You’ve driven your lease car for a few years now and it’s time for the lease to come to an end. If this is your first leasing experience, you may be wondering about the return process and how you can minimise any hassle. Read our handy guide on how to take back your leased or financed car to the dealership:
Prepare for the lease inspection
Lease companies will charge for any damage to their vehicle that is considered more than wear and tear. Many leasing companies will hire an independent company to conduct the vehicle inspections, which is free. Typically, the inspector will come to your home or place of work, with the process taking around 45 minutes.
Inspectors will look for damage in the following areas:
- Dents, scratches, scrapes, dings (on the exterior, bumpers and wheels)
- Excessive pitting on the windshield and other windows
- Abnormal wear and tear to the tyres
- Cracks or stars in the windshield
- Tears and/or stains on the upholstery that needs excessive cleaning or repairing
Inspectors upload the above information into a computerised template that estimates the cost of repair, and shortly after the inspection, you will receive a condition report that lists any additional costs you will have to pay to fix the problem.
Consider a second-chance inspection
If you have an initial inspection and the costs for repairs seems reasonable, then consider paying the money and saving your time. However if they seem unreasonable, you can fix up the vehicle yourself and call for a second-chance inspection.
Repair any damage to your alloy wheels
Everyone kerbs a wheel at some point and scuffing or scraping your alloy wheels doesn’t stop your car from driving normally. Rather than leave your wheels damaged, contact a kerbed alloy wheel repair specialist. Doing so can save you money as you can collect quotes from local repair shops and settle on a specialist that charges reasonable prices.
You should also contact a specialist if you are after buckled alloy wheel repair services as this is significant damage to a vehicle. Leaving a buckled wheel unchecked and unfixed is dangerous and can cause further damage to your car but also contribute to risky driving. A qualified specialist will also be able to clean and fix any damaged diamond cut alloys, too.
The easiest way to find an alloy specialist is to look online. For instance, if you live in Gloucester, search for ‘alloy wheel repairs in Gloucester’. Such professionals can inspect, repair, and even fix hydro dipped wheels.
Remove small scratches
Cars with light scratches can be fixed with a thorough detailing. While you may not be charged for these small scratches, having these removed can reduce costs and make your car look in better condition. Deeper scratches can be touched up with a small bottle of paint that can be found at the manufacturer’s parts department.
Clean and repair the upholstery
Before using any cleaning solutions, brush and vacuum the upholstery so that any debris stuck in the seats is removed. Get better results by using a soft bristle brush. Once this is done, you’ll want to use dishwashing liquid and washing soda for fabric seats, baking soda for vinyl seats, and a leather cleaning kit for leather seats. Consider this guide for further information.
Costs can add up when returning your leased or financed car, some of which can be greatly reduced by cleaning your car or fixing small damages yourself. Inspect your car and get any major or minimal issues that could be considered excessive wear and tear before booking in your first inspection.
