The host cancelled this trip 17 hours before it started. This message was automatically posted by Turo.

The Worst Turo Experience of My Life – Unsafe and Untrustworthy Host

This was the worst car rental experience I’ve ever had, and it really shouldn’t have been.

I rented Jason’s Model Y for a month, but on the very first night, one of the tires burst, leaving me stranded on a dangerous California highway. The experience was terrifying—I was extremely worried for my safety. The host was unhelpful, claiming he was busy with his family. Thankfully, Turo support came through, arranging a tow truck while a police officer kept me safe. I still get nervous thinking about how dangerous that situation was and how lucky I am to have survived.

While Turo paid for the towing, I had to cover the cost of the replacement tire and installation, even though the owner admitted it was his fault for neglecting to replace the tires with safe ones. He eventually agreed to reimburse me for half the cost through Tesla charging credit. However, given that this issue occurred on the first day, I strongly feel he should have covered the entire expense.

A mechanic also found two more tires in dangerously bald condition, which needed immediate replacement. I notified the owner, who was upset about the expense. To prioritize safety, I offered to split the cost of replacing those tires. I sourced the tires and arranged for installation at my own expense and time. While I hoped this level of effort would resolve things amicably, the situation only worsened.

Tesla rentals on Turo require the owner to have a payment method linked to the vehicle for fast charging. Typically, the renter reimburses the owner for charging costs via a third-party app like Cash App. However, the owner removed his credit card from the Tesla account, leaving me stranded during a trip with no way to fast charge the car. He requested I send him my credit card information to add to the account, but I refused as it seemed untrustworthy and against Turo’s recommendations.

Fortunately, I found a free charger, but it took nearly a full day to charge the car. Unable to rely on the Tesla for a week, I waited for the owner to resolve the issue. He eventually added his card back but later overcharged me for charging costs without providing proper documentation.

When I began my journey to return the car a day early, I discovered mid-drive that the owner had again removed the payment method. He claimed his card had been stolen, leaving me stranded yet again. This was late at night, and I had no way to fast charge the car to reach SFO. It’s baffling that someone with 17 cars on Turo would only have one payment method available—or perhaps he was trying to coerce me into sharing my credit card details.

Turo support once again came to my rescue, arranging a tow truck to return the car to the owner, hopefully at his expense.

While Turo’s support team was fantastic throughout, I believe Jason is a scammer who should be removed from the platform. His negligence, lack of accountability, and manipulative behavior made this an unsafe and stressful experience.

Great host with good communication, would definitely recommend and book again, thanks Jason

Everything was good except the car wasn’t charged and the car was dirty inside and out. For the amount I payed I thought it would at least be clean.

Jason was super helpful and very responsive to any questions I had! Five stars definitely and the car we borrowed was in top condition! Thank you for making our experience an awesome one!