What are Hertz's damage charges for vehicles?
Hertz charges renters for vehicle damage that exceeds normal wear and tear, using specific size thresholds and automated UVI AI Scanners at select major airports.
Damage Guidelines
Hertz evaluates damage against specific criteria (viewable on the Hertz Accident and Damage Support Hub), including dents over 1 inch, scratches larger than a credit card (or multiple over 1 inch), glass cracks, missing parts, and undercarriage damage.
Financial Liability and Fees
- Coverage: Renters without a Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) bear full liability for vehicle loss or damage.
- Billing: Charges are billed at the counter or up to 28 days later for unreported damage, often featuring administration fees.
- Disputes: Automated airport scanners have flagged minor cosmetic wear—such as minor wheel scuffs—resulting in large repair bills like $440 and subsequent customer friction.
What happens if I damage a Hertz rental car?
If you damage a Hertz rental car, you are financially responsible for the repair costs, administrative fees, and "loss of use" charges unless you purchased a Loss Damage Waiver (LDW).
What Happens Based on Coverage
- With Loss Damage Waiver (LDW): Hertz waives your financial responsibility for vehicle damage, provided you did not violate the rental agreement (such as reckless driving, driving under the influence, or unauthorized drivers).
- Without LDW: You are fully liable for the repair costs, towing, storage fees, and "loss of use" (charges for the days the car cannot be rented while in the repair shop). Hertz will typically charge the credit card on file immediately for reported damage or send a bill within 28 days for unreported damage.
What You Should Do
- Ensure safety and report: Check for injuries, call emergency services if there is an accident, and obtain a police report.
- Notify Hertz: Contact Hertz customer support or roadside assistance to report the incident. You will need to complete a Vehicle Incident Report upon return.
- File a secondary claim: If you declined LDW, contact your personal auto insurance provider or credit card company. Many major credit cards offer secondary or primary rental car collision coverage if you used that card to pay for the reservation.
Note: Hertz uses digital inspection scanners and AI photo booths at select locations to log vehicle conditions, meaning minor scratches (larger than 2x3.5 inches), dents (over 1 inch), and glass cracks will be flagged and billed automatically.
Is it worth getting the damage waiver on a rental car?
Yes, getting a damage waiver is worth it if you lack personal comprehensive and collision coverage, want to avoid paying a personal insurance deductible, or prefer not to risk a rate hike on your auto policy.
✅ When It Is Worth Buying
- No Personal Auto Insurance: Essential if you don't own a car or have an active policy.
- High Personal Deductibles: Saves you from paying $500–$1,000+ out of pocket if an incident occurs.
- Preventing Rate Hikes: Keeps minor damage claims off your personal insurance record.
- International Travel: Foreign rentals or countries like Ireland/Italy often exclude standard credit card coverage.
⚠️ When You Can Skip It
- Comprehensive Personal Policy: Your existing auto insurance already extends collision/comprehensive to rentals.
- Credit Card Coverage: Many premium credit cards provide free secondary (or primary) collision coverage if you decline the counter offer.
- Long-Term Rentals: Daily fees ($15–$30) add up quickly over several weeks, making out-of-pocket risk or personal coverage cheaper.
📊 Comparing Your Coverage Choices
| Option | Cost | Deductible | Loss of Use Covered? | Affects Personal Rates? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rental Damage Waiver (CDW/LDW) | $15–$30 / day | $0 (usually) | Yes | No |
| Personal Auto Insurance | Existing premium | $500–$1,000+ | Varies (often no) | Yes |
| Credit Card Benefits | Free with card | $0 (usually) | Varies | No |
What hidden fees does Hertz have?
Hertz hidden fees typically include mandatory government and airport pass-through surcharges, optional service add-ons, and post-rental administrative charges.
Government and Location Surcharges
- Airport Concession Fee Recovery (AFCR): Recovers the operating fees Hertz pays to airports (often runs as a daily percentage or flat fee).
- Customer Facility Charge (CFC): Funds airport rental car center construction and facility operations.
- Vehicle Licensing Cost Recovery (VLCR): Recovers vehicle registration, licensing, and plate costs.
- Energy/Environmental Surcharges: Small daily fees meant to offset utility and facility operational costs.
Driver and Use Fees
- Young Driver Surcharge: Applied daily if the renter or additional drivers are under 25 years old (typically $15–$35/day).
- Additional Driver Fee: Extra daily charge to cover insurance extensions for non-primary drivers, unless waived by corporate codes or membership status.
- Cross-Border Fees: Charged if you take the vehicle out of the country of rental without prior approval.
Tolls and Violations
- PlatePass Convenience Fees: Automatic enrollment in toll-billing services triggers a daily convenience fee ($9.99–$13.99/day) on days tolls are used, plus the cost of the toll itself.
- Violation Administration Fees: Up to $42 per traffic ticket or parking citation processed on your behalf.
Return and Cancellation Fees
- Refueling & Service Fees: Charged at a steep per-gallon rate if you return the car with less fuel than when you picked it up.
- Late Return Fees: Exceeding the 30-minute grace period results in hourly charges up to an extra full day's rate plus potential penalties.
- Prepaid Cancellation Fees: Canceling a prepaid reservation outside the initial grace period incurs a $100 to $200 penalty.
You can review a full breakdown of specific charges on the Hertz Fees and Surcharges Hub.
What is acceptable damage to a rental car?
Acceptable damage to a rental car—often called ordinary wear and tear or fair wear and tear—includes minor, cosmetic aging that happens from normal, careful driving.
Rental companies like Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz do not charge you for this normal degradation. Anything larger or more severe than specific size thresholds is considered chargeable damage.
What is Acceptable (Normal Wear and Tear)
- Body Scratches: Very faint or shallow surface scratches that do not penetrate the clear coat or paint, and disappear when you run your finger over them.
- Small Dents: Tiny dings or minor blemishes smaller than a credit card or a specific company threshold (usually under 1 to 2 inches).
- Bumper Scuffs: Minor scuffing low on the underside of the front bumper or normal wear on rear bumpers from loading and unloading luggage.
- Tires: Regular, even tire tread wear consistent with normal mileage.
- Interior: Slight creasing on seat fabric or light dust from everyday use.
What is Unacceptable (Chargeable Damage)
- Scratches and Dents: Scratches longer or wider than a credit card (typically 2" x 3.5") or dents larger than 1 inch that break through the paint.
- Holes and Cracks: Any tears, punctures, holes, or major cracks on the body panels, bumpers, or plastic trim.
- Glass Damage: Any windshield chips, star cracks, or long cracks on the windows or mirrors.
- Tire and Wheel Damage: Sidewall cuts, bulges, flat spots from skidding, unrepairable punctures, or deep gouges and scuffs on rims/wheels larger than 1 inch.
- Interior Damage: Cigarette burns, permanent stains, torn upholstery, or missing equipment.
Hertz customers say AI car scans lead to unfair damage fees
How much does Hertz charge for a damaged car?
Hertz charges you the full cost of the physical repairs, plus mandatory administration and processing fees, unless you purchased a Loss Damage Waiver (LDW).
If you do not have a waiver, your final out-of-pocket bill can range from $150 for a minor scratch to thousands of dollars for major body damage.
1. Breakdown of Potential Fees
When Hertz processes a damage claim, they bundle multiple fees on top of the actual body shop repair costs:
- Actual Repair Cost: The wholesale or estimated cost to fix the structural or cosmetic damage.
- Processing Fee: A fee charged specifically to detect and estimate the damage (frequently around $125).
- Administrative Fee: An internal paperwork fee that typically ranges from $65 to $350.
- Loss of Use Fee: Charges covering the revenue Hertz loses while the vehicle is sitting in a repair shop and cannot be rented to other customers.
- Diminution of Value: A charge for the permanent drop in the car's resale value due to having an accident on its record.
2. Hertz Billable Damage Thresholds
Hertz uses automated, AI-powered camera arches (called UVeye) at major airport locations to scan cars instantly upon return. They do not charge for normal wear and tear, but they will bill you if the damage exceeds these thresholds:
| Damage Category | Billable Threshold | Typical Example Cost Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Scratches & Scuffs | A single scratch larger than a standard credit card, or multiple scratches over 1 inch. | $440 total ($250 repair + $125 processing + $65 admin) for a 1-inch wheel scuff. |
| Dents & Dings | Any single dent with a diameter larger than 1 inch, or any punctures/detached panels. | $350 total ($160 for two dime-sized dents + $190 in administrative processing fees). |
| Glass & Windshields | Any crack or chip of any size to the windshield, windows, or sunroof. | $200 – $300 for basic glass replacement; up to $550 – $1,000 if the windshield has advanced driver-assist (ADAS) sensors. |
| Tires & Rims | Punctures, sidewall cuts, bulges, or wheel rim scuffs exceeding 1 inch. | $75 – $150 per standard tire replacement. |
3. How to Cover or Lower the Cost
If you receive a damage bill from Hertz, you have a few ways to resolve it:
- Hertz Loss Damage Waiver (LDW): If you paid for Hertz’s optional LDW at the counter (usually around $45/day), your financial responsibility is $0, provided you didn't violate the rental agreement (e.g., driving recklessly or off-road).
- Credit Card Insurance: Many premium credit cards (such as Chase Sapphire or American Express) offer built-in rental car collision coverage. If you declined Hertz's insurance and paid with that card, you can submit the Hertz damage report to your credit card company to reimburse the costs. Note: Some credit card protections will pay for repairs but refuse to cover Hertz's administrative or "loss of use" fees.
- Personal Auto Insurance: Your regular car insurance policy likely covers rental cars under its comprehensive/collision terms. You will only be responsible for paying your policy's deductible amount.
What happens if you get a little scratch on a rental car?
If you get a small scratch on a rental car, the rental company may inspect it upon return and charge you for repairs or administrative fees if the scratch is larger than their accepted size limit.
What Happens at Return
- Size limits: Many major rental companies like Hertz use a size threshold (such as a scratch larger than a standard credit card) to determine if a surface mark counts as chargeable damage.
- Automated scans: Some busy locations use digital or AI-assisted scanners that flag even tiny surface flaws when you return the vehicle.
- Added fees: If the scratch exceeds their guidelines, you may be billed for the repair estimate alongside extra administrative or loss-of-use fees.
How You Are Covered
- Damage waivers: If you bought the rental company's Damage Waiver upfront, minor scratches are typically covered with no extra out-of-pocket cost.
- Credit cards or personal insurance: Many credit cards or personal auto insurance policies include secondary or primary rental coverage that reimburses these repair charges. You will usually have to pay the rental company first and then file a claim for reimbursement.
Will my insurance go up if I damage a rental car?
Yes, your car insurance can go up if you damage a rental car, but it depends on who is at fault and how the claim is paid.
When Your Rates Might Increase
- You are at fault: If you cause an accident, your personal auto insurance rates will likely increase if a claim is filed through your regular policy.
- Personal insurance is used: If you decline the rental company's coverage and rely on your personal auto policy to pay for the damage, any resulting claim can raise your premium upon renewal.
- Driving record is updated: If the crash is reported to the police or DMV, it goes on your driving record. Insurers see this when you renew your policy, which can cause a rate hike even if you didn't file a primary auto claim.
When Your Rates Might Not Increase
- You bought a damage waiver: If you purchased a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) from the rental company, the physical damage is covered without involving your personal insurer.
- Credit card coverage was used: If you used a credit card with primary or secondary rental coverage and the card issuer pays the rental company, your personal auto insurance policy is left out of the claim process.
- Another driver is at fault: If another driver caused the crash, that driver’s liability insurance should cover the damage to the rental car, preventing a claim on your policy.
What is Hertz's collision damage waiver and what does it cover?
You can review full details and policy rules for Hertz Collision Damage Waiver directly on their official site.
Hertz offers a Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) (often referred to as CDW or LDW) as an optional protection plan that reduces or eliminates your financial responsibility if the rental car is damaged, vandalized, or stolen.
Key Facts About Hertz Damage Waivers
- Not Insurance: LDW/CDW is a waiver, not an insurance policy. It legally waives Hertz's right to charge you for vehicle damage.
- What it Covers: Accidental damage, collisions, theft, vandalism, fire, and acts of nature (depending on the region and specific terms).
- What it Excludes: Violations of the rental agreement, reckless driving, driving under the influence, or unauthorized drivers.
- Benefits: If you buy LDW, you do not have to file an insurance claim, pay a personal auto insurance deductible, or risk a rate increase on your personal policy.
- Alternatives: Many major credit cards (providing primary or secondary coverage) or personal auto insurance policies already extend coverage to rental cars, though you may still be liable for administrative fees or "loss of use" charges if you decline.
Can I get a full damage waiver for my car rental?
A full damage waiver or Super Collision Damage Waiver (SCDW) eliminates your financial liability or reduces your excess to zero if a rental car is damaged or stolen, and it can be purchased directly from rental providers or via independent insurers like iCarhireinsurance.
How Damage Waivers Work
- Standard CDW: Basic Collision Damage Waiver is usually included in standard rentals, but leaves you with an "excess" (deductible) of £500 to £3,000 for which you are personally liable.
- Full / Super Waiver: Upgrading to a full waiver lowers that excess to zero.
- Exclusions: Basic policies often exclude windscreens, tyres, roofs, and the undercarriage, whereas comprehensive full waivers or standalone policies frequently include them.
Where to Buy Coverage
- At the Rental Counter: Buying "Super CDW" directly from the rental desk is the most expensive option (often £20–£30/day), but offers the easiest zero-hassle claims process.
- Independent / Standalone Policies: Buying separate Car Hire Excess insurance beforehand is significantly cheaper, though the rental desk may still place a temporary security deposit hold on your credit card.
- Credit Cards: Premium travel credit cards sometimes include rental car collision coverage for free, but you must check the fine print for exclusions.