Customer Left Stranded, Chewed Out By Enterprise Employee

I worked for one of the nation's leading environmental companies and we had a corporate agreement with Enterprise for vehicles.  I rented a new (<3000 miles) Dodge Intrepid from Enterprise and made it about half way to Waco, Texas from Houston before the engine exploded.

Really, it exploded.  I was doing about 65 heard a boom and I looked in the rear view mirror and saw pieces bouncing down the road.  I stopped and raised the hood and could deduce that the engine had thrown a connecting rod.  I had my two kids with me, so I said to hell with it and pressed on, being on a country road on Sunday.  We all know what that means if you rent from Enterprise.

Well I drove till the engine seized.  We got a ride with a kindly old lady who dropped us at a convenience store where I called Enterprise and they sent a wrecker who towed us and the car to the nearest Dodge dealer.  From there I was on my own.  I took a cab to the airport and rented the last car they had, one from National.

On Monday I got an irate and indignant message from Enterprise informing me that I had not rented the car one way and that they had been informed I had left the car in Waco.  I called them back and let them know what I thought of their car.  There was now reimbursement forthcoming for my inconvenience, the cab fare or anything else.  I am only glad that I took our their insurance, or we would still be in litigation.  I have rented from them since, primarily because they are convenient.

My future daughter-in-law works for them, and she thinks she will eventually be making six figures, LOL, but she was going to be a brain surgeon too.  I did notice 8 years I rented from them almost weekly from the same location, that I never dealt with the same person twice, indicating they must go through employees faster than toilet paper.

My warning to you is make sure you pay attention to the walk around inspection, and most certainly check the oil yourself.

K.H. Patton

Houston, TX

More on Enterprise car rental at the Failing Enterprise home page.