Budget Car Rental

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Jennifer Brackin
4 weeks ago
Personable, easy pick up and drop off! We arrived in Lihue late in the evening. The Jeep we were originally paired with wasn't ready on our arrival. While waiting, the sweet lady at the checkin called us back and paired us with a Jeep that was ready! We appreicated her thoughtfulness allowing us to be on our way after our long flight!

  Sharon Wacks
a month ago
Booking a car with Budget online was easy, the airport location was easy to find, their shuttle was readily available, prices were competitive and when I got to the counter the agent was friendly fast and helpful, even though there were many people in line she acted like getting me safely and happily into a car was her only concern at that moment like I was to the only person in the room (kudos to her for making Budget my #1 choice for my next rental). Drop off was super easy and efficient too. That process only took 5 minutes from drop off to being dropped off curbside at the airport. Plus my shuttle driver had a great sense of humor and was helpful with the luggage too. Easy peasy process is the way I like to travel. Thank you Budget.

  brandon Harrison
6 months ago
The experience my family had with renting the vehicle was horrible. There was a long wait time to even speak to the counter representative. And not to mention the extreme cost to renting the vehicle.Our plane landed at 2:00 pm we didn't leave the Budget for another 3 hours. Two hours were spent just waiting to be seen. Then the counter person did speak very well. And offering insurance to a vehicle that doubled our rent. Which cost us over 2186.88 dollars. We added the insurance, because we were told if anything happened to the vehicle we would have to pay for the time the vehicle was out of service. We were also told it takes about 8 months for a vehicle to be fixed. So, we went with the insurance. We then had to wait another hour just to receive a vehicle that was not what we ordered it was smaller and not able to carry 4 people and luggage. My family and was not going to sit in line again for 2 hours to speak to a representative just to be told no or wait another hour to receive something else, not to mention the vehicle was scratched up horribly.Other customers were tipping the staff just trying to get their vehicles in a timely manner but that didn't work either. All I can say is wow this place did not embrace the aloha spirit.Ps.We reserved the vehicle back in February 2023.

  Tag Spilman
6 months ago
I am writing this review based on my experience at this location; with one big caveat. We arrived right after our plane landed and we were ~3rd in line. It took 30-45 minutes to be seen and get our car. By the time we were at the counter there was a line out the door, likely at least a 3-hour wait. We declined insurance because we get it free with our credit card. The parking lots in Kauai are extremely cramped. I'm surprised there aren't door dings everywhere. Be careful!As for the car itself, apparently island weather isn't kind to cars. There were less than 30k miles on the dash and I'd have guessed it was over 70k. The interior was a little dirty and the glass was so oily it whited out at certain angles. Thankfully there were no hidden charges other than the expected taxes.

  Bethany Bates
2 months ago
On a Saturday arrival at 5pm Budget only had 2 employees working and the line was still out the door from the previous flight. I felt bad for those 2 employees. I had read this was standard with Budget so I joined the Fastbreak option prior to arrival and that process was pretty smooth and went much quicker once helped arrive. All the staff I interacted with were very competent and friendly and made quick work once I got to the counter. The car was easily accessible, clean and well maintained. Return was easy as well.I m just think the lines create a very bad first impression for the island as a whole in regards to tourism.

  Bob Temmerman
2 months ago
It took over one hour to obtain our rental car at the Lihue airport in Kauai. But that wasn t the main problem. That evening when we drove around the island to the opposite side and locked the car, it would not lock. The key fob would not remotely lock the vehicle, so I locked the car manually. Next morning, I tried to get into the vehicle, but again the key would no longer unlock the vehicle. Fortunately, I have left the passenger side window partially down, so I was able to unlock the vehicle manually. However, when I opened the car door, the car alarm went off now, waking most of my irritated neighbors at the ungodly hour of 5 AM. I tried everything to get the alarm off to no avail. When I moved over to the driver side seat and tried to insert the key in the ignition the car would not start. It took two hours of phone calls with Budget in order to arrange for a replacement vehicle. The tow truck driver that brought it out was extraordinarily nice and the replacement vehicle worked just fine. I tipped a tow truck driver an extra hundred dollars for his heroic efforts on no sleep. Unfortunately, this little fiasco cost us one whole day of our vacation as well as the $100 tip and Budget made no effort to compensate us for our lost day of activities, including the loss of our tickets at the Botanical Garden and our prepaid golf at the Makai course in Princeville. Budget should make more of an effort to make certain the vehicles they rent are operational, including the key fobs.

  Scott Young
2 months ago
The Budget office rented a damaged vehicle to me and is now attempting to make me pay for the damages. Upon our arrival at the rental office, we were greeted by a line of customers extending nearly to the door, with only two employees available to assist at the desk. After waiting nearly an hour to reach the desk, the employee simply handed me the keys and paperwork without accompanying me to inspect the car a standard practice I had experienced with other rental agencies. If they had performed this inspection, they would have noticed the existing damage on the vehicle. At no point was I informed that it was my responsibility to check the vehicle for damages, nor is this stipulated in their rental agreement. I am now forced to contend with their unresponsive and unhelpful claims department to resolve this issue without being charged the $623 they are demanding for damage I did not cause. I would give this place 0 stars if possible and advise everyone to consider using one of the many other rental companies at Lihue Airport to avoid this nightmare.

  Alexandria Wenninger
2 months ago
The entire experience start to finish with this business was unpleasant. First, the cars aren't ready when you go to pick it up, they had one person taking vehicles to the car wash as people were showing up to check out their reservations. Once washed, the person parks the car at the front with the keys in it and still running, no communication, which led to confusion as many people had rented the same type of car and people were jumping into vehicles reserved by others. We waited 45 minutes for our reserved car to be washed and ready. I cannot stress this enough, when you get your car TAKE PHOTOS OR VIDEO OF EVERY SCRATCH/DENT, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, AND FROM EVERY ANGLE OF THE CAR. This company does not keep track of damage and will try to charge new customers with old damage they never fixed over and over and over again.Also, the cars have cockroaches. Both our vehicle and my sister in law's vehicle had cockroaches. It might look fine during the day but as soon as it gets dark they are on the move. When we got home from this vacation we left all our luggage outside and brought it indoors in batches to go straight to the wash, I really do not want a cockroach infestation in my home to be a last parting gift from this company.

  Forest Robinson
a month ago
Rented 1st week of March 2024. Spotless car. Manager and all staff were exceptionally helpful, courteous, and efficient at time of pick up and time of drop off. Also a very good price. At my request the manager even came out to the lot in the rain, cheerfully, to show me how to work the emergency brake. I have rented dozens of cars over the years and this was one of the very best experiences ever. Would recommend highly to any friend or relative.

  campinnh
a month ago
We booked the car 7 months in advance and our price was held. prices went up before we actually picked the car up. Pick up was only slowed by the amount of people waiting in line. That was almost half an hour. All of my options were explained and after giving my credit card, I was off in about ten minutes. The car was clean and gassed up. I had no problems with the car. I did give it a wash and quick vacuum as that's how we got it. No extra charges when we dropped it off and the gentleman receiving the car was very helpful and patient while we removed our luggage.

  Rich
3 months ago
Booked on Costco for $376 at 8pm waited in line for 1 hour and 15 min!At 9pm I was told my base rate + tax is $452????!!Manager said it s the state and local tax Really because that s not what my Reservation says Manager fiddles with keyboard, 20 min later I get 399 is all I can do Kids hungry at 9:30pm I GAVE UPNext day called Costco and they saw the booking immediately and questioned why also.Wife said it s just $25 and we are on vacation. I said to her this is price gouging and I ve never had a problem with reservations in 15 years. Costco eventually fixed the booking but frustrating when on vacay hence 2 stars and not 1

  Gracie Grace
6 months ago
Very disappointed with my rental car.Extremely filthy with sand and dirt. To top it off the gas wasn t filled. The staff was the best part of my rental. What happened to the days of renting a clean car?

  Amber Flores
2 weeks ago
We have come to Kauai several times and always rent a car through Budget. There are many options in Kauai, but they always seem to be the best priced. It's a short trek from the airport to the shuttle that drops you off at the car rental. The checkin line is typically long, but it moves pretty quick and our car is almost always ready when we arrive. Returning the car is also a pretty quick process.

  Michael Fabbro
9 months ago
Absolutely horrible experience. Customer service was not existent. Delays after delays to get the car. Understaffed and nobody really cared that there was a line out the door. The efficiency at this location and any sense of urgency is non existent. Over a 2hr overall experience after pre checking. 1hr to check in another 1hr to wait for the car.They try to upswell you on the insurance, don t bother. The cars look like they ve been through a scene from Jurassic Park. They don t check the vehicle or mark any scratches etc when you take it and they barely look at it when you take it back. Take photos and video on your own accord before leaving the lot.

  Tara-lyn Shimabukuro
3 weeks ago
The wait time at pick up was very long and the staff at the counter was unfriendly. The car came dripping with water (it had just been washed) and the floor mats was coated with dirt. It was the first time I ve rented a car that was not clean. There were a few staff that were friendly and helpful, they seemed to be employed by a temp help agency I appreciated their service. The shuttle drivers saved the experience from being 1 star, they were also very friendly and helpful.

  James Erickson
a week ago
Out of control ridiculous! Nobody to check in my car. 3 people inside only 2 were helping the LONG line of 20+ waiting,the other sitting for "fast lane" customers with nobody on that list. I called reservations, they told me to take pics of my car, mileage, leave the keys and park it on their lot. I had a plane to catch people. I wasted 45min i. Fultile efforts. Never again

  flintlockwood 97
2 months ago
Fast service and yes they have some scratch on the vehicle that I get but I don t mind with that, they should catchup paint on it . still drive though, I love that they give me spots car mustang it s my dream vehicle I recommend I will get another Rent a car this place again when I neededCustomer serviceANGELITO AGPAOA

  Katrina Barnhart
a month ago
Had a great experience at the Lihue airport renting from budget. Had issue at first calling to add the fast track number to our current reservation. Was told we needed to cancel and rebook at a higher price in order to add. Not true. Called back and was helped and added no problem. The fast track feature is a must for Kauai as the wait can be very long otherwise. We were back with the car just as our luggage was available from baggage claim. Return was also extremely quick.

  Chris Garrett
2 months ago
Desk agent at pick up was professional and quick. When person brought up car she just got out of car and walked right by us without any kind of acknowledgment. Left us wondering if we were ready to take car and go.Got to hotel and found the key fob was not functioning. Something I m sure must have been realized before we got the car. Played with it for awhile and we got it to work very randomly. Next morning couldn t get it to work at all. Only number we could call was roadside assistance. They said they would have to tow it back to rent a car and I would have to pay for it till it was determined it wasn t my fault. Playing with it finally got it to work and I drove it back to airport. Guy in lot took the keys and changed the batteries and it worked fine the rest of the trip. We lost almost half a day dealing with it. Luckily it was the one day we didn t have a tour scheduled.When we returned the car it was a very fast process and the guy was great.

  Paul Gonsorchik
3 weeks ago
The first car we rented wouldn't unlock, or lock, or start, or the horn kept going off. The second day of our vacation we had to take it back and get a new one. There is only one person to check you in, so it takes a long time, and we had to do it twice, instead of once, not counting driving 16 miles out of our way to do this the second time. The second car we received was a nice upgrade, though. This is the Kauai, HI, budget.

  Mark Nugent
8 months ago
Absolutely abysmal rental location. They have no vehicles ready and bring them up one at a time, which took one full hour after we finished at the counter. Extremely aggressive and inappropriate hard sell for extra insurance products and agent got nasty when we declined. Most vehicles had not been cleaned or refueled even when driven up for a customer, including ours, which was in horrible physical condition and had two warning lights illuminated including low tire pressure. Rental staff blew us off regarding the bad vehicle condition and said you ll have to wait another 45 minutes if you don t like it. Avoid Lihue Budget location at all costs!

  Linda Colwell
3 days ago
The car was fine, but the ride to pick it up, plus the incredibly long line to pay for it and another wait to have it cleaned and delivered took about 2 hours with only a few benches to sit on. It was Saturday. Maybe other days are better.

  Gina Reeves
6 months ago
Waited over an hour and a half to get a car. Car had scratches and dings, didn t seem clean. What s the point of completing a review when they ain t going to do anything about it. It s like you re stuck cause you need a vehicle so you are forced to wait. They need to hire more employees. If you re landing on Kauai after 4pm this is normal to wait. Even the employees said this is the norm. This ruined our plans and not a great way to start a hard earned vacation.

  Jerott Argyle
3 months ago
Kauai the laid back island. So laid back, they have 2 agents working on a Sunday, with 40 people in line. Took 90 minutes to get my car I had already reserved.

  Wyatt Bloomingdale
a week ago
No issues renting the car; however, now 1 month later, I received a claim alleging that we damaged the car and owe $1,200. We did absolutely nothing to the car, we had it for 3 days and it was returned in exactly the same condition. Upon taking possession of the vehicle, we took several videos of the many dings and scrapes that were on the car. I have since tried to call this location several times to figure out what we supposedly damaged, and they never answer the phone. this is a scam. rent elsewhere.

  Jordan McIntosh
6 months ago
Absurd experience. Despite claiming to be on-site at the airport, you must take a shuttle to a remote location, driven by drivers who won t lift a finger to help with bags. Counter was understaffed resulting in a 30-minute wait to speak with an agent. Once the reservation has been confirmed, you ll need to wait curbside as cars get delivered to you, one by one (prepare for another 30 minute wait). If you re sitting in your rental car in less than two hours after landing, it s a miracle.

  David Littman
a month ago
While the counter agents are pleasant and easy to work with, the wait to see an agent is far too long. This has happened each time that I have rented from Budget. The car was fine and the cost for 8 days was fair. It is that wait at the start of the trip that is a killer!

  Vitaliy K
7 months ago
Long lines to get a car. Everyone is sitting outside waiting. They bring one car at the time. Very very slow service. Waiting time at 9am may stretch to more than 1hr. First car was dirty even after they told me they wash cars and this is why it takes long wait time. Second car dirty as well. I do not recommend to rent from them.

  Jose Luis
7 months ago
Don't ever rent from these people.Long lines at the counter to wait for a vehicle. And I was upsold on a very expensive insurance.Worst experience we've ever had. Had to change the first vehicle because it has safety issues. The second vehicle was even worse and really bad tires.Go somewhere else.I would give them no stars if that was an option.

  Rt Denver91
5 months ago
Worst experience. Look at how long the line is. Just two counter clerks working. This is not the first time it is happeningI will avoid this car rental agency at all costs in the future.I just don't understand why Costco Travel hasn't dumped them yet