CarwizReviews 

Was charged over 50 euros for an alleged 5 litres of missing fuel. This was despite the fact that the tank had been filled fewer than 7 miles from returning the car to the airport. Absolutely failed to answer questions as to how this had been calculated.
Should have read reviews more extensively- clear that I’m not the first, especially amongst those like me who failed to buy their extremely expensive excess insurance

It took 2 hours to pick my car up - there where only 3 people ahead of me
First time in 20+ years of hiring cars that I have had a £200 deposit for fuel!
On returning the car I was told there were no issues, and 5 working days later I get an email informing me there was damaged and the money has been deducted from my deposit - the email managed to sound like they were doing me a favour.
Honestly pay a bit extra and go with a bigger, more professional company

The actual rental went well and I was ready to leave a good review, however, after returning the vehicle in pristine condition they refused to cancel the €1,650 hold on my card and told me I had to wait for it to expire. They tried to blame the card issuer for this taking so long (about 3 weeks!) when in reality they could have simply cancelled it on their card terminal and the funds would have been released immediately. (a hold can be released immediately by the merchant and is not the same as a refund, which takes longer). I explained all this to them and even sent them a link to their payment processor's instructions on how to do it, but they simply refused. Bizarre way to treat a customer and obviously I wasn't happy to have some much money held for so long for no reason.

Unacceptable experience with Carwiz Malta. I booked a car through Booking.com but decided to upgrade and purchase the extra CDW+ insurance directly at the Carwiz counter for full peace of mind. Upon returning the vehicle, they arbitrarily charged me the outrageous amount of €415 for a minor, superficial scratch, completely ignoring the premium insurance I had paid for. Booking.com refuses to assist since the CDW+ was bought directly from the counter.

Furthermore, it feels like a deliberate setup to scam tourists: they provide modern, highly-equipped cars (with features like automatic high-beam headlights) but purposefully order them WITHOUT basic parking sensors, making it extremely easy to scratch the car. Not to mension that the bumper allready had a scratch I am immediately filing an official complaint with the European Consumer Centre (ECC) and initiating a bank chargeback procedure. Beware of their unfair practices

Very disappointing experience. (Malta Airport)

At the rental desk, I repeatedly declined the additional SCDW coverage because I already had insurance arranged through Booking.com. However, the agent kept insisting and repeatedly assured me that the full amount charged would be returned after the vehicle was returned without issues.

Based on those repeated verbal assurances, I proceeded with the payment, only to later discover that €300 had actually been charged as a non-refundable product.

The issue is not the existence of the contract itself, but the way the product was verbally presented during pick-up. At no point was it clearly explained to me that this amount would not be refunded. If it had been explained transparently, I would never have accepted it.

After contacting customer service multiple times, they simply continued referring back to the signed agreement while completely ignoring the misleading information provided at the counter.

Very poor transparency and extremely disappointing customer experience. I would strongly advise future customers to be extremely careful with additional products and charges offered during pick-up, and to request written confirmation of everything before paying.

THE WORST HIRE CAR COMPANY I HAVE EVER USED AND I'VE USED A LOT. THE LIST OF ISSUES IS ENDLESS. THEY DON'T TAKE AMEX AND CHARGE 25EURO PER DAY TO USE A DEBIT CARD, ONLY USE ELECTRONIC PAPERWORK SO U NEED DATA ON ARRIVAL, MINIMAL STAFF SO QUES VERY LONG, CAR PROVIDED COULD NOT BE MORE BASIC, THEY PICK UP ON EVERY POSSIBLE SCRATCH AND CHARGED ME FOR PETROL WHEN THE CAR WAS FILLED AT LOCAL GARAGE. NO OFFICE AT AIRPORT TO DEAL WITH ISSUES. NEVER AGAIN AND RYANAIR SHOULD NOT SUPPORT THEM.

I had a very stressful experience with Carwiz Rent a Car in Malta.
From the start, there was noticeable pressure at the counter to purchase their €280 full insurance, which I declined. I was also charged €15 for cleaning upfront, which already felt unusual.
Shortly after pickup (around 35 km), the car developed a clutch-related issue and became stuck in reverse, making it undrivable. I reported it immediately with video evidence. Despite this, I was required to pay €100 for towing and €650 at the airport desk to receive a replacement vehicle.
This is where serious concerns began. I was told the €650 was provisional and that a technical inspection report would follow within 24 hours to determine fault. That report was never provided, despite multiple follow-ups. Later, I received written confirmation stating no mechanical or aesthetic issues were found, which directly contradicts the charge.
During this process, the interaction felt rushed and uncomfortable — at one point, we were asked to step aside from the main desk to discuss and complete payments, where assurances were made but not honoured later. The communication style, including subtle pressure and lack of transparency, made the situation difficult to challenge in the moment.
In hindsight, the €280 for insurance alone would have easily covered transport using apps like Bolt, which are very affordable in Malta and often use newer, more comfortable cars.
Overall, the main issue was not just the fault itself, but how it was handled — lack of clear evidence, inconsistent explanations, and pressure at the point of service.

Rented a car via Carwiz in Malta through Lastminute.com.

At the desk I was required to pay €132 in additional insurance and a €550 deposit by debit card. I was clearly told that approximately 85% of this deposit would be refunded within 15 working days.

That period has now passed, and I have still not received the refund, nor any proof that it has been processed.

Currently still waiting for my money. I will update this review once the refund has been completed.

update: after 3 months and a lot of email (different emailadresses) I finally got a refund.

We had a terrible experience with Carwiz and would never recommend them.

First, the car they initially gave us was unsafe; the clutch didn't work. Luckily we noticed immediately and they swapped it, but it was a bad start.

While we were parked, someone hit our car and cracked a rear headlight cover. We reported this upon return. Despite having their standard insurance with a €350 excess, they charged us €1,250 for the repair and kept our entire €550 deposit. They claimed the insurance only covers bodywork and that everything else is charged via an internal 'damage matrix.'

They refused to provide an itemized breakdown, claiming it was an 'in-house repair.' We found the genuine part online for only £220. Their refusal to explain the costs or how the insurance works in a real accident feels like a total scam. Avoid this company if you want to avoid hidden fees and predatory pricing.

We booked the car through Experian, the price was good and I took out the extra insurance.

Got to the counter to pick up the car and thats where the scam starts. Even if you have taken out extra insurance they will want you to pay extra for damage waver etc. There was another couple in the office complaining they were nit getting their deposit back because of some damage to the car, which i gather was pre existing. They give you 3 options €2000 deposit for no cover, down to their Gold service for €200 but it will cost you €80 a day... far more than the car hire cost... other companies like Hertz, SiXt etc already include this fee.

The car was nice but it was covered in scratches and dents and with it being dark many couldn't be seen.

Returning the car they tried telling me that I caused a puncture on the car and pointed to a screw embedded into the tyre - probably €10 repair, but they sent me a picture of a tyre with damage on the inner wall and charged me €270 for a new tyre. The photo they sent did not provide any proof whatsoever the damage on the inner wall was done by me... I think they have a supply of damaged tyres in their store and they claim any damage was done during your rental.

I put a clean signature on my form when I returned the vehicle but they still charged me for a new tyre.

So my advice is to stay well clear of this company, looking at their reviews in other locations it sounds like these practices are common across their network...

Avoid the scammers. If you already bought with them and you are reading this review, chances are you are likely scammed, return the car or make sure they give you a immaculate running car. My car rent was form 31st Aug to 4th Sept 2025, from 2am.

I rented a supposed Fiat500 from Carwiz through Expedia.com, Carwiz gave me Peugeot 108, on the contract it says Hyundai i10. The indian guy who did the contract with me told me to take pictures of the car.
When I checked the car it had so many damages and dents, as it says in the contract (no big deal), but there were some damages that were hidden, these damages were repainted.

When I tried to move the car, I couldn't even move it. I went back to the office and it was already closed! I had no choice but to try and drive the car, which I managed to do. Whilst driving the car, the engine would rev loudly and I wasn't sure it was normal. On the 3rd of Sept, the car broke down, clutch burned. I called their Road and Emergency number multiple times, and no one from Carwiz didn't pick up the phone.

I contacted Expedia, and the guy couldn't help me. I had to tow the car with my money, and we had to push the car into the original parking bay, I was drenched in sweat.
By the time I got the car back to the airport parking bay, the time was nearly 4am! I spoke to the staff who managed to be working at the time, I explained the situation and she was giving me stupid excuse and telling me to contact the office number in the morning, just to brush me off.

I took a photo of her for review purposes, and the woman blocked the exit, telling me she will not allow me to leave until I delete the photo, can you believe the false imprisonment!?

We had to take taxi back to the airport! I went to the rental office at 8am to talk to the guy who checks the car. He was telling me the loud engine was normal. How can a 1litre engine car sound like a truck be normal??? He said it was clutch burned and wanted me to sign the Check-in sheet which I refused as it wasn't my fault.

I complained to the office, and the woman was telling me why didn't I bring the car back the next day. After few weeks back in UK, they charged me £810 for new clutch!!!
I am still trying to use the insurance to pay for this damage.

And the worst thing is, this scam money wants you to take out their cover insurance for the car, but mechanical damage such as clutch burnt is not covered! Which means you get ripped off double. The car was supposed to have been serviced April 2025 but it was not done as I drove the car in Aug-Sept. When I checked the engine bay, the car was already involved in previous accident.

I complained to them via email, the representative Giovanni Fenech said they "gave" the car to me in a "working" condition. He apologised for my bad experience, and he had the audacity to say I was not allowed to tow the vehicle with 3rd party as they issue their own towing truck. How was I supposed to use their company whereas they couldn't pick up their Emergency number!

I drive a 1.8litre engine car, I drove a 2007 1.8 with 100k mileage to Germany from UK in 4 days span. No clutch no problem. But I drive a 2021 1litre with just 50k mileage, and they are blaming me for clutch damage. Ridiculous.

It is a shameful thing that Expedia are partnered with this scam company, and in Expedia website shows Carwiz as 60% positive review, the review is all negative on Google. Their Malta branch cannot even be found online for review.