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Counterwise

TFS · Report · November 2026

Tenerife South Airport car hire report

Key numbers for the 16 car rental desks we rate at Tenerife South Airport (TFS), computed from our published data.

Data updated · reviewed by our editor on · Methodology

Desks rated
16
4,200 reviews analysed
Average score
4.4/10
median 3.8
Median starting deposit
€100
9 of 16 deposits known
No credit card needed
38%
6 of 16 desks, 2 not confirmed

Key findings

  • Counterwise rates 16 car rental desks at Tenerife South Airport (TFS): 1 Great (8 or more out of 10), 2 Mixed (6 to 7.9) and 13 Poor (below 6). The average Counterwise Score is 4.4/10.
  • The best-rated desk at Tenerife South Airport is AutoReisen (8.3/10); the lowest-rated is Hertz (2.4/10).
  • Where the deposit is known (9 of 16 desks), the typical starting deposit at Tenerife South Airport is €100 (median), from €0 at AutoReisen up to €1,100 at Record Go.
  • 6 of 16 desks at Tenerife South Airport (38%) do not require a credit card (debit cards accepted); the card rule is not confirmed yet for 2 desks.
  • 9 desks at Tenerife South Airport are in the terminal (average score 4.8) and 7 are off-site, reached by shuttle (average 4.0).
  • The most common traveller complaints at Tenerife South Airport are long queues or waits (15 of 16 desks), pressure to buy insurance or extras (14 of 16 desks) and damage charges after return (13 of 16 desks).

Score distribution

How the 16 desks split across our score bands.

Best and worst desks

Lowest rated

  1. 16. HertzLong waits to collect the car are reported very often, typically 40 minutes to over 2 hours, with only one or two agents on the shared counter and no priority lane for loyalty members.2.4 · Poor
  2. 15. BudgetDozens of reviews over the past 12 months describe sustained pressure to buy the desk's own cover despite broker or prepaid insurance, with warnings of roughly 1,700-2,500 euros per scratch and extra charges of about 100-320 euros.2.5 · Poor
  3. 14. ThriftyMany reviews, including roughly 9 from the last 12 months, report charges for scratches or damage that customers say were already on the car or were trivial. Several also report deposits not refunded or unexplained post-rental charges, and some customers avoided charges only by showing their own photos or video.2.9 · Poor

Deposits and card rules

Deposits

Lowest starting deposit
€0 (AutoReisen)
Highest amount
€1,100 (Record Go)
Median starting deposit
€100
Deposit known
9 of 16 desks

Not confirmed yet for 7 desks: left out of these figures.

All deposits, lowest first →

Credit card or debit card

No credit card needed (debit accepted)
6 of 16 · 38%
Credit card required
8 of 16 · 50%
Not confirmed yet
2 of 16 · 13%

Debit cards accepted at: AutoReisen, TopCar, Sixt, Record Go, Avis, Hertz.

Desks without a credit card →

In the terminal or by shuttle

In the terminal
9
avg score 4.8
Short walk
0
none
Shuttle
7
avg score 4.0

Desks reached without a shuttle average 4.8/10; shuttle desks average 4.0/10.

In-terminal vs shuttle, compared →

Most common traveller complaints

Number of desks whose published red flags mention each problem. A desk counts once per theme; one red flag can touch several themes.

  1. Long queues or waits15 of 16 · 94%

    Long waits at the desk, for the keys or for the shuttle. Desks: AutoReisen, Cicar, GoByCar, TopCar, Sixt, Click&Rent, Record Go, Avis, Goldcar, Europcar, Turisprime, OK Mobility, Thrifty, Budget, Hertz.

  2. Pressure to buy insurance or extras14 of 16 · 88%

    Hard selling of the desk’s own cover, upgrades or extras, or cover added without clear consent. Desks: Cicar, GoByCar, TopCar, Sixt, Click&Rent, Record Go, Avis, Goldcar, Europcar, Turisprime, OK Mobility, Thrifty, Budget, Hertz.

  3. Damage charges after return13 of 16 · 81%

    Charges for scratches, chips or dents that travellers say were already there or tiny. Desks: Cicar, GoByCar, TopCar, Sixt, Record Go, Avis, Goldcar, Europcar, Turisprime, OK Mobility, Thrifty, Budget, Hertz.

  4. Fuel charges or fuel policy12 of 16 · 75%

    Refuelling fees despite a full tank, part-empty tanks at pickup, or a different fuel policy at the desk. Desks: AutoReisen, Cicar, GoByCar, TopCar, Sixt, Click&Rent, Record Go, Avis, Goldcar, Turisprime, OK Mobility, Budget.

  5. Deposit or refund held back10 of 16 · 63%

    Deposits, holds or refunds released late, only in part, or not at all. Desks: Cicar, GoByCar, TopCar, Sixt, Click&Rent, Record Go, Goldcar, Turisprime, OK Mobility, Thrifty.

  6. Booking not honoured or price changed10 of 16 · 63%

    Booked car not available, a smaller or different car, a higher price at the desk, or fees not clear at booking. Desks: Cicar, TopCar, Sixt, Click&Rent, Avis, Goldcar, Europcar, Turisprime, OK Mobility, Budget.

  7. Car refused over card, licence or flight rules7 of 16 · 44%

    Pickups refused or made conditional because of card type, licence or permit, or a missing flight ticket or boarding pass. Desks: GoByCar, Click&Rent, Goldcar, Europcar, OK Mobility, Budget, Hertz.

  8. Other fees after the rental7 of 16 · 44%

    Cleaning, admin, traffic-fine handling or late-return fees charged after the car was returned. Desks: Sixt, Click&Rent, Avis, Goldcar, Turisprime, Thrifty, Budget.

  9. Car condition problems7 of 16 · 44%

    Dirty cars, warning lights, worn tyres or breakdowns. Desks: AutoReisen, Cicar, GoByCar, TopCar, Record Go, Goldcar, Europcar.

  10. Hard-to-reach customer service6 of 16 · 38%

    Phone lines, emails or complaints unanswered for weeks after the rental. Desks: Cicar, Click&Rent, Record Go, Avis, Goldcar, Turisprime.

  11. Desk, shuttle stop or return hard to find4 of 16 · 25%

    Poor signs or directions to the desk, the shuttle pickup point or the car return area. Desks: GoByCar, Click&Rent, Avis, Budget.

  12. Closed desk or late-arrival problems2 of 16 · 13%

    Desk closed for late arrivals, bookings cancelled after a flight delay, or out-of-hours fees. Desks: Turisprime, OK Mobility.

  13. Rude or unhelpful staff2 of 16 · 13%

    Curt, dismissive or aggressive staff at the desk, at return or on the shuttle. Desks: AutoReisen, Hertz.

The data behind this report

  • 4,200 traveller reviews analysed across 16 desks.
  • 4,380 recent reviews read; 180 (4%) excluded by our cleaning step as unreliable (mostly solicited staff praise: 121; about another location: 34; duplicates: 15). How reviews are cleaned
  • Data collected on 13 November 2026; scores last updated 13 November 2026.
  • Summaries and red flags reviewed by our editor on 13 November 2026.
  • Complaint themes are counted with a fixed keyword list applied to each desk’s published red flags (no AI), so the same data always gives the same counts.
  • Unknown facts (“Not confirmed yet”) are left out of averages, medians and ranges, never guessed. Full methodology

How to cite this report

You are welcome to quote these figures. Please name Counterwise and link to this page. The numbers update with each data refresh, so mention the date.

Suggested citation

Counterwise (2026). Tenerife South Airport car hire report, November 2026. Counterwise. https://counterwise.eu/airports/tfs/report (data updated 13 November 2026).

Permalink

https://counterwise.eu/airports/tfs/report

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