Budget Car Rental — Local services in New York

This place is horrible

I am writing you to inform you of the nightmare situation I experienced at your Budget Rental car location at La Guardia Airport on 6/21/24. My Budget Rental Confirmation: 772625711. I flew from Orlando to NYC yesterday. My flight landed a little before 12:30pm. I was dropped off at your La Guardia Airport location at 88-08 23rd Ave, Queens, NY 11369 at 1pm. When I stepped off the shuttle, I see the line was out the door onto the side of the building where the shuttle let us off at. My wife waited in line as I walked around to see if I could see what was going on. I saw there was another long line inside the waiting area. Unfortunately, I only saw two people working. By the time I got inside the location there were now 4 people working. Things took a turn when one of the customers didn’t have a passport and the manager had to come out and asked him to leave, move the person who was assisting him to another station, then that person disappeared and never came back. The next person at the counter just sat and talked to the other co-worker while he worked. Another customer came in asking about the fastbreak line and was told there was no fast break line and to get in the back of the line that was outside and around the building. He refused to leave and asked for a manager and that same one who got loud with the guy with no passport came out and told him there was no fastbreak line. The caused other to get upset as they had now been waiting two hours for a rental car and there was no way this guy was getting a head of them. The guy refused to leave and called your corporate office. Someone must have called the location because the manager quietly came back out and asked him to come around back. At this point I had now been in line for two hours. I notice people coming back into the store with their paperwork because the car they were told is out there wasn’t out there, the car they were told someone else got in and drove away, they paid for a suburban for their family of 4 but was giving a ford explorer instead after being told the explorer was big enough and even I knew it was too small for this guy's family with his 3 car seats and stroller and luggage and not to mention the guy who was promised and SUV but got a pickup truck instead. Finally, at 3:30 pm I am at the counter I have my license and credit card as I and trying to get in and get out. I selected a jeep wrangler for my family of 5. The guy at the counter says we have no more jeep wranglers, and he can put me in a minivan or pickup truck. Does the truck seat 5 I asked. Yes he replied. Is the cargo bed covered in the back because it looked like rain. No, he said. Are you sure there is no wrangler as I saw a black one in the lot. There is no jeeps available. Ok, tired and frustrated I took the minivan. The guy told me to go around the building to the space marked L4 there would be a grey Chrysler Pacifica which would be my car. We go around back see L4 and there is a black Chrysler Pacifica in the space. This must be it as the vehicle next to it was a car in L5. We load up and tried before we left I drove past a black jeep wrangler, a white jeep wrangler and ad blueish green jeep wrangler. Upset I took pictures to prove they had one and lied or just as I saw and experienced there was no order. I tried to leave only to be told by the man at the gate we have the wrong vehicle. The license plate was different. I explain this was parked in L4 and it is a Pacifica like I was told the only difference is the color. The man refuses to let me leave so I had to go back inside just like everyone before me. Went to the counter told the man that I went to L4 like I was told and there is a black Pacifica not a grey one. The guy said the people in the back have been putting the wrong cars in the wrong space and the other people have been renting out other people cars and it has been chaos. He asked me 3 times did I go to the right space, and I said you go and you will see L4 is empty because the vehicle parked there is the one my family of...

Bad experience. Cane expectingba Traverse or something similar and was given a durango which jas a way smaller interior. Drove it home so that I can get everything ready to leave the state. I place the car seats and noticed that on the rear passenger side, a panel was missing off the floor. So I decide to check the front passenger side and see that a panel is missing, on the far right of the dash board that is covered by the door. A wiring harness was exposed. I didnt wanna take cbances, dont know if someone was fooling with it or what but bringing two 2 years olds on a trip was too much of a concern with this. I called Budget and was told to return it and would be given 50 credit towards the rental. I brought it back, was made to wait on the line again despite seeing the same rep who noticed me but left me to wait. I return to the same rep and explained the above, they gave me an option of 3 vehicles to which I chose the Highlander. I go to the highlander, turn it on and so far so good. I inspect it and notice that under the steering column, there is a plastic box hanging downa dn parallel to the brakes. I also notice that the second row seat, behind the passenger wouldnt return to its normal seating position. So I walk back to the counter and MADE TO WAIT AGAIN. Same rep sees me, but instead of calling me to the front to resolve the issue, they left me on Line. So I waited and waited and the same rep calls me when its my turn bbi explain the issue and show them a pic, to which they said they didnt know what it was and so they called a worker to inspect it. They also called the worker to fix the 2nd row seat because the way it was, it would leave baely and leg space for my kids in the car seats. The worker calls back and says its a tracker and that they can push it back in or something like that. Of course this is actually dangerous if not screwed in securely because it can fall back again and get lodged between the brake and the floor of the car and cause a seriouss accident. I go back to the vehcile after being told it would be fixed. When ai arrive, I tell the worker about the seat issue. He tried tonfix it but to no luck and says the seat is broken and for me to return to the counter to get another car. I walk back again and made to wait on line a 3rd time. Same rep that has serviced me sees me and again makes me wait on line. Then when I get closer to the front, the rep tells their colleague "I be right back" and disappears. Forcing myself an others to wait longer than needed. The new rep helps me and I get another vehicle spent almost 2 hours between the first pick up, the exchange, and the final ride. Inwas upset about the experience and called Budget to complain. The rep confirmed that she counter should have atleast upgraded me at either no charge or a discount due to the issues I went through but alas, none of that was offered. Instead, the customer service rep offered me an additonal 40 dollars, totalling 90 dollars refund or credit toward this rental. I was told to call them back once I complete my rental and returned the vehicle. I did so, and the rep didnt see the offer of 90 dollars initallu. I had to explain everything again and give call times plus the case number and she finallu found it and told me it should be refunded in a few days. I cannot recommend this locatiom due to my experience. Afer being given 2 vehicles that were not inspected by staff and could have led to dangerous outcomes, that and the lack of courtesy by the rep by making we wait 3 times to resolve THEIR issues. By far worst experience I had with...

Review - May 2025:

This was our second time renting from Budget Rent a Car — the first was during the summer of last year — and once again, the experience was smooth and reliable.

Reservation Process: Booking through the Budget website was easy and straightforward. The site clearly showed the type of car available and provided detailed pricing, which made planning simple and transparent.

Shuttle Service: The shuttle ride between LaGuardia Airport and the rental facility took about 10 minutes each way. One of the shuttle drivers was especially helpful and courteous, making a great first impression.

Check-In Process: The wait time at the rental counter was short — around 5 to 10 minutes. Staff were efficient and professional. Before leaving the facility, a Budget employee checked our rental documents and driver’s license, which added a sense of order and security.

Vehicle: The car was clean, comfortable, and performed well during the rental. It matched the details provided during the reservation.

Use of Technology: I noticed that Budget uses cameras to inspect the condition of vehicles during pickup and return. Shortly after we drove back into the Budget facility to return the car, we received a text confirming the successful check-in. Almost simultaneously, we received an email with the subject "e-Receipt from Budget." The use of technology made the return process fast and seamless.

Return: Returning the car was quick and hassle-free. The combination of helpful staff, clear instructions, and automatic confirmation made the process efficient. It’s also worth noting that there are several gas stations located less than half a mile away on Astoria Boulevard, which made it very convenient to fill up the tank before returning the car.

Overall: Both of our experiences with Budget — this one and the rental last summer — have been positive. From the smooth reservation and courteous staff to the clean vehicle, helpful technology, and convenient location, everything went as expected. We would definitely rent from Budget again.

Older Review - Summer 2024:

I recently rented a car from Budget Rent a Car at LaGuardia Airport and had a positive experience overall. The reservation process on the website was easy and straightforward. I arrived in the afternoon on a Saturday and encountered a line of about 10 people ahead of me, with 4 customer service representatives working at the counter. Despite this, the rental process was smooth, efficient, and quick. I received my car key after a wait of about 25 minutes from starting in the line. The car I received was clean, well-maintained, and exactly what I needed for my trip.

The convenience of the location was a big plus, with a short shuttle ride to Terminal C taking about 10 minutes in total. The frequency of the shuttle bus was good; I did not have to wait long to get on the shuttle. We were the only passengers on the bus during both the pick-up and return rides. The driver was courteous and helpful, making the transfer a pleasant part of my experience. The return process was straightforward, and I appreciated the ease of dropping off the car without any hassle.

Overall, I was satisfied with my experience and would consider using Budget Rent a Car again at LaGuardia Airport for its convenience, the quality of the vehicle, and the courteous service from the...