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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 161 reviews, most reviewers were unhappy with their experience overall. Many customers expressed dissatisfaction with the service, citing long waiting times at pick-up, understaffed counters, and a lack of communication from the staff. Several people also reported issues with the cars provided, noting that vehicles were often dirty, had mechanical problems, or were not the model they had reserved. The financial aspects, particularly unexpected charges and the deposit system, were also a significant source of frustration for many. However, some customers also noted positive experiences, praising the politeness and helpfulness of certain staff members. A few reviewers were satisfied with the condition of their cars, describing them as clean, well-maintained, and in good working order. Additionally, some found the prices to be reasonable and the pick-up and drop-off processes to be smooth and efficient.

What people talk about most

Service

Consumers find service to be ambiguous. Many reviewers report extremely long waiting times for car... See more

Product

Users describe ambiguous interactions with the product. Many customers report receiving cars that were not as... See more

Staff

Clients share ambiguous opinions on staff. Many reviewers describe staff as rude, unprofessional, and... See more

Quality

Customers had ambiguous experiences with quality. While some reviewers praised cars as almost new, clean, and... See more

Price

Reviewers mention ambiguous feedback about price. While some customers found the prices reasonable, with some... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

The car we hire actually ran quite well, but we did take photos of the bashes and scrapes on the vehicle before driving it away. However, our week holiday was blighted by rain and that's when I notic... See more

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Lanzarote. Due to back problems, I requested a car with a higher entry, a T-Roc. I also assumed every modern car had GPS. I got a VW-Taigo with a lower entry, which left me driving around in pain for... See more

Company replied

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

No problems with car, it was clean and in perfect condition. When we returned home we were charged £70 for exchange rate and fees when the deposit of 1200 Euros was returned to our Credit Card. It w... See more

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Arrived at the time the car was booked and had to wait for it to be cleaned, was given child seats, one of which had to be returned as it was broken. Car its self was clean and served its purpose. On... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Car Rental Agency

Written by the company

✓ Alquiler de coches en Canarias ✓ Oficinas en los aeropuertos de Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Tenerife y La Palma ✓ TopCar.


Contact info

2.3

Poor

TrustScore 2.5 out of 5

2K reviews

5-star
4-star
3-star
2-star
1-star

Replied to 52% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 month

How this company uses Trustpilot

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Worst service ever

We had a reservation and made online check-in a few days before car pickup, and we still waited more than 3 hours for a car. The car we got was not the same category we reserved and paid for. It was of course worse (way less comfortable).
The staff was clueless and made pathetic excuses. They provided us with a "bonus" to return a car with empty fuel tank, but the car we got was already empty.
We were not the only customers waiting for hours.
I never had worst experience, and I rented cars all over the world.

February 16, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Lanzarote. Paid for midsize, got a compact :(

Lanzarote.
Longest and slowest line at airport. 20min wait
(third in line - others waited >1hr)
But more importantly I'd booked and paid for a Audi Q3 (or similar) for my family and (lots of) luggage.
At the desk I asked what we would be getting and he seemed to be deliberately vague - saying "it's the same".
It was actually a Q2, a compact car, which was too small for our luggage.
This isn't OK. They said they didn't have another option. No offer of refunding the difference.

February 13, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Never even again would we use this…

Never even again would we use this company. They may be slightly cheaper than the others , but don't be fooled. Two and a half hour , wait after a four hour flight. Customer service is shocking. 8.Desks and only three staff helping customers. The car's not ready for customers. Being told that the cars were being washed. Terrible system and terrible service. The car is lovely but it took so long to get it very frustrated people. Little chooses crying evening flights , absolutely terrible company.

February 16, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Top Car - car hire Lanzarote

The vehicle was not what we booked and according to them they only had one automatic vehicle so no other car was available. Every panel on the car was damaged some badly and the only response from them when we challenged this was 'just take pictures'. We booked the car through Zest Car Rental and paid for the full/extended insurance package but when we arrived to collect the vehicle this was not the case and we had to pay another €80 which felt like a scam but we had no choice as the refund period had expired, I would avoid this company at all costs

February 8, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

NEVER AGAIN, USELESS COMPANY…

2 1/2 hr queue upon arrival which never seemed to move. Staff always on the phone due to an obvious lack of vehicles. I was supposed to pick up my car at 1800hrs. Got to the front of the queue at 2030hrs. Paid for the car but it still wasn't ready for another 15 minutes. Went to pick it up, waited, only to received a filthy car, service light on, and a Cat C (Kia Ceed) not a Cat CN (Duster) that I paid for. Raised with customer services online which went ignored. Never again, A TOTAL WASTE OF SPACE......

February 7, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I wont be making this mistake again

This is the first time I am writing a review before even collecting the vehicle. I sincerely hope I can update this later with a more positive experience, but so far it has been extremely disappointing.

To begin with, I encountered a very rude staff member when I approached to ask for directions to the main desk. After a long flight, the last thing any traveler needs is unhelpful or dismissive behavior.

I am currently standing in an exceptionally long queue with many other stressed travelers waiting to collect their vehicles. The QR code provided to complete the booking form in advance (supposedly to reduce waiting time), shockingly does not work, which has only made the situation worse.

Meanwhile, other car rental companies such as AutoReisen, Goldcar, Thrifty, Europcar, Hertz, and Cicar have little to no queues.

I am absolutely not confident that I would be given the vehicle I booked. A Very disappointing experience so far. Lesson learned.

Topcar Booking comfirmation #- 3416546

February 14, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent service

Excellent service. Car was very good and economical and the pick up and hand back process was very easy.

February 14, 2026
Unprompted review
TopCar logo

Reply from TopCar

Dear R Cooper,

Thank you very much for your review!

We appreciate you taking the time to describe in detail your experience!

We hope to have you back on the islands soon.

Best regards,
TopCar Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Damage to hire car.

I picked the car up without giving it a thorough inspection, my fault
But driving away from the airport I had driven the car 30 seconds I noticed the mirror was damaged, I filmed this showing the location, date and time, thinking it was damage they were aware of
When I returned the car, showed them the damage and the video, they blamed me for the damage, and took it out of the deposit I’d paid. if I’d done it, I would’ve be the first to hold my hand up.
Would never use these again, always used autoreisen before and would definitely go back to them.

Anyone that has booked already definitely do a thorough video immediately before getting in the car

February 9, 2026
Unprompted review
TopCar logo

Reply from TopCar

Dear Peter,

We are very sorry that your experience was not satisfactory and fully understand your frustration.

We always advise our customers to inspect the vehicle upon pickup and report any damage before leaving the parking facility to avoid misunderstandings when returning the deposits.

We appreciate you providing the video and understand your perspective; we will check your case to ensure a fair and transparent process.

We are very sorry we did not meet your expectations on this occasion and appreciate your feedback, which helps us continue to improve.

Best regards,
TopCar Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

30 pct. add on the rental cost

Rented for a week at La Palma Airport. 20-30 minutes waiting at check in - not good but an understandable issue in a small airport with few flights arriving.
The negative is, that Topcar charges the security deposit to ones card instead of just reserving it as most (read all) car rental companies do. The result is twice FX conversion fee, which added 30 pct. to the rental cost. At check in no information that the amount would be charged - not just reserved. If you card is in another currency than EUR - find another company. Have never experience this before. Had it not been for the FX fee and long wait it would have been a 5 star experience.

January 23, 2026
Unprompted review
TopCar logo

Reply from TopCar

Dear Per,

We are very sorry you had this experience with us.

We appreciate your understanding regarding the waiting time at La Palma Airport and are pleased to hear that, aside from this issue, the rental itself met your expectations.

Regarding the security deposit, we would like to clarify that our procedure is explained in our rental conditions prior to booking. The deposit is charged rather than pre-authorised. This is not done for our benefit, as TopCar does not profit in any way from deposits; they exist solely as a security measure during the rental period (Question 10): https://top-car-hire.com/legal/preguntas-frecuentes

Foreign exchange fees are applied by the card issuer or bank, not by TopCar, and unfortunately these costs are outside of our control.
We understand that this can be frustrating for customers using cards in a non-EUR currency, and we take your feedback seriously (explained in our website to advise our clients - question 10): https://top-car-hire.com/legal/preguntas-frecuentes

We are continuously working to improve transparency and ensure that this information is communicated as clearly as possible during the booking and check-in process.

We truly appreciate your balanced review and hope to welcome you again in the future under even better circumstances.

Kind regards,
TopCar Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Ridiculous Queues

Arrived at Fuerteventura Airport to find a queue of 25 to 30 people. Four counters, but only one staffed - occasionally two The online check-in did not work. A wait of well over two hours for a pre-paid reservation. Completely unacceptable!
Postscript: when you think it is finally (!) all sorted, they fail to come up with the car. We were told it would be a few minutes while the car was being cleaned. Half an hour - and several complaints - later we were handed the key to a filthy vehicle which clearly had not seen a car wash in ages. DO NOT USE THIS FIRM. THEY ARE HAVING A LAUGH AT YOUR EXPENSE.

February 7, 2026
Unprompted review
TopCar logo

Reply from TopCar

Dear Eberhard,

We are truly sorry for the long waiting time and understand how frustrating this can be, especially with a pre-paid reservation.

While we continuously work to reduce queues through online check-in and process optimisation, peak periods and operational circumstances beyond our control may unfortunately lead to delays.

We are sorry that the car's conditions did not meet your expectations. All vehicles are cleaned and prepared before delivery, and we appreciate you highlighting this so we can review the situation with the team involved.

Your feedback is important to us, as it helps us improve our service efficiency.

Best regards,
TopCar Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Untrustworthy company with bad practices. Avoid at all costs!

DO NOT RENT FROM TOPCAR - They will just keep your deposit money and never communicate with you again. If they already scammed you, please contact me for a potential class action lawsuit ("Sammelklage").

I rented a car through a booking platform in late November 2025. Due to an issue with the original car, TopCar provided a replacement vehicle. However, I had to pay a second €1,200 deposit for this replacement car (€2,400 total).

When I returned the replacement car on December 2nd, 2025, their staff confirmed on-site that everything was in perfect condition. No issues, no damage, nothing.

While the deposit of the original car was paid back after over a month, I'm now already waiting since over 2 months for a significant share of the other 1,200 Euro deposit of the car that was returned in perfect condition.

I've tried reaching out directly to TopCar as well as through the platform I used to book the car.
But still:
- No invoice or explanation
- No 'damage' report
- No communication whatsoever

They simply kept my money without ANY justification.

When booking the car, I even purchased full insurance coverage through the booking platform to protect myself against exactly this type of companies that claim damages that weren't caused by the customer. So even IF there had been actual damage (which there wasn't), I would have been reimbursed. But they never even sent a damage report to claim anything.

I will sonn be escalating this through my credit card company and will be initiating chargeback proceedings and legal action.

If you have similar experiences with TopCar withholding deposits, please contact me for a potential class action lawsuit. We need to hold this company accountable.

Rental car companies are required to release deposits promptly when no damage exists. TopCar's practice of keeping money without explanation is illegal and unethical.

Save yourself the stress and money - rent from literally ANY other company.

November 27, 2025
Unprompted review
TopCar logo

Reply from TopCar

Dear Benjamin,

We are very sorry for the frustration caused regarding your deposit. With over 40 years of experience in car rentals, TopCar has always prioritized customer trust and service, which is why our clients always come back with us.

Please be assured that we do not profit from deposits – they are always refunded once the vehicle is returned and all conditions are met.

Delays in seeing the refund in your account are due to bank processing times, which can vary depending on your payment provider.

We encourage customers to contact us directly if a refund does not appear within the expected timeframe so we can investigate and resolve the issue promptly.

Unfortunately for the name provided here we could not find your booking to contact you and learn more about what could have happened. We invite you to contact our Customer Service Department: https://top-car-hire.com/contacto

Best regards,
TopCar Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Book direct and save yourself a load of grief and hassle

Hired a car in Spain - I usually go via booking.com and end up being stung with the insurance deposit nonsense. This time I booked directly and what a breeze. Polite courteous staff at Lanzarote airport, lovely vehicle and simple process only paying the hire charge and no extras. So all those moaning about paying insurance - book direct and cut out the middle man. 4th time I've rented with them and 5 stars every time. Will be going direct from now on. Top service and cars guys. 10/10

February 4, 2026
Unprompted review
TopCar logo

Reply from TopCar

Dear Robin,

Thank you very much for your review!

We greatly appreciate you taking the time to describe in detail your positive experience with TopCar. There is nothing more valuable to our company than the recommendation of our own customers.

We hope to have you back on the islands soon.

Best regards,
TopCar Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Aweful experience

Car hired from La Palma airport. Went through the paperwork and signed the contract. Most companies do this before you have a chance to inspect the car, so I thought nothing of it. On arrival at the car I found damage to the underside front. I reported this to staff in the car park and was told to photograph and send pictures by whatsapp to the company. I did this, but just to be sure I went back up to the desk to check this was the correct procedure. I was met with the ruddest staff member I have ever met. She actually looked away, ignoring me in mid sentence and continued to work on other jobs. Twice I had to ask her to look at me but she continued to just act like I wasnt there. I eventually asked to talk to a more senior person and was eventually issued with a new contract showing the damage. My point is this. The company required me to sign a contract that stated the car was undamaged, they had either failed to check or knew it was damaged and would be charging me for it on return...this has happened to me before. On pointing out the damage, there was an expectation that I was responsible for reporting their error and I was then treated in the most offhand, rude way I have ever been treated by any company. Avoid these people, they are not worth the few pounds you save by going with the cheapest.

January 30, 2026
Unprompted review
TopCar logo

Reply from TopCar

Dear Jeremy,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We are truly sorry to hear about the situation you describe, as this does not reflect the level of service we aim to provide.

Vehicle checks are part of our standard procedure and previous damage is always reflected in the system when clients return the cars and are checked again before the next client picks up the car. However, we always encourage customers to report observations immediately, and we appreciate that you did so, transparency is very important to us.

However, we are especially concerned to read about the interaction with our staff. Courtesy and professionalism are essential values for us, and your comments have been shared with the office's management for review.

We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for bringing this to our attention, as feedback like yours helps us improve our procedures and service.

Best regards,
TopCar Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Very poor car rental experience in…

Very poor car rental experience in Tenerife.

We booked a Volkswagen Polo or similar. At the counter, we were told the car was unavailable and were encouraged to switch vehicles. The staff showed us an online image of a larger replacement car, and we agreed based on that presentation.

However, when the keys were handed over, the actual vehicle provided was a Hyundai i10 — a small, worn city car that was completely different from what was shown to us.

The car had very weak engine power, making it difficult and stressful to drive on Tenerife’s hills and mountain roads. Engine noise was loud, and the driving experience felt unsafe and uncomfortable.

Despite receiving a clearly lower-category vehicle, we still paid the higher rental and full insurance price corresponding to the originally booked category, with no price adjustment at all.

Showing one car and delivering another is unprofessional and lacks transparency.

Strongly recommend confirming the exact vehicle you will receive if asked to change cars at the counter — otherwise, it’s very easy to be overcharged.

December 30, 2025
Unprompted review
TopCar logo

Reply from TopCar

Dear Laura,

We are so sorry you had this experience.

It is important to note that reservations are not made for a specific model but for a category. We cannot guarantee the exact model, but we always provide the category and group requested.

If you want a specific model you can specify it in comments when you make your reservation, we can not guarantee that it will be the model delivered, but we will do our best.

We hope to assist you again soon to change your perception.

Best regards,
TopCar Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Warning Scam

Warning: Do Not Book a Car with This Company

I strongly advise against booking a car with this company due to multiple misleading and unprofessional practices that I experienced.

Issue 1: Misleading Website Filters
The vehicle filter options on the website are highly deceptive. Instead of functioning as standard checkboxes, the filters behave like radio buttons, allowing only one selection at a time. Many customers initially select “automatic transmission” and then choose a vehicle category, unknowingly deselecting the transmission option. As a result, the displayed price appears to reflect an automatic vehicle, while in reality the booking is for a manual car. This becomes apparent only at the rental desk, leaving customers with no opportunity to correct the mistake. You will also never see this when logging into your account and look for orders or in any mail communication which makes me suspicious.

Issue 2: Ineffective Customer Support and Ticket System
The website chatbot claims to create support tickets; however, no confirmation email is ever sent, and no ticket appears in the customer account after logging in. Despite submitting a request, I received no response whatsoever, even after waiting more than three days.

Issue 3: False Availability Information
The website shows automatic cars as available, but this information is unreliable. When I contacted the front desk by phone, I was informed that availability still needed to be “confirmed within three hours.” This raises serious concerns about why vehicles are listed as available if the company already knows they may not be. Even availability for an “or similar” vehicle could not be guaranteed, which is unacceptable for a professional rental service.

Issue 4: Unprofessional Phone Support
Although a customer service phone number is provided, the quality of support is extremely poor. During my call, the representative ended the conversation abruptly by hanging up, demonstrating a complete lack of professionalism and customer care.

Overall, these practices are misleading and severely undermine trust. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this company and believe customers should be cautious before making a booking.

January 24, 2026
Unprompted review
TopCar logo

Reply from TopCar

Dear Jefke,

Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback. We sincerely regret that your experience did not meet expectations and appreciate the opportunity to clarify a few points.

Regarding vehicle selection, our website filters are designed to assist customers in choosing transmission and vehicle category, but we understand how the current interface could lead to confusion. We always encourage clients to specify in comments if they want a specific model/characteristic when making your reservation.

Availability of vehicles is based on our fleet at the time of booking. Occasionally, confirmations are required to ensure that the specific vehicle or an equivalent model is ready for rental. We apologize if this process caused frustration.

Concerning customer support, our landline is always full of incoming client calls, so we recommend contacting us filling in our websie's form to ensure all inquiries are acknowledged promptly and that our team provides professional assistance at all times: https://top-car-hire.com/contacto

We take all feedback seriously and are committed to improving our systems, website, and customer service based on input like yours.

Best regards,
TopCar Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We were really worried about our car…

We were really worried about our car hire after reading the reviews but we had a great experience. We had a gorgeous car like more than what we could ask for and the whole process was so quick and easy.

January 14, 2026
Unprompted review
TopCar logo

Reply from TopCar

Dear Ellen,

Thank you very much for your review!

We greatly appreciate you taking the time to describe in detail your positive experience with TopCar. There is nothing more valuable to our company than the recommendation of our own customers.

We hope to have you back on the islands soon.

Best regards,
TopCar Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Unacceptable waiting time to collect online booked car!

At Fuerteventura Airport, we waited for over two hours in a queue to collect a pre-booked car - the two girls manning the at least six desks were lovely, but run off their feet. Surely TopCar knows how many people will be collecting cars at any one time and provide adequate staff to deal with it? I sent my family on to our villa at an extra taxi cost as they were very tired. The car itself was very dirty inside and obviously hadn't been valeted in weeks. Very disappointed with the service this time and will think more than twice before booking with TopCar again :(

January 1, 2026
Unprompted review
TopCar logo

Reply from TopCar

Dear Teri,

Thank you for sharing your experience. We are deeply sorry for the wait to collect your keys and the inconvenience you encountered during your collection.

Delays can occur at certain times due to high demand or unforeseen operational situations, but we fully understand your annoyance. We are also sorry that the condition of the vehicle was not as expected; we will review this point with our team to improve.

We appreciate your patience and your comments, which help us to continue working to offer a better service. We hope to welcome you back and change your perception with a smoother service.

Kind regards,
TopCar Team.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Not what I asked for

Lanzarote. Due to back problems, I requested a car with a higher entry, a T-Roc. I also assumed every modern car had GPS. I got a VW-Taigo with a lower entry, which left me driving around in pain for a whole week. No GPS and no proper Waze connection, so I was driving around searching for directions... No, Topcar wasn't a good choice.

January 13, 2026
Unprompted review
TopCar logo

Reply from TopCar

Dear Wim,

We are very sorry for this experience.

Although we cannot guarantee the exact model, we always provide the category, group and needs requested.

We hope to assist you again soon to change your perception.

Best regards,
TopCar Team

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