Autobahn Rent A Car suspends business; at least one bank moves to locate cars under finance
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Autobahn Rent A Car has suspended operations and intends to drop its appeal for court protection against creditors’ recovery action.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
Follow topic:
- Autobahn Rent A Car, owing creditors over $300 million, pauses business operations and plans to drop its High Court appeal.
- Baker Tilly seeks 58 missing cars supplied to Autobahn, which lack insurance and road tax, posting registration numbers online.
- Drivers are impacted, with one driver interviewed returning a vehicle, stating: "We just have to move on."
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SINGAPORE – Vehicle leasing group Autobahn Rent A Car, which also runs car-sharing service Shariot, has suspended its operations and plans to drop its High Court appeal for protection against creditors’ recovery action.
The appeal followed a Dec 26, 2025, High Court decision
In a statement to The Straits Times on Jan 6, Mr Clarence Lun of law firm Fervent Chambers, which represents Autobahn Rent A Car and its associated companies, said: “Our client has decided to pause business due to operational constraints and insurance cancellation.
“Our client will continue to work with hirers and creditors to return the vehicles for a seamless transition.”
Mr Lun added that Autobahn had already notified its creditors about the withdrawal of the appeal.
At least two creditors confirmed to ST that they were informed on the afternoon of Jan 6.
Autobahn’s creditors include major banks and finance companies. Among them, DBS Bank is owed $103 million, UOB $17 million and OCBC Bank $12.5 million
Collectively, Autobahn and its group of related companies have 1,700 vehicles, mainly rented out for ride-hailing services.
This development follows Shariot’s announcement on Dec 31, 2025, that it was pausing its vehicle rental services
On Dec 29, accounting and business advisory firm Baker Tilly was appointed by one of the banks as the receiver of 58 cars, which were supplied to Autobahn Rent A Car.
These vehicles, registered between 2022 and 2025, include models such as the BMW 116i, Honda Step Wgn, Toyota Alphard, Toyota Sienta and Suzuki Landy.
Mr Timothy Reid, a principal at Baker Tilly, told ST that the firm has been unable to locate these vehicles.
He said the cars cannot be legally driven on the road as they lack motor insurance, and many do not have valid road tax.
Every registered vehicle in Singapore must have valid road tax and insurance coverage to be on the road.
Mr Reid did not disclose which bank appointed Baker Tilly when asked, but said that the firm reached out to Autobahn in late December 2025 regarding the vehicles’ whereabouts. On the evening of Jan 6, 2026, Baker Tilly posted the registration numbers of the cars on its website
The firm advised that vehicles should not be returned to any entity or location without the receiver’s instruction.
“We want the drivers to get in touch with us so that we can work out how they can continue to use the cars,” said Mr Reid.
The fallout has already impacted drivers.
Mr Ivan Seah, 52, who had been renting a Toyota Alphard from Autobahn Rent A Car for six months, returned the luxury multi-purpose vehicle to financing company Teck Wei Credit in late December 2025.
He did so after learning about the High Court dismissing Autobahn’s application for protection.
The limousine driver said that Teck Wei Credit did not have details of the vehicle hirers and was grateful that he volunteered to return the car.
Mr Seah has since rented a vehicle from another leasing company. He does not expect to recover his $1,280 rental deposit from Autobahn, adding: “With so many big banks owed so much money, we (drivers) are only the small fish. We just have to move on.”
On Jan 5, the National Private Hire Vehicles Association, which represents private-hire drivers, said on its Facebook page that it had met “affected drivers to address ongoing rental-related issues, vehicle repossessions linked to financial difficulties at rental companies”.
Besides offering guidelines on how to handle such situations, the association, which is an affiliate of the National Trades Union Congress, also encouraged affected members to reach out for assistance, adding that it is also working with alternative rental companies to help these members.
