saying washing fluid level low. When I opened hood, washing liquid was low, engine coolant was way lower than minimum level. Therefore I was always keeping an eye on engine temp.
Wipers warned out and not cleaning completely. THis could have been risky on rainy nights (fortunately i didnt face it). Car was reasonably clean but not washed.

While Tom and his team were generally good to deal with, there were issues surrounding the availability of the car we had booked for a 7:00 am pickup. We were initially informed that the vehicle had not yet been returned and that we would need to wait until 8:30 am. However, at 8:30 am we were then advised that the car was no longer available and that a replacement would be provided instead.
What followed was a further delay of approximately an hour with the replacement vehicle was registered on Turo, our original booking was cancelled, a new booking was created, and the booking duration was incorrectly set (with a 7:00 am start time and no initial compensation for the delay). We then had to wait an additional 15 minutes for the timing to be corrected to reflect the delay compensation.
While I understand that not all of these issues may have been within URDrive’s direct control, clearer and more proactive communication around the delays would have been appreciated. Updates were only provided when I reached out, and on one occasion I had to send two messages within a 20-minute span before receiving a response.
That said, the car itself was excellent and the overall driving experience was very good. I hope this feedback is taken constructively, as the Sydney car-rental market is highly competitive and lapses in customer service make it difficult to stand out against alternatives.

Excellent car. Nicely maintained. Clean and tidy.

The car is in excellent condition. But the after-hours drop-off system is a bit disappointing than expected.