We booked a Tesla Model Y almost a week before our trip, and the only Hertz location that had one…read moreavailable for our dates was the Downtown Toronto branch near Union Station.
We picked up the car and drove for about 10 minutes on the highway before pulling over because something immediately felt wrong. We called Hertz roadside/customer support and explained everything.
First Tesla Model Y
* The key card often wasn't recognized on the first attempt.
* The steering wheel was severely worn out. During sharp turns, it would literally slip in my hands, which is a serious safety concern.
* It felt like the rear brakes were dragging. There was a constant metallic scraping noise even while coasting without touching the brake pedal. At the same time, applying the brakes resulted in unusually aggressive braking with almost no regenerative braking shown on the screen. Anyone familiar with EVs knows that's highly suspicious.
* Battery consumption on the highway was significantly higher than what the vehicle's energy prediction indicated.
* The charging cable stored in the frunk was only for J1772 charging. There was no Tesla NACS connector or adapter included.
After just one highway drive, I knew the vehicle needed to be replaced because there were simply too many issues.
Customer support instructed us to drive to Pearson Airport to exchange the vehicle.
So, two days before a major event, when traffic around the airport was absolutely terrible, we drove there anyway. We waited nearly two hours, only to be told:
"We only have a Model 3 available. Would you like that instead?"
I declined. There is a significant price difference between a Model 3 and a Model Y rental, not to mention the difference in space and battery capacity.
They then told us:
"Go back to the Downtown location where you originally picked up the vehicle. We've reserved another Model Y for you there."
Despite seeing the horrible traffic heading back downtown, we had no choice. Driving from Pearson Airport to Union Station took almost an hour and a half in traffic.
When we finally arrived, we were told that:
"All of our vehicles pass safety inspections. They're not new cars, but they're properly maintained."
That explanation was honestly amusing. Basic maintenance is the bare minimum. A vehicle with noisy brakes and a malfunctioning key card should never have been rented out in the first place.
Replacement Tesla Model Y
Roughly three hours after our first phone call, we finally received another Model Y.
Unfortunately, this car had its own long list of problems.
* The interior smelled terrible from the previous renter. The steering wheel, driver's seat, center armrest, and driver's door panel all had a strong unpleasant odor. Imagine two people standing in downtown Toronto wiping down the entire driver's area with Lysol disinfecting wipes, only to have the wipes turn dark yellow after cleaning the steering wheel and driver's seat area. That was disgusting.
* The cabin air filter clearly hadn't been replaced in a very long time, possibly since the vehicle was new. Whenever Recirculation Mode was enabled, or immediately after turning off the A/C during rainy weather, an awful moldy smell filled the cabin.
* The windshield wiper blades were completely worn out and barely worked in the rain. It honestly looked like they had never been replaced since the car was delivered by Tesla. That's a direct safety issue. On top of that, the windshield appeared to have been given nothing more than a quick rinse between rentals.
* The floor mats had been vacuumed very poorly.
* About an hour into the drive, we discovered that the vehicle produced no external sounds at all. There was no locking chirp ("quack"), and no pedestrian warning sound while reversing. The pedestrian warning speaker was clearly not functioning.
* The car continuously displayed "Dashcam unavailable. Check USB drive."
* On the final day of our rental, Park Assist repeatedly stopped working every few minutes. The cameras would suddenly disconnect while turning, and eventually the vehicle lost its data connection entirely, leaving the navigation system offline.
I understand this vehicle was provided as an emergency replacement.
However, that is still Hertz's responsibility.
It was Hertz's responsibility to ensure the first vehicle was safe enough to rent.
It was Hertz's responsibility to provide a replacement that had at least been properly cleaned and equipped with basic maintenance items like functioning wiper blades and a clean cabin filter.
I'm not even complaining about the several hours we lost simply trying to exchange the vehicle. We happened to have enough spare time that day.
But what if we hadn't?
That inconvenience would have been entirely caused by Hertz.
Considering the prices Hertz charges, I'll think very carefully before renting from this company again.
Update (the day I returned the vehicle)
After returning the car, I received an email claiming that the vehicl
