Beat Hertz AI Scanners And Unfair Rental Fees
Renting a car should be a straightforward part of your travel plans, but a new technology from Hertz is leaving some customers with unexpected bills. The company's new artificial intelligence-powered scanners are automatically flagging rental cars for minor dents and scratches, leading to hundreds of dollars in damage fees.
Customers have described the system as overly aggressive and opaque. While Hertz defends the technology, insisting it improves transparency and only detects billable damage, renters can take several proactive steps to protect themselves from surprise charges.
Here are five ways to avoid getting burned by AI on your next car rental.
1. Avoid Locations with AI Scanners
The most foolproof method is to simply avoid renting from a Hertz location that uses the AI system. Currently, Hertz has installed these UVeye scanners at several major US airports, including:
- Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL)
- Charlotte Douglas (CLT)
- Houston George Bush (IAH)
- Newark Liberty (EWR)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX)
- Tampa International (TPA)
With plans to expand to 100 locations by the end of 2025, this list will grow. It can be difficult to confirm if a specific location has a scanner, as customer service lines are often unresponsive. If you're unsure, it might be safer to rent from a competitor or avoid Hertz and its sister brands, Dollar and Thrifty, at major airports.
Currently, Sixt is the only other major US rental company known to use AI scanning, but their process includes a human review of any flagged damage before a customer is billed.
2. Use Your Own Insurance or Credit Card Coverage
Before you rent, check your personal auto insurance and credit card benefits. Many premium credit cards offer rental car insurance that can cover minor incidents like wheel scuffs or cracked glass. One customer, Patrick, was charged $440 for a one-inch wheel scuff—a fee that likely could have been covered by his credit card.
To use this benefit, you typically must decline the rental company's own insurance (often called a Collision Damage Waiver or CDW) and pay for the entire rental with the card that provides the coverage. Be aware that this insurance is often secondary, meaning it applies after your personal auto policy. Always check the fine print with your card issuer beforehand.
3. Take Your Own Photos and Videos
This is the golden rule of car rentals, and it's more important than ever. Always document the vehicle's condition before you drive off and immediately after you return it. Take detailed, high-resolution photos and videos of every panel, the wheels, the windshield, and the interior. One renter reported being charged $195 for a tiny dent that a human inspector had already cleared.
For even better proof, consider using a third-party app like Proofr, which uses AI to create a timestamped report of the car's condition. While Hertz may not officially accept this documentation, it can be powerful evidence if you need to dispute a charge.
4. Know the Damage Thresholds—But Don’t Rely on Them
Hertz officially states that chargeable damage includes dents or scratches over one inch in diameter. However, customer experiences suggest this is not a hard rule. Patrick's $440 charge was for a scuff that was reportedly smaller than the company's own threshold.
Hertz's website includes a disclaimer that these examples are “illustrative only and not intended to be all inclusive.” This means that even if the damage seems too small to matter, the AI scanner might flag it, and you could be charged.
5. Expect Limited Customer Support
If the AI scanner does flag your rental for damage, resolving the issue can be frustrating. According to reports, renters are sent to a web portal to see the AI-generated photos and must initiate disputes through a chatbot, with no option to speak to a live agent. Email responses can take up to 10 days, often past the deadline for an early-payment discount offered for quickly settling the claim.
As one Reddit user lamented after being charged $195, “Reached out to customer service and they said they stand by the AI. I will no longer be using Hertz.”
While Hertz claims the technology creates a “more streamlined rental experience” and that “over 97% of vehicles scanned show no billable damage,” the risk of facing a hefty, hard-to-dispute charge is real. By being informed and prepared, you can better protect your wallet.
