Visitors intending to reach the official website should visit miami-airport.com
Car Rental at Miami Airport
Quick Questions about Car Rental
- Which companies are usually more reliable? Major brands like Enterprise and Alamo generally receive good reviews for their efficiency and service. Sixt is also well-regarded for its fleet and customer service.
- Which companies require more attention? Some companies like ACE, Budget, Dollar/Thrifty, and Payless accumulate more complaints about additional charges and discrepancies between the booking and the final service. It's important to read the contract carefully with them.
- Where are cars picked up? At the Rental Car Center (RCC), a separate building reached by the free MIA Mover train from Level 3 of the terminal.
- Is the price I book online the final one? Often not. At the counter, it's common to be offered extras like insurance or tolls (SunPass/PlatePass). Check what you actually need before accepting. As a suggestion you can Search and Book HERE
- Will I get the car I booked? It depends on availability. Sometimes, they may offer you a similar model or a different category. Make sure any change fits your needs and budget.
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Key Points to Keep in Mind
- Document the car's condition in 360°: Before leaving the garage, film or photograph the entire vehicle, paying attention to any pre-existing damage. This is the most repeated recommendation in reviews of almost all companies, and it can save you from an unjustified charge upon return.
- Reject each insurance by name, not in general: Saying "I don't want anything extra" is not always enough. There are reports of insurances added to the contract despite having been verbally rejected — reject each specific coverage by name and ask for it to be reflected in the printed contract.
- Manage fuel your own way: The prepaid fuel option is convenient, but it's often cheaper to fill the tank yourself just before returning it. Keep the receipt — there are reports of fuel charges despite returns with a full tank.
- Consider wait times: During peak hours, some companies may have long lines at the counter or at the garage exit (up to 40 minutes with a single operational booth in reported cases). Plan with time margin.
- If something goes wrong, communication is key: If you have a problem, try to resolve it on the spot with counter or garage staff. Post-rental problem resolution can be slower.
- Automatic tolls can come with high administrative fees: several companies (not just one) use third-party processors to bill tolls, which usually add administrative fees on top of the actual toll cost. If your credit card offers its own toll device or you can pay the toll directly, it's usually cheaper than letting it go through the rental company.
Pros and Cons of Renting at MIA
- Pros:
- All major brands in one place: the Rental Car Center concentrates almost all major companies, accessible via the free MIA Mover.
- Options outside the RCC to compare prices: several smaller companies offer pickup outside the concourse with prior reservation, often cheaper.
- Enterprise and Alamo stand out consistently: both concentrate the highest proportion of positive reviews in the group, with agile processes and well-regarded staff.
- Cons:
- Hidden charges and forced insurance sales: this is the most repeated pattern, present in almost all RCC companies to varying degrees.
- Long waits during peak hours: both at the counter and at the garage exit, with cases of 40+ minutes reported.
- Strong variability between companies: the same corporate group (e.g. Dollar/Thrifty/Hertz) can have very different experiences depending on the specific brand.
Companies at the Rental Car Center (RCC)
The following companies have offices at the car rental center, located at 3900 NW 25th Street. You can get there using the MIA Mover, which is taken on the third level of the terminal, between the Dolphin and Flamingo parking lots.
The center is open 24 hours a day. However, some operators close between midnight and 5:00 am. We recommend contacting the company directly to confirm their operating hours.
ACE Rent A Car
User experience:
Mixed reviews. Counter service receives occasional praise, but a significant number of travelers warn about non-transparent sales practices: charges for insurances and tolls that are not clearly explained, and discrepancies between the reserved vehicle and the one delivered. There is one serious documented case of a car delivered with an expired registration, towed by the city within hours, with a $200 charge to the customer for the tow even though the vehicle was not legally roadworthy when delivered.
Strategy: check the registration/plate expiration date sticker on the windshield before leaving the garage, and if you book through an external platform, confirm at the counter that mandatory insurance is already included to avoid price surprises.
Alamo
User experience:
Generally positive, one of the best-rated at the RCC. Customers highlight the speed of the pickup and return process, without the high security deposit that other agencies require. There are specific complaints about the maintenance condition of some vehicles (poor tires) and one case of mechanical failure the day after picking up the car, poorly resolved by the company.
Strategy: if your flight arrives outside regular hours, Alamo has coordination with National for these cases — check when booking.
Avis
User experience:
Very mixed opinions. The main negative point is long waits at the counter, which can exceed an hour and a half due to staff shortages, as well as surprise charges ("Non Pkg Items", roadside assistance, and unlimited tolls added without asking). There is a serious case of a car returned due to mechanical failure and re-rented to another family within minutes, without resolving the reported problem.
Strategy: ask them to read each line of the contract out loud before signing — several surprise charges appear in lines the customer didn't get to review.
Budget
User experience:
Mostly negative, one of the worst-rated in service at the RCC. There are reports of rude staff, especially towards customers who document the car's condition with photos. Complaints include fuel charges despite returns with a full tank, automatic charges for driving less than 75 miles without prior notice, and cases of cars delivered dirty (sand even under the carpets).
Strategy: if staff react badly to you photographing the car, keep doing it anyway and save the time and date of the photos — it's your main backup against an unjustified subsequent charge.
Carnival
User experience:
We haven't yet processed a sufficient volume of reviews on this specific company to give a representative overview. [Pending: add Carnival review document when available.]
Dollar
User experience:
Frequent criticisms. Travelers report availability issues even with a confirmed reservation, long waits (one person serving 20-30 customers in several cases), and persistent insurance sales tactics. There is a serious case of double charging: a customer paid in advance through an external platform and was charged again at the counter, also receiving a different vehicle than reserved with visible damage.
Strategy: if you booked through an external platform (not directly at dollar.com), bring the payment receipt printed or accessible offline — it's your proof against an attempt at double charging.
Enterprise
User experience:
One of the best-rated companies at the RCC. Customers praise the efficiency of the process, staff friendliness, and ease of problem resolution, such as replacing a vehicle with a defect. There are specific complaints about availability (reserved model not available) and one case of a lost item (tablet) not resolved despite geolocation tracking.
Strategy: check the entire car before leaving the garage — it's the company with the best problem resolution in the group if something goes wrong on the spot.
Hertz
User experience:
Very mixed experiences. Gold/Presidents Circle program members enjoy a very fast process, but there are strong complaints about disproportionate fuel charges, a tire with slow leak not addressed at return, and a ~30% penalty for arriving late due to flight delay (a 40-year veteran customer canceled their membership over this). There is also a case of "damage" photos taken in a dark garage that the customer claims is an attempt at unjustified charges.
Strategy: if your flight is delayed, notify Hertz as soon as you know — the late return penalty may still apply even if the delay is not your responsibility, unless prior notice is documented.
National
User experience:
Emerald Club members value the convenience of choosing their own car and skipping the counter. There are complaints about the maintenance quality of some cars in the Executive area, a mileage charge not clearly communicated when booking (~$250, surprising even for a 15+ year customer), and one case of a line of 20+ vehicles with a single operational exit booth at 10 pm.
Strategy: if you're traveling long distances, confirm the mileage limit included in your specific rate before leaving — not all categories have unlimited mileage.
Payless
User experience:
The most problematic in the group in terms of serious complaints volume. The most repeated pattern is the counter being closed or unmanned despite a confirmed reservation, redirecting customers to Avis, which doesn't always have access to Payless booking data — this generates duplicate charges and refund denials. There is also a case of a $1,600 charge for an alleged accident damage on a part that apparently was already poorly installed from the factory, with the return inspection not marking any damage at the time.
Strategy: if you book with Payless, confirm the day before by phone that the counter will be staffed, and bring the booking number printed — it's the company with the most reports of wait times resolved only with physical customer evidence.
Royal
User experience:
Low review volume and quite contradictory — while one traveler highlights staff friendliness, another reports extremely rude treatment. There's not enough consistency yet to draw a firm conclusion on this particular company.
Strategy: as with any rental company that uses third-party toll processors (a common industry practice, not exclusive to this brand), review the toll charge details carefully before accepting them — they usually include administrative fees on top of the actual toll cost.
Sixt
User experience:
Generally positive. Staff are praised for their friendliness and professionalism, with cases of free upgrades. Criticisms focus on wait times during peak hours and complaints about strong odors (smoke, marijuana) in cars delivered without adequate quality control, with cases of cleaning charges despite having verbally reported the problem upon receiving the car.
Strategy: if the car has any issues upon receipt (odor, dirt), ask for it to be noted in writing on the spot — verbal complaints without record are difficult to sustain later.
Thrifty
User experience:
Negative reviews predominate. Travelers warn about aggressive sales tactics to add insurances, sometimes arguing false "Florida laws". There are frequent reports of unauthorized damage charges (up to $500 in one case, without giving the customer the opportunity to photograph before leaving), which require a lengthy dispute process.
Strategy: if they tell you that certain coverage is "mandatory by Florida law," ask them to show you the specific regulation in writing — it's a reported sales tactic, not a real legal requirement in most cases.
Companies Outside the Rental Car Center
The following companies are not located inside the car rental center, but are close to the airport. Upon request and with prior reservation, they will pick up passengers just outside the concourse.
- AddCar
- Americars Auto Rental
- Carwiz
- Colusa
- Dash
- Easirent
- Fox
- Green Motion
- HDC
- JC Car Rental
- Miami Life Cars
- NextCar
- NU Car Rentals
- OC Car Rental
- Priceless
- Renta Florida
- Routes Car Rental
- U-Save
- Victory
