Kimo’s Rent-A-Car

Don’t do it! Yes, it is tempting because it is cheap. I usually like to support mom and pop businesses and have had good luck in other areas with mom and pops. However, the day before picking up our reserved vehicle, they cancelled the reservation saying they had several cars that needed repair. They have no backup plan for you… just a feeble aloha via email. You travel a full day to get there and bam. You get hit by a brick… no car, no options… The only way that I could recommend that you consider these guys, is to have another reservation with a major that you can fall back on. Several Kimo cars were seen around the island, and nothing they offer in cars says «you’ll enjoy renting from us», but the low cost. Don’t be tempted! You’ll need Kimo-​therapy.

I’ve rented from Kimos three or four times in the past, and will rent from Kimos on our upoming trip to Maui in May. Why? I like the price, like the convenience, and like to support a local company. I don’t drive a new car at home, and don’t feel like I need to drive a new car on vacation. I really like the convenience of getting off the plane, walking over to the car in the paring lot, entering a code, getting the key, and driving off. It is just as easy on the return. I have neer had a mechanical problem, or any other sort of problem with any of the cars. I have met Kimo, seemed like a hard-​working guy. I go back and forth to the beach daily, and carry my windsurfing gear on the roof rack. The Kimos cars are perfect for what I am looking for.

As you can see from other reviews a few lucky people did all right with this company — key words? A few.
Made our reservation in advance for a car. On arrival we had a voice mail to tell us that they switched us to a pick-​up truck. Well, 13 years old and 153,000 miles on a small island. The key is in a lock box. You call to get the code. We did and there was no code. Finally got somebody on the phone and the right code. The truck was old, filthy, torn upholstery and, like others report, infested with bugs.
Called the next morning for something better. Were told this WAS the something better. Nothing available at any other car rental so we were stuck with it.
Although never off the pavement the first flat was in the hotel parking lot. Called the company. «Your problem.» Changed the tire and went on. Power steering fluid began to run out as fast as poured in.
Second flat on a Sunday. Finally got somebody at the company. They called Kimo and he did come out and fix the flat. Told us to take it in the next morning and «We will fix the flat for free and repair the steering.»
Went in on Monday. Kimo is, of course, not there. Staff response? «We don’t fix flats.» They poured in some fluid that leaked out in about two blocks and refused to fix anything. They also asked me to replace this second tire. Had there been any life left in it this might have been reasonable. Anticipating more problems with this company I made detailed photos of this nearly bald tire. No reputable tire dealer would repair this relic and I refused to buy a new tire to replace one that had lived a long life but is now finished. Fixing a flat is reasonable. Asking the customer to buy new tires to replace ones that are worn out is not.
While dealing with the owner as he fixed the second flat we asked to keep the car until the late evening and return it at the airport. We had an 11:30 pm flight. He agreed.
The day we departed one of his people called at 10 in the morning wanting the truck returned immediately. I told him about the conversation with the owner. An hour later he called again. The owner «did not understand what we asked or remember agreeing to anything.» Said they needed the truck NOW. Apparently they had already rented it to another person with no spare and broken power steering. They wanted me to deliver it to their ‘office’. I filled it with gas and left it at the airport. They would not answer the phone when I called to tell them so I left a voice mail. Never heard from them again.
In summary:
1. Didn’t get what we reserved.
2. Replacement was old, dirty, needing repairs
3. They expect you to replace anything that dies of old age.
4. Unhelpful for the most part.
5. Owner and staff apparently do not speak the same language.

I reserved an older car little did I know this cat had 7 lives used already. I used one more and I wish the best for next the person who gets this one. When I seen the car it was a bit of a shock with significant dents and holes on every part of the car. I photographed it so I wouldn’t get blamed for it. The pickup was smooth with lockbox attached to the back of car.
When we picked up car there was $ 13 charge to pickup car from airport parking lot (the car had been parked for 5+ hrs) I assumed this would be reimbursed and when I asked about it later the response was. Well it’s better than waiting in line at Enterprise.
I noticed right away the front end was shot. the front end would shake anytime a bump was hit. The transmission would sometimes give a big jerk when it failed to go into gear. Well I got used the charm of my «older car» not the safest car but it had seatbelts, locking doors, and AC.
This was a 5 week rental and on the week 4 we decided to show some friends Hana. We took just the paved portion of the Hana road as we didn’t trust the car on the dirt road. After a pleasant drive to Hana about 2pm we got a double sidewall flat. As we found out this is not the place to need auto services. We met several nice people who we hitched rides with and called a dozen or so resources to get the second flat fixed (including Kimos no help), no luck. Kimos forgot a jack crank for the car luckily a person that stopped to help us had one. I learned how to plug a tire and we spent the night in Hana and limped home the next day.
We drove straight to Kimos and they referred us to their tire company nearby to replace two tires, $ 250 later we had the tires fixed and carefully limped this car around until we left. When I was waiting I took a picture of the place «see attached» a guy comes out and says do you have a problem with my shop why you taking pictures of it? Very threatening I said no problem everything is good.
The $ 400 we saved in 5 weeks certainly didn’t make up for the unsafe, poorly maintained car, and extra tire expense. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere for a car and enjoy your trip. Or go cheap and take your chances.

We were very pleased with our rental car. Love that you can pick it up right at the airport parking. No lines to wait in, just get in and go. Very convenient drop off too. Didn’t require a car wash either so that was nice. We just showed up at Kimo’s to drop off, they drove us to the airport and let us off right in front of the airlines. They even helped to unload the luggage! Car had great air conditioning which is important. A little worn and a few dents, but we didn’t need anything shiny and new, just reliable and affordable. Used them for the month of December and we are using again in March! Thanks Kimo’s.

Our OLD Toyota Corolla got great gas mileage! No worries about leaving a mark on it either… fit right in with the locals. Who wants to look pretentious and get dirty looks as if you are a rich tourist? I would recommend kimo’s rental cars. There was a clerical error that led to a call from the fraud dept. At my credit card company. Kimo’s took care of things with no problem. The only con to this establishment is its difficult to speak to a human after hours and those hours are limited… we had diffuculty understanding the recording that told us where our car was parked after we git off the airplane… otherwise great service! We will rent from here again :-D

Do not rent a car form this place. The cars at barely road worthy at best ours had a bad power steering pump, a front wheel bearing grinding and a rear tire that needed air every two days. Kimo the man in charge cannot be spoken to except via email and the boy in charge cannot make a decision without kimo’s ok. Kimo, hides behind his email presumably because he screws people over and doesn’t want to deal with them. We booked a car months in advance and when we got it he charged our visa double what we agreed to. When we discovered the charge we emailed kimo and took the car back We were treated poorly by his staff. When we left we discovered that we had left out binoculars in the glove box. We immediately emailed kimo to tell him we would pick them up
In the morning. We we got back we were told they had rented the car out already but neglected to clean it. The told us to come back in an hour and the would have them. When we got back they handed us a cheap dollar store set of binoculars (ours worth $ 250) and we should have taken better care of our stuff. We went to Alamo and rented a brand new car for $ 37/​day. Kimo’s overcharge on our visa had us at$ 47/​day

Don’t do it!
Pros
*Easy on line reservation
*Cheaper
*Cars are in parking lot waiting for you.
Cons
*Not cheaper in long run because you will cancel and they will charge you. (Scam on there old cars making money in cancellation fees)
*Remember easy online well not so easy to get ahold of someone who is charging your account for something you didn’t get.
*Old dirty Van!!!
*Empty Gas
*Broken seats
*Missing/​broken glove box
*NO A/​C
*Smells like wet dog
We rented a supposedly newer Van this definitely was not it was like in its 90’s and we called and they said sorry we have nothing else for you luckily plan B was Alamo that is in the airport got on my phone booked on line because it cheaper that way we got a brand new Van for $ 60 more a week yay!!! This only messed us up about 2hrs of our vacation :(but I couldn’t imagine a week in beautiful Maui in that Van.
Protect your overall investment on your vacation don’t ruin it over $ 60 in a nasty, dirty Van not worth it!
By the way they charged my account and now I have to dispute with my bank. Luckily we took video a pictures before leaving that Van.

You get what you pay for and as far as I’m concerned we nailed it with Kimo’s. We didn’t need anything shiny and new, just something reliable and affordable. Plus I figured I would rather support some local business than some corporate rental company. Nothing against those guys I use them all the time but it just seemed appropiate to support a local business while we were in Maui.
The process was unbelievably smooth. No signing any forms, initialing anything and no waiting in any lines!!! Just get your bags, call for your code as your car will be waiting for you in the parking lot, get in and go. You don’t even go to the office. Then let the vacaction begin!
I did say you get what you pay for and sure the car wasn’t immaculate but I wasn’t expecting that. It had some funny quirks and minor issues, but our VW mini van was great from start to finish. Ran like a pearl and the a/​c was kicking and thank God for that because it was so unseasonably hot when we were there. That a/​c was a butt saver when there was no a/​c anywhere around!
Returning was a breeze as well, just drive it back to their lot and one of their employees will just hop on in and drive you to the airport. I will definetly use these guys again on our return trip to Maui. Great job Kimos!

Wow, very upset with everything, we made reservations months in advance for a «newer truck» and when we arrived at the airport to our surprise we were given an old mini van. It was stained all through out the inside, smelt gross and it was leaking fluids. I cannot believe they have any good reviews! Every single car in their row was a POS The worst customer service and horrible vehicles! ZERO STARS !

IF I COULD GIVE LESS THAN 1 STAR, I would give –10 STARS!!! I would definitely NEVER recommend Kimos for car rentals in Maui.
To start, in the middle of our vacation we were notified through email that our car was no longer available the day day before we left Oahu to Maui. Then after going back and forth through email we were told they found a minivan for us.
Upon arrival, we were given a filthy, banged up minivan. I seriously questioned how many times this car has been washed in the last year, if at all.
The worst part was, the car was infested with ROACHES!!! My kids freaked out the entire time we were in the car because they kept popping up out of the windows and doors. I’ve rented cars in Hawaii, Mexico, Caribbean and never had ROACHES in them. Now I have to make sure none of the ROACHES make it home with us.
I believe you get what you pay for, but this is unacceptable, no one pays for ROACHES! That’s just unsanitary!

My family and I used Kimo’s on a recent trip to Maui. We didn’t need anything flashy, but we wanted a full-​sized sedan to fit our family of 5 (3 adults, two kids in booster seats) that was reliable. Kimo’s definitely delivered! The rental and paperwork was all done on-​line and was a breeze, the car was waiting for us at the airport, the spacious trunk held all our luggage and Kimo’s even provided booster seats! Not one detail was missed.
Their customer service is fantastic. While our trip was still in the planning stages, I had to change both the type of vehicle we rented and our drop-​off/​pick-​up times and the changes were made with absolutely no fuss. They were friendly and gracious with every interaction.
When leaving Maui, we just left the car at the airport for them to pick-​up! It really couldn’t have been more simple. If you are planning a family vacation and want to rent a car with absolutely no fuss or headache, Kimo’s is your best bet!

Rented this SUV for my under-​25 year old son and saved a bundle. The cars was pretty beat-​up, but I didn’t care. It ran great all week and blended in well with local cars. PIck up at the airport was way easier than my Alamo car. Would definitely use again. Thanks, Kimo!

Renting process at Kimo’s was smooth as silk. Newer model KIA SUV
First off, picking the car up at the airport was EASY. With no lines, paperwork, or insurance forms to fill out, it’s like having your own vehicle sitting in the lot waiting for you.
It was extremely nice NOT having a gray Jeep or typical Mustang from the big box rental car
companies was priceless. Having a «local car» really made us feel like we lived on the islands
and were just enjoying our home. We dropped in on some very Hawaiian spots and never
more welcomed.
At one point we had a headlight bulb burn out on us. I called and left a message with Kimo’s
He called me right back and told me by the time we get there He’ll have a bulb waiting for
install. Once we arrived it was like 2 minutes before their mechanic was finished. It was
kinda shocking how fast they got it done and got us back on our way.
Price was fantastic and cheeper then even my best discount with my company resources.
Keep in mind this, the feeling was like borrowing your buddies car. You take car of it, and it’ll take care of you. I checked the oil when getting the car (cause I’m a car nut), It was perfectly
topped off. While driving all over the island the water temp gauge was rock steady and never gave me any indication there would be any issue. Good all the way to 10,023 feet to Haleakala.
Returning the car was hassle free. We even forgot to schedule our drop off and just showed
up. One of the main representitives simply jumped in the back and we were off to the airport.
All in all it was exactly what we wanted and worked out beautifully.
In another review I read this:
«My guess is that the previous posters are uptight touristy types who don’t travel much and stay at all inclusive type resorts and expect a top of the line car. If that’s you, go through the typical rental agencies because you won’t be happy. If you’re more chill, and just need a car to get around (which will probably get thrashed anyways with the sand, rain, and roads), I’d recommend Kimos.»
While I agree with some of the above, I cannot emphisize enough the benefit of having a
local car and the incognito that comes with that.
Lastly, I would like to remind you that supporting your local communities, and businesses
is vital and very impactful to the individuals making a living and feeding their families.
Anyways, rent the car and enjoy the Kimo’s Ohana spirit.

If you’re just wanting to get to point A to point B this is great option for you, really great deals. But cars aren’t new

Kimo’s was great! Easy payment over the computer and friendly shuttle service to the airport when we dropped off the truck! I’ll be back again very very soon! and plus you can’t beat the price!
Thanks!
Alannah & Allen

Thanks so much! Had a great truck and the service was outstanding! Best rental car in Maui for sure!
Thanks Kim and Paula

kimos was a great company to rent from… I was really nervous reading some of the reviews before we got to maui but every thing was fine. We got a good used Toyota highlander and it was just perfect. Had roof racks for the 2 surf boards and some scratches all over it so we didn’t have to worry about the whole damage to the rental car. we had the car for 10 days and put 1000 miles on it. .yes on an island that’s 35 miles across. …and had no troubles. The air conditioner didn’t work as well as we would have liked and we called them and they said OK bring it in and they would fix it or replace the car with a different one. .We opted to just keep it because it was so nice out and really didn’t want to miss out on anything we were doing. It hit pretty much every road on the island. From the road to hana and past. …Up to the volcano. …and countless trips to the beaches. .and I mean pretty much every Beach on the island lol. .No lie. .lol. .It was a little different dealing with kimos… We never met with anyone or signed a bunch of rental agreements in person just did it all on line and showed up at the airport and went to the spot where the car was supposed to be opened the lock box like they told us and drove away. .just be aware that You pay for the parking fees at the airport both times if you fly out on Sunday or after hours which was 10 dollars each time. .no big deal at all. we would highly recommend them and are booking my 22 year old daughter and her new husband’s rental thru them in June for their honeymoon.
Mark and Samantha

Positive vibes from a car rental company… Not to mention a great deal on a reliable car.
Online reservations were simple, and Kimo was available by phone to answer any questions. We rented a late model Ford Taurus that ran impeccably with good gas milage. We drove the entire perimeter of the island without issue. Pick up at the airport was convenient and when we returned the car, Chris was friendly and easy going dropping us off at the airport without delay. It was refreshing to support a local, down to earth rental car company.

At best, You get what you pay for. The usual local company I rent from was out of cars and we needed one with surf racks. We were referred to Kimo’s and I called to find out if they had card with surf racks. Instead of an answer, I was told to fill out the form on the Internet. I ordered the car from their Internet site, asked for racks, and agreed to an older car. That was the mistake.
From our usual on-​Island company, an older car may mean more Milage, a ding or two, and maybe crank windows. Old at Kimo’s means Maui Cruzer. The dash board was cracked and broken with sharp edges. The driver side mirror didn’t work (Saftey issue) it smelled terrible and the outside looked like it was a bumper car-​but it did have surf racks. Final kicker, the check engine light was on.
I called Kimo’s emergency line, which is a recording. I reported the check engine light and was told «not to worry, we checked it, it’s fine». They were concerned about the driver side mirror. I would have given them only 1 star, but they did refund me 10% for the safety mirror, however, they quickly reminded me I ordered an older car, and that he was kind enough to give me a larger car.
They do airport drop off pick-​up. So much so, they wouldn’t stay open when I was 5 minutes away so I could turn in the car and they would drive me to the airport. Instead, I parked the car, and had to leave 10 $ for parking. So, not a 10% discount after all. I will be going back to my usual local agent.