Rented a midsized SUV from 6/2 through 6/24/26. The car (a Ford Escape) was clean, ran well and got over 37 mpg during our trip. Check in at the counter was OK, the woman manning it was covering 2 brands and was stressed out. The gentleman who we got the car from (pick up area) was great and did a fine job giving us a choice of the SUV's available. Leaving the lot was easy. Our return was also great. The gentleman who checked us out was quick and friendly. The amount charged was what I expected and the train ride to and from the terminals was very easy. Would recommend Budget read more

Chicago had a ground stop, I advised Budget I would get my car around 7 pm from the previous 5 pm appointment. Budget over charged me $85. Even though I advised them. Chicagos fault. Then the fave me a car with NO fuel. Yep, no fuel. While on a country road I looked fine to see no fuel. Who rents you a car with No fuel. Luckily I had just passed a fuel station, turned around, got fuel. Now turning it back in with only a portion of my fuel used. They are getting it back full compared to how I rented it. Lulu from Budget advised if I get it empty bring it back empty. But that can't happen because I didn't use it much. This is the second issue I've had with Budget. They are the same company as AVIS . Same owners. So why ???? read more

Oh my!! Why are the ratings so low!!?!?!? We booked our Budget rental through Costco Travel bc nothing says "vacation mode" like using your bulk-membership powers to score a great car deal!! The process was smoother than a Costco rotisserie chicken!! At O'Hare, Linda at the Budget counter greeted us like a car-rental fairy... only to announce that our reserved vehicle was not available. But no worries.... she upgraded us to a choice between a Jeep, Hyundai, or Mazda, at no additional cost. We picked the Mazda CX-50, a ride so smooth it felt like it was gliding over buttered pavement!! After paying, Linda sent us on a small adventure to take the escalator to the 2nd floor, go through the parking garage, and find our chariot w the keys already inside. We also rented a hotspot (just in case we were in an area with no phone signal) which we didn't actually need bc apparently Chicago has better signal than a Verizon tower. Over 3.5 days, we drove w five people all around North Chicago, only spending $30 on gas , which in 2025 feels like a miracle!!! Return was a breeze: signs, attendants, and no drama. In short: great car, great price, and Linda deserves a raise!! *Pro tip: Get the pre pay for the tolls!! You are in uncharted waters (if you're not from this area) and trust, there are lots of different freeways and toll roads in this area!!! You have been warned!!! read more

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What could have turned out to be a terrible start to a trip didn't thank goodness for the amazing budget employee Pam! We have had our reservation since January and were called yesterday evening they wouldn't have our car. We were supposed to pick up in the suburbs but the operator told us to try Ohare as they wouldn't have it. Of course this news was terrible to us, it was way out of the way and we'd be driving in rush hour and our travel plans pushed back a few hours. Thankfully the God send that Pam was she has been there a long time and has heard of this happening before. She knew exactly what to do and got us our rental! Due to the whole fiasco we were still put behind 2 hours however it was better than what it would have been. PAM PAM PAM is the #1 employee! Thankyou ! read more

It's been almost two weeks since my headphones were stolen by a Budget employee at O'Hare Airport. I reached out to speak with a manager and still haven't heard anything back. I should also add that I returned to the rental location about 40 minutes after returning the car, only to find that it had already been cleaned and my headphones were nowhere to be found. When I asked the employees about them, they told me to go to the front desk to see if anyone had turned them in. The front desk then advised me to speak with the fleet manager. Long story short, do not leave any personal belongings in your rental vehicle, as they may not be be returned to you. They have employees with access to the vehicles, and in my case, my headphones were stolen. Despite reporting the incident immediately and following up with management, I have yet to receive a response. read more

Company cancelled our truck the day before our move. The only alt offered was at a location almost 2 hours away.

I was there at 1:30 in the morning. There were 5 people working the check in area. When I arrived, I was very happy because there was only four people ahead of me in line. It turned out it took half an hour for me just to make it up to one of the check-in people. By the time I got my car there was 30 people in line. I told the last guy in line he probably wouldn't get his car for four hours. Total Nightmare. As a bonus I had a blowout out at 2:30 am, 30 miles from O'Hare. See photos However, the car return was super quick and easy. 1 star for pickup 5 stars for return 3 stars total. read more

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I booked a premium vehicle and they try to convince to go for something that I didn't pay for. Also been waiting for a car for over 45 mins. WORST EXPERIENCE EVER read more

Our car was not available when we arrived. I recommend not using this service as they take the reservation but do not have the cars available. I will never rent from them again. Suggest close their operation. read more

Sometimes I make the mistake of going to a place without checking their ratings on Yelp first; Unfortunately, this was one of those times. This Budget location currently has an average rating of 1.5 stars from 162 reviews. I wish I would have seen this before I came here. I arrived at this Budget location to get my rental car while visiting Chicago. The lady that helped me at Budget was professional. Unfortunately, I was immediately reminded of the frustrating policies (borderline trickery) that they have at Budget. About a week before traveling here, I took the time to make my rental car reservation online, and I clearly defined all the details and additions I wanted with my rental car. While visiting here in person, I was reminded how ridiculous and frustrating it is to have to acknowledge and sift through the multiple screens that Budget makes you sign off on for everything you want, even if you've already defined this in your reservation. I already stated what I wanted when I reserved the car! Personally, I believe that Budget uses this tedious technique in their attempt to trick people into buying more than they actually want when their customers are vulnerable, tired after a long journey. After finally getting my rental car, and before even arriving at my hotel, I was alerted that the check engine light had just come on for this rental car. The question that immediately popped into my mind was "Doesn't Budget check the health and safety of their cars before allowing their customers to use them?!?" Apparently not. During my travels in the area, I drove quite a bit in Budget's small economy car, which actually wore me out because it was so cheaply made. The rode vibration and rode noise was quite tedious on this plastic/tin-can of a car, which had poor suspension and rode-noise insulation. My return of the rental car was smooth, especially since I was expecting to pay the amount that Budget said I would be required to pay from my reservation. However, after returning home, I was surprised to see a much larger charge on my credit card from Budget. After looking into this, I discovered that Budget had additionally charged me for gas services when I clearly stated that I would return the car full of gas. My receipt with Budget even stated that I returned the car full of gas, but yet they still charged me a fee for filling up the car. Frustrated and annoyed, I then had to call Budget to ask them to remove this fee and reimburse this erroneous additional expense to my credit card. The Budget representative on the phone immediately proceeded to tell me that I would need to send her a copy of the receipt on my gas purchase before she would remove this additional expense. I then had to explain to her that Budget employees themselves reported the car as being full of gas upon return, and that this is clearly stated on my rental car records that she could see. I also had to tell her that I clearly stated I would return the car full of gas, as I did. She eventually removed this fee, but I was frustrated that I had to take my time to get them to remove this fraudulent fee in the first place. I was also disappointed that Budget provided me with no compensation whatsoever for their error. For all these reasons, but primarily for deceptive business practices, I have to give this Budget location a one-star rating. I would not recommend doing business at this location. read more

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Writing this review while I stand in line. Had a reservation through a 3rd party (Priceline.) Car was already paid for. Had to wait in a long line just to get checked in and now currently in ANOTHER line to wait for a car. Why might you ask? Because they don't have enough cars for the reservations currently. So now I have to waste more time waiting for a car that is suppose to be available based on my reservation. But I'm still paying the same price for this inconvenience. It's funny that a company can do this, but if I bring the car back late, then I'm being charged a fee. Shouldn't I be able to take my time like y'all are currently doing? Y'all are wild and ridiculous and need a better system. read more

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DO NOT RENT A CAR FROM HERE!! Trust the low reviews before renting a car from this terrible company. While traveling, I left my brand new Bose headphones charging on the center console, and in a rush to catch my flight, I forgot to take them. I realized I didn't have them within 15 minutes of dropping off the car, but I couldn't go back without missing my flight. An employee was present at the vehicle at the time of drop-off, and the items were left in plain view. I immediately filed a lost item report, only to be informed two days later that my item was "not found". The integrity of their company and its employees is obviously not a priority for them. Gross. read more

Rented a car and it had a chopper in the window. I didn't notice it until after driving away. Called to make sure that it's in writing i even sent them pictures. I kept hearing a ping every time I tur Ed on the car then realized that there is a on one of the tires. These people dont check the cars before renting then out. There is no one that checks the car with you beforehand you get the vehicle. read more

I have used this facility three times. All three times, I ordered and was confirmed with a fast-break mystery car. I paid for it in full before I picked up the rental. Once out of three, my fast-break was ready to go, and I got in and drove off. I scanned my car out, and I was gone. The other two times, I had to get in line and wait for my paid-for car, and not once was I told sorry. It's not a big deal, but I usually want what I paid for. The return process is easy. You park your car and leave. There is only one slight problem with one of my returns: they charged me $100.00 for gas. Said I returned the car empty. I did not keep the receipt nor take a picture of the gas tank showing full. I did have my Visa card showing where, when, and how much gas I purchased within a 1/2 mile of the rental center. Then and only then did they reverse my charge. Lesson learned--a picture of the gas gauge and receipt for the gas purchased. One final point. The car on my last rental had a shimmy in the front end. This is caused by one to two things: bad tires and lousy CV or constant velocity joints. I told them about the problem, and it was almost laughable as the guy said yeah, I will make a note about it. We both know he didn't do a damn thing. read more

****Ask for a printed out agreement and review it before leaving**** They added a gas service option when I specially told them I would fill it up multiple times. This was an additional $100 fee. Also I paid for the toll pass and it did not work, so I had to pay for all of the tolls. I called customer services after returning the vehicle and they issued a refund. Overall it was easy to book online. I booked my car an hour before. I was dropped off at the Multi-Modal Facility so getting there wasn't difficult. There was no one in line at 8:30 AM, so checking in took 5 minutes. The vehicle was waiting for me running and warmed up in the ramp. The vehicle was a 2024 Chevy Blazer AWD SUV and was very nice and comfortable for our 200 mile trip. read more

Budget - Agreement - Car Rental Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Gross. They gave me the wrong parking # for my reserved car ... and then got pissed when I got in the car of the spot they gave me. !?! The car they switched me to was gross. Pet hair ALL over. Crumbs in the cup holders. Muddy prints on the ceiling. Landed from a red-eye and just wanted to get home or I would have refused the vehicle. read more

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1:00am 40+ people in line. Only two counter people. No Fastbreak window, just one line for everyone. read more

Budget - Lots of people in line - Car Rental Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I stood in the Fastbreak line for over an hour and a half. I have never stood in line for a rental that long! The worker was rude, he kept assuming that the many people in line were not members, and he would yell that they were in the wrong line. He yelled the announcement, condescendingly, four times, and I only saw two people leave the line for the main line during that whole time. I had the vehicle for less than 48 hours and drove it, maybe four hours. I actually turned it in 15 hours earlier than scheduled. I didn't eat, nor drank, nor smoked (I don't smoke) in the vehicle, yet I received an email that I left the vehicle dirty and will be charged $450.00! I called and was put on hold, just for the call to be disconnected immediately . I called back and was told that it was a mistake and I shouldn't be charged. I'm keeping my eye on my credit card for any charges. read more

Be ready to wait in lines and more lines. After waiting in line, Checkout took forever The "express" QR exit was a manual Process. It took 45 minutes to get a car with a confirmed reservation make ahead of time read more

I had made my reservation for a mid-sized car about a month before my flight. When we arrived at ORD and collected our luggage, we took the tram over to the rental car area. We waited in a short line and there were 3 agents working the counter. We were assigned a car that was parked in the Avis lot, but I realize that Budget and Avis operate in conjunction with one another. We arrived at our assigned parking space and put our luggage into the Rav4. When my husband tried to start the car, it didn't make a noise but there was a picture on the screen that looked like the battery was half full/empty. After trying for 6 or 7 more tries, we took our suitcases out of the car and flagged a worker in the lot. We told him this car is not starting and what we saw on the screen. He said we might need to go back in to be assigned another vehicle. Well he talked to a coworker who then informed all of us that the car was already on. These two guys were super nice and we laughed that we could finally proceed on to lunch at Portillo's! It was a hybrid and doesn't make any noise like a normal ignition would! This was information that the ticket counter employee might have wanted to pass along to us! After reloading our luggage into the Rav4 Hybrid, we were on our way. When we got onto the roads, there is a sound like a far off siren or ambulance whenever you apply the brakes. We didn't have the radio on so this sound was rather annoying. I don't think I would ever buy a hybrid after renting this car. There was a definite smell of cigarette smoke in this car. It was gross enough that we had to go buy an air freshener to keep in the car. We filled the tank before we returned it and the pleasant surprise was that we only used 5 gallons. read more

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Absolute WORST EXPERIENCE EVER. Arrived at the car rental location and saw not one, but two different lines of over four hours each. Only two attendants working lines that were over 70 people each. Called Budget while I was in line to cancel and was hung up on. I will never, ever, ever use Budget again. Never. read more

Budget - 70+ cuatomers waiting an average of 3 hours each - Car Rental Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Pre-paid online reservation for a Camry, garage attendant said he couldn't give us one so he gave us something different and they charged an upgrade fee after the fact because " I didn't want the car I reserved" which was a lie. Charged a refill fee even though I brought it back with a full tank. Paid double then original reservation because of someone else's dishonesty. Won't use Budget again! read more

I came up to my rental vehicle utilizing the Fastbreak, it was much better than my experience six months ago with clear signage. When I got to my vehicle, I literally had to step over the trash under the drivers door. Hopefully, the photo I attached will come out. It was ridiculous! It was like they cleaned the vehicle out from the previous rental and just dropped the trash on the ground under the truck! Disappointing! What is it with cleaning windows? Does Budget ever clean the front windshield inside and outside? There was fingerprints and bug smudges on the windshield! Ugh! Stopped at O'reilly's to get glass cleaner. It's always the case with Budget! Truck was great, pick-up and drop off was great! Please pay attention to the details! read more

This place charged me for a smoke smell in the vehicle, none of the people in my group smokes. They say I drove it over 7000 miles, I had it for 4 days and only used 1 tank of gas. The person I spoke with today could hardly speak English. Oh and they charged me $450. Don't use Budget!!! Danger!!!! Sucks I have to give them 1 star. read more

We have done our paperwork and we are waiting in line to pick up our car. There are about 20 people ahead of us and now about 20 behind us. The line is barely moving. Looks like there is one dude who is walking people to their car, probably explaining the features of the car even! Man, what a mess. Budget, you should be ashame read more

Budget - People ahead of us, waiting to be assigned their cars. - Car Rental Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Horrible service. There was one agent with 16 travelers waiting to pick up a car. Clearly they need more staff. The price was good but the service was not. Hertz, National, Alamo had no lines. Next time!!!! read more

Wow, I had booked a reservation at the O'hare 1 1/2 years ago Budget/Avis because it was the lowest rate and covid rental car rates were sky high. When I showed up, the line to pick up my car was TWO HOURS LONG!!! I waited an hour while fretting about missing a family dinner so called them from the line to cancel the reservation and hopped the commuter train to Mundelein and still got there way earlier than if I had waited for the car. I had even had someone hold my place in line while I checked to see if I could rent from a different rental company. There was nothing available due to covid car shortages and the other company agents said that that is what Budget/Avis does is advertise the cheapest rate but not hire staff to meet the demand. Crazy bad business practice! I was going to book them again just now but thought I would double-check to see if things had improved, but obviously not! I have never seen such a poor Yelp ratings on a business! read more

Lucy told my husband that there is a gas option charge that will be removed when he returns the car with the gas full. He returned the car with the gas full and no adjustment was made. Because the charge was not removed, I called the main. They said that this was an option for him to return the tank empty and prepay the gas. Lucy had lied. They gave me a refund but put me on hold and offered me lesser options in between the holds. It took me 18 minutes to get the full refund for this deceptive practice. read more

I am not surprised that Budget only has one star. They have just accused me of smoking in the car....supported with photos of ash. I have never smoked in a car....much less a rental. $450 just went on my AMEX. I tried to reason with Budget and told them that it wasn't me....but they didn't care. I will now have AMEX fight the charge....but c'mon Budget!! Do you want to loose a customer (and all their friends) or do the right thing and waive the charges. Shameful! read more

FUDGET now new name, I helped with their marketing strategy to give customers an honest name of what they're doing in rolling the loaded dice at Budget. Charged and they didn't give a car, now waiting weeks to get a couple thousand back. And they have a donotrent@avisbudget.com and to get off this list they have to receive email. Mailbox full of course. Fudget or Anis ... not gonna elaborate on that name change read more

I have never had an issue with this Budget location each time I flew into Chicago for work. I have experienced wait times at all times of the day, night and everything in between. Can you believe there could be a queue at 8PM? Yup! Can you believe there could be no line at 2PM? Yup! Your mileage for experience will always vary but one thing this location has is consistency with service. If you joke around with them for less than 5 seconds, it lifts the bad mojo. Imagine sitting behind a counter getting yelled at for your entire shift! I was in Chicago a couple months ago on business. Can't remember the person who helped me. Her name might've been Carolyn, Karen, or Andrea maybe? She was super nice and we joked around for a minute. I kindly asked her for a hatch or a wagon since I might be hauling equipment that week. I said it didn't have to be anything spectacular but definitely needed the utility. She never charged me extra and some how produced a white Subaru Outback with every feature sans kitchen sink! What a comfortable car! The utility was never needed but it was a wonderful rental anyway! read more

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If I could give less cars I would. I had both an email and text message saying to go to zone 3 and pick my car and go. When arrived 15 or more people were waiting for their "fast break" cars. When I finally did pick my car the rudest staff I have ever dealt with proceeded to tell me I then could not take that car. I had already scanned the plate and checked the car into the app. After finally being told I could take the car things were smooth til I returned the car. That was 5 days ago, the car has still not been checked in and I have received no receipt. I originally had a reservation for through Friday but returned the car on Thursday. It is now Monday. I'm sure they will charge me for through Friday as well and I'll have to call corporate to get that corrected. Absolutely 0 stars for budget read more

Count me among those who have been scammed by this Budget location. We were told at pick up that the line item for fuel on our estimated total charges was "a temporary hold in case you bring the car back empty". We returned the car with a full tank and were still charged $70 for fuel. When I contacted Budget they said we agreed to pre-purchase fuel. Complete and total scam. BEWARE. read more

Definitely, there's no budget for your time the upstairs counter, only service "members" and they really drive you all over the place

Personnel were friendly and efficient. We got a good price through Costco. We had a better price for Dollar, but when we got to the car rental facility, the line was so long, we went right to Budget. After being up for 14 hours, and on planes for 5 of those hours, we did not want to wait any more than necessary. We waited 15 minutes and then got a receipt for a car from a very nice agent. We went to the garage & got a 2 door VW Beetle instead of the four door Ford Focus we were expecting - the Ford Focus was parked next to the Beetle. We'd been up since 3AM, spent 5 hours in Atlanta's airport after countless delays, fought the crowds at O'Hare, and didn't have the energy to go back to the counter for the Ford Focus. If we'd read the receipt, we could have avoided this car. But we didn't, and we drove it for 4 days. It couldn't be that bad, could it? No back up camera & could not find the outside temperature function. Looked in book, and no directions. It showed engine temp was 195° when we drove it. The radio worked well, as did the USB port for listening to our own music. The car's pickup was a problem. Several times my husband tried to accelerate, and it was barely responsive. Thankfully this did not happen when we needed speed to avoid a accident. On Saturday, we got gas. We have no idea how many miles per gallon the car got, or how low we really were. We got 11 gallons. The odometer said 8200. That's what it said Thursday when we got it. But when we picked up the car, the agreement had 32,156 on it. We read the manual in the glove box. Nothing. Using GPS was difficult, as I would tell my husband to turn in 3 miles, and he could not see the mileage on the car, so both of us had to be vigilant. Saturday night we noticed the front tires were almost bald. Sunday we did not feel safe driving on bald tires. We called the 800 number, and the agent told us to take it to the nearest Budget for a trade. We went to the one in Highland Lakes. After a short wait, the agent said he had no cars. We could not take more time, so we took a chance and drove to Indiana, and later to the Lakes area in Illinois. Thankfully we had no problems. The airport needs better signage for returning cars. Got turned around several times. Usually we don't get lost. When we returned the car, we pointed out the faults. Still could not find odometer. Dominique & Demarco helped us. Very nice. But no odometer. A technician came over. He tried what all of us tried. No odometer. Receipt shows us driving 100 miles. Even with friendly, nice personnel, this has been a highly disappointing rental. read more

Terrible customer service. Massive delays with very long lines. Appears as if they operate using very limited number of cars so basically had to wait for someone to drop off car before they would process waiting customer. Express service just as bad. Given poor quality of service at adjacent rental kiosks at this central airport rental center, it's almost as if they are deliberately trying to stop car rentals at OHare. read more

1 person working the desk and 20 persons in line for a 1 hour wait. What else can you say. Stay away from Budget. Horrible customer service. read more

This is the worst rental car place I've ever dealt with!! I would give it a negative star if I could. Advice to you all, don't rent a car there. If you have to, triple check the rental agreement before you sign anything. I was over charged for over $300 for a car upgrade, pre-paid fuel, and comprehensive insurance, which I was not informed of or clearly declined verbally. Unfortunately I didn't check the document before or after I signed. Totally a scam!! Here are some details if you're interested: 1. The lady working at the Budget desk didn't mention the car upgrade to me at all. 2. I clearly told her that I do not need any additional insurance coverage because I have my own, and I declined the pre-paid fuel service and plan to bring the full tank back. 3. After I verbally communicated with her regarding my choices, she did not walk me through the agreement step by step to confirm my choices. Instead she just asked me to sign on the small pad at the counter. I didn't get a chance to review the actual agreement before I signed. I just assumed she understood my choices and prepared the agreement to reflect those. 4. After I signed, I received a notification from my credit card saying $1,463.61 was charged to my credit card. I had a doubt because it was much more than what my reservation is. I asked the lady to check it. She found my reservation and did something on her computer. Then she told me that my credit card upfront hold will be reduced to ~$1,100, which includes the accidental deposit and fuel deposit. If I bring the full tank back and the car is fine, these deposits will be refunded. She confirmed with me that my ultimate payment will be about the amount shown in my reservation which is $780. I have traveled and rented a car at least 30 times in my life. I have never had such a bad experience with any car rental companies before. This is absolutely a scam! read more

After my car got sick and I couldn't heal her in time, you enabled me to get home in time for Thanksgiving. Thanks. You introduced me to the Hyndai Elantra which got me from Chicago to Louisville on one tank of gas, with 1/6 of a tank to spare. I'm impressed! And, when I filled the car back up, it only cost me $24!! These are all winning ingredients. You might be surprised that you're only at 3 stars. Why? I'll tell you. Minus one star for the obnoxious gentleman who hung up on me three times as I was en route to the ticket counter. I was running late for my pick up time and wanted to be courteous. He welcomed my courtesy with bad attitude. Had I not been a'feared of raising up some bad road juju, I would have cussed him out in person. As it was, I just rolled my eyes, sighed and gave a champion side-eye. It was monumental. Minus another star for the car being sorta dirty. I was afraid to have my head touch the head rest. As it is, my head now itches. I am not pleased about this. The back seat was visibly soiled. I nearly wept for my pretty luggage to have to touch it. I made sure that all this was noted before I got on the road. Clean your seats, Budget! Minus a final star for your pitiful shuttle driver. Not only did he make me wait A HALF HOUR to get picked up this morning, but he drove past me, talked about me as 'that guy', refused to pick up my luggage and ignored me to chat with non-customers. When the O'Hare porter told him about himself, he shrugged. The ride to the ticket counter was ~pleasant~. Ack! That's three demerits! Oh well. I'll leave you at a 3 star. Like I said, you got me home for Thanksgiving and didn't charge me astronomical prices. I'm feeling generous - must be the holidays... read more

Budget - Car Rental Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very deceptive practices as others have mentioned. Charged for gas despite returning it full. Waiting in hold for almost 30 minutes and counting. Never again. read more