Simba Car Hire Reviews 

782
TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.4

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 630 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers frequently mention that the rental vehicles are exceptionally clean, very comfortable, and highly economical, making daily driving smooth and thoroughly enjoyable. Travelers also praise the extremely affordable rental rates compared to airport competitors and the friendly team members who provide consistently helpful service. Many consumers note that the dedicated shuttle bus transfer to and from the terminal is extremely convenient for their overall travel plans. Some people were dissatisfied with occasional operational delays, specifically noting slow check-in procedures or waiting longer than expected for the shuttle service.

What people talk about most

Service

Consumers find service to be positive, highlighting attentive staff and smooth operations from beginning to... See more

Staff

Reviewers highlight positive aspects of staff, frequently describing team members as welcoming, helpful, and... See more

Price

Customers consistently note positive experiences with price, often highlighting extremely competitive rates,... See more

Product

People report positive experiences with product, highlighting vehicles in great, near-new condition that are... See more

Quality

Users describe positive interactions with quality, noting that vehicles are generally in great condition,... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Car was good. Process to collect and return was ok. I did gave an issue re a toll charge, which I believe was never incurred. If found the staff very unhelpful in this case as they just wanted to fob... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The customer service when I arrived to pick up the car was just excellent. They helped me out to explain that purchasing insurance directly through them which wasnt that much, for my 2 week hire would... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We have used Simba a number of times now when visiting Adelaide, we cannot fault the service or staff. Excellent cars and no hassle, just great customer service from the team. We will use them again... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Customer service is well applied and clear information guided throughout. Car or vehicles issued clean and with allowing customers check the vehicle and take photos before drive off. Very well syste... See more


Company details

  1. Car Rental Agency
  2. Car Leasing Service

Written by the company

Simba Car Hire has rapidly grown to become one of Australia’s leading independent car rental providers, proudly serving thousands of customers each year. We are known for our strong commitment to customer satisfaction, operational excellence, and competitive pricing. With convenient locations in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns, Melbourne, and Perth, we cater to both domestic and international travellers, offering a seamless, reliable, and affordable rental experience. Whether you're traveling for business or leisure, Simba Car Hire is dedicated to making your journey easy, enjoyable, and stress-free.


Contact info

4.4

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

782 reviews

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Hasn’t replied to negative reviews

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4.4

All reviews

(782)

577 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 4 out of 5 stars

The hire vehicle was fit for purpose.

The hire vehicle was fit for purpose.
I found it comfortable to drive .
My only querie was I was to receive a email of vehicle status after collecting vehicle ? While there were only minor defects to some panels I was unable to check them against a vehicle defect map .
I was happy with the hire and would use Simba car hire again

May 5, 2026
Unprompted review
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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Good car and ready to go

Good car and ready to go. Picked up and dropped off to airport. Much cheaper than car hire companies at the airport. They send plenty of photos of cars condition before taking it. Would use again.

May 1, 2026
Unprompted review
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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

What made my experience 5 stars with Simba

What made my experience 5 stars with Simba Car Hire in Cairns was the outstanding customer service and how smoothly everything was handled from start to finish. I was pleasantly surprised with a complimentary upgrade to a premium vehicle on arrival, which made the trip even better.

There was a small issue on return with a crack in the windscreen, but thankfully I had taken photos and video at pickup that clearly showed the damage was already there. The team handled this professionally and acknowledged that their original photos weren’t clear, which I appreciated.

Overall, Simba does a great job with customer care, transparency, and making the process easy and stress-free. A really positive experience.

April 28, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Exceptional experience

The price was by far the best, condition of the car was immaculate and customer service was friendly and efficient. I will definitely be using Simba Car Rentals again.

April 28, 2026
Unprompted review
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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Super easy process

Super easy process
Car was clean and ran well
No hidden costs (except I felt the $500 bond was quite high compared to a lot of other companies)
Great service :)
Will use again in future!

April 23, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Scam !

AVOID. I’m a frequent international traveller and I’ve never experienced anything like this. Refund of the excess took one month, and only after I chased them.
Then a tiny bumper scratch (see photo) somehow became a 2,500 AUD “repair”, plus 600 AUD for 8 days of immobilisation. These immobilisation fees are only disclosed at pickup, when cancelling the contract would incur penalties. They provided no dated proof of repair, no transparency, and nothing that justifies such extreme charges for such a minor damage. The whole process feels completely disproportionate — almost a SCAM.
Customer service is poor, opaque, and consistently acting in bad faith. And judging by other negative reviews, this seems to be a recurring practice.
N.B.
Their response offers generic, insincere apologies that come across as hollow and unconvincing. It avoids addressing the actual issue and instead relies on vague, pre-written phrases about “improving procedures” and “reviewing the case.” The customer service appears ineffective and unhelpful—rigidly sticking to scripted replies while failing to provide any concrete evidence or meaningful resolution. Overall, the tone suggests bad faith rather than a genuine attempt to solve the problem.

January 15, 2026
Unprompted review
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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Read the fine print

Very dodgy insurance. If you damage the vehicle even a small mark, they take $5,500 and when they get around to getting a quote you may get some money back. It is up to them if and when.
You are not covered in some suburbs, at night if there is insufficient lighting???
We hired from this company several times before and they were good to deal with them. They are dodgy now.

April 2, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Scam - unauthorised $5500 charge

Scam - unauthorised $5500 charge
This company is a complete joke.
I hired a car with them for 6 months, what a mistake. The car itself was fine, however, the service was beyond shocking. Not only did they have the worst communication I’ve ever experienced with a company they were all completely incompetent and unhelpful.

You would of thought the amount I paid them would be enough throughout my long hire, however, to top it all off on they contacted me 5 weeks after return of the car and charged me for a dent that they had just decided to blame on me, with no proof. They also managed to charge this money without any quote at all and when asked a number of times couldn’t even provide a copy, even after having the car back for such a long period. They knew I had no way of arguing as all they gave us was a verbal ok on return, they don’t give out any paperwork so watch your back! I think this was a plan they had all along to get extra money and I would be suprised if they’ve charged other people for the same thing.

Do not use this company you will regret it.

March 23, 2026
Unprompted review
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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Waiting for an hour waiting to be…

Waiting for an hour waiting to be picked up at Brisbane Airport domestic. Sent 15 messages so far and I get a message telling me they will dispatch the shuttle in 3 to 5 minutes. A complete joke. Never will hire from this company again!!
Alpha, Eastcoast and all the other shuttles have come through 7 times since I have been here!!

March 18, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Unpleasant experience from start to finish

Disastrous from start to finish Waited an hour in their office before finally got to talk to someone (I think the manager) who turned out to rude, unhelpful and struggled with the English language. Wanted to drop the car off early so rang them about where to leave the keys, no answer, no message bank, finally drove round around to their depot, knocked on the door, no answer, finally saw someone who went to get the manager, turns out he was in there and knew I was at the door. Eventually he showed me a letterbox hidden behind vegetation to drop the keys.
Worst thing, they stole my bond over a scratch on the bottom of the mudguard.
NEVER AGAIN

March 1, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I hired a car from them in Sydney and…

I hired a car from them in Sydney and returned it with a small dent in the rear bumper. For this they tried to make me pay AU$6,480, saying I’d be refunded the difference between this and the cost of repairs. I refused to pay that huge amount but offered AU$500, which should have been more than enough to cover the damage, but they refused and then tried to take AU$6,480 of my account (and fortunately failed to do so). Use this car hire firm at your own risk.

March 15, 2026
Unprompted review

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