Understand how damage that occurs while the vehicle is under your care may be handled, even when you did not directly cause it.
From delivery until the vehicle is formally returned and accepted, the renter is responsible for protecting and properly supervising the vehicle in accordance with the rental agreement.
Damage that occurs during this period may remain the renter's contractual responsibility, subject to the cause of the damage, the rental agreement, applicable CDW or protection conditions, insurance and other relevant circumstances.
A customer may not have personally caused the damage. Another person, an unknown vehicle, road debris, weather or another external event may be involved.
However, determining who caused an event is separate from determining who initially bears responsibility under the rental agreement and whether Sunrise can actually recover the loss from another party.
Common examples include:
The fact that the vehicle was parked or that the responsible person is unknown does not automatically make the damage Sunrise Rentacar's loss.
A stone chip, road debris or other small impact can spread into a larger crack and require complete windshield replacement.
Modern windshields may contain cameras, sensors, antennas, heating elements or ADAS equipment and may require calibration after installation. A visually small chip can therefore result in a substantial repair cost.
Damage during the rental may include:
Responsibility is assessed separately from normal wear, a documented pre-existing condition or a defect attributable to the vehicle itself.
Examples include falling branches, fruit or coconuts, hail, strong winds, windblown objects, road debris, flooding, water intrusion and other natural or external events.
The fact that an event was natural, accidental or outside the customer's direct control does not automatically transfer the resulting loss to Sunrise. The final treatment depends on the agreement and applicable coverage.
A third party may deliberately scratch, strike or otherwise damage the vehicle. Even if that person appears in a video or can be identified, recovery is not guaranteed. The person may have no insurance, no confirmed address, insufficient funds or may deny responsibility.
Until the loss is actually recovered from the responsible party or an insurer, the damage may remain subject to the renter's contractual responsibility and the protection conditions applicable to the reservation.
A photograph, license plate, witness statement or video can help identify and pursue a third party, but it does not by itself pay the repair cost or guarantee that Sunrise Rentacar will recover the loss.
Damage caused by an unidentified or financially unrecoverable third party does not automatically become Sunrise Rentacar's loss.
CDW, insurance and optional protection products may have different scopes, deductibles, limits, reporting requirements and exclusions. Glass, tires, wheels, natural events, unknown third-party damage and NOC may not all be treated in the same way.
The applicable result is determined by the reservation, rental agreement, selected protection, compliance with required procedures and the facts of the incident.
Sunrise does not treat documented pre-existing damage, ordinary wear or a fault properly attributable to the vehicle itself as newly caused rental damage.
Vehicle records, check-out images, check-in inspection, maintenance information, dashcam data and professional findings may be used to distinguish a new incident from an existing condition.
Report every incident promptly, even when the damage appears small, the other person promises to pay, or you believe you are not at fault.
Late reporting can allow cracks or mechanical damage to worsen, evidence to disappear and dashcam recordings to be overwritten. It may also affect the application of contractual protection or insurance.
Do not polish, glue, patch, replace, dismantle or repair damaged parts, and do not allow a third party or repair shop to perform work without Sunrise's prior authorization.
Unauthorized work may conceal evidence, create additional damage, affect warranties and make the final cost more difficult to verify.
Sunrise may pursue the identified third party, their insurer or another responsible entity separately. Such recovery may take time and is not guaranteed.
If Sunrise later receives payment for the same confirmed loss from another responsible source, the corresponding amount will be reconciled so that Sunrise does not recover the same loss twice. Any adjustment remains subject to the verified amounts, applicable fees, uncovered items and amounts still owed under the rental agreement.
For rules about whether the damaged vehicle may remain in use, see Vehicle Use After Damage.
Report the incident immediately and allow Sunrise Rentacar to assess the vehicle, preserve evidence and determine the correct procedure.
