Turo is a carsharing service that represents a quality alternative to the rising price of traditional rental car companies.
With Turo, you can rent a car for your next weekend getaway from someone listing their personal vehicle.
If you’re ready to rent a car from Turo, but unsure about how many miles you can drive during your trip, you’ll learn everything you need to know in this article.
What Are Turo Mileage Limits?
Turo sets mileage limits to make sure a renter doesn’t drive too far after taking control of a vehicle.
You’ll receive a certain number of miles you can drive per day as you go about seeing the sights in a new city or driving down the coast on a weekend trip.
Does Turo Have Mileage Limits?
Although the car owner you’re renting from can set their mileage limits, Turo typically places a maximum of 200 miles per day on their vehicles in order to ensure that you’re using the car for the intended purpose.
If you exceed this limit, the platform charges you a fee per mile over the limit.
These work very similar to Zipcar mileage limits, and are fairly standard for the industry.
On the other hand, some car owners decide to list their cars without mileage limits.
If you think you need that option, look for vehicles offering unlimited trip miles.
How Far Can I Go in a Turo Vehicle?
When you rent from someone on the Turo platform, they’ll provide an exact mileage limit for their car.
However, you can also contact your host about Turo mileage limits before booking to ask them how far they allow renters to drive.
Can Hosts Set Turo Mileage Limits on Listings?
Many Turo hosts select the default limit of 200 miles per day for their vehicle listed on the Turo platform, but they can also customize that number when they list the car.
Keep in mind that Turo mandates the 200-mile minimum per day distance for the majority of cars its hosts list for car rental.
Typically, you’ll see lower mileage limits when Turo allows owners of cars such as Super Deluxe Class or Deluxe Class cars to do so.
Turo uses a special badge on each listing to denote the fact that a host is offering unlimited mileage.
If you think that a 200 mile distance limit per day won’t work for you, simply avoid any listing without the unlimited badge.
Read More: Everything you need to know about being a Turo Commerical Host
Turo Mileage Overages
If you exceed the Turo mileage limits set by your host, prepare to pay an overage fee for each mile you drive after hitting the daily maximum.
The number of miles you’ve driven will affect how much total money it costs you to rent out a car from Turo.
For example, if you go 201 miles in a day when the limit is 200, you might get charged for an extra mile at $0.50 per mile.
In this case, if you happen to drive 301 miles by accident in one day when the limit is 200, Turo will charge you an additional $50.50 for those extra 101 miles ($0.50 x 101 = $50.50).
How do Overages Work on Turo Mileage Limits?
Turo calculates additional distance fees by dividing your trip price by the trip distance.
Using the example from above where you got charged $0.50 for each additional mile, this might happen if you’re taking a 3-day trip using a vehicle priced at $100 per day.
If your car included a 200-mile per day limit, Turo calculates your overage fee by dividing your $300 trip price (3 days x $100 per day) by the total allowed distance of 600 miles (3 days x 200 miles per day).
Dividing $300 by 600 miles gives us the $0.50 figure.
How Much Do Mileage Overages Cost?
Any overage you may need to pay will vary depending on the exact daily mileage limits set by your host and the amount you’re paying per day.
Use the above formula to calculate your precise overage charges.
Keep these limits and fees in mind when planning out your trip with a car from Turo so that you aren’t surprised by any unexpected costs.
It can turn to hundreds of dollars in additional fees if you’re not careful.
While $0.50 per additional mile doesn’t sound like much, imagine driving an additional 200 miles per day on a long trip with a Turo vehicle set to the 200 per day mileage limit.
If you’re on a four-day trip, you’ll end up paying an additional $400 that you didn’t budget originally.
Where Does Turo Display Additional Distance Fees?
You’ll see any additional distance fees displayed on the trip page before submitting your car rental request.
You’ll also receive an email from Turo after booking a trip on the app.
The email will include the trip’s total distance allowed.
A third place to view your available distance exists inside the app.
Open the Turo app, click on the “Trips” tab, select “Booked”, and you’ll see all the details about any particular trip you want to view.
If you decide to rent a car with Turo mileage limits and go over the limit, Turo gives your host 72 hours to submit a reimbursement request for those additional miles driven on your trip.
Protect yourself by taking a picture of the odometer before you start the trip and when you drop it off.
You can use this as proof if your host happens to submit inaccurate information in their request for additional miles fees.
How Does Turo Track Mileage?
Turo uses GPS technology to calculate the miles you’ve driven.
When your trip starts, Turo will ask for permission to access your location data through your smartphone’s settings page.
Turo also allows hosts to use the following types of technology in the cars they rent to you.
- Dashboard cameras (dashcams)
- Lojack or disabling technology
- Telematics
- Cameras that see the vehicle’s exterior
If a host does include a dashcam and wants it turned on during your trip, they must disclose this to you.
A host can have their account suspended when violating this policy.
How Long Can You Keep a Turo Vehicle?
You can keep your Turo car for as long as the trip reservation allows.
For example, if you agreed on a 3-day car rental, you can keep the car for those three days before returning it to your host.
Extending the Reservation
You can extend the reservation if you decide to expand your travel plans.
You’ll do this by requesting the extension inside the app. Open the Turo app, tap on “Booked”, and select your trip.
Next, click on the “Details” tab, select “Modify trip”, and submit your request.
An extension is only valid if the host accepts the request on their end.
What Happens If You Keep a Turo Vehicle Too Long?
If you keep a Turo car for longer than the reservation, your host can decide to charge you additional usage fees.
The fee is in addition to any mileage overage fees.
Doing this can also void your car insurance protection plan.
Steer clear of this situation by returning the car on time and not going over your trip’s additional distance requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
You now know what you need to know about Turo mileage limits.
Let’s review two other commonly asked questions about renting a Turo car.
Can You Use Turo for a Road Trip?
Yes, you can use Turo to rent a car for your next road trip.
You’ll need to check with the host about their mileage limits and return it on time so you don’t get charged additional fees.
Can I Drive a Turo Vehicle Out of State?
Yes, you can drive a Turo car out of state.
If you’re booking a car in Canada or the United States, you can travel across the US/Canadian border.
However, driving into Mexico on a Turo trip is prohibited.
Wrapping Up
To avoid any surprises, keep track of any mileage limits that may apply when renting a car through Turo.
One easy way to avoid any additional trip fees due to mileage is to rent a vehicle offering unlimited mileage.
