SIXT Portugal Reviews 

WARNING! I strongly advise against renting a car from this rental company.

The car we received already had existing damage. However, when we returned the vehicle, additional damage was suddenly identified afterwards, and we were held responsible for it.

What I find particularly concerning is that we were charged for an alleged dent that, in my opinion, is not even visible in the photographs provided. On top of that, the amounts charged for the alleged damage are extremely high.

Despite asking several questions and requesting evidence of the vehicle’s condition before our rental period, the damage claim was still upheld.

My experience with this company has therefore been extremely negative. I have the strong impression that costs are being passed on to customers for damage that may already have been present, or for which there is insufficient evidence to establish that it actually occurred during the customer’s rental period.

My advice: take extensive photos and videos of every part of the vehicle both when collecting and returning it. Also, carefully check the existing-damage report before driving away.

Got charged £54 for fuel despite the tank being full when I dropped the car and for tolls that I didn't use...
Additionally, they tried to sell me a premium insurance at the desk when I already got one. They sent me emails in German...
I don't recommend.

The pickup was slightly confusing and stressy as the process which goes by numbers was pretty unclear and only in Portuguese. During the rental process among three other things I was advised to use a tool for the automatic paytoll. I was told if I wouldn't use it, the fee for it would not be charged. I should have known better, but chose to do it. Of course, even though we did not use it, in the end it was deducted from the credit card. I sent two emails to complain, but no response.
It is nothing new that the car rental companies try to sell you everything they can possibly think of, but I felt it was not adequate for a renowned German company to fall into this line. I will try to avoid Sixt in the future.

Be aware that Sixt at Porto airport, do not check your car on pick up or drop off, drive your car before they do check it and then send you a bill for alleged damages.
That is Sixt policy apparently, leaves you wide open to be scammed just like I was. Never again, cancelled my future booking and I do not recommend. READ THE REVIEWS.
AS FOR YOUR REPLY....

AND NO YOUR DAMAGE TEAM ARE NOT PLEASED TO HELP, THEY IGNORE YOU LIE TO YOU AND SCAM YOU OUT OF MONEY. HORRIBLE PEOPLE TO DEAL WITH.

Very disappointing experience with SIXT Portugal at Lisbon Airport.

After returning the vehicle, SIXT informed me that they intended to charge €512.63 for damage that was already present when the car was handed to me. Fortunately, I had taken photographs and videos during collection which clearly show the marks already on the vehicle.

Their own documents are also inconsistent. The return report describes the damage as a scratch longer than 10 cm reaching the primer, while the repair bill describes the same damage as between 5 and 10 cm and requiring paint.

Despite having evidence, I have had to prepare a detailed documentary report simply to defend myself against a charge for damage I did not cause. The matter remains under review, so I will update this review once SIXT provides its final decision.

My advice is to photograph and record every part of the vehicle before leaving the collection point. Do not rely solely on the condition report supplied by SIXT.

A premium rental company should verify the facts properly before accusing a customer and threatening to charge their card. This experience has completely undermined my trust in SIXT.

I am very disappointed with the way SIXT Portugal has handled my rental and subsequent damage claim.

When booking the car, I specifically requested protection with no excess and paid an additional amount for Premium Protection. SIXT then sent me a written confirmation explicitly stating:

“Premium Protection – No Excess.”

I therefore reasonably understood that the protection I had specifically requested had been provided.

However, the rental agreement subsequently contained different information, referring to a maximum amount chargeable for damage of €950. In my view, providing a customer with an explicit written confirmation of “No Excess” while the contractual documentation contains materially different conditions is contradictory and misleading.

After the rental, SIXT claimed €582.23 for a scratch to the vehicle. I formally disputed the charge, pointing out the “No Excess” confirmation and asking SIXT to explain which specific contractual provision or exclusion justified charging me despite the protection I had purchased.

SIXT acknowledged receipt of my complaint and assigned a case number. I also expressly asked them not to charge my credit card while the dispute was being reviewed.

Nevertheless, without providing me with any substantive response to my complaint, SIXT issued an invoice and charged €582.23 to my credit card.

This is the aspect I find particularly unacceptable: I raised a documented and legitimate dispute before the charge was made, SIXT confirmed that they had received it, yet they proceeded with the charge without first addressing the substance of my complaint.

I have now formally requested an immediate refund and will pursue the available consumer and card-dispute procedures if the matter is not resolved.

My experience has therefore been extremely disappointing. When a customer specifically requests “No Excess” protection and SIXT itself confirms in writing that the purchased protection is “No Excess,” the customer should be able to rely on that written confirmation.

UPDATE: SIXT’s response unfortunately illustrates the problem I have experienced so far. Customer Service refers me to Damage Support, while Damage Support has now referred me back to Customer Service. I have already provided the requested evidence confirming “Premium Protection – No Excess”. I am simply asking SIXT for a substantive response instead of being repeatedly redirected between departments.

Extremely horrific experience with SIXT car rental at Fargo Airport in Portugal.

I booked and paid for a car rental through Booking.com with SIXT at Fargo Airport in Portugal paying approximately €300 for a Volkswagen Taigo for 14 nights with full insurance coverage.

The booking was made in my name, but my son was intended to be the sole driver. Unfortunately, due to an issue during the booking process, I was listed as the main driver rather than my son.

When we arrived at SIXT, we explained the situation and asked whether the main driver could be amended to my son. We share the same surname, and I had the booking confirmation. We also had our passports and my son’s driving licence as proof. However, SIXT refused to transfer the booking because I did not have my driving licence with me.

What was particularly frustrating was that, despite the circumstances, SIXT refused to provide any refund or offer a reasonable solution. Instead, we were told that we would need to make an entirely new booking and it was too late to cancel the original booking a get a refund.
The price quoted by SIXT for the same car and rental requirements was approximately €1,400; nearly five times what we had originally paid.

This was especially unreasonable given that AVIS was offering a comparable rental for around €400 at the same time.

We appreciate that rental companies have policies and requirements, but the lack of flexibility, customer service, and willingness to find a reasonable solution was extremely disappointing. We ultimately felt that we were being forced to pay an excessive amount simply because of an issue with the name of the main driver on the original booking which could have been easily changed.

I do have to say Booking.com were extremely helpful and due to these exceptional circumstances have refunded a proportion of the booking.

I would strongly recommend not using this company.

Very disappointing experience with Sixt. At pickup, the original payment for our reserved car was declined due to a technical issue with the payment terminal (confirmed by our bank's transaction records). Because of this, we were left with no choice but to sign a more expensive rental contract on the spot - if we hadn't, we would have lost the car we had already reserved and paid for.

When I contacted customer service afterwards and explained the situation, providing bank statements as proof that the issue was on their end, they refused to acknowledge it. Their staff insisted there were "no reported technical issues" that day and repeatedly pointed to the signed contract as if it reflected a free choice, ignoring the circumstances under which it was signed. After several exchanges, they only offered a partial refund of €40 instead of €400, despite the clear evidence I provided.

Being pressured into signing a more expensive contract at the counter, then having your complaint dismissed even with documented proof, is not the kind of service I'd expect. I would think carefully before renting with Sixt again.

We had a great experience with Arnaldo. Thank you so much!

Avoid avoid avoid. Do not use. Please read reviews if you decide to proceed. Hired a car prepaid with Expedia from Faro airport. Throughout the exchange no extras were mentioned or things that weren't included. I was asked to sign an iPad and produce a credit card for the deposit which I did. The car was returned with no issues but upon returning home a charge of £330.73 was on my card. Through back and forth communication I discovered it was for things that weren't included in the Expedia price. To reiterate nothing was mentioned at all. Apparently because I signed the iPad they 'assumed' I agreed to all the extras, I can't even tell you what they are now and because I entered my credit card again it is 'assumed' I agreed to the charge. It is only now they have told me the break down of what actually went off my card, again this wasn't mentioned at the time. Very underhand and sneaky practises. The person who I was dealing with was more interested in recommending beaches to me. Please look elsewhere

To add after the response from Sixt below I have already brought it to your attention and your reply is that the case is closed as you are well aware.

Luis and Pedro at Faro airport were very helpful and the whole experience to pick the car up was smooth.

Thought it was brilliant at first

Was in the office 5 minutes told me I’d got a free upgrade ideal! Drove away with no problems and got an email confirming I had booked no add ons.

In an attachment in a following email I was charged €180 for additional insurance among other things even after a email confirming there were no add ons.

Additional insurance was not discussed at the kiosk but apparently I have signed for it. No responses to emails without a lot of chasing - avoid at all costs

Appalling service at Lisbon airport. Pre booked and pre paid via Holiday Extras, we went through all the usual attempts to upsell and upgrade to then be told we needed a second credit card in main drivers name. Holiday Extras paperwork said only one card needed. Told it was because it was a high end car and they couldn’t downgrade us. Now having to chase holiday extras and had to pay double with Europcar at the airport. They were patient and understanding with much better service. Will never use SIXT again, nor Holiday Extras.

If I could put Zero I would.

This is my second review here of sixt at Faro Airport.

After my first review of the organisation trying to charge over a thousand euro for damages they reviewed my videos of the car prior to collection, and my videos of the cars faults (it fell apart during the trip 😂) they subsequently cancelled all charges.

Given the faulty condition of the vehicle and their subsequent admission of this, and cancellation of all damage charges they have stopped responding. They never gave me access to the complaints book and now are not responding to me.

I am requesting a refund of the rental given the car was not up to physical standards and they have admitted that.

Sixt, please reply to me, be an adult, let’s talk…

If anyone from sixt reply’s to my review tells me to email customer service, I have. A lot of times. With no answer.

Trustpilot

Very disappointing experience with SIXT Lisbon Airport – fuel charge despite proof

I had a very disappointing experience with SIXT at Lisbon Airport.

During the rental, we noticed that the car’s fuel gauge and remaining range were clearly not working correctly. We tried to refuel the car, but the pump stopped accepting fuel, so we understood that the tank was already full. We also contacted SIXT on August 14 to report the issue and were told to return the car to an agency.

However, by the time we contacted the agencies, they were already closed. August 15 was a public holiday and August 16 was Sunday, so we decided to return the car directly at Lisbon Airport on Monday, August 17.

When we returned the car, we explained the problem to the SIXT employee who received it. We also showed the receipts proving that we had refuelled at the airport. The employee inspected the car and told us that there was no apparent problem with the actual fuel level and that the issue with the fuel gauge would be reported internally.

Despite all of this, SIXT subsequently charged us €74 for fuel plus €24.39 for a refuelling service, a total of €98.39, as if we had returned the car empty.

This is particularly frustrating because we did everything we could to resolve the issue: we contacted SIXT, tried to refuel the car, kept the fuel receipts, explained the problem at return and showed the receipts to the employee.

I have now contacted SIXT to dispute the charge and request a full refund.

Based on this experience, I would not recommend SIXT at Lisbon Airport. The issue itself could have been a simple vehicle fault, but the way the situation was handled afterwards is what I find unacceptable.

I rented a car in Madeira this summer. The car was in good condition and great to drive. Good service. Drop-off at the airport went smoothly. Thank you, Sixt.

Very bad. Firstly you are asked to sign the agreement to the condition of the vehicle without seeing the vehicle. Then you find your car in the airport car park which is dark. Then once you reach your destination in daylight you check around the car and notice excessive damage throughout the whole car bodywork. Which once look at the paperwork alot of the damage is there. However after returning the car which I was told just park up and leave the keys in the car.Now sixt are claiming a 10mm scratch on the car and £475 to fix. No other damage has been fixed and if I am the pay for something I haven't done then I need a full report and garage invoice. How can they just get away with these charges. Ooh look the same reply everyone gets below .Generic! Not an answer or help guys beware. £££££ Scammers.

We had an 11-day rental car reservation with Sixt Portugal for August 20, 2026—we on purpose chose Sixt and the higher premium rate to avoid problems with rental car reservation as you can expect from cheaper providers from time to time.

When we arrived at the Porto Boavista location, we noticed that the driver listed as the primary driver was unfortunately unable to present a credit card issued in his name. The secondary driver - who payed for the booking via a credit card - was not accepted despite a credit card, ID, and drivers license present. The solution to solving this simple mix-up between primary and secondary driver was paying a surcharge of €550 to waive the credit card deposit. This was more than the rental price itself, which we already payed in advance.

We did not accept to pay for a second car and, as a result, did not receive a car. We would have been willing to pay a €100–200 surcharge to change the primary driver, but the branch was unwilling to accommodate us.

Upon request, we were also not provided with written confirmation of the services (not) offered. Instead, we were informed that Sixt Portugal is a franchise and that Sixt’s usual quality standards apparently do not apply here.

Over €450 we had already paid have not yet been refunded. We strongly advise everyone against trusting Sixt.

We had the worst experience with Sixt. When we returned the Car in Sixt Albufeira, we were accused of stealing the tyre kit. We never used the tyre kit, nor opened that part of the car. When we received the car, it was never shown to us properly, we only received the car keys and the guy only talked about CarPlay. They never opened the back of the car, nor mentioned the kit. They emailed me saying they were going to charge me 341.94€ for the missing kit, which obviously was never in the car when it was given to us. I had to contact my lawyers who will now proceed with next steps. Sixt keep insisting that they do very detailed analysis of each car rental, which is clearly not true. Someone else must’ve stolen the kit and now they’re accusing us, when they did an unprofessional job at checking the previous car rental! I rented the car in Estefânia and dropped it back in Albufeira after a direct trip to Sixt Albufeira from Lisbon. They analysed the car for around 20 minutes following multiple steps and also accused me of a <5 cm scratch which I also didn’t do. I unfortunately hadn’t read past reviews, but I now I’m aware that lying and accusing clients of things they haven’t done is common practice to steal money from them. I’m truly disappointed and frustrated that I will now have to start legal action.

Rental car in bad condition. I filmed and took picture upon retrieval.
A wheelcap falls off while driving completely smoothly on a highway. They want to charge me 700€+ for a plastic cap. Customer service replies within two days, as long as they want my money. I tell them the cap was loose when they gave me the car. And they should have fixed that before renting it out, if they wanted it not to fall off. They do an 'internal review', decide They didn't register that flaw and therefore send a message to invoicing to take my money, without giving me a chance to either accept or prove my case. Money is reserved on my account within a few hours from that email. I have a life, so I reply to that email a couple hours after receiving it,close to their closing time, with all my proof.
I haven't heard from them in over a week despite several emails to remind them I exist, even though they got what they wanted: to rip me off for not doing their job correctly twice: did not repair the car sufficiently before renting it out, and did not register the damage in their files.
Maybe with this review I'll finally hear back.