Budget Car Rental Introduce
The Budget Car Rental location at 333 Adams Street in Downtown Brooklyn is situated in one of the most commercially and transit-rich areas of the borough. Positioned near major landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge and the courts, and easily accessible to residents of Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, and Fort Greene, this agency is strategically placed to serve the diverse needs of New Yorkers—from business travelers and local residents needing a weekend escape car to commercial clients requiring a passenger or cargo van. As a nationally recognized brand, Budget typically offers a wide selection of vehicles, from economical compact cars to larger SUVs and vans, backed by a global reservations system and loyalty programs like Fastbreak.
This location provides the expected convenience of a major corporate rental agency right in the heart of a major metropolitan hub. They cater to a broad clientele, offering practical services such as wheelchair accessibility and flexible modern payment methods. However, the operational reality of this specific downtown location, as reflected in numerous customer reviews, paints a picture of extreme service inconsistency. The core promise of a major brand—reliable vehicle quality and responsive support—appears to be significantly undermined by severe reports of logistical failures.
Repeated customer feedback highlights frustrating experiences that involve lengthy wait times—sometimes over an hour—even with a confirmed reservation, receiving cars that are dirty, improperly maintained (flat tires, low gas), and a complete failure of the customer care and roadside assistance systems. One review explicitly warns, "Do NOT rent from this store," detailing how a reservation resulted in a faulty vehicle, non-existent roadside assistance, and a complete dismissal by on-site staff when attempting to resolve an expensive out-of-pocket tire replacement. Another customer, claiming to rent "ca. 150+ days a year," labeled it the "worst" rental experience, citing hours-long lines and unhelpful, unprofessional staff.
The greatest strength of this Budget location is its prime address in Downtown Brooklyn, offering unmatched accessibility for New York residents.
- Address: 333 Adams St, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA. This places the agency adjacent to the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge, providing easy connections to major subway lines (like the A, C, F, R, 2, 3, 4, and 5 trains) and vehicular routes leading directly into Manhattan, Queens, and Long Island.
- Geographical Convenience: It is highly convenient for anyone living or working in the Downtown, Brooklyn Heights, and Boerum Hill areas, eliminating the need to travel to the airports for a rental.
- Hours of Operation: The location typically maintains long hours to accommodate city schedules, generally operating 7 days a week, from Sunday through Saturday, 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM. This expansive schedule is a major benefit for weekend travelers and late-day pickups.
- Accessibility Features: The premises offer essential features for all customers:
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
Budget Car Rental is a full-service agency, providing a wide array of options typical of a national brand's urban location.
- Car Rentals: A broad inventory including economy, compact, mid-size, full-size cars, SUVs, and luxury vehicles, suitable for any local or out-of-state trip.
- Van and Utility Rentals: The agency specializes in larger group and cargo transportation, offering:
- Minivan rentals (e.g., 7-seater Chrysler Pacifica or similar)
- Passenger van rentals (e.g., 12-passenger Ford Transit or similar)
- Cargo Van and Truck options (through the associated Budget Truck network)
- Fastbreak Program: Enrollment in Budget’s Fastbreak loyalty program is intended to allow renters to skip the line, grab keys, and go, although customer reviews strongly suggest this benefit is often not realized at this specific branch.
- Discounts and Offers: Provides value-added incentives for specific groups:
- Active military discounts
- Flexible Payments: The location accepts a variety of modern payment methods:
- Credit cards
- Debit cards (subject to specific rental policies and deposit requirements)
- NFC mobile payments (e.g., Apple Pay, Google Pay)
While the service execution is highly questionable, the advertised features remain a powerful draw for the corporate brand.
- Major Corporate Network: Provides the advantage of a global reservation system, professional fleet models, and the convenience of one-way rentals to other Budget locations nationwide.
- Comprehensive Vehicle Selection: The extensive fleet selection, especially the dedicated availability of 7-seater minivans and 12-seater passenger vans, is a significant plus for large families or group travel leaving New York City.
- Downtown Accessibility: Its central location is virtually unbeatable for Downtown Brooklyn residents and business visitors who prefer a neighborhood rental over an airport counter.
- Advertised Special Services: The formal inclusion of an Active Military Discount and physical accessibility features (wheelchair accessible entrance/parking) demonstrates an effort to cater to specific segments of the New York community.
Given the severe customer reports regarding lack of communication and response, it is crucial for renters to use all available contact methods for reservations and any issues that arise.
- Address: 333 Adams St, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
- Phone: (718) 237-3190
- Mobile Phone: +1 718-237-3190
- Customer Service (National): Customers facing unresolved local issues should escalate to the national customer care number, which is generally separate from the local branch.
For a New York user, choosing the Budget Car Rental at 333 Adams Street is worth considering only for the convenience of its location and the specific availability of their specialty vehicles, such as minivans or passenger vans, especially if you qualify for a significant promotional rate or the military discount. For an individual who lives or works within walking distance of Downtown Brooklyn and needs a vehicle immediately, the proximity is a major benefit over trekking to an airport or a remote neighborhood branch.
However, the overwhelming consensus from customer reviews—detailing excruciatingly long wait times (up to two hours), receiving dirty and unsafe vehicles (flat tire, no spare), and a complete lack of on-site customer assistance or follow-up from the corporate customer care lines—must serve as a serious warning. Multiple users advise, "DO NOT rent from this store." This location is consistently described as operationally dysfunctional, characterized by missing staff, unhelpful personnel who literally walk away from customers, and unauthorized charges (like the mysterious $80.49 towing fee for roadside assistance that never arrived).
The risk of a catastrophic rental failure—missing an important event, incurring significant, unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses (like a $275 tire replacement), and having disputes ignored—is exceptionally high here. Therefore, while the location and inventory are ideal, any prospective renter should only proceed with extreme caution, perhaps only as a last resort, and must factor in a significant buffer of time (up to 2-3 hours) for the pickup process. For a reliable, hassle-free experience in the New York area, customers should strongly consider alternative national brands or local agencies that have demonstrably better records for cleanliness, vehicle safety, and customer service responsiveness. Your sanity and time are valuable—the savings or convenience must be truly exceptional to justify the documented risk.
Budget Car Rental Details
Highlights
- Active military discounts
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
Payments
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- NFC mobile payments
- Credit cards
Budget Car Rental Photos










Budget Car Rental Location
Budget Car Rental
333 Adams St, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
Budget Car Rental Reviews
pick updeskfeereceiptsystemprepaid30 minutesparking garagecomputerqueue
★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1Edited 9/30 - Cherry on top is that I never received a response from this store, but now just received an ADDITIONAL bill of $80.49 for Roadside Assistance that never arrived, communicated, or was provided. The cost is for a "towing" fee that never happened. Do NOT rent from this store.This was the most frustrating rental experience of my life. I had a 9am reservation to pick up my rental and waited in line for over an hour. By the time I received the form to grab the car in the basement, I was given a rental car not within the class of vehicles I reserved. The car was wet from its quick wash and absolutely disgusting inside - crumbs, hair, the whole nine yards. The gas tank was practically empty and it was not properly inspected as within 30 minutes of driving, the front right tire had a low pressure notification. I drove towards a gas station to fill the air with tire, and within 5 minutes the tire was flat. There was no spare tire or tire kit in the rental to attempt to replace it myself.I attempted to call the location 3 times with no answer, and then reached out to Budget via live chat. I was directed to call Roadside Assistance, which was also automated and put in a request for roadside assistance. Roadside assistance did not provide an update for an hour and a half, in which they finally assigned a company that had an ETA 2 hours later. I then tried to contact this location AGAIN as I was heading to a wedding and was on a time crunch.At this point, I had waited multiple hours to receive assistance and had to call a provider on my own to get the tire replaced, as again, there was no spare tire in the vehicle.I spent $275 replacing the tire, and reached out to Customer Care with again, no response. When I returned the vehicle yesterday 9/15, the only individual working was the guard in the basement who was absolutely 0 help and told me he was collecting contracts as no one was working in the office. When I went upstairs to talk to someone in person regarding the tire issues and my out of pocket expenses, the employee literally looked at me, and then walked into the back office and closed the door. No one came back into the office over the next 45 minutes.I still have received no refunds, reimbursements, or communication from this location regarding the faulty vehicle and lack of customer care. Do NOT rent from here.
September 30 · Zoe JonesBelieve every bad reviews you see ... wish I had before wasting 2hrs on Sep 5 (and missing an important business meeting) waiting in a line ... one person working on & off, while stepping away to get cell service to call someone to complain about some other employee not pulling his weight. Then finally get a car that's all banged up, dirty throughout and gas not filled as they claim on rental contract. Unfriendly, dishonest, frustrating ... I rent ca. 150+ days a year and this is the worst ... there are definitely other underwhelming Budget locations around the US, but I can't see why they keep this one ... guess they ultimately just do not care. PS: No Fastbreak cars, line or deskAVOID at all cost and it will preserve your sanity (someone in line ended up getting an $80 Uber to La Guardia to pick up ap car instead :)
September 07 · Johann VanzylThey're really the worst. Believe all the negative reviews that you can read here.Overall I would try to avoid this branch. They're unhelpful, dishonest and will try to upsell you for no reason.I arrived an hour early to my pick up time and the guy (on the right on the picture) told me my category isn't ready yet and I need to come back at my pick up time. He never even checked with his colleagues downstairs what car is available, then proceeded to try to upsell me a higher category for USD40 more per day. I asked him if I could come back half an hour or 15min early and he said no, come back at the pick up time. I never had this issue with any other rental car company..I then waited in front of the budget agency and since it's within the parking garage, I could see that no car was being dropped off during the time I waited. My category must have been there all along.I then went back inside 20min before my pickup time as there was a new female colleague that had appeared for work so I decided to try my luck with her. As expected, no issue with being 20min early to my pick up time anymore and my car was also suddenly ready. She took her time but sorted it out and I then proceeded downstairs to pick up the car. Unfortunately the service wasn't getting any better.The guy at the parking was marking down the scratches on the paper, however failed to notice the biggest dent above the front left wheel I've ever had on a rental car (see picture). When I called him out on it he just said he didn't see it because it's so dark in the garage...Here's my advice for anyone who can't avoid this branch:1. Make sure you are on time for your pickup time or try to adjust it upfront with budget.2. Take a video of the whole outside of the car, as well as the interior, gas reading and miles. Have your insurance ready.3. If possible, avoid the guy on the right on the pictureWould I use them again? No
July 25 · ZWe had an appointment time of 10:30am and arrived slay 10 to ensure we were on time and ready. We waited in line for 1 hour and 50 minutes to get to the only woman working. We then waited another 20 in the lower parking garage to get our car. The signage was confusing pointing you in two different directions with no clear indication of who was retrieving cars. This is a mess and should be avoided at all cost!
July 14 · Delanie PruittBooked a pickup for a Dodge Ram at 12pm and didn't manage to pick up until 3.30PM due to long queues and one member of staff. In addition to this, they gave me a small Mazda which was a completely different car. When we politely asked them to honour the booking she simply shook her head. She didn't seem too interested which is understandable due to the amount of people waiting. When I asked to speak to a manager - she said I'd have to phone in to ask for compensation but the number doesn't seem to be attended to.
July 27 · Usman Ismail
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