AutoStar Transport Express Reviews 2026: B+ BBB Rating, 4.6-Star Trustpilot Score, and 19 Years in Business

Ninety-seven percent of consumers read reviews before choosing a local business, and 31% won't work with anyone rated under 4.5 stars, according to BrightLocal's 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey. That split matters here, because AutoStar Transport Express reviews don't agree with each other. Trustpilot puts the company at 4.6 stars. Yelp puts it at 2.6. Both ratings are current and both are real, which means neither one by itself tells you whether this broker is the right fit for your shipment.

AutoStar has arranged vehicle transport since 2007, one of the longer track records in an industry where brokers open and close every year. This review checks the real numbers, current pricing, and insurance terms across every platform that rates them, so you're deciding from facts instead of one star rating.

Get a free, no-obligation auto transport quote and compare AutoStar Transport Express against real pricing for your exact route in minutes.

Who Is AutoStar Transport Express? Company Background and Licensing

AutoStar Transport Express is a licensed freight broker, not a carrier. It doesn't own trucks or employ drivers directly. Instead, it books your shipment with a vetted carrier from its network and manages the transaction from quote to delivery. That distinction matters for anyone asking if AutoStar Transport Express is legit, since brokers and carriers carry different licensing and liability. For a broader look at how that split works, see our guide to spotting a car transport broker versus a carrier.

The company opened for business on May 3, 2007, making 2026 its 19th year of operation, headquartered at 80 SW 8th Street in Miami, Florida.

• USDOT: 2239014

• MC: 600908

• BBB accredited since: October 30, 2018

• Phone: (888) 802-8250, or (855) 881-6629 for new quotes

Nineteen years is a meaningful stretch in an industry that saw a wave of broker closures during the 2021 to 2022 carrier shortage. AutoStar also books directly for car dealerships moving inventory, not just individual vehicle owners, which is worth knowing if you're a dealer principal comparing vendors.

You can confirm this licensing information yourself through the FMCSA's SAFER company snapshot tool before booking.

AutoStar Transport Express BBB Rating and What the Complaints Say

The Better Business Bureau is usually the first stop for anyone vetting a broker, and it's also where the company's original marketing claim falls short of reality.

The B+ Rating, Explained

AutoStar Transport Express holds a B+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, not an A+. BBB documents 37 complaints filed against the company within its standard three-year reporting window, according to its official BBB profile.

A B+ grade sits solidly in BBB's satisfactory range. It's calculated from a formula that weighs complaint volume, complaint resolution, and accreditation history, not from star ratings or customer reviews. It isn't a red flag on its own, but it also isn't the top-tier grade some marketing pages claim.

Recurring Complaint Themes

The complaint pattern on file follows a familiar shape for this industry: a price that moves after the deposit is paid, a pickup window that slips past the promised date, and thinner communication once the booking is locked in. Several matching accounts on Trustpilot and TransportReviews.com describe a multi-day pickup window that stretched past its deadline with no replacement carrier lined up and no resolution offered until the customer pushed back.

If a similar situation happens to you, know your rights when a car shipping company misses its window before you agree to any changes to your original quote.

AutoStar Transport Express Reviews Across Trustpilot, Yelp, and Google

Scores diverge sharply for AutoStar depending on the platform, and understanding why matters more than any single number.

The High Scores: Trustpilot, TransportReviews.com, and Google

On Trustpilot, AutoStar Transport Express holds a 4.6-star average across 271 reviews, a profile the company has claimed and actively responded to since May 2024. On TransportReviews.com, a site built specifically for the auto transport industry, the company holds a full 5-star average across 175 submitted reviews. Reviewers on both sites repeat similar praise: drivers who call ahead, photo documentation at pickup and delivery, and delivery windows that hold.

Why Yelp Tells a Different Story

On Yelp, AutoStar Transport Express sits at 2.6 stars across 303 reviews, its weakest score on any major platform. That isn't necessarily a contradiction. Yelp's recommendation filter hides reviews it considers less reliable, often leaving a smaller, more polarized set visible in the public average, and its user base skews toward local service complaints rather than nationwide logistics customers. The lower number doesn't cancel out the Trustpilot and TransportReviews.com data, but it's a real signal that a share of customers had a meaningfully worse experience. 

Read a handful of recent reviews on both platforms before you book, not just the aggregate score. For a deeper look at why review platforms disagree this much, see our comparison of BBB, Trustpilot, and Transportvibe scoring.

How Does AutoStar Transport Express Work?

Booking follows the same three-step flow most brokers use, with a couple of details worth knowing upfront: request a quote, get matched to a carrier, then confirm timing directly with that carrier.

• No payment is due until a carrier is actually dispatched to your vehicle, per AutoStar's own booking terms.

• Quotes are honored for seven calendar days before pricing is re-run, since carrier rates shift week to week.

• You get status updates as the shipment moves rather than live GPS tracking.

This model works well for relocating professionals and students who book early and confirm details later. It's also why military families managing a PCS move and snowbirds shipping between seasonal homes show up specifically in AutoStar's own marketing, since both groups plan shipments weeks or months ahead. For a plain-language walkthrough of the full process, see our guide to how car shipping works.

AutoStar Transport Express Cost, Insurance Coverage, and Delivery Time

Cost and coverage are where most first-time shippers have the most questions, and where a little verification saves real money.

Sample Route Pricing

Those are the ranges AutoStar advertises on its own site. Real transactions can run higher. TransportReviews.com, which logs verified customer-submitted move data rather than marketing estimates, shows California to Florida averaging $1,283 across 123 tracked moves, and Texas to California averaging $823 across 81 moves. That gap between a marketing estimate and a real quote is normal in this industry, since price depends on vehicle type, season, and current carrier demand on your specific lane. Treat any online estimate as a starting point, not a locked number, and read our full breakdown of what drives car shipping costs before you commit to one broker.

Insurance Coverage and Filing a Damage Claim

AutoStar Transport Express doesn't carry its own cargo insurance. Coverage runs through whichever carrier is dispatched to your shipment, a standard structure across the broker industry. AutoStar states it works only with carriers that hold active insurance certificates, which it keeps on file to help speed up a claim if damage happens.

Before your car is loaded, ask AutoStar for the assigned carrier's MC number and confirm active coverage yourself through FMCSA's company data search. For a full breakdown of what cargo insurance typically covers and excludes, read our car shipping insurance guide.

Open Carrier vs. Enclosed Shipping with AutoStar Transport Express

AutoStar offers both open car shipping and enclosed vehicle shipping, and which one makes sense depends on what you're moving, not just your budget.

• Open transport is the standard, lower-cost option for everyday sedans, SUVs, and trucks, since multiple vehicles ride on one exposed carrier trailer.

• Enclosed transport shields a vehicle from weather and road debris entirely, which is why it's the default recommendation for classic and collector cars and anything headed to a car show.

• Motorcycle owners have a dedicated option too, through open-air motorcycle shipping, which AutoStar lists separately from standard car transport.

• Dealerships and car resellers moving multiple vehicles typically default to open transport to control per-unit cost across a full load.

If your car is a daily driver, open transport saves money without meaningfully higher risk. If it's a low-clearance, vintage, or high-value vehicle, the extra cost of enclosed shipping buys real protection.

AutoStar Transport Express vs. Other A+ BBB-Rated Brokers

Search for AutoStar Transport Express reviews long enough and you'll also see people asking how it compares to Montway Auto Transport, the industry's highest-volume broker. Rather than run that one narrow comparison, it's more useful to place AutoStar next to three other established, A+ BBB-rated brokers, since that's the tier of company most shoppers are actually choosing between.

American Auto Shipping's price-lock guarantee speaks directly to the "price changed after booking" complaint pattern found in AutoStar's own reviews. Ship A Car Direct's no-upfront-deposit model removes a step from the cost conversation entirely, since you aren't paying anything until pickup either way. 

SGT Auto Transport runs close to AutoStar on both BBB grade and Trustpilot score, with a similar complaint pattern around post-quote pricing, so it's a lateral move rather than a clear upgrade. Get quotes from more than one broker before you commit. See our roundup of top-rated car shipping companies this quarter for more options.

What Shippers Want to Know Before Booking AutoStar Transport Express

These are the specific things people search right before they commit to a quote, answered straight from AutoStar's own policies and real customer shipments.

Does AutoStar Transport Express require a deposit before pickup? 

No. AutoStar Transport Express doesn't charge a deposit upfront. Per its own booking terms, you pay nothing until a carrier is dispatched to pick up your vehicle, which protects you if a carrier never gets assigned.

What happens if AutoStar Transport Express damages my car during transit? 

Coverage runs through the dispatched carrier's cargo insurance, not AutoStar directly. Get the carrier's MC number, document damage on the bill of lading immediately, and file a claim before signing for delivery.

How far in advance should I book with AutoStar Transport Express? 

Most customers book AutoStar Transport Express one to two weeks ahead of their pickup date. Booking earlier secures better carrier availability, especially during snowbird season or peak summer relocation months.

Can AutoStar Transport Express ship a non-running vehicle? 

Yes. AutoStar Transport Express ships inoperable or non-running vehicles, but expect a higher quote since loading a car that can't drive onto the trailer requires a winch and extra labor.

Does AutoStar Transport Express ship to Alaska or Hawaii? 

Yes. Customer reviews confirm completed AutoStar Transport Express shipments to both Hawaii and Alaska, though island and remote routes typically add cost and extend delivery time versus mainland moves.

Where AutoStar Transport Express Fits on Your Shortlist

Nineteen years in business and a B+ BBB rating are genuine trust signals. So is a 4.6-star average across 271 Trustpilot reviews and a perfect score on TransportReviews.com. None of that cancels out a 2.6-star Yelp average built on 303 reviews, and it shouldn't. Both pictures are true at once, which is common for brokers operating at this scale.

What separates a good experience from a bad one here comes down to two things: getting a written quote instead of relying on the online estimate, and confirming your assigned carrier's insurance before pickup instead of after a problem shows up. Do both, and AutoStar's track record looks like most of its established, similarly rated competitors. Skip either step, and you're exposed to the exact complaint pattern showing up in its lower-starred reviews.

If you're an individual owner, a dealership, or shipping for a seasonal move, AutoStar earns a spot on your comparison list. It shouldn't be the only quote you get. Compare AutoStar Transport Express against other A+ BBB-rated brokers side by side before you book your shipment and get free quotes now.