Car Rental Troubles: What Should You Do If Things Go Wrong?

Prevention is better than cure, but for cars, this presumption may not apply. This does not mean that you shouldn't take your vehicle for maintenance, as advised by the manufacturer. Regular maintenance checks significantly reduce the possibility of having car troubles. But what happens if your rental develops complications? The first thing you should do is avoid panicking. If you're driving, make sure you pull over to the side of the road first. Then you can assess the issue. Sometimes it's something you can correct by yourself; say if all is required is to add more coolant, you'll only have to add more coolant, and you're good to go. Here's how you can handle some seemingly severe car issues.

Tire Puncture

Say you’re driving down the freeway and suddenly you realize one of the tires is flat, what should you do? Slowly make your way to the right-hand side of the road and carefully step out of the car (make sure the hazard lights are on). There’s usually a spare tire. So if you know how to change tires, you can replace the flat with the spare. If you can't, call the rental company and they'll make arrangements to handle the situation. The spare tire can only take you so far, and you should go to the rental company’s offices and have them change the tire for you.

Warning Lights on The Dashboard

You're driving and suddenly notice a warning sign on your dashboard. And you don't know what it means; what do you do? It would help if you pulled over first. Then once you're safely off the road, you can examine it further. Most modern cars now explain where the issue is emanating from, but if you aren't sure, you should call the rental company or the breakdown assistance.

Windscreen Is Cracked

Accidents happen, and that’s life. The car in front of you may hurl small stones from its tires, and they may end up on your windscreen. It may cause either a chip or a complete break. The best thing to do is first to pull over and assess the damage. If you feel like the damage is too heavy for you to drive, don’t. Call the rental service provider. Simple repairs can correct a small chip.

My Car Won’t Start

Sometimes the vehicle may break down completely. If this is the case, it would be best to call the rental provider as soon as possible. If, by any chance, you experience this issue while driving and you haven't had the opportunity to pull over, make sure you have the hazard lights on. Take the hazard triangle provided on the car and place it approximately 10 feet from the rear of the vehicle to warn oncoming traffic. Then call the rental provider, and they sort you out.

I’ve Met with An Accident

If there is a third party involved, take their details. And do not forget to take photos of the car, the scene, and file a damage report. If there are witnesses, make sure you get their statement and don't forget to obtain a police report. It will be useful and will help you evade paying for the repairs if the third party was at fault. It doesn't matter if you settle for cheap car rentals, the price for accident repairs may be costly, and you shouldn't have to bear the brunt if it wasn't your fault.