What Fuel Does Your Rental Vehicle Use? Mistakes To Avoid

FEATURED COLUMNIST

What Fuel Does Your Rental Vehicle Use? Mistakes To Avoid

By Christopher Elliott

Please don’t do what Richard Rubin did to his rental car.

When he picked up his midsize sedan from Enterprise in Granada, Spain, an agent showed him the fuel tank cover was spring-operated and said the car took gasoline. But when Rubin found that the vehicle wasn’t big enough to fit three passengers in the back seat as described on Enterprise’s website, he asked for a minivan.

“The agent tapped on the fuel tank cover again to show me how to open it and told me it used gasoline,” says Rubin, an editor from New York City.

Something must have gotten lost in translation. When he filled the tank with gasoline a few days later, the engine sputtered to a stop. It turned out the minivan only took diesel. Enterprise towed the van to a nearby mechanic for repairs. Rubin and his group paid 90 euros for a taxi ride to Granada.

The next day, while touring Granada’s historic Alhambra palace complex, Enterprise called Rubin with bad news: He needed to pay 1,500 euros for repairs, because misfueling a car constitutes negligence and is not covered by the company’s damage insurance. The company later reduced his bill to 844 euros, including 100 euros for an “administrative fee” and 115 euros for a “loss of use” fee. Rubin says he has no recollection of any warnings to only use diesel in the vehicle.

Misfueling one of the most common mistakes travelers make, particularly when traveling abroad. Yet a gas mix-up is entirely avoidable. Vehicles often have warnings next to the tank that say “diesel fuel only,” although they may not be in English, and the fuel nozzles at some service stations will prevent you from using the wrong gas. But never take someone’s word for it.

I asked Enterprise about Rubin’s case. A representative promised to review his bill, but added that his experience offered a valuable lesson for other customers.

“Take the time to know the vehicle you are renting,” spokeswoman Lisa Martini told me. “Learn how to operate essential functions, like where the seat levers are located and how to operate the infotainment system.”

And, of course, what type of fuel the car requires.

If you’ve misfueled your car, there’s a way to reduce your costs. Ernesto Suarez, managing director of U.K. travel insurance company Halo Insurance Services, says you can call a local garage to tow your rental car to the nearest service center. In Europe, draining and cleaning the engine cost about $300 and can take an entire day.

“It’s always good practice to contact the rental car company to let them know what you are up to,” Suarez adds.

Of course, misfueling isn’t the only common car rental mistake. They also include failing to take pictures of your car before and after your rental term, failing to plan for an extra driver and failing to understand the economics of rental cars.

“Always take pictures of all sides of the cars and inside the car to document any damage before pickup and after drop-off,” says Michael Stalf, managing director of Myonecar, a German car rental company.

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