Beware of Hertz--poor customer service and hazardous parking lot! The corporate office in FL is…read moreaware & nothing has been done.
On July 15, 2026, I went to Hertz to pick up a rental car reserved under my name by my insurance company. When I parked at Hertz, I backed into a parking space, which is my customary practice because it allows me to evaluate my surroundings while entering the space rather than while backing into active traffic when leaving. The parking space appeared to be an ordinary, designated parking space. It was marked with the same white parking lines as the surrounding spaces and contained none of the features that would alert a reasonable driver that the space should not be used. Specifically:
* There was no striped exclusion area.
* There were no hazard markings.
* There were no protective bollards.
* There were no wheel stops.
* There was no signage indicating the space was unavailable for parking.
A reasonable customer would conclude that this was a legitimate parking space.
As I backed into the parking space, the sign support was located at the rear of the parking space. Extending from that support was an obsolete sign that projected into the parking area at a height above a driver's normal line of sight while backing into the space. Because the sign projected from the support above a driver's normal line of sight while backing into the parking space, it was not an obvious hazard to a driver using the marked parking space as intended. However, it was positioned at approximately the same height as the rear window of my vehicle. As I continued backing into the marked parking space, the sign broke and struck the rear window, shattering the back glass. The sign support itself did not strike my vehicle; rather, it was the obsolete sign extending from the support that caused the damage.
It is also noteworthy that my vehicle is equipped with rear cameras and rear obstacle detection systems designed to alert drivers to hazards while backing. During this incident, neither the rear camera nor the vehicle's rear alert system detected or warned me of the presence of the obsolete sign. Based on the position and height of the sign, it projected above the normal detection zone of these safety features while remaining at a height capable of striking the rear window of my vehicle. This further illustrates that the hazard was not readily apparent to a driver using the parking space in a normal and prudent manner.
Enclosed are photographs of the parking area, the obsolete sign, and the surrounding parking spaces. For clarity, the photographs show my vehicle parked in the parking space adjacent to the one where the incident occurred. Immediately after the incident, I moved my vehicle to prevent further damage and to avoid obstructing the parking lot. The photographs are provided to accurately depict the location and configuration of the obsolete sign, the parking spaces, and the conditions that existed at the time of the incident.
The attached photographs accurately depict that the parking space where the incident occurred was marked and presented in the same manner as the adjacent parking spaces, with no visible indication that it should not be used or that an overhead hazard existed behind the space.
As a direct result of the hazardous condition within what appeared to be a designated parking space, I incurred $406.72 to replace my shattered rear window. I made every reasonable effort to minimize the cost of repairs by removing broken glass myself, cleaning the vehicle, and requesting that the recycling fee be waived. I also obtained a second estimate from CarLoop Mobile Glass for $649.00 and selected the less expensive repair option to reduce the overall damages.
This incident was entirely preventable. Customers should be able to rely upon a designated parking space being reasonably safe for its intended use. The obsolete sign was mounted on a support located at the rear of the parking space and projected into the space at a height that was above a driver's normal field of view while backing into the space, yet directly in the path of a vehicle's rear window. The parking space contained no striping, wheel stop, bollards, barriers, or other warning devices to indicate that the space should not be used or that a hazard existed behind it. A reasonable customer would have no reason to anticipate that an obsolete sign extended into the parking space at a height capable of striking the rear window of a vehicle.
I also believe it is relevant to note that I have been a licensed driver for approximately 37 years and have maintained an excellent driving record throughout that time. During my entire driving history, I have received only one speeding citation and have never been involved in an incident comparable to this. This incident was not the result of reckless or careless driving, but rather the presence of an unexpected and unmarked hazard within what was presented to customers as a usable parking space.
