AI damage scanners at rental returns: what happened in the US, and what it means for you

You drive through a gate lined with cameras, drop the keys and head to your flight. Minutes or hours later, an email arrives: a small dent was found, here is the bill, and there is a discount if you pay quickly. In 2025, this experience turned automated damage scanners into news, and led a US senator to ask a rental company for answers. Here is what was reported, and what it means for your next rental in Europe.

What the scanners do

Automated inspection systems photograph a car from many angles as it drives through a gate, and software compares the images with earlier scans to flag dents, scratches and other marks. US Senator Richard Blumenthal's office described the system Hertz used, from the company UVeye, as installed at at least six US airport locations, with plans to expand to 100. It noted that UVeye claims its system finds five times more damage than manual checks.

A system that sees more can be fairer, because it records the car's condition at pick-up as well as at return. It can also lead to claims for tiny marks that a person would have treated as normal wear.

What was reported

In June 2025, Sherwood News reported on customers who received charges soon after returning a car scanned by the system. One example was a claim of 440 dollars, made up of 250 dollars for the repair, 125 dollars in processing fees and 65 dollars in administrative fees. Customers described having to deal with a chatbot rather than a person to dispute the charge.

Senator Blumenthal's August 2025 press release mentioned another case: a charge of 195 dollars, of which 80 dollars was for the repair and 115 dollars for fees, with a discount to 130 dollars if paid within a day.

The senator's questions

On 27 August 2025, Blumenthal's office published a letter to Hertz's chief executive dated 26 August. It asked how the system works, how claims and fees are set, and how customers can dispute them, and gave the company 10 business days to respond. The letter asks questions; it does not establish that any individual claim was wrong.

Why the fees matter

In both reported cases, the fees were a large share of the total. When a claim includes fees, you can ask what each fee is for and where it appears in your contract. Our guide on what a damage claim should contain explains which details and fees you can ask about.

What this means for you in Europe

The rules for a scanner-based claim are the same as for any damage claim. Konsumentverket, the Swedish consumer agency, explains that the burden of proof rests with the rental company to show you were responsible for the damage, and that you should not pay for normal wear and tear such as small stone chips or polishable scratches.

1Ask for both scans

If a scanner found the damage at return, the same system may have scanned the car at pick-up. Ask for both sets of images, with dates and times. If the mark is visible at pick-up, the claim fails on that point.

2Ask what the amount is based on

Ask for the repair invoice or estimate, and a breakdown of each fee. Check the repair price with the amount check.

3Do not let a discount rush you

A discount for paying within a day does not change your right to ask for evidence. Write to the company first if you have doubts, and keep the discount offer in your file. Our sample letters help you ask for the evidence.

4Use your data rights

Scan images of the car you drove, linked to your booking, can be personal data. A GDPR access request is a formal way to ask for them. See a GDPR access request to a rental company.

The bigger picture

Automated inspection is likely to spread, because it is faster and creates a consistent record. Used well, it can protect customers too: a pick-up scan is proof that a mark was already there. The reported cases show where the questions lie: small marks that may be wear, fees that exceed the repair, and quick payment offers. Our full guide to checking a claim from an AI scanner walks through each step.