What should you do if you break down while driving a rental car?

There you are, stranded on the side of the road with a rental car that—for whatever reason—has broken down. If that happens to your own car, you just call roadside assistance, but what do you do if you break down while driving a rental car?

Of course, we hope it never happens to you, but we can’t rule it out entirely. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you if you do find yourself stranded in a rental car.

Safety First

Most importantly: stay calm and put safety first. Not just your own safety and that of any passengers, but also the safety of other road users. If possible, pull the rental car over to the side of the road immediately and turn on your hazard lights. Also place the warning triangle at least 50 meters behind the car (on a highway, further away—at least 100 meters). If you’ve come to a stop just after a curve, it’s best to place the warning triangle before that curve.

Rental car breakdown: Should you call for help or not?

Try to figure out the cause of the problem. You won’t be the first person to have driven a little too far after the low-fuel light came on in your rental car. By the way, it’s never a good idea to drive until the tank is completely empty. But anyway, in that case, you’ll have no choice but to try to reach the nearest gas station, for example by hitchhiking.

An oil leak, a dead battery, squeaking brakes, or an unknown cause? Call the local car rental company’s emergency number and ask for advice on what to do. Tip: Save the rental company’s phone number in your cell phone when you pick up the rental car. That way, you won’t have to search for it when you need to call them in a stressful situation (such as breaking down on the road). Don’t call the local roadside assistance right away, because they’ll charge you, and those costs won’t be reimbursed.

Don’t know anything about cars? In some cases, you can get the rental car running again with a simple fix that a rental company employee will explain to you over the phone. A mechanic from the rental company may ask you over the phone to perform certain steps so they can remotely determine the possible cause of the problem.

Need a Mechanic to Repair the Rental Car

The rental company will tell you what the next steps are if the problem is serious and a mechanic needs to come on-site to repair the rental car. What those steps are depends on many different factors. If you’re in the middle of nowhere, the rental company may try to arrange for a garage in a nearby village to handle the repair. If you’re not far from one of the rental company’s branches, the company may send one of its own mechanics. Does the car need to be towed? In that case, too, the local rental company will determine which towing service will handle it and where the rental car will be taken.

Who pays for what in the event of a breakdown with a rental car?

The basic rule is that you don’t pay anything if the breakdown isn’t your fault. A mechanical failure is (usually) the rental company’s responsibility, and in that case, they’ll cover the repair costs.

But sometimes it’s unclear who’s responsible. Take the case of a dead battery. Is the battery old and therefore no longer reliable, or did you leave the rental car’s lights on, causing the battery to die?

A flat tire isn’t just an example of a breakdown, but also of damage to the rental car. While you can often replace that tire yourself—with a little help—using the spare, the damage remains. Fortunately, that damage is covered by the comprehensive coverage that most of our rental cars with the Worry-Free label include.

Breakdown with a rental car in another country

If you indicated when booking the rental car that you’ll be driving in a country other than the one where you picked up the car, the same rules apply as above. But if you didn’t report this and you break down in that other country, you’ll be entirely responsible for all costs. And more—because a rental company won’t be happy if it discovers that you drove the rental car into another country without permission.

To avoid these problems: always answer honestly when we ask the following question during booking: Will you be traveling to other countries with the rental car?

Reimbursement or Replacement Rental Car

“That’s all well and good,” you might think, “but I’ve lost (part of) the rental period because the rental car isn’t working through no fault of my own. What about compensation?”

If your rental car is in the shop for a few hours and you’re able to get back on the road afterward, you generally won’t receive compensation from the rental company. The situation is different if you don’t have access to the rental car for one or more days and the mechanical issue wasn’t caused by you. In that case, you’re of course entitled to compensation or a replacement rental car.

Whether you can get another car depends on where you are. A replacement rental car can usually be arranged quickly if you’re near one of the rental company’s locations, but not if you’re far away. If you’re unable to use the rental car for an extended period, you should file a claim with the rental company to get a refund for the rental fees paid for the days the car wasn’t used. This is a matter between you and the local rental company, and we cannot mediate in this matter. Incidentally, most car rental companies are very accommodating in the event of a breakdown and will try to minimize the inconvenience for you as much as possible.

Late Return of Rental Car Due to Breakdown

Well, you ended up having car trouble on the last day of your vacation. And you’re doubly unlucky, because that problem caused you to return your rental car late. This constitutes force majeure, so the rental company is not allowed to charge you any extra fees for the late return. Provided, of course, that you immediately reported the car trouble to the local rental company.

A wheel clamp or a towed rental car isn’t considered a breakdown

Oops, you accidentally parked the rental car in a prohibited spot, and now it has a wheel clamp. Or worse, the rental car has been towed. That’s bad luck, but not the kind of problem you need to call the rental company about. The costs of removing the wheel clamp or retrieving the rental car are entirely your responsibility. The same goes for the fine—but that goes without saying, right?