Avis Car Rental

Stranded in -40°C: Gross Negligence and Zero Support from Avis Alaska. I am writing this while currently stranded in Fairbanks because of the utter incompetence and lack of basic safety standards from Avis Anchorage and Avis Fairbanks. The Situation: We picked up our rental in Anchorage on Dec 24th. We explicitly informed the staff we were driving to Fairbanks. Despite knowing the extreme winter conditions, Avis provided a vehicle without an engine block heater. After the 6-hour drive on 26th dec, I called Avis again to check how can I plug in the engine block heater and if the car even has it, but Avis failed to even confirm that. The car naturally froze and refused to start in the -40°C temperatures. The Service Failure: Since Dec 27th, we have been stuck at our hotel, unable to get food

This has been the worst rental car experience I’ve ever had. AVIS gave us a car equipped with summer tires in the middle of Alaska winter. Multiple local people who stopped to help us all confirmed this. Because of these tires, our vehicle slid off the road and got stuck. When we called AVIS roadside assistance, we were denied help because the number on our key tag was 6 digits, but they insisted we “must provide an 8-digit number.” They refused to assist us in any other way, even though they themselves couldn’t find our reservation in their system. The “24-hour roadside assistance” told us to contact local customer service. We called repeatedly — no one answered, so we left voicemails with our names and details. We waited hours with zero response from AVIS. At the end, we had no choic

Serious Safety Concern & Equipment Failure I am writing to formally log a complaint regarding my recent rental experience starting on 12/29. While I understand that Alaskan winters are extreme, the combination of substandard equipment and the unprofessional response from the Fairbanks counter left us stranded and paying extra out of pocket. Initial Concerns Ignored: At pickup on 12/29, I noted that the vehicle (which had Anchorage plates) had "square tires" and a concerning engine sound. The staff dismissed these concerns, stating the car had simply "sat in the cold" and would be fine once driven. Equipment Failure & Inadequate Winterization: The vehicle functioned until we reached Delta Junction on 12/31, where it completely failed to start. Our Airbnb hosts (local residents) inspected

The lady who helped us was very professional and explained everything concisely and thoroughly, which was really appreciated. We rented a compact SUV during winter. The vehicle was clean and had an engine block heater, heated seats, all season tires (M+S), and a sunroof (came in handy for aurora viewing). Scraper and extension cord in the backseat. Studded tires were available for a daily upcharge, something like $30-35, on a limited basis. Pre and post inspection process requires a smartphone and standing outside but it was easy. Travel on unpaved roads and highways is prohibited.

The best part of Avis Fairbanks is Nicole, she was super helpful and went the extra mile making sure we got the car that fits our specific needs! The first van didn’t start due to super cold temperatures. She braved the cold with us to give it a try herself and when it didn’t work, she called around to find us another van.