What To Do Before Turning in a Leased Vehicle
Many Americans choose to lease vehicles for a variety of reasons – the desire for newer models, lower monthly payments, maintenance benefits, etc. If you are a first-time leaseholder, you should fully understand what is expected of you upon the expiration of your lease, and what you can do to save money when turning your car in.
What To Expect in a Lease Inspection
When you return your vehicle to the dealership, they will perform a “lease inspection” on the vehicle to determine the condition of the car upon its return. Unfortunately, many people do not know that you will be on the hook for the cost of damage repair that goes above and beyond “normal wear and tear”. This is because these companies want to maximize the value of that vehicle in order to prepare it for the next sale.
Typically the vehicle inspection itself will come at no cost to the leaseholder, and will take around 45 minutes tops. They will look at both the exterior and interior of the vehicle, as well as test out various functions to see how the car runs. They primarily look for excessive damage in the following categories:
- Dents, dings, scrapes on the exterior panels and bumper of the vehicle
- Issues or cracks with the windows or windshield
- Tire conditions
- Upholstery tears or stains that are beyond a normal level of cleaning
Pro-Tip: If you are returning your lease vehicle and leasing a newer model, you can oftentimes negotiate to have these fees waived or reduced as a part of your new contract.
What Damage Should You Fix Yourself?
Before a lease inspection, you should conduct your own examination to see what issues you are able to fix yourself.
- If your car smells bad, start investing in auto air fresheners to eliminate any odors.
- Immediately upon receiving a leased vehicle, install seat covers to maintain the upholstery as much as possible.
- Make sure all headlights, tail lights, and interior lights are functional. You can change a headlight bulb yourself fairly easily!
- Use an interior auto cleaner to wipe up any stains or dirt on all surfaces.
- Vacuum out your vehicle’s interior to get rid of any dirt or dust.
- Make sure that any accessories that initially came with the vehicle (such as a spare tire) are there and functional.
If you need some outside help, here are a few ways to get your lease vehicle back in prime condition:
- You can elect to hire an auto detailer to help with cleaning the interior and exterior of the vehicle to get rid of any upholstery stains and get the vehicle looking brand new.
- Instead of leaving dents & dings on the vehicle for the dealership to fix, take your car to a paintless dent repair company (like 618 Dent Guy!) for a much more cost-effective method of dent removal than what you would pay for with the dealership. PDR does not replace auto panels, so you will not lose any value on the car and it will still be accepted back by the leasing company.
Is Paintless Dent Repair Allowed for Leased Vehicles?
Yes! Just as you would take your leased vehicle to a body shop for repair, a PDR company is largely the same. 618 Dent Guy has extensive experience in dent removal, and can assist with your leased vehicle. Cost benefits aside, using PDR for dent repair is one of the quickest solutions on the market – and can usually be completed same-day!
If your lease is ending in the next few months, and you need to get rid of some dents on your car or truck, give 618 Dent Guy a call today for a PDR estimate. Better yet, our mobile paintless dent repair capabilities allow us to provide you with on-site service. This means you can receive top-notch PDR service without leaving your home or office!
