Socar Avis 4

I’m sharing my experience as a first-time SOCAR user so others can make an informed decision.
Trip Details: Family trip to Penang (7 passengers, including children and elderly)
Vehicle booked: Kia Carnival
Rental period: 31 March 2026, 8:30am – 3 April 2026, 8:30pm
Add-on: Doorstep delivery and collection (PJ)

As a first-time user, I found the SOCAR app not very intuitive, particularly on iOS. My phone was unable to connect via Bluetooth, which prevented me from unlocking the vehicle. Since the app functions as the “car key,” this is critical.
I was later informed that SOCAR needs to manually switch the connectivity setting for iPhone users. This step was not communicated earlier and caused delays at pickup.

SOCAR does not provide a direct customer service phone line. All queries must go through live chat first, after which a callback is arranged (5–10 minutes later).This process became time-consuming, especially when multiple issues occurred consecutively.

Vehicle Issues & Replacements
1st Vehicle – Kia Carnival (VGP7014)
Unable to unlock initially due to app connectivity issue. Interior cleanliness was below expectations (rubbish and a vape device found). Handbrake (eBrake) not functioning. A replacement was arranged, but I was asked to drive to collect it.

2nd Vehicle – Kia Carnival (VGJ5499), Sunway Pyramid
Rear tyre flat. Security personnel indicated the vehicle had been in that condition for some time. Another car replacement was arranged and was asked to drive to collect it.

3rd Vehicle – Hyundai Starex (VHW9346), Sunway Resort Hotel
Interior again not clean. Car didn’t fully stop when foot brake is applied. This is a huge safe concern and can caused accident. I would imagine SOCAR will give full support to get a replacement car to me but this is not the case. I was told there is another car in Setia Convention Centre where is approx.12km away and ask me to drive safely to collect the replacement car.

4th Vehicle – Kia Carnival (VGP6997), Setia Convention Centre.
Worn and damaged interior seats (peeling leather seats and sticky). Huge line cracked on widescreen. Air-conditioning failed during the journey. Heavy rain caused visibility issues due to fogging. Support advised that no roadside assistance was available outside the Klang Valley area and asked me to continue driving to Penang for another replacement.

5th Vehicle – Perodua Aruz (VJC2971), Penang. Smaller vehicle category than booked. Not cleaned. Service warning light active. Tyres visibly worn and cracked.

Overall Experience - We had planned to arrive in Penang by 1pm but only arrived late evening. As a result, all planned family activities were cancelled and the first day of our holiday was spent managing vehicle issues. As a family of seven, including young children and elderly members, this was both stressful and concerning from a safety perspective. All the above 5 cars are not roadworthy and dangerous to drive. These cars are not supposed to be rented out to customers and only base on corrective maintenance.

Final Thoughts - The condition of multiple vehicles provided during this rental was not acceptable. In my view, rental vehicles should undergo stricter preventive maintenance and quality checks to ensure they are roadworthy before being assigned to customers. Safety-critical issues, especially involving braking systems and tyres should be addressed immediately rather than handled reactively. I hope this feedback helps SOCAR improve their service. I encourage others to consider this experience and make their own judgment accordingly.

Using their apps to scam the user. Apps will delay your return until you get penalty, no fuel reimbursement as claims, as the apps will keep error when submitted. Not recommend to use it unless you have a lot of money, better use registered car rental company

Scam company. I paid add-on for 'Pick Up' service as I planned to return to a different destination. On that day itself, no collection agent was there to picked the car up from me and no further instructions was told how I proceed with it. I had to search for legit parking lot to park to prevent their car from clamping. this even caused the mileage to increased and extra topped up fuel to the original level. Almost missed my flight because of this.
I asked for a refund for the 'Pick up' fee but got rejected as they stated the collection agent had completed the job and returned the car to the designated zone. LOL, what a total BS.
Communication with the operator was also headache and not helpful. This is my first and last time of using their service. Daylight robbery

If you're a foreigner visiting Malaysia, DON'T BOTHER with Socar. Just do a Google Maps search and choose a regular car rental company near you. You'll be happy.

Despite the fact that Malaysian law allows foreigners to drive for a certain time with their valid home country license, Socar brainlessly insists on being provided an IDP. An IDP is merely an English translation of the main license and is not required the world over if the main license is already in English. Most people don't get an IDP these days before traveling because all countries that are party to the Geneva Convention, which Malaysia is, allow driving on home country licenses.