So this place isn't what I would call a solid operation. However their prices can't be beat. Many reviews complained about the rental reserved online not being available when it came time for pickup. So I went in person to rent a cargo van and hoped it would actually be there when I showed up. Well when I showed up I saw the cargo van the but no one was in the office. I wanted an early start so I chose the earliest pickup possible., Fortunately there was a mechanic working who made a phone call and got someone to come over. Everything went off without an issue once I actually got the van. It's the cheapest place to get a rental if you have a little patience read more

These guys are great. Excellent customer service. Made renting a large passenger van so easy and the pricing was way better than other places we looked. read more

Very bad. They double charge after you have already finished paying. Then you have to chase down the owner to get money back or fight them with the bank. Very bad. I wrote a whole review about this and now can't find it even though i posted it! Also double check the car you are getting like you are buying a car or literally like your life depends on it. At the tires good? Is the rear view mirror about to fall off?, do the doors actually lock? Etc etc. read more

Quick and easy. Got in there an out pretty quickly pain-free. Customer service is great. They have a lot going on there. You guys should stop by and check it out. read more

We recently rented a minivan to drive to Southern California. The woman at the counter could use some training customer service, but the rest of the experience was pretty unusual in a positive direction. Here's what I mean... the van overheated a couple times in the hot sun on the way to LA. We ended up having to be towed. But the bright spot appeared when we communicated with Kris, the manager, who instantly got involved to assist us. Not only did he authorize a full refund of our towing expenses, but he personally traveled to LA with a replacement vehicle and brought it to the house where we were staying. He was professional, courteous and clearly placed a value on our business. This kind of service is pretty unusual in today's world, and we are quite appreciative. read more

Awful customer service. Filthy car with leaking driver window, a very dirty trunk which I covered with thick plastic before putting in the luggage. Gas tank was not filled up to the line. Next day I had to drive back to retrieve my driver's license with they forgot to return to me. They refused to credit the $200 owed me because the "gas tank was not filled exactly to the line". I explained that I filled it up as much I could, with a bit missing. I told the guy that he could deduct about $15 to $20 and return the balance. He said no way. When I complained that I never mentioned the condition of the car he hung up on me. I called again and he said to stop harassing them. Never, ever again will I use these losers. Highway robbery comes to mind. read more

Cancelled our U-Haul rental at the rental time, didn't call us, and sent an email instead. Very poor communication.

Avoid this place at all costs. At the time of this posting, Smith's has 127 Yelp reviews, 90 of which are one-star. Google reviews are similar, with 54 of 174 being one-star. The reviews are a catalog of incompetent and unethical business practices, and I wish I had read a few before making my decision based solely on price. In my case, renting a van, I encountered Smith's "policy" to refuse to rent to anyone who doesn't purchase their add-on insurance, which is diametrically opposed to the California Department of Insurance regulations on the topic. Check out section 1758.82(b)(2), "Ethical Sales Practices," to read the opposite of what you'll find at Smith's Rent-A-Car. I nearly walked out, and wish I had done so, but was pressed for time. Don't make my mistake, take your business elsewhere, and save yourself the hassle of dealing with these nickel-and-dime fraudsters. read more

extremely rude and unprofessional staff, probably defrauded us on our invoice, and etc ...

We rented an RV from Smith's Rent a Car and it was poorly serviced and had major issues. The water tank had a big hole in it (and did not hold water) and we were not able to use our toilet, shower or sink during our whole trip. We didn't find out about this until we got it home and started filing it up with water for our trip. This is something the rental place should check before they rent a vehicle. They said it was not their issue (what??). No compensation or help from them. Never using them again! Read all their reviews - they don't care about their customers or vehicles!!! read more

The price is right however the car I got STANK of cigarette smoke and the windows were so filthy with smoke residue. There was a "check engine" light on (I called this to their attention upon return); the brakes squealed and the car ran "rough". I wanted to pay cash BUT they had already put the charges on my credit card. Lastly, the woman working the desk needs some serious customer service lessons. She was borderline rude; she gave me the key and went straight back to the office. She didn't tell me anything about the car. When she went in it to check the mileage, the alarm went off. She didn't say anything about it. When I got to my first stop, I locked the car and when I unlocked it to leave, the alarm went off!!! I pushed every bottom trying to make it stop and it only stopped when I put the key back in the ignition. BEWARE! Probably could have gotten a car for same price across the street at Enterprise that didn't stink. read more

We rented a 15 passanger van. The van did not have heat and the time period of our two day rental was 30-45 degrees. The van was freezing and on top of no heat the passengers side back window did not close all the way, causing cold air to flow in and lots of road noise. I called multiple times and was blown off by the receptionist and told I wouldn't get any help. She told me the manager was busy and I asked for a call back multiple times and never received anything. They charged us full price for the freezing van. read more

I was quoted one price on the phone and 15 minutes later when I arrived they raised the price. Also the woman who was working the front desk was very rude and unfriendly! read more

AVOID AT All COSTS These people are disingenuous and dishonorable. We arranged for a 12 person van two months ago for a graduation party. Many flew from all over the country to be apart of this. We called the day of pickup and phoned for a pickup time. They stated there was no reservation. After asking the lady to search for our last name, the reservation was found under a different but similar name. The phone number was slightly off as was the email. The hmwoman we were speaking to would not divulge her name but stated they tried to contact us yesterday and got no answer, obviously because they had the wrong information. My wife, obviously frustrated, asked for another vehicle to which she replied they didn't have anything. Great.. 12 people without transportation and no care to offer an alternative. She then hung up on us. I called back and got the same person, was really cool and simply asked for the manager. She stated he wasnt there. I asked for his name and she stated "Omar". I asked for his last name, and she stated she didn't know. I asked her for her name and again... Click.. she hung up. No yelling, no attitude, just trying to get to the bottom of this and come up with a mutual solution. I then called back again, and I got a guy this time. Cool, we can talk about this and get a solution, but this time I introduced myself as Brittany's husband who is what they booked the reservation under. He looked up the reservation and said there wasn't one. I then gave him the history and he said they don't have the van available. So now there is a series of lies going on. I asked him what happened, was there a maintenance issue or some confusion? After all we had called two days earlier for econfirmation to which they verified it would be available. He stated again, we don't have the van. And for the third and final time, click, hung up on. So the moral of this story, support local businesses but with that comes the risk of being let down. Businesses like this are probably great for walk up business but are risky for critical needs. To Omar, I will make sure that every social media platform I am subscribed to gets this review. I'm sure you want the best for your business but when your employees treat customers poorly and can't communicate effectively over the phone. read more

This place is a train wreck!!! Tried to support a local business, but they we awful in every way! We reserved a car, and when we got here, zero cars! Not just me, there were two more reservations in front of me, also without cars!! They lady was mean, had no reason, no compassion, no hope for her company! Now o have to uber to the Santa Rosa airport and try one of the big places! At least their people are usually nice! read more

Cars are junk! Check in was fast and easy, that was a plus! Was told I had to upgrade because they were out of compacts, so ok no problem, car was not washed, old, run down and dented up and as soon as we started it, tire pressure light was lit up, went inside and was told, everything is fine, just the angle car is parked, ok really lol? Car rattled like crazy, if you hit a bump in road the whole front end rocked! Shocks were shot! Only drove car to baseball game and back and what do you know the check both front tire lights came on and front headlamp was not working! My friend ask if the lights were really on? I said as far as I know it says they are on, but they were so dim, I kept the high beams on and was never flashed by other drivers, I had left a expensive drink holder in trunk, left message immediately on answer machine, no call back, a few days later, still couldn't find it?? Hmmmm? Can't believe they still are renting this POS car. read more

Yet another poor review to add to their list. I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt when the RV trip from Cruise America had multiple negligences and caused a lot of stress. Our file was inaccessible online when we went to check out so we were unable to double check their work. Charged for gas when I brought it back more full, not reimbursed for charges they guaranteed when my first vehicle was broken and needed to be traded in, and charged a late fee when agreed to none since our last day of travel was ruined by a defective tire and back too late. Apparently, any changes to invoices have to go through CruiseAmerica once Smiths closes it, they took no responsibility for the over charges. Not holding my breath on CA either, I'll be reviewing them too . Both agencies are on my sh*t List. I won't rent from them again. read more

Smith's Rent-A-Car - Car Rental Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

2 strikes your out! Received a call today (June 1 that my van I reserved for June 10 was canceled) as somebody is renting the vans month-to-month. These guys have done this to me twice now. I was hoping to give them another chance, but Bluiett doing this to me twice. Do not use these guys. The vans are filthy and worn down and cigarette burns all over the seats. Anyway, I was desperate last time, but will never ever ever call these guys again see if you're typing seen yourself some money, go down the road! read more

Rented a car Friday sept 12th 2025. Use to be a nice place to rent cars were decent and Clean.They need shut down .came pick up my rental car was not washed or clean in side stunk so bad like animals poop and funky socks. Seats were dirty stainedThe hub caps were broken car was in accident smash on one side . Had a reunion to attend. They said had no more compact cars if I wanted something else would cost me more. Hell they shoulda just gave me a mid Car no extra cost but they didn't.I asked why car wasn't wash the guy said it rained the other night lol I told him it didn't rain in side the car it nasty he said what you want me to do?Really I told him we the customers paying all this money we should get decent car. He said u want me to wash it? My husband said yes so he took back to shed washed it .didn't do nothing to inside. My husband was very unsatisfied we had some where to be didn't have time to go to another rental place. By the way I refused to go with him in that gross car. On top of that the car was supposed to to be 153.00 for 3 days they wind up charging him 200.00 dollars for this junk car. So I went in to talk to lady at counter I told her we called days ago to get a car and what the price was supposed to be to be this is the third time he has rented a car here got all his receipts so Alll of of sudden the compact almost cost as much as a mid size car she said when he bring it back she will adjust the price. He on his way outa town with this clunker .. I'm on my way home in my car not getting in that car. What happen to this place can't believe they can rent junk cars to people. Will not be comming back here rohnert enterprise nice clean reliable cars. read more

I am aware they rent out older vehicles which isn't an issue. They said it was $44 a day with a $200 deposit. You get 300 miles then it's 56cents a mile. First off they didn't accept my insurance so I had to buy theirs so now we're at $95 a day. But the car smelled so bad like someone died in there. The headrest was broken. The brakes didn't seem stable at all. Then we noticed that the odometer on the paperwork was a few hundred less than it really was so it said we drove 600 miles when it was really a little over 300. When we dropped the car off they said it was $107 because of the mile overage. But now theres $147 missing from my account. SCAM ARTISTS read more

Smith's Rent-A-Car - Car Rental Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

Terrible service. They charge you way to much and are very mean. I would not recommend to anyone not even my worst enemy.

Worse place ever to rent a car. The lady at the front desk was so rude, very unprofessional, no skills of customer service, SO RUDE !! The car they "upgraded me" which I never asked for an upgrade, was a totally unsafe vehicle. Light for the breaks, smell smoke inside, dirty inside. They charged me over to my original bill. I will report that business to the city for unsafe rental vehicles. WORSE BUSINESS EVER !! read more

I used to recommend this place to everyone bc of their great prices and friendly customer service but after my last experience I say run the other way!!! First we get there to pick up our mini van and they can barley find my reservation on their archaic computer systems even though I had my reservation number. They finally find us and put us in an ok mini van we go to leave and the check engine light comes on and the van starts shaking. So we go back in to trade for another van... Same thing... Why didn't we leave you ask?! It was almost 6pm and we were leaving for our vacation at 3am the next morning and the last time I used this place I didn't have so many issues. So we go for a 3rd mini van. This one had a bent key that we were worried would break off in the ignition but this van ran properly. Fast fw to last week when I had time to go over my credit card statement and they charged me for 2 extra days and gas even though I returned the van with a full tank of gas at night and dropped the keys so it was there bright and early the next morning. I went in to get a refund but they still didn't give me all my money back and said it was due to taxes. If that true they charged me over 10% taxes but taxes in CA are at 7.25%.. At this point it's time to get weights and measures involved before someone else is over charged and has to spend their lunch trying to get their money back and still being over charged over $15 for taxes?!?! Taxes I already paid when I picked the car up on Thursday's... read more

I rented a 15 person transport van from this company for an event. When I went to pick it up, they couldn't get it started. They had me wait for over an hour with no luck. They cancelled my reservation and only partially refunded my account. I come to find out later that they used the wrong key in the van. Needless to say, they won't be getting my business again. read more

The manager at smiths rent a car was incredibly helpful! U-Haul messed up my reservation and he stayed after closing to help me sort it out. Thank you so much!! read more

Terrible business, they seem cheap at the start, but wow, do they give you a completely different bill, then they originally quote. I also forgot a bag of my belongings in the truck. I remembered only 10 minutes after I left. Called, and wouldn't you know they had no idea what I was talking about. Of course, my $300 Frye boots and about $200 worth of brand new Sephora body care and makeup just happened to be in the forgotten bag. ABSOLUTE CROOKS!! BEWARE, take your business elsewhere. read more

Reserved a pickup truck 4 days ago. Arrived 10 minutes early and they had no pickup trucks. The girl behind the counter told me to go down the road to another uhaul place to get a pickup. I asked her if she was sure they had a pickup and asked her to call. She rolled her eyes and called. She sat on phone waiting, no one answered. I told her I would take a van. She gave me a van and told me to walk around and inspect vehicle and take pictures. I did and odometer said 92 miles. I took a picture. She had put 64 miles on her sheet and they overcharged me $24.92 for miles. She said she had texted me instructions to upload correction before I left. She didn't. They refused to correct the mistake and kept arguing with me so I just paid so I could get out of there. I'll take it up with my credit card. These people are dishonest and rude. Customer service is terrible. DONT SUPPORT THIS BUSINESS! read more

I recently rented a truck from smiths only because they had nothing else available. I was shocked that they actually let me drive this beast with all the things that are wrong with it. The main thing was the headlights were pointing down so I could not see the road in front of us on the freeway, light would go off when we used the blinker, when we would hit 60mph the truck shook scary un safe ride. The company told me that there was nothing wrong with it and refused to reimburse me at all. Good luck if your willing to rent from them please check the vehicle out first. Take care be safe.​ read more

To be fair the folks at the front desk were nice enough however there appears to be a Uhaul problem. Is it this facility or the corporate or dispatch??? I don't know but we confirmed twice the Box Truck was on-site and available per our reservation. We showed up and it wasn't :( We needed it and gave a credit card they could charge if we didn't show up. Man I wish they did the same they might not over book read more

While being stored here they hit our 5th wheel with a Uhaul truck and denied responsibility. If you value your RV don't trust it here. read more

Smith's Rent-A-Car - The white spot is the damage to the front of our trailer - Car Rental Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

This review is regarding their RV storage service. We have a trailer we bought, and because of Covid-19, we cannot transfer the title/ownership information. We do have all signed documents and we desperately need storage for our trailer asap. The young lady at the office wanted to help us dearly, but the manager (owner?) was ABSOLUTELY unwilling to consider, and then reconsider, helping us with our dilemma. I find it unreasonable and shows a lack of community support that a business would turn away honest people who are trying to do the right thing, and and keep a trailer off the city roadsides. This is the kind of person you'll be doing business with. It has really made our life a little harder in a time that's already VERY difficult. read more

Less than hour before pick-up for a 15-person van we received a call that they were cancelling our reservation. We had a full-day of a wine country activities for a number of guests visiting from out-of-state. They offered no assistance in helping us find an alternative. Left us hanging. Finally found an alternative for Jess people that cost us more plus required us to Uber/Lyft for some of the people. read more

Booked a van months in advance for a family adventure. Had people coming from out of state. Smiths cancelled my rental and didn't have the courtesy to call me. I called to confirm the day before and they told me the reservations are not secure. What??? Why reserve??? read more

Our RV was in good condition besides the grey water tank being full. They charged an outrageous amount for gas without being upfront about the price. Slow and disorganized customer service. Would not recommend. read more

I don't enjoy giving a business is a bad rating as I am a business owner as well. My purpose in doing this is to save anyone else from the unfortunate situation that I experienced. One week prior to my arrival in Santa Rosa, I reserved a compact car online on their website. I had the form in person and on my phone and the confirmation number. I got to their facility on Santa Rosa Avenue and was told that no compact cars were available and that I would have no choice but to pay more for the full-size car. In fact, double the price of the compact car. I said to the young woman that I had a reservation and I wanted it to be honored. She said that because I only reserved but did not pay for the car at the time of reservation, that they had a right to charge me for the full-size car instead. I asked her to show me that policy on their website and she said NO. I asked to speak with the manager and was told that he was unavailable and would not be available all day. I then asked her what she would do if she were me. She said that she could not answer me because she had never rented a car before. I left the facility and attempted to find another company and no cars were available. I went back and asked Smith's Rent a Car and asked if they would honor the price of the compact car for the full-size car. The answer was NO. I am not sure if this would work but my suggestion would be to talk to them in person when making a reservation and get the person's name and contact information. read more

In past years, I have rented vans and trucks from Smith's and found the customer service and fair pricing to be great. So when my wife had to rent a car for the day I recommended them. She reserved online and I drove her to pick up the car the next day. Boy has this place changed! The woman at the counter was angry and scowling for some reason, and brusquely told us they didn't have the car she reserved, or any cars at all it seemed! Then she tried to upsell her on something larger and more expensive. We objected and said they should honor the reservation price because we would have gone elsewhere. They finally "found" a car and rented it to her. After she left the lot she noticed that the check engine light was on as was the low tire indicator. But she had an appointment to keep and was going to check it later. It turned out there was a nail in the tire and the tire went flat. I wasn't there so she had to ask a friend to change the tire and went the rest of the day on limited use spare. When she returned the call, the same woman from behind the counter apologized for being so rude the day before and promised they would refund her rental due to the inconvenience. Seemed fair. But, nope! The manager tried to blame my wife and refused to make any accommodation for their renting an unsafe car. I don't know if this business sold or they have a new manager, but it went from a place I would recommend to anybody to a place I will never go back to. read more

HORRIBLE SERVICE, NO RESPECT FOR CUSTOMERS. Last weekend I had a Napa trip planned with some friends. My father made a reservation with this company a MONTH in advance for a van. The day before the reservation, he called and confirmed with Omar TWICE that it would be available. Left his number in case anything happened. On the day of the reservation, both the receptionist and Omar said that there were no available vans. They said that the reservation confirmation wasn't a van confirmation. WHAT?? In no way does the reservation confirmation state, "This does not guarantee you will be receiving a van." What is a reservation even for then?? When my father asked to talk to Omar, Omar took no responsibility and just said it wasn't his fault nobody returned the van. Maybe you can call us ahead of time if we left our number?? Horrible service and would not recommend to anyone. read more

I wish I had read the reviews before renting from here because had I known they have a constant track record of renting people dirty and unsanitary vehicles and their employees are extremely rude and arrogant, I would have never chosen to do business with Smiths Rent-a-car. I just got back from returning a mini-van I had rented for one day. I was renting the vehicle so I could move my larger belongings into my new place. They accused me of having a dog in the vehicle. I don't own a dog and I definitely didn't have any animals in the car. The vehicle was not very clean when I received it and had clearly not been previously inspected because there were jelly beans throughout it in some of the crevices, there was a dirty shoe in the back, a Christmas card in the cup holder, and there was a funky smell. They didn't want to listen to anything I had to say and were extremely rude to me, they gained up on me and argued me repeatedly telling me that there WAS a dog in the car. The employees here are extremely incompetent and because someone didn't do there job right with the previous renter, they charged me a cleaning fee which I shouldn't have had to pay. I do not recommend Smiths Rental Cars at all and I will be sharing my experience with as many people as possible. You are better off renting from Turo. read more

DO NOT RENT FROM THIS COMPANY!!!you will regret it I made a reservation they didn't honored you make your plans and they call you a few hours before the pick up to let you now there's no cars available. read more

Let me start off by saying if I could give a zero I would!! By far the worst rental experience I've EVER had!! The first car they gave me a blue Nissan had no oil or coolant in the car and overheated on me 2 times the second time it overheated I was stuck on hey 37 for 2 1/2 hours waiting for them to bring another vehicle. They then took the original vehicle with a full tank of gasoline in it and brought me another car with a quarter tank of gas. I called asked to be compensated for the car stopping and having to wait for hours for them to come, as well as compensation for the gasoline they took I was told by the woman on the phone I would be compensated for the gas however after calling and speaking with the manager was told they will not reimburse for the full tank they took from me as well as the woman who told me refused to acknowledge that she did. They basically called me a liar and the manager hung up the phone on me!!! Then I called back asked for a number to reach the owner or an email address and they acted like they had no way to reach him. I will be reporting them for their lack of customer service and rude attitudes. I didn't do anything wrong the car they gave me was shit because they don't take care of the vehicles. When I told them I wanted to be compensated for my time money etc they treated me like I was lying and didn't even apologize for the inconvenience. I never go out of my way to make a review but the service of this place created the need for a first for me!! NEVER RENT WITH THEM EVER!! read more