Returning a rental car in bad shape is every company’s nightmare. Even small issues can turn into expensive repairs, and sometimes, the condition of a returned vehicle is worse than anyone expects. And when the person behind the mess is a celebrity or athlete, things get even messier. That’s what allegedly happened at one Enterprise location when an anonymous NFL player brought back a Dodge Charger. The Car Is Filled With What? TikTok creator Julia (@juliamarcelo_), who says she works at an Enterprise location, filmed the now-trending video, which got over 141,500 views as of this writing. “You work at Enterprise and an NFL player brings back the rental full of maggots,” her caption reads, as the camera pans to the outside of a white Charger. But the real shock comes when she opens the rear door. The floor behind the driver’s seat is crawling with what looks like thousands of live maggots. They’re moving across the floor mat, climbing up the seats, and swarming in thick clusters. “He apologized & said gon ahead & charge him that detailing fee,” Julia adds in the caption. OWNERSHIP STORIES Viral stories from across the web Our team of experts tracks what owners are saying about car-shopping, repairs, the daily driving experience and more on social media. Who Is Responsible for the Damage Costs? It’s unclear whether Enterprise plans to pursue damages from the renter, but they definitely could. If the customer opted into Enterprise’s insurance policy, it’s possible it might cover the cost, though those plans usually focus on collisions and theft, not insect infestations. If they used a credit card with rental car coverage, there might be partial reimbursement, depending on the policy. But in most cases, infestations like this fall outside of what typical rental protections cover. So, unless the renter has some exceptional policy, they’re likely on the hook for everything, especially if Enterprise decides to classify this as damage or negligence rather than just a manageable mess. How Does This Even Happen? For a car to get this infested, something had to go very wrong. Maggots don’t just show up out of nowhere. They hatch from fly eggs, which are usually laid on food waste, meat, feces, or other organic matter. What’s terrifying is that this type of thing could happen quickly. Flies tend to lay between 75 and 150 eggs at a time, and eggs hatch within a day. If there’s enough rotting material in a warm, enclosed space like a car, it becomes the perfect breeding ground. Based on how many maggots are visible in the video, this wasn’t just one snack wrapper or a single spilled drink. This was probably days’ worth of trash, or maybe even something decomposing. Gallery: 2026 Dodge Charger Sixpack Scat Pack Cleaning This Isn’t Easy According to WebMD and pest control experts, the only way to deal with a maggot infestation is to eliminate the food source, sanitize everything thoroughly, and then apply insecticides. That means removing the carpets, disinfecting every surface, and possibly fumigating the entire vehicle. At this level, most shops wouldn’t even consider a basic detailing job. This is a full restoration or, depending on the damage, a total loss. For comparison, a Business Insider video featuring WD Detailing showed what it actually takes to bring a maggot-filled car back to life. The team said they had to air the vehicle out for a week before even stepping inside because of the smell. Once they started, they pulled out every seat and carpet, used an ozone machine to kill bacteria, then spent hours scraping off grime and vacuuming up the dead bugs. People Are Appalled TikTok users did not hold back in the comments. Most couldn’t believe someone would return a car in that state, especially a public figure. “I’m afraid a crime may have been committed,” one person wrote. Another added: “Detailing?? No you’re buying it.” “Let’s just say he was throwing out the garbage and forgot the bag was in the backseat?? Yeaaaaaaaaa let’s go with that,” someone else theorized sarcastically. “Call the police NOW,” urged another. As of this writing, Julia hasn’t posted a follow-up. It’s unclear whether the renter will be charged for the damage or if the company has filed a formal report. Motor1 has reached out to Enterprise for comment, as well as to Julia via TikTok and Instagram messages. We’ll update this article if they respond. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team