Unfortunately, accidents happen even when you are renting a Turo vehicle that isn’t yours. Although most of my guests haven’t put a ding or scratch on my Turo car, which I know of at least, it has happened to a couple of guests so far. Turo has a process that they follow if there is ever any damage to a Turo car and then depending on what Turo insurance you chose will largely affect how much you will or won’t pay.
There are several outcomes if you damage a Turo car. After you call the Turo incident phone number, Turo will begin the investigation process. If the damage was caused by you and not a third party, you will pay a deductible depending on your selected protection plan. If the damage is caused by a third party that has insurance, Turo will reach out to their insurance first.
I always recommend selecting a high-protection plan that Turo offers. Depending on their protection plan, I have had guests that paid zero dollars while other guests paid hundreds due to damage. In fact, if you have the highest protection plan, you almost have nothing to worry about. Let’s go over the process from the moment you might damage a Turo car.
This Is How You Report Damage To A Turo Car
The first action you need to do if you are in an accident is to call the Turo incident information number. Turo hosts are required to have a copy in the glove box of the vehicle you are renting. If they do not have it, I have it for you (if you are in the United States):
You might think to call the host first after being in an accident when you should actually call Turo first. Once that is done, you can communicate with the Turo host about what happened. Turo’s hotline is 24/7 and will help you do everything needed to go through the claims process.
If you were not in an accident, but instead scratched the wheels, scraped the paint, or something similar, you can report a damage claim in the app. Filing a claim with Turo will ask you a few questions about the damage along with uploading some pictures.
You also have the option to not file a damage claim, and notify the host about the damage who will then file a claim once you’ve returned the vehicle. Once the claim is filed, the host may work with you to decide a price to fix the damage. Or, if neither side can decide, Turo can get involved.
Out of the two damage claims I have had, one of them reported the claim itself. Luckily, they had selected the best protection plan and it ended up costing them $0.
Pro tip: Keep all conversations in the Turo app so Turo support can look at them if needed.
Once a damage claim is filed, what does Turo do next?
Here’s How Turo Handles Damage Claims
Damage claims, according to the CEO of Turo, Andre Haddad, are one of the biggest expenses for the entire company. With that in mind, they will do everything they can to not pay for claims out of their own pocket. That’s exactly what they do.
Turo uses a third-party estimator to determine the cost of the damage. Once the estimate is determined, Turo begins to pursue insurance companies for coverage. Once a claim is deemed eligible by providing before and after pictures of the damage, Turo sends the photos to an appraisal company which will usually get back within 1-3 days with an estimate. If the damage is severe, it may require more time and involvement from Turo and their third party.
If the host is eligible for reimbursement, a damage deposit of $500 may be charged to the guest unless you have the premier plan. The Turo host may also bring the car to a mechanic to get additional estimates which Turo will honor the estimates.
For example, if you accidentally rub your Turo car against a curb and cause a curb rash, Turo will send pictures to their third party to get an estimate. Then, the host can take it to a shop to see the shop’s estimate. This is another reason why it’s important to get a good protection plan.
The Damage To the Turo Car Wasn’t My Fault
Unfortunately, damage to a car, whether it’s your fault or not, still needs to be paid for and repaired. If you are in an accident, Turo will reach out to the other party’s insurance company to claim as much as they can from them. If they aren’t any help, Turo can look at your own personal insurance to see if there is any coverage there. After that, Turo will then look at the protection plan you selected followed by the host’s protection plan.
It would be good practice to call your auto insurance company to see if they provide any coverage for rental car damage while using Turo. Most insurance companies, as far as I know, don’t provide coverage for rental cars.
A Damaged Turo Car With A Good Protection Plan Is Nothing To Worry About
Have you ever damaged your own car? Chances are you have because it happens often. Turo hosts experience damage and wrecks to their Turo cars often, especially those with large fleets. Turo cars are totaled and damaged all the time. The best action you can take as a renter is to get a good protection plan.
Even though getting in an accident in someone else’s car is awful, there’s not much to worry about if you have a good protection plan. Accident or not I think Turo is still worth it, especially if you are using the carsharing company to travel.
