I want to share my experience using Turo for the first time, which was also my last.
I booked a 6-seater electric vehicle back in February for an April family trip to Los Angeles. I specifically chose an All-Star Host after reading reviews and also paid extra for hotel delivery and return since I was traveling with two children, including a baby, and their grandparents.
For two months before the trip, I never received any communication from the host. Less than 24 hours before departure, the app prompted me to check in, but the host still did not respond. I messaged him directly and got no reply.
After landing in LA and arriving at my hotel around 10:30 PM, I checked again and saw he had read my message earlier that day but still did not respond.
Around midnight, I contacted Turo support and about 15 minutes later I received an email stating the trip was canceled due to an “engine issue.” This was for an electric vehicle.
With my family already on the trip, I suddenly had no car hours before we needed it.
What followed was a stressful scramble with support to find another 6 or 7 seater that was not extremely expensive. I eventually found a replacement, but it was about an hour away and I had to handle all pickup and return logistics myself.
What it cost me:
Late night panic right after landing
Around 4 extra hours of driving and logistics for pickup and return
Several more hours of coordination and disruption
Additional expenses that Turo mostly refused to cover
To be fair, the replacement host was excellent and professional, so the experience showed that Turo can work well when the host is reliable.
However, the platform failed when it mattered most. Even with advance booking, an All-Star Host, and full payment, the reservation fell through at the last minute and support did little to fully resolve the downstream impact.
Overall, it felt like everything worked until it suddenly did not, and the customer absorbed most of the consequences.
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