Hundreds of Hertz customers are discovering a new reality at vehicle drop-off: AI scanners that detect even the tiniest scratches. The rental giant has partnered with Israel-based UVeye to develop an automated inspection system that’s leaving some customers with shocking bills for damages they can barely see.
Just ask the customer who got slammed with a $440 charge for a minor wheel scuff. Yeah, you read that right—four hundred and forty dollars. The breakdown? A $250 repair fee, $125 processing fee, and $65 administrative fee. Seems totally reasonable for a tiny mark that probably happened while parallel parking. Not.
Slapping customers with a $440 bill for a barely visible wheel scuff? Peak corporate greed with a high-tech twist.
These AI scanners use cameras and machine learning to analyze everything from the body to the undercarriage. Hertz calls it progress. Customers call it something else entirely. The system launched at Atlanta’s airport and is racing to 100 U.S. locations by the end of 2025.
What makes this tech especially frustrating is the communication—or lack thereof. Customers receive damage notifications through a web app, often immediately after returning their vehicle. But try getting a human on the line to dispute a charge. Good luck. Response times can stretch up to 10 days, by which point those “pay quickly for a discount” offers have conveniently expired.
Hertz claims the scanners improve accuracy and transparency. That’s corporate-speak for “we’re charging you more efficiently now.” The company insists this technology will reduce disputes by providing objective documentation of vehicle condition. Because nothing says “objective” like a mysterious “processing fee” that’s half the cost of the actual repair.
The rental car industry has long viewed damage disputes as a major friction point with customers. Their solution? Add more friction, apparently. While AI might make vehicle returns faster, the proportionality of these fees has customers questioning whether the real damage is to their wallets, not the vehicles. Early payment discounts of $52 within two days seem designed to pressure customers into paying before they can properly review or dispute charges. After suffering a $2.9 billion loss from electric vehicle rentals, Hertz seems determined to recover profits through these aggressive damage charges.
References
- https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-is-what-happens-when-hertzs-ai-scanner-finds-damage-on-your-rental
- https://www.jalopnik.com/1893794/hertz-ai-rental-car-damage-scanner-charged-440-dollars-for-wheel-scuff/
- https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a65176049/hertz-ai-scan-rental-car-damage/
- https://www.ajc.com/business/2025/07/hertz-customer-hit-with-440-charge-after-ai-inspection-at-atlanta-airport/
- https://parade.com/news/hertz-rental-car-companies-new-ai-scanner-damage-policy-airport-controversy-2025
