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    Dollar Car Rental

    1.7 (563 reviews)
    Open • Open 24 hours

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    Annabelle R.

    After my flight landed, there was a detour to the car rental shuttle pickup curb at the airport with clear paper signs leading the way, and a 10-12 minute delay while I sat in the shuttle as they waited for it to fill up. Another 12 minutes for the ride to the rental car center, but luckily no wait for service at the Dollar counter (no customers around after 9pm) and it took only 5 minutes before I received the instructions to access my rental vehicle (prepaid with no extras at pickup time). Returning the car was simple, just follow the signs, leave the keys in the car, and head straight to the airport shuttle (no interaction with staff needed). Receipt was emailed to me shortly after. I reserved a standard sized car from Dollar Car Rental and that's exactly what I got, reliable and sufficient. I appreciate the quick and easy process of renting a vehicle here, at a reasonable price.

    The wireless feature is not activated but it's pretty cool to see.
    K B.

    DOLLAR CAR RENTAL IS MAKING A COMEBACK I frequently rent from Dollar about once a month month ranging 3-7 days. Last week I rented a 2025 Volkswagen Atlas from Dollar Car Rental and let me just say, it was da bomb! The booking process was seamless, the staff were friendly and efficient, and they had me on the road in no time. Sure there was an upsell but not a pressure sale. Return was fluid and easy. Not even a year ago many of the Dollar employees at this location should have been fired. I don't see them. It doesn't mean they've been fired. They may have been transferred but thank goodness they are no longer at the San Diego airport location. As for the Atlas itself--wow! Spacious, smooth, and packed with features that made every drive feel like a premium experience. Whether cruising on the highway or navigating city streets, it handled like a dream. The interior comfort and modern tech sealed the deal for me. Like inclusive phone charger, contour heated seats, built-in back window shades, and obviously electric everything. What really did it for me is that I'm 5'4 and I could see over the hood with no problema. Though I have a Class B license, riding in this SUV felt like driving a standard car. So much space no matter what your height. Even "Andre the Giant" would be comfy. And it's quick. I had the sports edition and hugging the mountain curves was a beauty. Big shoutout to Dollar for offering such an awesome ride. If you're looking for a rental that's both practical and fun, the Volkswagen Atlas is where it's at. Highly recommend! Three tips for best prices. 1. Reserve online 9 PM or later but before 7 AM. After you book, check again in two days and the rates will be lower and they'll honor it. (I use Expedia). 2. It's cheaper to rent a week instead of 4 days. You can turn the car in early without a penalty because it's cheaper to rent a week than 4 days. 3. Dollar Car Rental has really fun options in the Standard SUV category. "Be spontaneous unlimited mileage means more time to enjoy the road to go where you might not have gone."

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    EM H.

    For the past couple of times that I have needed an automobile while back home in San Diego, I have gone to Dollar Car Rental. For the reasons below, they have proven to be a good choice every time. Online booking is straight forward with no hidden fees. In fact, our final bill from our most recent rental from November 29 to December 4, 2024 came out to be a little less than the original quote. No complaints about that. Prices are also reasonable. Although this airport location isn't actually onsite, per se, they are only about a seven-minute shuttle ride away. The office where the check-in counter is at is consistently clean and very tidy. Check-in and pick-up of the cars are quick and easy. The front counter staff do not try to pressure you into purchasing extras like insurance, prepaid gas, etc. Total time at the counter is about ten minutes. Checking the car and pick-up takes about the same amount of time. The vehicles are well cleaned and have few defects (minor scuffs, paint chips, and an occasional missing part that doesn't affect functionality). The automobiles are reliable and easy to drive. Drop-off is also easy peasy. No complaints, really! Dollar might just be our go-to car rental place every time we are home in San Diego.

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    10 months ago

    Easy and efficient. The staff were friendly and welcoming. No complaints about the car or the experience

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    only 2 ppl working desk when we got here and now only 1. line is moving so slow. never using this rental car place again.

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    Page 1 of 15

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    “It does not cost anything to be a Dollar Express member but it does require credit card for signup.”

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    Alamo Rent A Car

    Alamo Rent A Car

    3.8(700 reviews)
    0.8 mi•Middletown

    I had reserved a convertible for our San Diego trip and chose Alamo, and it ended up being a good…read moredecision. Unfortunately, the car rental center is not inside the main terminal, so you do have to take a shuttle to the rental car area, which is about a 10-minute ride. When we landed, there was a long line, and it took us about 10-15 minutes to make the queue for the shuttle. Once we got to the rental car center, customer service was great. We had already checked in online and had our own insurance, so the process was pretty smooth. The customer service rep was really nice and even cracked some funny jokes. A few minutes later, we were in our car a white Mustang convertible in great shape and very clean. The only thing I wish they had done was give us a quick demo on how to close and lock the top, because we couldn't figure it out at first and had to watch a YouTube tutorial. Returning the vehicle was a breeze, and I got an email receipt within minutes. Overall, a smooth rental experience and a good choice for our San Diego trip!

    I have never rented a car from this place before, ever, but every time I try to rent one, they…read moreclaim that I am on a "Do Not Rent" / DNR list. It is so frustrating because Costco Travel packages include an Alamo Rental Car. So I can never get the rental car in the package; which is just dumb. They say that there is a past rental agreement, in MY (very specific) name, from 26 years ago in which the rented vehicle was returned 2 days late. They say that the rental fees were paid but the DNR is in my name. So if the fees were paid, and the vehicle was returned, why is there a DNR in my name? They cannot explain. This makes no sense. When I asked them more details, they cannot give them to me, saying that the details and rental information are not available. It's a mystery and very dumb. Nevertheless, I am happy renting with other companies and not this one. They are super disrespectful whenever I try to rent from them and they cannot clear whatever the so-called DNR is in my name. No thank you Alamo.

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    Alamo Rent A Car
    Alamo Rent A Car
    Alamo Rent A Car

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    Dirt Cheap Car Rental

    Dirt Cheap Car Rental

    4.2(110 reviews)
    1.9 mi•Loma Portal
    Established in 1993
    Free estimates

    I love everything about these guys. Their whole business model is geared towards real people,…read moreliving real lives. Their hours of operation are excellent and the fact that they have a 24 hour drop off is amazing. I tried to rent a car from both Hertz and enterprise, but they both close before 2 PM on a Saturday and they aren't open on Sundays so that means you have to keep it for an extra day, even if you don't need it. Total scam. These guys are open seven days a week with normal business hours and you can drop it off anytime. Super friendly and easy to work with. My car was definitely used and it wasn't the newest model of anything but you know what? It worked just fine.

    "BUYER BEWARE" This place was still semi ok not long ago but…read morenow it's just a bunch of "hoodlums" trying to getcha! And the RED FLAGS start right at their website where it says if you fill out info it will give you a price. It used to, but not any more. You still submit the request thinking that they will then reply with a quote...they DONT! I think their aim is that you show up in person the day you NEED the car, so that they can have you exactly where they want you. And so, if their website says it's all inclusive (insurance, liability, taxes) then when you're in person, why do they give you one price and then a Higher one "if you need insurance"???? Oh and btw...if your credit card protects rentals, they object to that and by "they" i mean literal, cause the other co-workers chime in, as if one vulture isn't enough. Last time I rented, the engine light did come on the car, so when they were reasonable and semi-decent it mightve been ok putting up with car issues but now, that they stuck, I will not be bothering with them at all!!

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    Dirt Cheap Car Rental
    Dirt Cheap Car Rental
    Dirt Cheap Car Rental

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    National Car Rental

    National Car Rental

    3.9(226 reviews)
    0.8 mi•Middletown

    My wife and I recently visited San Diego, and we decided to give National Car Rental a try this…read moretime. I was supposed to have Executive Elite status through a status match though it hadn't gone through in time for this visit, though it ironically went through the week after renting from National Car Rental. We appreciated the easy transaction and picking out a car while speaking to few people. The car itself was great, too! When we arrived to the San Diego airport, we gathered our bags, headed outside baggage claim, and followed the signs to the Rental Car Center. Upon arriving there, we followed the signs past the National Car Rental area and went upstairs right to the National Car Rental kiosk, where someone checked our ID and credit card and then let us choose any vehicle in a designated area. We got a small SUV instead of an intermediate size car. The keys were in the car, and we were able to leave from there. The staff at the kiosk were very friendly and helpful. It was also easy to drop the vehicle back at the Rental Car Center after our rental was complete. We did notice that it might actually be the same price or less to have National Car Rental fill up our car by choosing that option in advance instead of us filling it up before returning the car. This particular location at the San Diego International Airport is open 24/7. It offers After Hours Returns, Drop & Go, and Emerald Aisle. You can read more about this location on the National Car Rental website at https://www.nationalcar.com/en/car-rental-locations/us/ca/san-diego-international-airport-324m.html. Also on the website, you can find deals and coupons, partner rewards programs, and solutions for businesses. You can also sign-up for e-mail specials. You can also join the Emerald Club for free, which is the general membership for their loyalty program. There are also higher tier levels for Executive and Executive Elite which you can read about on their website from how you can earn it and what benefits come with it. All in all, this was an easy rental experience, and I would consider renting from the National Car Rental in the future.

    Reserved a car through Expedia/National car rental, in loreto Baja California. Please read if you…read moreare traveling outsides the states. I read all the by laws and rental agreements. I understood that the insurance was "optional" . If your car rental is $250 for 6 days plan on paying double with adding their insurance plus a $200 deposit. I gave the kid my credit card to put a deposit and not their insurance. He put a $6000 hold on my C/C. It did not go through, it froze my card and It took me a couple days to get them to unfreeze my card. I was told if you don't purchase their insurance there is a $6000 deposit. Everything was misleading. I just got back and now have to see if the $200 deposit was refunded.

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    National Car Rental
    National Car Rental
    National Car Rental

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    Enterprise Rent-A-Car

    Enterprise Rent-A-Car

    3.3(139 reviews)
    1.8 mi

    Great service from all and I had a few to choose from even though there are not many vehicles…read morestocked. what a great location and some days they have sale rates. Inside the Hyatt, which is beautiful, but very easy to access too.

    This location is in the lobby of the Manchester Grand Hyatt in downtown San Diego right next to…read moreSeaport Village. Parking is in the paid lot controlled by the hotel. If renting a car from here and staying at the hotel, then you will be charged the daily parking fee. The pick up and drop off is on the 6th floor of the garage. The two ladies that were manning the desk on our visit were very nice and helpful. However, only one person is on duty at a time and they can get very busy with a long line and wait times. The main problem on our visit was that we booked our reservation in advance, but the company did not do proper inventory management and had no car for us at our pick up time. They had to get a car from another near by Enterprise location. We check the map and the location is about 10 min from the hotel and we were told there would be about a 15 min wait, but we had to wait with several other customers for about an hour. Including the half hour line wait, we think it took 1.5-2 hrs to get our reserved vehicle. That is probably the all time worst wait time to get a rental car since we were kids getting one with our parents. So while the location is super convenient if staying at the hotel and the personal are friendly and helpful, the understaffing and lack of inventory management at this location are deplorable. If possible would recommend getting your car from the airport or another offsite location and just pay the parking fees here that you will have to pay anyway. Only use the onsite location in the lobby if you were not planning on getting a car and needed one at the last minute like we did. And plan to potentially wait even if you have a reservation that you made in advance.

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    Enterprise Rent-A-Car
    Enterprise Rent-A-Car
    Enterprise Rent-A-Car

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    Sixt Rent A Car - SIXT car rental San Diego Int Airport

    Sixt Rent A Car

    2.4(347 reviews)
    0.9 mi•Middletown

    I was nervous because of so many negative reviews but decided to give them a try anyways because…read morethey had the best rates by far. The check in was easy - and front desk staff were pleasant. We moved to the car pick up area and the process to get the keys was way easy and there wasn't even a walk through to look for vehicle damage. This made me nervous so I double checked with the person who gave me a key and after they told me "they already did their walk around" I just took extra pictures and when I returned the car the next day I never heard from them about any issues so I'm going with 5 stars.

    Still no help on this----My wife rented a car from SIXT for a girls' trip to San Diego in March…read more The pickup and return process went smoothly, and she left believing everything was in order. About a week later, we received a damage claim along with a bill for nearly $1,000. Before leaving the lot and again when returning the vehicle, she carefully inspected it and did not find any damage. Unfortunately, we didn't take video of the car--something I strongly recommend everyone do. SIXT says they use an AI scanner to detect damage. The photos they sent us as evidence of an alleged 4-inch scratch were blurry and inconclusive. I could not identify any meaningful difference between the "before" and "after" images, and the alleged damage was never visible during our inspections. Trying to dispute the claim was incredibly frustrating. The phone number we were repeatedly given either played what sounded like a Life Alert advertisement before disconnecting or never connected us to anyone who could help. We also sent multiple emails to the address they provided and received no response. Every time we asked for assistance, we were directed back to the same non-working phone number and email address. Despite our repeated attempts to dispute the claim, SIXT sent the account to collections. We have also been unable to reach anyone at the corporate office to resolve the issue. Our experience has been extremely disappointing. Based on what happened to us, I recommend documenting every inch of your rental vehicle with photos and video before leaving the lot and again when returning it. I also hope SIXT improves its dispute process so customers have a fair opportunity to challenge damage claims before they are sent to collections.

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    Sixt Rent A Car - SIXT

    SIXT

    Sixt Rent A Car - SIXT

    SIXT

    Sixt Rent A Car - SIXT car rental San Diego Int Airport

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    SIXT car rental San Diego Int Airport

    Budget Rent A Car - My cousin is a preferred member of Budget... we went straight to get the car, but she had to add my name onto the rental agreement

    Budget Rent A Car

    1.6(568 reviews)
    0.9 mi•Middletown

    Surprise fees. Checkboxes no one remembers agreeing to. Money that's gone for good. Read the…read morereviews below mine, the details shift but the outcome never does. When an offense repeats itself this often, it isn't misfortune. It's policy. We are the people who pay, and the consumer deserves better. We ask for little: good service, an honest price, and the dignity of knowing what we owe before it's taken from us. A line was crossed. Here is my account, one among many. I booked through Costco at a quoted price of $230. I was charged $580. Between those two numbers lies the whole story. They offered me "skip the counter" pickup, and it sounded like convenience. Somewhere in that digital process sat a checkbox for insurance, its cost concealed, its consequence buried. The counter was not the only thing skipped. So was my right to know what I was paying. The pickup was smooth. The car ran fine, though it was not the car I requested. But smooth is what a trap feels like right up until it closes. Then came the charge, over $500 in surprise, discovered on my card mid-vacation. I spent my own holiday on the phone pleading my case. The problem was acknowledged. The remedy offered was a rebate on "something," unnamed and undocumented, and I suspect I'll be the one chasing the paperwork. So let this stand as a warning to every traveler who comes after: study every checkbox before you click confirm, or prepare to be suckered as we were. They are counting on your trust. Make them earn it instead. There is no shortage of companies begging for our business. Budget and Avis will no longer have ours.

    I prepaid $194.72 on August 16 for a midsize SUV (Chevy Equinox class) for August 20-22. I set up…read moremy Fastbreak account and completed identity verification in advance. Upon landing, I received a text directing me to proceed straight to Zone 3 to select my vehicle via mobile. When I got to Zone 3, there were no vehicles available. I had to wait at the main counter for over 20 minutes, where I was informed that no midsize SUVs were available. I was given a smaller vehicle (a Subaru Outback) where our luggage barely fit. The service failure was compounded on the billing side: my final itemized receipt was issued for $171.75, yet Budget retained my initial prepaid amount of $194.72 and never refunded the difference. After leaving initial low feedback, a local station manager reached out asking for details on what they could do differently. I replied with the exact timeline and billing discrepancy, followed up again, and received no response. If you are counting on Fastbreak to skip the counter or expecting Budget to automatically correct billing when they involuntarily downgrade your vehicle class, be aware that you may not get what you paid for or get a response when trying to resolve it.

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    Budget Rent A Car - The shuttle for the Rental Car Center

    The shuttle for the Rental Car Center

    Budget Rent A Car - Returning the car... following the signs...

    Returning the car... following the signs...

    Budget Rent A Car - Inside

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    Inside

    Dollar Car Rental - carrental - Updated September 2026

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