Reviews for

Icerental 4x4 in Iceland

Hello Our stay in Iceland was greatly disrupted by an incident that took place on the second day. We were driving, when a thick cloud of water vapor began to come out of the car hood: We pulled over quickly and opened the hood, only to find the engine was boiling: the water pump belt was gone, only bits of it remained on the ground, the engine burning, smoking everywhere. I called the rescue service, who responded quickly and said they would send us a replacement car. It took 2 to 3 hours to wait. We then left to wait in a café, leaving the hood open to allow the engine to cool down, in order to avoid any more serious consequences for the head gasket. 3 hours later, the Icerental team met us at the cafe, showing us the damage done by the hood to the fenders of the car: during our absence, a gust of wind had unhooked the hood and opened it very hard, and it had damaged the corners of the right fender and the left fender. We are distributed in the replacement car, a Dacia Duster, after having signed the report of the damaged fenders. At the end of the stay, Icerental demanded from me the payment of 380000 Isk, for the damage suffered at the Vitarra, overestimated estimated price of the repair. There was no way to discuss with the person at the counter who had no decision-making power and we had to leave to catch our plane. So I paid this sum, knowing that I will have to contact Icerental again in a few days, when the actual invoice is established, so that they reimburse me for the overpayment. If I have a share of responsibility in this incident, the biggest part must be taken by Icerental which is at the origin of the problem: a water pump belt NEVER breaks if it is changed by respecting the maintenance book: on the Vitara it must be changed every 100,000 km, and, given the condition of the belt, it had probably never been changed. You should see the vehicle's maintenance book (but I doubt it still exists). To confirm this lack of maintenance, we can also base ourselves on the headlight lenses which are dulled by time and have not been replaced: we drove at night, which was dangerous because the lighting was very weak. In France, the compulsory Technical Control prohibits driving in this state and I suppose that in Iceland it is the same thing: this vehicle has therefore not passed the technical control. (see photo of the headlights of the car). To confirm this company's negligence, the replacement Duster's handbrake is totally ineffective, which is extremely dangerous when stopping the vehicle on a slope: we had to put a stone under the wheel to block it. (I filmed the vehicle moving forward while the handbrake is fully applied) That also cannot pass in a technical control. Also, for your own reputation, I ask you to act with Icerental so that they recognize their share of responsibility and bear part of the repair costs (and I am not talking to you about the damage I suffered by having had to pay a hotel where we could not go because of the 3 hour delay on our trip...) You are a young company, prove yourself worthy of commendation, and I will be grateful. I am waiting for your reply. Cordially Patrick Chapusot

The car we have rented for six people met our expectations. Low price for such a huge car. It is an old car but that gave us also a lot of fun.

We did not get picked up at the airport even after calling 4 times. When we arrived by taxi at Icerental we met another guy who did not get picked up on his way and he had to pay for a taxi himself too. The car itself was okay, but the check engine light was on, because of a missing sensor. So we did drive with the check engine light all on all the time. Not really what you want to see when you enter a rental car. Everything else was okay. The staff works pretty efficient when it's your turn.

The car did the job, it got us around all week with minimal issues. The service provided by Icerental 4x4 was great, simple and easy to understand with a friendly service, showing us which roads to avoid, reminding us to be observant for parking fees and telling us to take pictures of the vehicle before our rental and after, should any issues occur. The car itself was a good size, it kept us warm and dry with its heated seats and the 4 wheel drive system worked great, however - The body work (although not an issue to us) was poorly repaired with a large rust patch on the front left wheel arch covered over with some rough hand brush painting. A much bigger issue lied with the parking break - the parking brake simply did not work, it was pulled up to its maximum with no resistance from the cable until the last click where it would very slightly bite with no braking effort, the entire holiday we had to leave the car in gear to prevent it rolling into any obstacle that sat near it. Hill starts were particularly challenging, although we managed, this is a safety concern and other drivers may not feel as comfortable with these issues. The gearbox felt terrible \ poorly maintained, Shifting into 5th gear often came with a crunch indicating something has worn inside the gearbox itself. The car was also slow to start, the battery terminals looked very dirty so may need a clean or require a new battery. We understand that northbound does not provide the car but they list companies to hire from. perhaps this review can be forwarded to icerental 4x4 Northbound provided a good service at a very good price, however the unexpected 2500 pounds deposit was not a delightful shock to the start of our holiday, this is something that should be clearer on the website.

The customer service experience was excellent, from the airport pick-up, rental pick-up and return. Everyonm was nice the things were explained well. The car was a joy to drive and it worked for every thing we intended to do on this trip. I wound rent from this company again.

Despite renting a relatively recent model, the car had more than 235k km, and it was not in great shape - some warnings kept appearing and disappearing on the dashboard, and I was worried the license plate would fall off whenever I would close the trunk. The staff was incompetent and had scammy behavior all around. Upon return they made me acknowledge some damage that was already there during the pick up process, but I could not prove that I wasn't responsible. They then tried to have me signed a document acknowledging that I was responsible for the damages of the rental of another car with a different license plate than the one I rented. Thankfully I took northbound's insurance and was able to be reimbursed for the alleged damages. Due to their all around scammy behavior and incompetence - plus the poor state of the car they rent you, I would strongly recommend anyone renting with them to have an insurance.

Not at all. Old vehicle with many problems, non enough alerted in your site. However I appreciated that Icerental refunded me one day of rental

Communication was very quick, car was clean, and it was easy to make changes to our booking. I did originally book a car for F roads but the car we received wasn’t allowed on them, which ended up being fine since we didn’t end up going down any! We rented a car seat, which was clean and in good condition. I didn’t realize it was only forward facing when I booked it so we tried to switch it out but there weren’t any for her weight and rear facing available. Made us a little on edge driving with her forward facing for the first time but everything was fine and there was very little traffic where we explored! I’d definitely recommend Northbound and IceRental 4x4 to others traveling to Iceland.

Loved it, it was the perfect car, reliable and easy to use. The entire process from start to finish was easy and the people who work there are great.

Hello Ívar, Thanks for inquiring about my trip. First, we LOVED Iceland. It was absolutely fantastic. We enjoyed the raw nature, Reykjavik, the people, the food, the moss, the baths and so much more. The temperature though... there could be some improvements ;) Joke aside, for the rental, I will copy below the email I sent back to Icerental4x4 after their request for comments. You'll find the details explaining why I gave this score. By the way, as you will see below, I did NOT get a Tucson. I you want to discuss more about this, feel free to write me back. Taak! --- Copy of email sent --- (skipping greetings) Now, about the rental… It’s unfortunately a mixed bag. The good things: • The check-out process was fairly quick and easy. • The car color was nice. A joyful red, far better that something plain like gray. • The driving assistance equipment was fine (collision warning, GPS). • The car was reliable with no serious issues (see below). The bad things: • I did not get the car I ordered. I specifically requested a 2019+ Hyundai Tucson Diesel. On arrival, I was told it was not available anymore, the car being broken according to the representative. I was provided with a Suzuki Vitara 2018 Gas. Although the gas and diesel price is about the same in Iceland, the millage done with a diesel tank is significantly greater. Therefore, I estimated that I paid close to twice the money I should have because of the gas powered Vitara. This is not especially fun. • The Vitara was a terrible car. The interior looked and was cheap. At least it was clean. With 240 000 km on the counter, the car was very tired. The suspension was awfully rough. The transmission was also very tired, having a hard time deciding when to change gear. When climbing a hill, it was constantly doing 2 to 3 back and forth between gears before finally going to the lower one. Not especially comfortable. The doors were simply terrible. They were so light they felt hollow. Also, the system to retain them open was evidently not working and we were obligated to hold them all the time when accessing our stuff on the back seats. • Considering we took the car at the end of September (the 21st), I think winter tires should already have been mounted on the car. We faced snow and ice on the road when we were in the northern part (Akureyri and Mývatn). The tires were somewhat worn-out, not to a dangerous level but close to the level I change them in Canada. For the security of your customers, the car should have had its winter tires at mid-September. By the way, I saw other tourist cars from your competitors that were fitted with winter tires. • After about 2000 km, we received an oil change warning. I promptly checked the oil level and appearance to make sure. It was properly filled and the oil was not even black. Therefore, it was simply the reminder that was not reset properly. Unfortunately, I was stuck with this yellow warning like in the dashboard for the rest of our trip. • Three (3) times during the trip, I received an alert in the car about the radar system being deactivated temporarily. The first time was a bit scary as it appears like a major issue since the console indicator turns red. I finally understood it was not critical but, it remains not fun when you’re in remote areas in another country. • The roof tent maintenance left a lot to be desired. First, the pillows were so damp they were unusable. Furthermore, they did not look very clean. Then, the main mattress was also very humid (not damp though). I understand it’s very complicated for you since you keep the cars outside. Meanwhile, the roof tent would benefit from being opened upon check-in and left to dry for some time – or at least, minimally, the mattress. • The check-in process could be improved. Contrary to the check-out where customers usually have plenty of time, upon check-in, we are usually on tight schedules because of the planes strict departure times. Meanwhile, the process is not optimized for this and the staff processes requests based on the arrival order. Even though I planned some extra time, I still had to wait about 25 minutes for a 3 minutes check-in process. I suggest you reserve a specific line for check-ins. And since customers indicated you when they plan to return their car, it’s easy for you to plan and use the staff for check-outs when no check-ins are expected. Magnús, please take these comments constructively. I really enjoyed my trip. I just think the rental experience could have been a notch more pleasant.

Generally, the vehicle was ok. It was the perfect size snd easy to drive. However, the lights only worked on bright and then it was as bright as I would expect on for the regular setting. Also, the brakes squeaked terribly. I would not recommend this particular vehicle for a family. I did like the service though. The people we worked with were great and the gentleman that got us going on our adventure was very helpful. We added Wifi because of his advice and we were very thankful we did!!

It was great for the purpose.

The car was in excellent condition and carried us over 720Km as we toured the southern coast of Iceland, some spots quite Remote so the reliability of the vehicle was paramount. Apple car Play was a nice feature so we could use Waze and listen to our playlist during the ride. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the price was very competitive. Definitely would recommend with a 5-star rating.

The rental process was very smooth and the inclusion of a shuttle service to and from the rental office was very appreciated! The vehicle itself performed really well and we had very little issues with it. The issues we had were very minor such as the driver's side seat warmer not working and moldy rooftop tent interior. Otherwise we had a lovely time in iceland and it was made a lot better by the easy process of renting and returning the vehicle!

Après avoir passé 3 semaines sur les routes islandaise avec le jimny comme ami , il ne m'a pas lâché, il es peut être un peu "mou" dans les montée sinon super véhicule super expérience super compagnie super pays merci a vous et vous recommanderais sans hésitation

we had doubts about the reliability of the vehicle but they reassured us immediately by taking a tour and checking with us. the stay went well.

It was a great car! Thank you!

The car worked, but was lackluster. The electrical seemed strange, the passenger door was drafty, there were cigarette burns in the tent and they did not seem to document the damage well as they tried to pin a dent on me, luckily I had video to show that it was already there when I picked it up.

I loved it

Great value for the cost, car was in good condition, rental process went very smooth. The rooftent was a very good option for two people as well.

Car is really old, but all works fine.

It was a great car especially with the roof tent. Very clean and maintained as well so all in all a good experience.

The car was excellent. With only 28000km it was essentially in new condition. The car was clean when we picked it up. The staff were efficient and explained the additional insurance products well. The Subaru XV was perfect for our trip around beautiful Iceland. The only downside was a lack of a backup camera.

I liked it very much. I made a trip around the island driving almost 3,5 thousand km. Average speed 90 km/h (due to limits) with a consumption of 6,3 l/100km. All wheel drive system allows for safe crossing of off-road roads. One suggestion - in my opinion that car should get new suspension or at least some maintenance service of suspension.

I didn't get the 2011 Suzuki Grand Vitara because of leaking engine problem , remote problem and bad state of wheels. It was an old vehicle of almost 300000km. I didn't take the risk so i was forced to change the vehicle for a Subaru XV. With an unjustified additional cost of 60€.