Dodge Charger

IF YOU NEED YOUR RENTAL TO BE ON TIME, CLEAN, MECHANICALLY DEPENDABLE, OR REMOTELY STRESS-FREE, READ THIS ENTIRE REVIEW BEFORE BOOKING.

This was easily one of the worst rental experiences I’ve had.

My reservation began at 12:30 PM at SLC Airport. The host had my flight information in advance and specifically stated in his pre-trip instructions that he monitors arrival times so the vehicle can be ready when guests arrive.

Instead, at 11:15 AM, he messaged me that he had just finished another delivery at Provo Airport, still needed roughly an hour to get home, retrieve my car, and then drive another 30–35 minutes to SLC. In other words, the schedule was already unrealistic before traffic or construction became an issue.

We eventually received the Charger at approximately 1:17 PM — about 47 minutes after the scheduled start of the reservation.

During that wait, the ETA kept moving. We had already flown across the country, were sitting at the airport waiting for transportation we had specifically reserved for 12:30, and received repeated explanations about traffic, construction and delays. Had I actually needed to be somewhere shortly after pickup, this would have completely destroyed my schedule.

Then we finally got the car.

The interior had a strong unpleasant odor, and the trunk was absolutely filthy — dirt, leaves, debris and grime everywhere. The host himself acknowledged during handoff that the trunk was messy and said he “probably should have vacuumed that out.” Correct. This is still a paid rental vehicle, regardless of it being a retired police Charger.

The vehicle also ran completely out of windshield washer fluid during the rental, which added to my concerns about how thoroughly it had been prepared before being handed over.

Then came the real problem.

The following day, while driving, the Charger overheated and began producing significant steam/smoke from the engine bay along with an abnormal high-pitched noise. I immediately pulled over as soon as it was safe, shut the engine off and did not restart or continue driving the vehicle. Turo roadside assistance was contacted and ultimately arranged for the vehicle to be recovered.

After the breakdown, the host first asked whether I had struck a dip or something because the radiator supposedly sits low. I told him I had not hit a curb, pothole, debris or anything else. Later, a damage claim alleged excessive speeding approximately “20–30 minutes” before the overheating event. I disputed that claim, including because the timestamps in our actual messages did not match the timeline stated in the report. I’m leaving the mechanical cause for Turo and the appropriate diagnostic inspection to determine.

And somehow the return plan made the experience even more frustrating.

During the original handoff, after arriving nearly 50 minutes late, the host asked about our very early Monday flight and suggested that we coordinate the day before, potentially meet him at a gas station, and then follow him into the airport to complete the return together.

After waiting almost an hour for him to show up at pickup, there was absolutely no chance I was going to structure a 6 AM flight around hoping another in-person rendezvous happened on time.

The breakdown ultimately made that irrelevant anyway.

To summarize my experience:

• Vehicle delivered approximately 47 minutes late
• Host knowingly scheduled another airport delivery in Provo immediately beforehand
• Repeatedly shifting arrival estimates
• Strong unpleasant odor inside the car
• Extremely dirty trunk
• Empty windshield washer reservoir during the trip
• Vehicle overheated and became undriveable
• Turo roadside assistance/towing required
• Host immediately began suggesting possible renter-caused explanations after the breakdown
• Proposed early-morning return arrangement would have required us to coordinate another in-person meetup before our flight

The retired-police-car aspect was actually why I rented this vehicle. I fully expected some cosmetic wear and police-package quirks. What I did not expect was a poorly prepared vehicle, an almost hour-late airport delivery, a mechanical breakdown that stranded us during our trip, and then a dispute over responsibility afterward.


I WOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT RENT THIS VEHICLE OR FROM THIS HOST AGAIN. ONE STAR.

Atlas •

This has been a great Turo experience. Brandon is an exceptional host. The car was ready for pick-up and he was there to answer any questions and to show me around the vehicle. The car was clean, smelled great, and everything worked very well. It’s hot in Utah during the summer months, and the air-conditioner kept my wife nice and cool in the passenger seat. I rented the car while my truck got the air conditioner fixed. So that helped a lot. I gave Brandon 5 stars as a host because he exceeded my expectations. I never had to reach out twice because any questions I had were answered promptly. I had to extend the trip by a day and he took care of that with no problem. The drop-off was easy because he included the instructions. There is not one single negative thing I can say, everything was perfect!

Gene •

No issues with quality, awesome service from Brandon, and convenient pickup location.

Dean •

The host was incredibly considerate and he has had one of the best communications with me and I have rented over 400 cars. We had an incident where my mother backed into the rental car we were doing and he was so very helpful and patient. So easy to work with when helping to figure out what the next steps were in something like that happening to a rental car.

Thanks Brandon!

Karli •

great experience, communicative host

Beihao •