East Coast Car Rentals Reviews 

2,704
TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.4

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 80 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers frequently point out that the staff members are extremely professional, welcoming, and always ready to go the extra mile to assist. People also love the reliable airport shuttle service and the clean, well-maintained cars that make travel completely stress-free. Some reviewers were not happy with vehicle availability, noting that they occasionally received a different car model than originally reserved or experienced frustrating overbooking. However, a few other people also felt that handling unexpected extra fees or deposit rules during collection caused annoyance and impacted their overall satisfaction.

What people talk about most

Service

People report positive experiences with service, highlighting the friendly staff and efficient airport... See more

Staff

Customers consistently note positive experiences with staff, describing them as attentive, courteous, and... See more

Price

Reviewers mention ambiguous feedback about price, as experiences vary significantly. While many customers... See more

Booking process

Customers had ambiguous experiences with booking process. Many reviewers praised the online booking... See more

Product

Consumers find product experiences to be highly mixed and unpredictable. While many reviewers report... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

The price and ease of renting a car was awesome. My only complaint and this is why it was a 4 star and not 5, is that when I made the booking via Booking.com it said the car was a Toyota Rav4 (it was... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Easy online booking, friendly helpful staff, quick Shuttle service to and from airport, modern low kms car and very competitive and affordable price. Have used many times before and will definitely k... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

5* all the way from beginning to end, will definitely use this company again if we return to Brisbane. Hired a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid plus satnav from Brisbane central office the young lass was profess... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

From the start at the booking stage our experience was streamlined and smooth,and great value for money. Collection at Adelaide airport was also easy, Jack was amazing and we were lucky to get Jack a... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Car rental company

Written by the company

East Coast Car Rentals is one of Australia's largest independent car hire providers, offering you a wide range of great quality car rentals at the lowest possible rates. Operating since 1979, East Coast Car Rentals consistently delivers competitive rates and top quality cars at major cities and convenient airport servicing locations across Australia.


Contact info

4.4

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

3k reviews

5-star
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No recent history of asking for reviews

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Replied to 70% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

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4.4

All reviews

(2,704)

80 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

East Coast Car Rentals is a shining light!

I have booked rental cars with East Coast Rentals for many years and always found them very helpful, reliable and offer a good price. Their cars are very good and they have always been very helpful and flexible.
On this occasion we have had a car on their East Coast Rentals Subscription service as I needed a car for an extended period of 8 months. The price covers the rental, insurance, second driver and excess cover and can be charged to you weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
When I asked after a few months to change the car for a slightly bigger one Stacey was fantastic at sorting it all out, including having it brought to their Sunshine Coast depot so I didn’t have to return to Brisbane where I had collected the original car.
When I was arranging to return the car at the end of my trip Dave and the team were most helpful in making sure I could return the car to Brisbane as well as being innovative in finding a solution to me needing to keep the car for an extra couple of days after the end of the billing cycle.
I have never had anything but excellent service from anyone in East Coast Rentals and the fact that some of the people have worked there for many years I think says it all. It is nice to have a person with a name to deal with too!

15 May 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Thank you for your kind words and continued support over the years, Liz!

We're so pleased to hear the team could make your long-term rental experience as smooth and flexible as possible. Stacey, Dave and the team will absolutely appreciate the shoutout - we'll be sure to pass this on to the team.

Thanks again for support over the years. We look forward to helping you hit the road again soon!

Warm regards,
Team ECCR

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Immense thank you to Damian for the…

Immense thank you to Damian for the amazing service provided for us on (May 8, 2026) during our car hire experience at 3 Karana St,Tugun (QLD). He was Warm, welcoming, and professional, he made the process smooth, easy and stress-free.

8 May 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Thank you for sharing such lovely feedback! We're stoked to hear that Damian provided you amazing service. It's fantastic that he made the whole process smooth and stress-free for you - that's exactly what we aim for! We hope to see you back soon!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic service

Fantastic service, I booked through another party but we had no issues. Very good pricing for 3 days plus full insurance which was also very reasonable. they provided a prompt shuttle service from Brisbane airport. Anne let us have 2 options of a vehicle in the same class, so we went for a Mazda 3. Great little car with heaps of room and good fuel consumption. In future I will book directly through East Coast Car Rentals. There was only one little annoyance, and that was, because we had a early flight we had to return the vehicle to another company nearby for a extra fee of $55.00, but that also included a shuttle bus to the Airport. I would gladly pay extra to be able to drop the car back at East Coast Car Rentals if they opened a bit earlier at 4am instead of 6am. or failing that, drop off at a car park at Brisbane Airport.
Photo 1 in review by Allan Anfilow

4 May 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Thanks for the detailed review, Alzy - really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. Glad to hear the Brisbane Airport shuttle and early morning return process helped make things easier, especially with the flight timing.

We appreciate the feedback around after-hours returns too and hope to see you again on your next trip.

Warm regards,
Team ECCR

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Disappointed

I am extremely disappointed with my experience booking an East Coast Car rental through Booking.com. My flight from Brisbane to Sydney was cancelled just one hour before departure- something completely beyond my control. As a result, I had no choice but to cancel the car hire.
Despite the circumstances I was charged a cancellation fee of $235.35 and only refunded $118.95. This feels excessive and unfair particularly given that the cancellation was due to an unforeseen flight disruption.
I understand that policies exist but there should be some flexibility or consideration in situations like this. Charging such a high fee under these circumstances is unreasonable.
Based on this experience I will not use Booking.com to book car hire again.

12 April 2026
Unprompted review
East Coast Car Rentals logo

Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Hi Emma,

Thank you for sharing your experience.

We’re sorry to hear about the disruption to your travel plans. Having a flight cancelled at short notice is understandably stressful, particularly when it then impacts other parts of your trip.

As this booking was made and prepaid through Booking.com, the reservation and payment were managed under the terms and conditions of the third-party provider. Unfortunately, this means refund outcomes and cancellation fees are determined through their booking terms and payment process rather than directly through our branch.

We do understand how disappointing this would have felt given the circumstances surrounding the cancellation.

Regards,

ECCR Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic rental experience

When we arrived Denzel was amazing: extremely helpful with little tios about our travels. We were in the car and driving within 7min of arriving by the shuttle bus. Returned the car and were in shuttle bus within 3min! Just a fantastic experience when compared to other car rental companies we used previously when in Melbourne and Europe. Highly recommend!

30 April 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Thanks so much for the great feedback, Joe!

Glad to hear Denzel looked after you and got you on the road so quickly - that smooth shuttle timing is exactly what we aim for.

Appreciate you choosing us and hope to see you again next time!

Warm regards,
Team ECCR

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

5* all the way from beginning to end

5* all the way from beginning to end, will definitely use this company again if we return to Brisbane.
Hired a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid plus satnav from Brisbane central office the young lass was professional and helpful, dropped car off at the airport hub and shuttle bus took us to the airport. It was all effortless.
Keep it up guys good work 👍

10 April 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Hi Diane,

Thanks so much for the 5-star review - we really appreciate it.

Great to hear everything ran smoothly from start to finish, and that the Brisbane Airport team looked after you so well. We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to them :)

Hope to see you again next time you're back in Brisbane!

Warm regards,
Team ECCR

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Good service

Even though we hired one of the slightly older, higher mileage cars, it drove perfectly. They were very accommodating with our mixup with the returning date (our fault). Would recommend East Coast Cars

26 April 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Thanks so much Alan!

We really appreciate the recommendation. Glad the car drove perfectly and the team could help sort out the date mix-up for you.

We hope we can help you out again on your next trip.

Warm regards,
Team ECCR

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Ghosted

Reply - Yes, I believe I mention that in the below review. You offered some reimbursement for your error. But that is the crux of this review isn't it. You deem that solves the matter whereas I disagree, I am still out of pocket for your mistake. Not solely from a monetary standpoint either, but mine and my wife's time standing on a curb next to your closed office with our 2 year old child after a long 3 days of travel and then the following day having to make the return trip to Brisbane to drop off the second unnecessary car and pick up the original booking.
So, you'll excuse me if I don't agree that the matter has been "solved"

Booked a pick up, called to ensure they'd be there after a flight delay, turned up to a closed office with luggage and a baby in tow. Incurred fees of a taxi and a second rental to get to my hotel. Then had to rearrange everything to recollect the original rental. Then spent a month chasing them up for reimbursement, to which half was paid.
It's a pity that poor reviews are the only thing that carries currency in a world of increasingly poor customer service. It would be one star if not for the work of one or human interactions after the fact. I think I'll stick with paying slightly more for a reputable company in the future.

21 March 2026
Unprompted review
East Coast Car Rentals logo

Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Hi Robert,

Thank you for your feedback.

We can see this matter has since been followed up and a reimbursement has been processed.

If there is anything further you would like us to review, please feel free to reach out to our Customer Service team (cs@eccr.com.au).

We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, feedback like this helps us continue to improve.

Regards,

ECCR Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I booked a car with East Coast Rentals…

I booked a car with East Coast Rentals via Booking.com and, overall, the experience was disappointing due to a lack of transparency and communication.

I had already purchased full coverage insurance through Booking (covering damage, theft, and excess fees), and I know from previous rentals that rental companies are informed of this when the booking is made. However, at the counter, the staff did not acknowledge this at all. They simply said that “with what I had included,” I would need to leave a $1000 AUD deposit and be liable up to that amount. No explanation was given about the Booking insurance or how it applied. Feeling unsure after a long trip, I paid an extra $150 AUD for their own coverage which ment $550 excess — something I wouldn’t have done if the situation had been explained clearly.

The car (a Mitsabishi) functioned okay but was given to us with a half tank which we had to return to inform the staff as they recorded it as a full tank.

The most frustrating moment was that we had to catch an early flight when returning the car. We had to drop the car off at a specific parking lot and had to pay the parking fee of $60 to leave it there for 2 hours.

Furthermore we didn't do a final inspection together and they charged me $550 excess for damage to the car that was deemed as wear and tear. Complete fraudulant, no paper work signed in agreeance of the damage which happened after drop off as I had photos of the car when dropped off at the Paking Lot.

When questioned the staff about this transaction, I was ignored, this ended up having to been chased up by the bank as a dispute. Got our money back after a massive battle and waste of time. This money should not have been taken out in the first place.

The staff wasn’t rude, but the overall experience felt poorly handled and not transparent. I wouldn’t recommend East Coast Rentals, especially to international travellers.

18 February 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Hi George,

Thank you for your feedback.

We’re sorry to hear this experience felt frustrating and unclear at the time.

This matter has since been reviewed, and the charge relating to the damage was refunded in full after being re-assessed as fair wear and tear by our Claims Team.

In relation to cover, when insurance is purchased through a third-party booking platform, it does not reduce the liability under the rental agreement. The excess remains in place and a security bond is required at collection. At the counter, our team explain how this works so customers can make an informed decision.

We also note your feedback regarding communication at the counter and during the return process. This has been followed up internally to ensure clearer and more consistent handling moving forward.

We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, as feedback like this helps us continue to improve.

Regards,

ECCR Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My 4th trip using ECC

This was the 4th trip I have used the company. Just a great experience at a very competitive price. Reliable, fuel-efficient car, good customer service, An all-round 👏

6 January 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Hey there,

Thanks for leaving us such a lovely review! We're stoked you chose us again for the 4th time - it means a lot to us :)

We'd love to see you again next time.

Warmest regards,
Team ECCR

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great experience with ECCR

Great experience with ECCR from our arrival in Hobart to our departure in Launceston, it all went smoothly. Nice car and very good shuttle experiences, this company is very good and I highly reccomend their services Cheers David C.

15 March 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Thanks so much David! We're thrilled you had such a smooth experience in Tassie - it means a lot to us.

We'd love to see you next time ;)

Kind regards,
Team ECCR

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Well done East Coast Rentals

Easy online booking. The car was as stated, clean and well appointed. The staff were very helpful at both ends as I picked up in Adelaide and dropped off in Melbourne. Both shuttle transports were seamless. Balvinder was a great guy and very efficient in getting us to Melbourne Airport. Excellent company to deal with. Thank you East Coast Rentals

30 March 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Hey Phil

Thanks for the great review! We're glad everything went smoothly from Adelaide through to Melbourne and that the car was just as expected.

We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to Balvinder - he'll really appreciate the shoutout!

Thanks again for choosing East Coast, and we look forward to seeing you again next time.

Warm regards,
Team ECCR

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I lodged a formal complaint with this…

I lodged a formal complaint with this eCar s service and never received any response or follow-up, which is extremely concerning.
I have since escalated the matter to Fair Trading. After reviewing all correspondence, including emails and messages from this company, I was advised that the manager’s conduct is serious and to be reported to the police, as well as to AFCA. I will now be proceeding with both
The lack of accountability, failure to respond to complaints, and overall handling of this situation is completely unacceptable. No customer should be treated this away it’s disgusting behaviour and they are getting away with it obviously

31 March 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Very time consuming

Nice customer experience but:

- long wait for a car
- when they finally found my hybrid car, it was dirty
- they had to take extra time to find a new car

1 April 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Hi Kim & Fiona,

Thank you for your feedback.

We’re glad to hear you had a positive interaction with the team, though we’re sorry the overall experience felt time consuming.

Waiting for a vehicle and then needing to change cars is not the smooth collection experience we aim to provide. Your feedback has been shared with the Adelaide Airport branch management team so this can be reviewed.

We appreciate you taking the time to let us know.

Regards,
Team ECCR

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Both Melbourne and hobart branches excellent.

We used Melbourne and hobart branches. We had excellent and efficient service for both. I highly recommend this company for value for money and decent cars .

3 March 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Hey Rosie,

thanks so much for your kind words! We're so glad to hear you had a great experience with both our Melbourne and Hobart branches - we'll be sure to pass this on to the teams.

We appreciate the recommendation and hope to see you again on your next trip :)

Kind regards,
Team ECCR

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Everything went well with our car hire

Everything went well with our car hire. Directions for the shuttle bus pick-up were clear, we didn't wait long for the pick-up, and collection of the car was quick and easy. Staff were friendly. Return of the car was just as good. Cost of the hire was actually the cheapest I could find. Very happy.

19 March 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Hi Gail,

Thanks for the lovely review!

Great to hear everything ran smoothly from pick-up to drop-off - especially the shuttle and quick collection.

We're glad the tea looked after you and that you found great value too.

We hope to see you again soon :)

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Going elsewhere in the future.

Paid for full insurance through booking.com. went to pick car up at Launceston and the counter staff still wanted me to take out insurance through them aswell as he reckoned they don't cover everything? Three weeks after we handed the car back we got a $71:50 amount taken out of our account no email or call/text to say why.
The cars may be cheap to hire but make sure you check out the fine print.

5 March 2026
Unprompted review
East Coast Car Rentals logo

Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Hi Brad,

Thank you for your feedback.

We understand how unexpected charges after a rental can feel frustrating, especially when you’re not sure what they relate to.

The $71.50 charge is an administration fee linked to an infringement incurred during the hire. As the registered owner of the vehicle, we’re required to process and nominate any tolls or infringements. This fee is outlined under the Important Notice section at the top of the rental agreement, and a notification is sent to the email address on file when the charge is processed.

In relation to cover, when insurance is purchased through a third-party provider such as Booking.com, it generally works as an excess refund product. This means the liability under the rental agreement remains in place. If damage occurs, the excess is paid at the time and then claimed back from the provider afterwards.

If your aim is to have no out-of-pocket expense in the event of damage, selecting cover at the counter is the most direct way to achieve this, regardless of which car rental company you hire with.

We know there’s a bit to take in, and taking a moment to review the booking confirmation and rental agreement before collection can make the process feel much clearer on the day.

Regards,

ECCR Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Still providing excellent service

The man who served me today was professional, respectful and very helpful. It is service like this that keeps us coming back to East Coast car hire.

11 March 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

We love to hear that, Chris! Thanks so much. We're thrilled you continue to choose us.

Looking forward to seeing you again soon.

Warm regards,
Team ECCR

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A pleasant surprise

Recenty rented in Tasmania. Given these guys were cheaper than the car rental places on the airport, I wasn't expecting much, but the free shuttle and customer service was actually better than i've had with some of the big brands.

Car was fine, but very impressed by this company. Will be back.

21 February 2026
Unprompted review
East Coast Car Rentals logo

Reply from East Coast Car Rentals

Thanks for the lovely review, David! So glad your Hobart team and free shuttle made things easy - and even better than the big boys! We'd love to welcome you back again soon.

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