# Rental car damage claims in Europe: key statistics

https://rentalproof.eu/damage-claims/statistics (en). Sascha Heyer, founder of RentalProof. Last checked: 2026-09-14. Legal sources verified: 14 September 2026.

> Sourced, dated figures on car rental complaints, damage disputes, ECRCS outcomes, card refund deadlines and damage scanners in Europe, ready to cite.

## Short answer

Car rental cases at Europe's consumer centres rose from about 1,050 in 2012 to 6,016 complaints in 2025 (reported in October). Over 20% of the 2023 cases involved damage the renter disputed causing. The industry conciliation service ECRCS accepted 1,573 disputes in 2025 and found for the consumer in 40% of complaints.

## How often car rental goes wrong for consumers

Car rental complaints at Europe's consumer centres rose from about 1,050 cases in 2012 to 6,016 complaints in 2025. The yearly counts come from two publishers and use different terms (cases, complaints), so read them as a trend, not a precise series.

| Year | Car rental cases or complaints at ECC-Net | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | about 1,050 | [European Commission, 2017](https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_17_86) |
| 2014 | 1,750 | [European Commission, 2017](https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_17_86) |
| 2016 | more than 2,000 | [European Commission, 2017](https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_17_86) |
| 2024 (to end of November) | 5,305 | [ECC-Net, December 2024](https://www.eccnet.eu/news/largest-number-car-rental-cases-3-years-0) |
| 2025 (as announced 6 October 2025) | 6,016 | [ECC-Net, October 2025](https://www.eccnet.eu/news/ecc-nets-recommendations-address-unfair-car-rental-practices) |

- Car rental complaints to the European Consumer Centres doubled between 2010 and 2016, while their overall complaints rose by only two thirds ([European Commission, January 2017](https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_17_86)).
- Car rental makes up 3 to 4% of the annual caseload of the European Consumer Centres Network ([ECC-Net position paper, October 2025](https://www.eccnet.eu/publication/driving-change-stronger-consumer-protection-car-rental-sector)).
- The European Consumer Centre Germany recorded almost twice as many car rental complaints in 2024 as in 2023 ([EVZ Deutschland, March 2025](https://www.evz.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/tricks-der-autovermieter.html)).
- Car hire was the fifth most complained-about sector at the European Consumer Centre Ireland in 2025 ([ECC Ireland, July 2026](https://www.eccireland.ie/using-car-hire-this-summer-what-you-should-know/)).
- In a 2026 Which? survey, 61% of people who bought insurance at the rental desk said they had felt under pressure to do so ([Which?, 2026](https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/car-hire/article/car-hire-advice/car-hire-scams-auABy0O5rX7M)).

## Damage and after-return charges

Damage charges remain "a significant area of contention", in the words of the industry's own conciliation service, and fees added after return cause further disputes ([ECRCS ADR Report 2025](https://prod-saas-bvrla.xperience-sites.com/getmedia/5f7df8bd-1115-4b44-b75a-585d269bfcc6/ECRCS-Complaint-Summary-2025.pdf)).

- Over 20% of ECC-Net's car rental cases in 2023 involved damage the consumer was held responsible for but disputed causing ([ECC-Net, December 2024](https://www.eccnet.eu/news/largest-number-car-rental-cases-3-years-0)).
- In a 2026 Which? survey, 46% of people who paid damage charges said the damage already existed when they picked up the car ([Which?, 2026](https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/car-hire/article/car-hire-advice/car-hire-scams-auABy0O5rX7M)).
- Which? reported seeing cleaning charges of up to €242 in its 2026 car hire research ([Which?, 2026](https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/car-hire/article/car-hire-advice/car-hire-scams-auABy0O5rX7M)).
- In a case described by the European Consumer Centre Germany in June 2026, a renter in Tenerife received an invoice of €711 for a barely visible scratch on a headlight glass, most of it already debited ([EVZ Deutschland, June 2026](https://www.evz.de/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/mietwagen-urlaub/)).
- Italy's competition authority AGCM announced fines totalling over €18 million on six rental companies (Avis Budget Italia, Hertz Italiana, Centauro, Green Motion Italia, Noleggiare and Drivalia) on 9 May 2024 over flat fees for handling traffic fines and unpaid parking or tolls ([AGCM, May 2024](https://www.agcm.it/media/comunicati-stampa/2024/5/CV242-CV243-CV244-CV245-CV247-CV248)).
- France's consumer authority DGCCRF found irregularities in 42% of the 31 vehicle rental establishments it checked, according to results published in October 2020 ([DGCCRF, October 2020](https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf/laction-de-la-dgccrf/les-enquetes/information-du-consommateur-louant-un-vehicule)).
- In an EU sweep of 78 car rental broker websites reported in July 2022, only 45% complied with EU consumer protection law ([ECC-Net, July 2022](https://www.eccnet.eu/news/55-screened-online-car-rental-intermediaries-violate-eu-law)).

## What happens when renters complain

The European Car Rental Conciliation Service (ECRCS) reviews cross-border rental disputes with its member companies, and in 2025 it found for the consumer in 40% of complaints.

- The ECRCS received 2,033 cross-border disputes in 2025 and accepted 1,573 of them for review ([ECRCS ADR Report 2025](https://prod-saas-bvrla.xperience-sites.com/getmedia/5f7df8bd-1115-4b44-b75a-585d269bfcc6/ECRCS-Complaint-Summary-2025.pdf)).
- The ECRCS found in favour of the consumer in 40% of complaints in 2025, with a full or partial refund ([ECRCS ADR Report 2025](https://prod-saas-bvrla.xperience-sites.com/getmedia/5f7df8bd-1115-4b44-b75a-585d269bfcc6/ECRCS-Complaint-Summary-2025.pdf)).
- The average ECRCS case in 2025 took 23 days from receipt of the complaint, and 9 days from the point the file was complete ([ECRCS ADR Report 2025](https://prod-saas-bvrla.xperience-sites.com/getmedia/5f7df8bd-1115-4b44-b75a-585d269bfcc6/ECRCS-Complaint-Summary-2025.pdf)).
- Of the 127 disputes the ECRCS rejected in 2025, 92 (72%) were rejected because the consumer had not contacted the rental company first ([ECRCS ADR Report 2025](https://prod-saas-bvrla.xperience-sites.com/getmedia/5f7df8bd-1115-4b44-b75a-585d269bfcc6/ECRCS-Complaint-Summary-2025.pdf)).
- The UK Competition and Markets Authority estimated £100 million in benefits for UK customers from its initial investigation into the five largest rental companies, as stated in March 2019 ([CMA, March 2019](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-leads-europe-wide-action-on-car-hire)).

The same ECRCS report states that customers frequently challenge "either the validity of the charge or the cost of the repairs". ECC-Net's October 2025 position paper says industry-run schemes such as the ECRCS "might not meet EU standards" ([ECC-Net, October 2025](https://www.eccnet.eu/publication/driving-change-stronger-consumer-protection-car-rental-sector)).

## Card charges and refunds: the numbers in the rules

The key deadline for disputing a card debit you did not authorise is 13 months, set by the EU Payment Services Directive (PSD2). Article 71(1) says rectification requires notice "no later than 13 months after the debit date" ([Directive (EU) 2015/2366](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32015L2366)).

| Rule | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Notify your bank of an unauthorised debit | without undue delay, at the latest 13 months after the debit date | [PSD2, Art. 71(1)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32015L2366) |
| Bank refunds an unauthorised debit | by the end of the following business day (unless it suspects fraud) | [PSD2, Art. 73(1)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32015L2366) |
| Card block when the final amount is unknown | only for the exact amount you consented to | [PSD2, Art. 75(1)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32015L2366) |
| Refund request for an authorised charge without a fixed amount that exceeded what you could reasonably expect | 8 weeks from the debit | [PSD2, Art. 76 and 77(1)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32015L2366) |
| Bank's answer to that refund request | 10 business days | [PSD2, Art. 77(2)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32015L2366) |
| Complaint to the ECRCS | within 12 months of the company's final response | [ECRCS FAQs](https://www.ecrcs.com/home/faqs) |
| Germany: rental company's damage claims time-barred | 6 months after it gets the car back | [§ 548 BGB](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__548.html) |
| Austria: rental company must claim in court | within 1 year of the return | [§ 1111 ABGB](https://www.jusline.at/gesetz/abgb/paragraf/1111) |

Card scheme chargeback deadlines are not part of the Directive, so they are not listed here. Country detail is in the guides for [Germany](https://rentalproof.eu/damage-claims/germany) and [Austria](https://rentalproof.eu/damage-claims/austria).

## Industry size and context

More than 37 million rental contracts a year in six reporting countries alone put the complaint figures in context: the complaint counts cover only renters who took their case to a consumer centre or conciliation service.

- Short-term rental companies represented by Leaseurope's members handled more than 37 million rental contracts in 2024, with a combined fleet of more than 1.2 million cars ([Leaseurope Facts & Figures 2024](https://www.leaseurope.org/_flysystem/s3?file=Statistics/Facts%20and%20Figures/Leaseurope%20F%26F_24_Final.pdf)).
- Avis, Europcar, Enterprise, Hertz and Sixt together cover two out of three of all private car rentals in the EU, according to the European Commission in March 2019 ([European Commission, March 2019](https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_19_1790)).

| Country (Leaseurope member) | Cars purchased 2024 | Fleet size 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Spain (FENEVAL) | 186,058 | 523,524 |
| United Kingdom (BVRLA) | 216,518 | 216,518 |
| France (FNLV) | 189,630 | 202,269 |
| Italy (ANIASA) | 89,215 | 140,150 |
| Portugal (ARAC) | 70,910 | 82,540 |
| Belgium (RENTA) | 39,610 | 39,610 |

Germany, Greece and several other markets did not report to this survey, so the totals do not cover the whole European market ([Leaseurope, 2024](https://www.leaseurope.org/_flysystem/s3?file=Statistics/Facts%20and%20Figures/Leaseurope%20F%26F_24_Final.pdf)).

## New: automated damage scanners

Drive-through camera scanners that photograph a car at pickup and return are in use at airport stations in the United States and Europe, and Hertz planned to expand them in 2025.

- Hertz told CBS News in August 2025 that more than 97% of over 675,000 rentals scanned so far showed no billable damage ([CBS News, August 2025](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hertz-uveye-ai-tech-rental-car-inspections/)).
- Hertz used the scanners at 10 US airports in August 2025 ([CBS News, August 2025](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hertz-uveye-ai-tech-rental-car-inspections/)) and expected to reach 100 of its roughly 1,600 US airport locations by the end of 2025 ([The Drive, June 2025](https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-is-what-happens-when-hertzs-ai-scanner-finds-damage-on-your-rental)).
- One Hertz customer reported by The Drive in June 2025 was billed $440 for a wheel scuff: $250 repair, $125 processing and a $65 administrative fee ([The Drive, June 2025](https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-is-what-happens-when-hertzs-ai-scanner-finds-damage-on-your-rental)).
- Avis tested an automated inspection system at London Heathrow in 2019 ([The Drive, July 2025](https://www.thedrive.com/news/its-not-just-hertz-more-rental-car-brands-are-using-ai-scanners-to-nickel-and-dime-you)).
- In July 2025, Sixt confirmed a scanning "Car Gate" at selected airports and Europcar said "Damage Gates" were in use at various European airports, with its staff still deciding on damage ([20 Minuten, July 2025](https://www.20min.ch/story/schadenskontrolle-mietwagenfirmen-setzen-auf-ki-das-koennte-fuer-dich-teuer-enden-103380510)).

ECC-Net notes that such systems capture "hundreds of images at pick-up and return" and asks that renters be told in advance, receive the images and reports, and get human review ([ECC-Net, October 2025](https://www.eccnet.eu/publication/driving-change-stronger-consumer-protection-car-rental-sector)). It also points out that a scan can show damage was not there before, but not that the renter caused it.

## About these numbers

Every figure on this page links to the page or document where we read it, carries its year or period, and was re-checked against that source on 14 September 2026. We prefer primary sources: the European Commission, consumer centres, regulators, the conciliation service and statute texts. News reports are used only for events, and they are named. Complaint counts from different bodies measure different things (cases, complaints, disputes) and should not be added together.

RentalProof will add anonymised figures from its own cases once there are enough of them to be meaningful. Until then, this page contains no case data of ours.

Journalists and researchers are welcome to cite this page. Please link to it and, where you can, to the original source next to each figure.

## What to do with a claim in front of you

These numbers describe the market, not your case. Disputing a damage claim only makes sense if you did not cause the damage; if you did, the amount can still be checked against the repair invoice, the fees, VAT and any loss-of-use charge. The [five-question self-check](https://rentalproof.eu/tools/is-my-claim-weak) shows common weak points, [the comparison of your options](https://rentalproof.eu/compare) sets out the routes above, and the [free Claim Check](https://app.rentalproof.eu/claim/new) reviews the claim itself, including the deadlines that apply to you.

## Questions

### How many car rental complaints do European Consumer Centres receive?

ECC-Net reported 6,016 complaints about car rental companies in 2025, in an announcement dated 6 October 2025. By the end of November 2024 it had received 5,305 car rental cases. In 2012 the figure was about 1,050, according to the European Commission.

### How often are damage charges the problem in car rental disputes?

ECC-Net says that over 20% of its car rental cases in 2023 involved damage the consumer was held responsible for but disputed causing. In a 2026 Which? survey, 46% of people who paid damage charges said the damage already existed when they picked up the car.

### How often does the European Car Rental Conciliation Service side with the renter?

In its 2025 report the ECRCS found in favour of the consumer in 40% of complaints, with a full or partial refund. It received 2,033 cross-border disputes and accepted 1,573. Its decisions bind the member rental companies, and complaints must reach it within 12 months of the company's final response.

### How long do I have to dispute a rental company's card charge with my bank?

For an unauthorised payment, EU law requires you to notify your bank without undue delay and no later than 13 months after the debit date (Art. 71 PSD2). For an authorised payment made without a fixed amount that exceeded what you could reasonably expect, you can ask for a refund within 8 weeks, and the bank must answer within 10 business days. Card scheme chargeback deadlines are not set by the Directive.

### Do rental companies in Europe use automated damage scanners?

Yes, at some locations. Sixt confirmed to 20 Minuten in July 2025 that it uses a scanning gate at selected airports, and Europcar said damage gates were in use at various European airports. In the United States, Hertz told CBS News that more than 97% of over 675,000 scanned rentals showed no billable damage.

### Can journalists and researchers cite these statistics?

Yes. Please link to this page and, where possible, to the original source named next to each figure. Every figure carries its year or period and the organisation that published it, and the page is re-checked when sources publish new data.

## Sources

- European Commission, IP/17/86, car rental companies improve treatment of consumers (19 January 2017): https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_17_86
- European Commission, IP/19/1790, car rentals: clearer and more transparent pricing (25 March 2019): https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_19_1790
- ECC-Net, Largest number of car rental cases in 3 years (10 December 2024): https://www.eccnet.eu/news/largest-number-car-rental-cases-3-years-0
- ECC-Net, Recommendations to address unfair car rental practices (6 October 2025): https://www.eccnet.eu/news/ecc-nets-recommendations-address-unfair-car-rental-practices
- ECC-Net position paper, Driving Change: Stronger Consumer Protection in the Car Rental Sector (October 2025): https://www.eccnet.eu/publication/driving-change-stronger-consumer-protection-car-rental-sector
- ECC-Net, 55% of screened online car rental intermediaries violate EU law (14 July 2022): https://www.eccnet.eu/news/55-screened-online-car-rental-intermediaries-violate-eu-law
- EVZ Deutschland, Typische Fallen bei Mietwagen (27 March 2025): https://www.evz.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/tricks-der-autovermieter.html
- EVZ Deutschland, Mietwagen im Ausland: Kleine Kratzer, hohe Forderungen (19 June 2026): https://www.evz.de/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/mietwagen-urlaub/
- European Consumer Centre Ireland, Using car hire this summer (8 July 2026): https://www.eccireland.ie/using-car-hire-this-summer-what-you-should-know/
- Which?, car hire advice with 2026 survey results: https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/car-hire/article/car-hire-advice/car-hire-scams-auABy0O5rX7M
- AGCM (Italian Competition Authority), CV242 to CV248, fines for unfair clauses (9 May 2024): https://www.agcm.it/media/comunicati-stampa/2024/5/CV242-CV243-CV244-CV245-CV247-CV248
- DGCCRF, Information du consommateur louant un véhicule (8 October 2020): https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf/laction-de-la-dgccrf/les-enquetes/information-du-consommateur-louant-un-vehicule
- ECRCS, Alternative Dispute Resolution Report 2025: https://prod-saas-bvrla.xperience-sites.com/getmedia/5f7df8bd-1115-4b44-b75a-585d269bfcc6/ECRCS-Complaint-Summary-2025.pdf
- ECRCS, FAQs: https://www.ecrcs.com/home/faqs
- UK Competition and Markets Authority, CMA leads Europe-wide action on car hire (25 March 2019): https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-leads-europe-wide-action-on-car-hire
- Directive (EU) 2015/2366 (PSD2), EUR-Lex: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32015L2366
- § 548 BGB, limitation of the lessor's compensation claims: https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__548.html
- § 1111 ABGB (JUSLINE): https://www.jusline.at/gesetz/abgb/paragraf/1111
- Leaseurope, Facts & Figures 2024: https://www.leaseurope.org/_flysystem/s3?file=Statistics/Facts%20and%20Figures/Leaseurope%20F%26F_24_Final.pdf
- CBS News, Hertz UVeye inspections of rental vehicles (26 August 2025): https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hertz-uveye-ai-tech-rental-car-inspections/
- The Drive, what happens when Hertz's scanner finds damage (23 June 2025): https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-is-what-happens-when-hertzs-ai-scanner-finds-damage-on-your-rental
- The Drive, scanners at more rental car brands (24 July 2025): https://www.thedrive.com/news/its-not-just-hertz-more-rental-car-brands-are-using-ai-scanners-to-nickel-and-dime-you
- 20 Minuten, Schadenskontrolle bei Mietwagenfirmen (12 July 2025): https://www.20min.ch/story/schadenskontrolle-mietwagenfirmen-setzen-auf-ki-das-koennte-fuer-dich-teuer-enden-103380510

One honest limit: this only helps when the damage was not caused during your rental. If it was, the amount can still be checked. General information, not legal advice. RentalProof is not a law firm and is not affiliated with any rental company. Every statute and case on this page links to the source it was checked against.