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Harper Car & Truck Rentals

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456 Kalanianaole Ave
Hilo, HI 96720

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(808) 969-1478
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Harper Car & Truck Rentals - Hilo, HI
Harper Car & Truck Rentals - Hilo, HI
Harper Car & Truck Rentals - Hilo, HI
Harper Car & Truck Rentals - Hilo, HI
Harper Car & Truck Rentals - Hilo, HI
Harper Car & Truck Rentals - Hilo, HI
Harper Car & Truck Rentals - Hilo, HI
Reviews
( 12 )
( 4 )
( 1 )
( 2 )
( 8 )

Best

Rented from Harpers in Hilo several times and have always had a pleasant experience. \r \r The Saddle Road is fine for driving now, but under no circumstances should you try to ...

Worst

Rented a 4wd ranger for 3 days, cost was over $400. At the time I believed it to be the only option for driving up the saddle road and the Mauna Kea access road, I later learned ...

Rented from Harpers several times. 4/4/2015

Rented from Harpers in Hilo several times and have always had a pleasant experience. \r \r The Saddle Road is fine for driving now, but under no circumstances should you try to drive to the summit of Mauna Kea without four wheel drive. Maybe there are other four wheel drive vehicle rental agencies on the island, but Harpers heavy duty trucks will get you up the mountain with ease. more
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NICE CAR!!! 7/28/2013

Loved the Toyota that we rented. It was a clean, new, and good looking vehicle. I was expecting a beater but they fooled me when they drove up the 2013 Toyota 4Runner. We were able to explore the whole island for the week that we were there. more
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Editorial review from Citysearch 7/28/2013

We rented a 4x4 Toyota 4Runner and loved the experience. We dealt with the nicest and most helpful people at Harpers. We were able to drive with their 4x4 to the top of Mauna Kea and visit the inside of the Subaru Telescope. WOW!!! It was worth it. We paid $120 for the rental. A lot cheaper than taking a tour which charges $200/person. Thanks Harpers for the great vehicle and friendly people! However, be prepared for to allow extra time for their inspection process. At the time of the rental, they note all the preexisting damages (dents and scratches) and also they take lots of pictures. You may want to return the car after they are closed since you can avoid waiting for their inspection again. We returned our rental after closing and we called in the morning to check on it and we passed! more
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Fabulous!!! 8/16/2012

We had a fabulous time in Hawaii. Harper Car and Truck Rentals was a huge reason that our trip was flawless. Their customer service was excellent. They picked us up from the airport and Stacey, the driver, gave us helpful hints on the sights to see. Willa, the rental agent, gave us a map and directions. She even gave us information on Mauna Kea. The lot guy, Jeff, inspected the 4x4 with us and marked down the preexisting damages on his clipboard. He was very thorough and he showed us the 4x4 operation. All the people were very friendly and helpful. I've never experienced this level of customer service at a car rental company before. With all their tips, we were able to enjoy the awesome sights of the Big Island and we strongly recommend that everyone rents from Harper Car and Truck Rentals at least once to experience what we did. more
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Don't bother, go with a cheaper rental 6/7/2012

Rented a 4wd ranger for 3 days, cost was over $400. At the time I believed it to be the only option for driving up the saddle road and the Mauna Kea access road, I later learned those roads are in very good condition and really do not require 4wd. Save your money and rent somewhere else.\r \r Harpers also does a "white glove" type inspection of the vehicle when it returns, I've never seen anything like it from a rental company, it's obnoxiously thorough. They spotted a small scratch on the rear bumper (normal parking lot door ding type damage, not through the primer) that hadn't been noticed and documented when we checked the vehicle out. They've submitted a damage report and I'm waiting to find out the outcome of that, sounds like a scam to me, hopefully I don?t have to take any legal action to get them to drop it. more
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Rented a 4wd ranger for 3 days, cost 6/7/2012

Rented a 4wd ranger for 3 days, cost was over $400. At the time I believed it to be the only option for driving up the saddle road and the Mauna Kea access road, I later learned those roads are in very good condition and really do not require 4wd. Save your money and rent somewhere else. Pros: null Cons: null more
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Great rental!!!!! 5/9/2012

It was great to rent from Harper. We were able to drive up to the summit of Mauna Kea and drive to the Green Sand Beach with their 4x4. We would recommend them to anyone. Their rate is a little higher but it's worth it. No other rental car company will allow their 4x4 to Mauna Kea, only Harper. Their inspections were very thorough and we were happy when we returned the 4x4 that it received a clean bill of health! The rental agent was very professional and helpful. She gave us a map with the highlighted routes of where we were traveling to. Harper is a local company but they operate like a major car rental company. Like their slogan, Harper is the only way to the top! more
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Worst car rental, deceitful! 4/11/2012

Dealing with Harpers was the only negative in our trip to Hawaii. After reading internet forums we booked an SUV from Harpers for one day to go to Green Sands Beach. We had read this was the only rental in Big Island to allow off road. At the time of the booking and on the rental agreement we received no indication that we could not go off roads. Upon picking up the car they informed us we would be liable up to $2500 in damages if we took the car off roads! Realizing that they would charge us for any little scratch or dent (including previous ones) we obviously decided not to go ahead with the rental and they kept our deposit of a full day's rental. This is the first rental company that we've dealt with that charges your card before the rental! even after discussing with Ron, the manager he would not refund the deposit. VERY UNPROFESSIONAL AND MISLEADING!! more
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Harper sucks 3/12/2012

Harper may be the only company renting car to go to Mauna Kea but they suck!\r \r First, it?s so expensive: 200 $/day\r \r Second, you don?t have any insurance for you or the passengers.\r \r Third, so within this 200 $/d you pay 40 $/d for a liability insurance? with a deductible of $ 2 500 !!! Ok, you may choose the cheaper one at 30 $/d but then the deductible is $ 5 000 ! LOL\r \r Forth, they make a car inspection that is crazy: around 20 pics of the car! Be careful and more than that during your trip, if anyone touches your car with its door on a parking lot, it?s on you my dear.\r \r Fifth, they closed a 5pm so if you have a flight at 5:30 or later, you?ll have to pay an extra $ 30 for this.\r \r Last but not least, don?t expect much from the 4WD? We had a Subaru forester with an automatic gearbox and WITHOUT a differential block. Do you see the utility to have such a thing? I don?t. And the engine was so bad that on the way to Mauna Kea telescopes, it is was either shutting more
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The BEST!!! 4/30/2011

My family and I were in Hilo during Christmas and rented a 4x4 from Harper Car and Truck for one week. We had an fantastic time during our vacation and it was in part with the 4x4 we rented. We were able to go up to the summit of Mauna Kea, to Waipio Valley, and the secluded beaches. We saw everything we wanted and more! These people were the best, giving us directions and helpful tips. We would rent from them again and we would recommend them to anyone! more
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GREAT EXPERIENCE!!! 2/10/2011

We had a stupendous time in Hawaii! We had a wonderful experience with Harper's and other businesses. Their staff was very professional, courteous, and very helpful and they exemplified the Aloha Spirit. Their 4x4 was very clean and pleasant to drive. We would highly recommend Harper Car and Truck Rentals to everyone. more
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WARNING 1/3/2011

Harpers charges customer for false damages. When we rented our truck they were telling someone who had just returned a van that there were dents on the roof that they might be billed for. The customer was incredulous - "we just went to see the Volcano and drove back" he said. We were just as incredulous when we were charged $800.00 for repairs to tires when we drove the truck less than 100 miles on paved roads. There is no recourse to these charges without damaging your credit rating. Go somewhere else. more
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Great rental and service!!! 5/12/2010

While on a cruise, we rented a car from Harper Car in Hilo. The service was excellent. When we disembarked from the ship, we met the Harper representative and their courtesy shuttle driver drove us to their office which was very close. The driver was very friendly and provided us with a map and explained the various sights we were looking to see. The rental agent was very friendly and professional. She was very thorough and went over the whole rental contract with us. They gave us a Mazda which was in great condition and it was the cleanest vehicle we've ever rented. With the provided map, we were able to enjoy all the sights we wanted to see. However, when we returned, we had two parties in front of us that didn't fill the gas and they were making a scene. The agent had to show them that the fuel gauge wasn't full. But they still were causing a ruckus. I assume they were embarrassed since they didn't fill up. Hello!!! Couldn't you read the fuel gauge??? Because of these more
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Great moving trucks 4/22/2010

After reading some of the reviews, I was very skeptical about renting from Harpers. However, I rented a moving truck from them since U-Haul was going to charge over $200 for one day and they only charged $99. The service was great and the staff was friendly. Their truck ran great and was easy to drive. The lift gate was a back saver! I was scared at their inspection but I had no problems returning it since I did not damage the vehicle. I could see the previous areas where prior renters had caused some damage. They noted all the damaged at check out so I would not be charged for it upon return. In all my experiences at various car rentals, I've never seen an inspection as thorough as Harpers. Their inspection was the scariest thing about renting from them. But if you don't have any new damages, you don't need to worry about it. I would recommend this company to others. They were cheaper than U-Haul, had better vehicles, and also were friendlier. more
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Warning! This company bills customers false damage charges 4/6/2010

BEWARE! If you want to risk an unexpected and very large unjust bill in the mail later, don't rent from these guys. They obviously are one of those rental companies that make most of their money from charging ridiculous and unjust damage charges. Just a 1 day rental and they managed to dream up a $400 damage charge and have basically told us they don't care if we didn't do it - that they are still sending us to collections if we don't pay. How unethical! Please pass the word along to anyone you may know considering these guys....hope to help others avoid the headache we now have from our bad consumer decision to do business with them (and sorry we didn't check the reviews first as I see a LOT of reviews with the same story about this company). more
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EXCELLENT! 9/22/2009

As a business owner, I become very skeptical of reviews. Reviews can be unjust. And in fairness to Harpers they are EXCELLENT! I just vacationed on the Big Island and rented a 4x4 from harpers. There service was exceptional. Yes, they did bring out these rolling mirrors and ran them under the Explorer I rented. They had me watch while they did this. I then signed agreeing to the existing damage, and then we were off for a wonderful 5 day stay on the Big Island. When I returned Harper?s ran the mirror again and wrote down all the dent and, scrapes. They did state that these types of damage happen when people go off roading and if not repaired it will void out the car warranty. I as business owner was impressed with their handling and professionalism. I would recommend harpers to anyone who goes on vacation to the Big Island. more
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Highly recommend 9/7/2009

I highly recommend Harper's. I must admit I was hesitant after reading some reviews but I went ahead and rented a 4x4. They were very thorough with their inspections and I understand why people were nervous. They have these mirrors on wheels to look at the undercarriage. The agents explained to me there were those that damaged the vehicle, not intentionally. When they were off-roading, they scraped and dented the undercarriage. When I returned my 4x4 rental, I was nervous when they were inspecting. But it was cleared since I didn't do any off-roading. I went up to the summit of Mauna Kea and it was the best experience I've had. I was on a summit tour and the tour in the telescopes were awesome! The stargazing was great as well! If you go to the Big Island, you must visit Mauna Kea! I would recommend Harper's to any one. If I was afraid of what others commented, I would have never experienced Mauna Kea. However, I've never seen inspections done like at Harper's. But with more
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The only way to go! 8/25/2009

The only way to go! I have rented many times from companies around the world and it was one of the best experiences ever. They exemplified the Aloha spirit with their customer service. The rental agent was the most professional person that I have ever rented from. She should be an example for everyone on customer service. The vehicle was the extremely clean compared to other vehicles I've rented. If you are ever on the Big Island of Hawaii, you will need to rent from Harpers! more
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BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! 7/26/2009

In Hilo, the people were friendly. At Harpers, the people were very friendly and helpful. When we disembarked off the cruise ship, there was an agent waiting and a courtesy shuttle to their office which was very close to the port. The driver gave us a map and directions to different sites. It was great since we didn't know what we wanted to do beforehand. The rental agent explained everything in a clear and concise manner. Our rental car was the cleanest car we have ever rented. I wish the major rentals can give us clean cars instead of dirty, roach infested ones. When we returned the car, the check-in was quick and we were back on the shuttle to the port. If you are on a cruise ship in Hilo, rent with Harpers. It was the best customer service we experienced with a car rental. You will not be disappointed. We'll recommend them to anyone. more
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Harper Car & Truck Rentals is the best 7/7/2009

We rented a 4x4 and it was the best thing we did while in Hawaii. We went up to the top of Mauna Kea! It was the best view we seen in our lives. We also went into Waipio Valley and it was nice. We can see why it's a spiritual place. Green Sands Beach was great as well. Harper Car and Truck Rentals were great. Their vehicle was clean and well maintained. They were very thorough with their inspection. We did damage the 4x4 when we bottomed out while going to Green Sands but they were understanding and didn't make us feel bad when we returned the vehicle. The people are so friendly! more
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Owner Message

  • Harper Car and Truck Rental has been operating on the Big Island of Hawaii for over 25 years. We are Hawaii's leader in Truck Rentals. We even offer the hottest Room and car package on the island. We are the Big Island of Hawaii's specialty vehicle rental company, offering many types of functional vehicles from 4 wheel drives, 7 or 15-passenger vans, covered trucks, flatbeds, dump trucks, assorted trucks, refrigerated trucks and passenger cars. All Harper vehicles can be operated with a standard driver's license - no special licensing required.

Additional information
  • Hours: Hours of Operation: Mon - Fri 7 am - 5 pm Saturday 7 am -12 noon Closed on Sunday Kona's Special Weekend Operating Hours click here
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