The easiest way to book rental cars in Malaysia
Great value rental cars from Malaysia most trusted car hire providers
Why you need a hire car in Malaysia
There are few nations in Southeast Asia with a geography better-suited to a road trip than Malaysia. If you’re planning on exploring Peninsular Malaysia you can circumnavigate the region or perhaps limit yourself to a run up and down the east or west coast. Over in Borneo, Sabah and Sarawak likewise offer up tremendous potential for those considering a road trip. In all cases, deciding to explore Malaysia by rental car delivers unrivalled flexibility to go where you want, when you want.
When it comes to picking the right rental car for your Malaysia road trip, VroomVroomVroom is here to help make your decision as easy as possible. From a compact car ideal for a solo traveller or couple, through to a larger hire car that would be perfect for a group or family holiday, we can help you find the right vehicle at the right price — and the whole process can take as little as two minutes.
Rental tips for hiring a car in Malaysia
If you’ve rented a car elsewhere in the world, renting a car in Malaysia isn’t that different, but there are a few points to keep in mind. Here’s ten of the important ones.
In Malaysia you drive on the left side of the road.
If your licence is not in English, you will need an International driving licence.
Traffic in Malaysia can be erratic and unpredictable. Always pay attention to the road, other vehicles, and always yield to larger vehicles.
In Malaysia the law requires that the driver and all passengers wear a seatbelt at all times. Children under the age of eight are required to use a child seat.
In most cases you need to be at least 23 years old and have had a full, unrestricted, licence for at least one year to rent a car in Malaysia.
Malaysia has three main speed limits. In urban areas the limit is 60 km/h, though this falls to 35 km/h around schools. On the open road the speed limit is 90 km/h and 110 km/h on expressways, though there may be reductions in both cases related to road conditions.
Rental cars in Malaysia come with insurance, but in the case of damage or if your rental vehicle is stolen, you’ll be liable for an excess.
Using a mobile phone with your hand while driving is illegal in Malaysia. Your phone must be mounted in a dock or another hands-free manner.
Driving a hire car under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a serious offence in Malaysia. The legal limit is a blood alcohol level of 0.05 and penalties for breaking this limit can result in heavy fines and/or the loss of your licence.
You are not permitted to take a rental vehicle off-road. When driving between 19:00 and 07:00 your headlights must be turned on.
Where in Malaysia would you like to rent a car?
Deciding on where the best place is to rent a hire car in Malaysia will be determined by where you’re going. If you’re basing yourself in Peninsular Malaysia, then the capital Kuala Lumpur, the northern island of Penang, or, for those planning to visit Singapore, Johor Bahru are the obvious choices. If either Sabah or Sarawak are your destination then Kota Kinabalu or Kuching are the obvious choices as both have international airports and are well-positioned as starting points for a Malaysian road trip.
Other countries
If you’re planning on continuing your holiday in another country after your Malaysia road trip, VroomVroomVroom is here to help. We offer our same world-class services for car hire in the following countries:
YOU’RE IN GOOD COMPANY
Here’s what VroomVroomVroom customers think
- 28 Feb 2026lloyd p.Booked: Skoda Scala Select or similarCairns International Airport
- 28 Feb 2026dennis m.Booked: 19-22 Cubic Metre Van with Lift or similarFyshwick Commercial
- 27 Feb 2026caitlin w.Booked: Toyota Corolla or similarAyers Rock Downtown
- 27 Feb 2026kave r.Booked: Toyota Corolla Hatch or similarCanberra
- 27 Feb 2026aileen t.Booked: Mazda Cx3 or similarSydney City
- 26 Feb 2026sai kin l.Booked: Nissan X-TRAIL e-POWER or SimilarSydney Airport
- 25 Feb 2026victoria p.Booked: Kia Carnival or similarSydney Domestic Airport
- 25 Feb 2026suzanne p.Booked: Suzuki Swift or similarKatoomba
- 25 Feb 2026russell y.Booked: Polestar 2 or similarHobart Downtown
- 25 Feb 2026david c.Booked: Toyota Yaris Cross or similarHobart Airport
We ask users of our booking service to review it after they've completed their reservation. We present a selection of reviews on this page. Our review scores are calculated by averaging the scores of all the reviews that we collect. We don't publish reviews that violate our guidelines. To learn more about guidelines and our reviews generally, visit Terms and Conditions.
Learn more about our reviews.