Getaround Slams Brakes on U.S. Car Sharing, Leaving Customers Scrambling

Customers with car rentals booked through Getaround are in for some frustrating news: The peer-to-peer car-sharing company abruptly announced on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, that it is shutting down its U.S. operations, effective immediately. That means all future rentals have been canceled, leaving those with upcoming travel plans scrambling to find alternative arrangements.

Things are even more complicated for current renters, who have only until the end of the day to return their vehicles — or risk being personally held liable for any damages.

Why is Getaround shutting down?

In a statement, Getaround cited an “ongoing lack of liquidity” as the primary reason for its decision to cease U.S. operations. In short, the company ran out of money.

Though its U.S. presence struggled to be financially viable, the company says it will continue growing in European markets. Getaround, which claims to be the leading car-sharing platform in Europe, will continue to operate in France, Norway, Spain, Germany, Belgium and Austria.

What the Getaround news means for renters and hosts

Renters should return cars ASAP. If you don’t return them by the end of day on Feb. 12, you could risk being held personally liable for any damages. In an email sent out to customers, the company warned that after Wednesday, it may no longer be able to provide insurance for vehicles, and any damages incurred will be the responsibility of the renter.

Future rentals are canceled. If you booked a Getaround car for a future date, you’ll have to make other plans. At this point, it’s unclear how the company is handling refunds. The company says that “any outstanding claims or balances will be handled through the wind-down process.”

Hosts can no longer use the platform to rent out cars. Some Getaround hosts have made renting out vehicles on Getaround a key side hustle — and some have even used it as their own small business, purchasing a fleet of vehicles to rent out on the platform. Since renters are no longer able to book, that income stream has been eliminated.

The app is still accessible in the U.S., but rental listings have been removed. Customers who log onto the app today can still view their ride history. But the app doesn’t list any cars available for rent in the U.S.

Some details remain unclear

At this point, there’s still a lot we don’t know about Getaround’s shutdown. It’s unclear how final payments to hosts will be handled, or when renters will get refunded. It’s also unclear how insurance claims for incidents that occurred before the shutdown might be handled. Getaround hasn’t yet responded to a request for comment.

Alternatives to Getaround

While Getaround is no longer an option in the U.S., other peer-to-peer car-sharing services still exist. Whether you need a car to rent (or you want to post your car for rent) here are some alternatives to consider:

• Turo: Of all the peer-to-peer car rental services, Turo operates most similarly to Getaround, allowing customers to rent vehicles directly from local hosts.

• Kyte: This service delivers rental cars directly to you, whether that’s your own home, a hotel or any other spot of your choice. A Kyte employee brings the car to you, and then generally jets back off on a scooter back to the Kyte office. It’s a convenient option for those who don’t want to visit a rental counter, but who still want to interact with a human (which was never the case with Getaround). Given the nature of deliveries, Kyte is only available in major cities such as San Francisco and New York. And because Kyte vehicles come from its own fleet, this isn’t an option for Getaround hosts looking to post their car elsewhere.

• Traditional car rental companies: If peer-to-peer car-sharing is no longer an option, don’t overlook companies like Enterprise, Hertz and Avis. A NerdWallet analysis of rental car prices found that you could save 13.4% on average by booking rental cars last minute.