Hertz and Sixt are using AI scanners that automatically flag rental car damage. Customers are getting hit with surprise bills for marks no human eye can catch.
If you have been on X this week, you may have already caught this post from @HustleBitch_ about rental car companies using AI-powered scanners to automatically detect vehicle damager that occurred during the rental period and bill customers without human intervention on the car. The reaction was predictable: outrage, horror stories in the replies, and a lot of people sharing experiences that sounded eerily familiar. The post struck a nerve because the problem is real, it is growing, and most renters have no idea it is already happening at airports they fly through regularly.
🚨 AIRPORT AI DAMAGE SCANNERS ARE AUTO-GENERATING $596 BILLS — AND TRAVELERS ARE FREAKING OUT
This man says Sixt ran his rental car through a new 360° AI arch at the airport.
Three scanner towers.
Thousands of high resolution images.
Instant pickup vs. drop off comparison.He… pic.twitter.com/I93eVWk67P
— HustleBitch (@HustleBitch_) February 21, 2026
What These Scanners Are and What They Are Supposed to Do
The technology is essentially a drive-through inspection tunnel equipped with high-resolution cameras and artificial intelligence. A car rolls through, the vehicle scanner captures thousands of images in seconds, and the AI analyzes them against a prior condition record to flag any new damage: scratches, chips, scuffs, and undercarriage dents that a rushed lot attendant would never catch.
The pitch to rental companies is compelling. UVeye, the Israeli firm powering Hertz’s system, describes the capability as identifying issues across every vehicle zone “instantly, accurately, and visually.” The stated goal is operational efficiency. The practical effect, as thousands have purportedly discovered, is a bill greeting them shortly after rental car return.
Which Companies Have These Systems
Two car rental companies have been verified to use AI system scanners at some US locations.
Hertz, which also operates Dollar and Thrifty, is partnered with UVeye and has been rolling the system out since April 2025. By the end of 2025, the company planned to have scanners installed at 100 of its roughly 1,600 US airport locations, with active deployments confirmed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Charlotte Douglas, Houston George Bush, Newark Liberty, Phoenix Sky Harbor, and Tampa International, among others. Hertz’ AI rental car damage scan is the most prolific so far in the United States.
Sixt is using ProovStation, a system that photographs vehicles at pickup and return and automatically compares the two image sets to flag changes. Confirmed US locations include Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, and Maui, with Orlando, Washington, and Nashville reported to be next. ProovStation’s own marketing has drawn criticism for describing the inspection process as a “gold mine of untapped opportunities.”
The Reliability Problem
The accuracy issues are where this gets genuinely concerning. A hands-on test by The Drive found that the systems are not nearly as reliable as the marketing suggests. During the review, the tester’s system missed two obvious paint chips on a front fender but flagged a reflection in the hood’s stamping as minor damage. Lighting conditions and camera angle have proven to be persistent variables that neither vendor has fully resolved. Sixt’s own system reportedly misidentified the same pre-existing scratches as new damage on return because the lighting at the drop-off lane differed from pickup. Key problems with digital vehicle inspections is that they rely on imaging that’s subject to common issues like reflection, the process is quick and unproven, and customer service is excluded from the process which could head off key issues.
The dispute process compounds the problem. Hertz is, as noted by Congressional investigators, the only major US rental company that bills customers without human review of AI findings first. Disputes go through a chatbot, one customer was offered a discount if he paid within a short window, which creates obvious pressure to pay rather than fight. Both the House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Senator Blumenthal have formally demanded answers from Hertz. Sixt, notably, says employees review all AI-flagged damage before any charge is issued rather than relying solely on the technology to detect and estimate damage costs due.
A Hertz spokesperson said the AI scanners were “bringing greater transparency, precision, and speed to the process” of assessing damage and pursuing remittance. This is probably true for Hertz, but maybe not for customers.
Customers Should Have the Right to Scan First
Part of this conversation is not getting enough attention. The same AI technology being deployed against customers is also available to them. Apps like Proofr allow renters to conduct their own AI-powered scan of a vehicle at pickup, creating time-stamped, encrypted before-and-after documentation that can be used to challenge unfair claims. Ravin AI, which trained its system on two billion vehicle images over a decade, also offers renters access to its scanning tool.
The logical extension of this is a policy question. If rental car companies are going to scan the vehicle on return, they should be required to offer the same scan on departure so there is an unambiguous baseline established by the same system, at the same resolution, under the same standards. The current setup in most locations is asymmetric. The AI scrutinizes the car when it comes back but not when it leaves, which means any pre-existing damage that was not caught or documented by a lot attendant at checkout can become the renter’s problem on return. A rock chip is just as likely from an external lot moving the car from storage or servicing to the rental line. If reviews are only done upon return, there is some time where the customer is not in possession of the car but may be found to return the car with damage that wasn’t found by the prior returning renter.
Until departure scans become standard practice, the practical advice is to do it yourself. Walk the car slowly before leaving the lot. Take dated video. Use an app if you have one. Assume the scanner sees things your eyes do not, because in some conditions it genuinely does.
While this is in no way a pitch for credit cards, the Sapphire Preferred can be had for $95/year (annual fee) and includes a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) which is primary coverage for the car. American Express offers the same coverage for a flat $25/rental; both of these options are cheaper than most car rental companies CDW for a rental period of four days per year. With any CDW, drivers never have to file with their own insurance, damages are covered and there’s minimal paperwork.
Conclusion
The broader trend is not going away. AI inspection technology is spreading into rental car return lanes quietly, incrementally, and by-in-large without renters knowing until a charge appears. The technology itself is not inherently unreasonable. What is unreasonable is deploying it without mandatory human review before billing, without offering a matched departure scan as a baseline, and without a dispute process that does not funnel every complaint through a chatbot. Congressional scrutiny has arrived but its efficacy remains to be seen. How the industry responds will determine whether this technology ends up serving customers or simply extracting from them.
What do you think?
Reminds me of speed cameras; if you can’t verify whether the device is calibrated, etc. then no ticket. We’ll have to fight, appeal, delay, and deny any attempts by these companies to scam us. It sucks.
From having people arrested for car theft, after they had returned the cars, to this. Why would anyone with even half a brain rent from Hertz?
Seriously Kyle?
PIT has it and you don’t even know?
It’s the least you could have contributed.
@Eskimo – Thanks for pointing this out.
Three notes on your assumption:
1) I spend half the year in Florida, in specific, this half of the year so I am not up on the latest at PIT.
2) If I was in PIT, I wouldn’t likely rent cars there very often because I live there.
3) By pure coincidence, I had to go back to PIT for a meeting, and I did rent a car, and I didn’t encounter this because I don’t rent with Hertz and I don’t believe the airport offers SIXT.
It is unreasonable. If a human cannot detect it, there is no real loss of value and there should be no charge. Plain and simple
Historically you do not need to record any visible damage smaller than a quarter. It sounds like AI is charging for damage the human eye misses. And Do they actually fix the scratch/chip or other minute damage or just keep the money?
While the tech is no doubt infuriating and developed to earn the rental companies more money, I would just like to point out that every single Hertz I’ve rented from with a scanner when you return the car has also had one when you picked it up (contrary to what the post states).
Stupidity on its face. Of course departure scans should be done. This isn’t rocket science.
I still can’t understand how Hertz is still in business. From arresting their customers to now charging for rock dings. I hope this does not become the standard, as fallible as AI is.
I’m certainly boycotting Hertz!
There is another issue – credit card insurance will NOT pay. Here is why – I personally had caused some light scratches on a car (my fault). I got a damage report and bill from Hertz which assessed the cost at $600. I submitted it to Chase (Reserve card) – their insurance denied the claim saying they need an ACTUAL repair bill. Now Hertz will of course not repair a few scratches, they will just mark the damage and keep renting the car. Perhaps at the very end, when they try to sell the car they will fix all the things in one shot. So the problem is that you will not get any claims paid. I ended up disputing it with Chase credit card saying “I refuse to pay because Hertz refuses to provide me with an actual repair bill”. Chase sided with me, but guess what’s next. Hertz banned me for life. Which is fine by the way. Now I mostly rent with Avis but I know the day will come when something similar will happen, and Avis also won’t provide a repair bill simply because they don’t fix minor things. And then I have the choice – pay out of pocket or be banned by the next large company. If anyone has a solution, I am curious to hear it.