How to Check a Car Before Renting: A Complete Inspection Checklist

Paperwork and insurance

Before inspecting the car physically, verify the paperwork. Check the registration card (Mulkiya) to confirm that the vehicle details match the rental agreement: make, model, plate number, and year. Basic insurance is included in the daily rate at Brook Drive. The excess depends on the car and, like what the cover excludes, is set out in your rental agreement and in our terms and conditions, so ask the manager to point these places out before you sign.

Salik and Darb

Next, locate the Salik tag on the windshield. This RFID tag is normally affixed just below the rearview mirror, in the upper central section of the glass, and it lets the car pass the Salik toll gates across Dubai automatically. Abu Dhabi uses a separate system, Darb, which reads your plate number instead of a tag. Salik and Darb charges are billed to you separately after the rental ends, together with any traffic fines. If the Salik sticker is missing or damaged, tell the manager before you drive off.

Helpful tip

Take a photo of the windshield tag and of the registration card right at pickup. It takes seconds and settles any later question about which car you actually drove.

Alex Shvarov, Automotive expert with over 15 years of experience

Bodywork & Bumpers

Always inspect the car in daylight or under bright lighting, and ask for a clean, dry vehicle. Scratches and dents are easy to miss on a wet or dusty surface. Pay special attention to the lower edges of the front and rear bumpers, where contact with Dubai’s high curbs is common. Run your hand gently along the underside of the bumpers to feel for scuffs that aren’t immediately visible.

Check all body panels, fenders, and doors for dents, paint chips, or misaligned parts. Under Dubai’s intense sunlight, even minor imperfections stand out sharply, so examine the car from multiple angles. Low cars need the most care here. If you’re renting a sport car such as the Ferrari F8 or the Lamborghini Huracan, bumper and splitter inspection matters even more because of the higher repair cost on these models.

Windows & Mirrors

Dubai’s desert environment means sand and small stones are constantly kicked up on highways, leading to micro-chips and cracks in windshields. Inspect the glass closely under bright light, looking for star-shaped chips, hairline cracks, or pitting. Even a tiny chip can spread quickly in extreme heat, and you don’t want to be blamed for damage that existed before your rental started.

Check all side windows and mirrors for cracks or scratches. Make sure mirrors adjust smoothly and are securely attached. Test the rear window defroster and wiper if present: they’re easy to overlook but useful on the rare rainy day.

Rims and tires

Wheels and glass take the most knocks on Dubai roads, and rim damage is a common source of disputes. Walk around the car and examine each rim for curb scratches, scuffs, or dents. Many parking areas in Dubai have high kerbs, so the rims are the first thing to scrape. If you’re renting an SUV, the larger wheels are particularly exposed. Read the terms for glass, tires and wheels in your rental agreement, and make sure anything you notice is written down before you sign.

Inspect the tires for adequate tread depth, uneven wear, bulges (known as «hernias»), and sidewall cuts.

Spare wheel, repair kit and tools

Check what the car carries: a spare wheel or a repair kit, plus a jack and tools if they are supplied. Not every car has a full spare, so ask the manager what yours has and how to use it. Missing equipment can leave you stranded if you get a flat.

Helpful tip

Walk around the car with your phone already recording, and keep the video running from the first panel to the last. One continuous clip is much harder to dispute later than a handful of separate photos.

Alex Shvarov, Automotive expert with over 15 years of experience

Cleanliness & Odors

Smell is a telltale sign of previous misuse. Smoking is not allowed in Brook Drive cars, so there should be no trace of it: sniff the cabin for cigarette smoke, and check the seats, headliner, and floor mats for burn marks or ash.

Inspect upholstery, door panels, and carpets for stains, tears, or excessive wear, and report anything you find before you drive off. If you’re renting a family car, cabin cleanliness matters even more for comfort on longer trips with kids.

AC & Electronics

In Dubai’s summer heat, which often passes 40°C, a fully working air conditioning system isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. Turn the AC to maximum and check that cold air flows evenly from every vent. The air at the central vents should feel noticeably cool within a minute or two.

Test the electronic features: windows, sunroof, seat adjustments, infotainment, USB ports, and Bluetooth. Make sure the dashboard shows no warning lights once the engine is running. If you’re renting a convertible car, such as the Bentley Continental, the Porsche 911 Targa or the Ford Mustang GT, also test the roof mechanism: tops can collect sand in the mechanism, causing jams or leaks, so open and close it fully to confirm it runs smoothly.

Helpful tip

Check the AC before you leave the parking spot, not at the first traffic light. If the air stays warm after two minutes, tell the manager while the car is still in front of you.

Alex Shvarov, Automotive expert with over 15 years of experience

Brook Drive runs a full-to-full fuel policy: you receive the car with a full tank and return it full. Before driving off, photograph the fuel gauge showing a full tank, and take a clear photo of the odometer showing the current mileage.

Every car has its own daily mileage limit, usually between 200 and 250 km, shown on the car’s page and in your agreement. Confirm the limit before you set off and plan your route around it. Extra kilometres are charged separately, so it’s worth knowing the number upfront rather than finding out at drop-off.

Helpful tip

Shoot the fuel gauge and the odometer in one frame with the engine on. A single timestamped photo covers both.

Alex Shvarov, Automotive expert with over 15 years of experience

At pickup

If you find scratches, dents, or faulty equipment during your inspection, tell the Brook Drive manager immediately and ask them to walk around the car with you and note every issue in the condition notes of your rental agreement before you sign. Don’t accept a verbal promise that it will be «noted later»: if it isn’t written down, it isn’t documented. If you spot something the manager hasn’t listed, point to it and ask for it to be added, and keep your photos and video either way.

During the rental

If the car is damaged while it is with you, a Police Report is required for any damage. Report the incident to Dubai Police through the Dubai Police app (App Store, Google Play) or by calling 901 for non-emergency cases, and call 999 if anyone is hurt. Then contact your Brook Drive manager. If the car breaks down, call us as well: we pick the car up and provide an alternative.

Helpful tip

Never settle for «don’t worry, we’ll sort it out later.» If a scratch or a warning light isn’t written into your rental agreement before you sign, it’s your word against theirs when you return the car.

Alex Shvarov, Automotive expert with over 15 years of experience

Save this list on your phone and tick it off at pickup:

1. Documents: your licence and passport are ready, and the Mulkiya matches the car in the agreement.
2. Salik tag: in place below the rearview mirror.
3. Bodywork: all four sides, bumpers and roof in good light.
4. Glass and mirrors: no chips or cracks on the windshield, side windows or mirrors.
5. Wheels: every rim and tire checked for scuffs, bulges and tread.
6. Equipment: spare wheel or repair kit, jack and tools, if supplied.
7. Cabin: no smell of smoke, no stains or tears, floor mats in place.
8. Climate and electronics: AC at maximum, windows, screen, USB, roof if it is a convertible.
9. Dashboard: no warning lights with the engine running.
10. Fuel and mileage: full tank and the odometer photographed, daily limit confirmed.
11. Video and photos: one continuous walk-around clip, close-ups of any mark, the plate in frame.
12. Agreement: every mark written into the condition notes before you sign.

Many renters rush through the inspection, eager to start their trip. Skipping steps can cost you later. Here are the mistakes to avoid:

• Inspecting a dirty car: dust and water hide scratches, so always ask for a clean, dry vehicle.
• Trusting verbal assurances: if someone says they’ll note the damage later, insist on it being written down now.
• Not checking what the car carries: find out whether it has a spare wheel or a repair kit before you need it.
• Skipping the electronics check: a weak AC or dead USB port is a bigger problem in Dubai’s heat than it looks.
• Skipping photos: without a visual record, it’s your word against theirs.

At Brook Drive, our fleet goes through our own Brooklands detailing center between every rental, so cars arrive clean and mechanically checked. Even so, we encourage every client to run through this walk-around themselves: it’s the fastest way to make sure the car you’re picking up matches the car you agreed to rent.

From a Rolls Royce to a Toyota Land Cruiser, a Mazda 6 or an Audi RS6, the routine is the same, and a few extra minutes at pickup can save you a headache at drop-off.

Verdict

A ten-minute walk-around costs nothing and gives you a record to point to if a question about damage ever comes up.

Alex Shvarov, Automotive expert with over 15 years of experience