Free preview · from the dealership side of the desk
Lease returns rarely go wrong when you drop off the keys. They go wrong weeks later, when a bill arrives for excess wear, extra miles and a disposition fee, often $500 to $2,000, long after you could have done anything about it. Most of those charges are avoidable or at least predictable if you start early. Example: 2,000 miles over at $0.25 a mile is a $500 charge you can see coming today.
From the dealership side, a returning lease is also an opportunity: your car may have equity, and the dealer may want to buy it or lease you another. Knowing your numbers puts you in control. Free first step: find your contract and write down the maturity date, mileage allowance, per-mile charge, disposition fee and purchase option price. Below: the full countdown from 90 days to return day, the pre-inspection, what to fix, what to do after, a worked example, and what to say.
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In the full guide
- 90 days before: decide, don't drift
- Write down these numbers now
- 60 days before: the pre-inspection
- 30 to 60 days before: fix what makes sense
- 2 weeks before
- Return day
- After the return
- Worked example
- What to say
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