Lease return questions

[wdfifteen]

Six months and 7000 miles from now I'll be returning my leased BMW 535. I've never leased a car before so I don't know what to expect when I turn it in. The car is in great shape and I'm on track to return it with exactly the 45,000 miles allowed and I won't go over. But the rear tires are going to be about shot. Can I return it with bald tires with no penalty? If I don't have it detailed, will they hit me with a clean-up charge? There is some minor road rash on a wheel and a hail stone dent in the hood, will I get dinged for those or should I fix them? Any advice on what I can do to minimize the expense when I turn this thing back in?

[kaisen]

Contact BMW Financial (their info is on your statement) and ask for a pre-disposition inspection. This can be done by the independent inspectors BMWFS uses, or by the dealership. They will let you know what they intend to charge you for, and you may elect to correct those items before you actually return the car. Obviously, wait until 45 days until your time is up.

IMHO, you will be charged for tires if they are under 4/32", any services your computer says are due, and any damage beyond normal wear and tear (ask for the turn-in guide).

You can always buy used 5/32"+ tires from a local used tire place or eBay. If your car has runflats, they have to be runflats when returned.

[McLovin]

Are you going to replace it with another leased BMW? If so, you can practically return it on fire and get them to waive the charges.

[red-beard]

Interesting thread. We're getting ready to lease an X5. But with the tax laws the way they are, if they don't change, we'll do the buy out with the business at the end of 42 months.

[RWebb]

a lot depends on your state law & your lease contract, but...

bald tires = penalty

detail usually not req'd

[RoninLB]

some brands allow $1,500 in repairs or damage without charge

door, wheel, etc dings all usually always allowed up to a certain size

seat cigarette burns depends on the dealership

usually they sent an independent around to your house if you don't want to bring it in for inspection who'll take 20 pictures and give you a copy of his report


they want to make it as painless as possible

[Drdogface]

Find out what your purchase price is if you don't already know. You may be able to make money by selling it privately rather than turning it in.

[CROWSC]

I have just returned my second BMW off of lease. Both cars needed tires before returning.
They both had run flat tires when I leased them. I had the cheapest tires that I could find put on them both (not run flat tires) and not a word was said. You do not want them to charge you for tires, because they will put run flat back on there. Any chips in the windshield means they will charge you for a new windshield. Any dents will have to be reapired if they are visible.
I had a few dings under the front of the car where the parking bumps hit it. They mentioned it, but said that it was not a problem. I would clean the car up with a wash and take it to them right after. They like a clean car. I had some scratches on the front of the 5 series, where I had scraped a curb. I put black shoe polish on there and you could hardly tell, if at all.
Any services that are due, which you shouldn't have to worry about being under 50k miles, will have to be done or they will charge you for them. Even if you aren't going to lease another BMW, act like you are, until the inspection process is done.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by CROWSC

Even if you aren't going to lease another BMW, act like you are, until the inspection process is done.

I'll have to bite my tongue, but I can do that. I hate this POS more than any car I've ever had. I'll never lease another car. If I'd owned this thing I would have sold it after the first year. Worse automotive mistake I've ever made.

[MRM]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I'll have to bite my tongue, but I can do that. I hate this POS more than any car I've ever had. I'll never lease another car. If I'd owned this thing I would have sold it after the first year. Worse automotive mistake I've ever made.

Really? Tell me more. A year or so ago my wife got the bug to get her first "nice" car. After ten years in a Toyota Camry (I can't say enough good about those cars, but "nice”, they're not) it was time for her to upgrade. The 5 Series BMW and E Class Mercedes were the only two cars on her short list. I didn't know the difference between the 530 and 535 at the time, and we test drove a 535 while I was under the impression that it was the same as the 530. Both of us fell in love. The salesman handed us tissues at the end of our test drive. We needed them.

She also drove the '07 Mercedes E-350, and that fit her like the proverbial finely stitched leather glove. Kaisen located a beauty of an 08 E-350 and we bought it with no regrets. With an investment that large, I've always kind of wondered what the 535 would have been like. I have to say, the E-350 has been the perfect car for us. So I'm interested in the experience others have had with the 535. Tell me more about your 535 so I can feel lucky for choosing the E-350.

Word to the wise, if you’re looking for a used luxury car, contact Kaisen. He saved me at least $10,000 on Wifey’s E-350. He does not pay me to market for him; I’m just a satisfied customer.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by MRM

Really? Tell me more. A year or so ago my wife got the bug to get her first "nice" car. After ten years in a Toyota Camry (I can't say enough good about those cars, but "nice”, they're not) it was time for her to upgrade. The 5 Series BMW and E Class Mercedes were the only two cars on her short list. I didn't know the difference between the 530 and 535 at the time, and we test drove a 535 while I was under the impression that it was the same as the 530. Both of us fell in love. The salesman handed us tissues at the end of our test drive. We needed them.

She also drove the '07 Mercedes E-350, and that fit her like the proverbial finely stitched leather glove. Kaisen located a beauty of an 08 E-350 and we bought it with no regrets. With an investment that large, I've always kind of wondered what the 535 would have been like. I have to say, the E-350 has been the perfect car for us. So I'm interested in the experience others have had with the 535. Tell me more about your 535 so I can feel lucky for choosing the E-350.

Word to the wise, if you’re looking for a used luxury car, contact Kaisen. He saved me at least $10,000 on Wifey’s E-350. He does not pay me to market for him; I’m just a satisfied customer.

Interesting. The car I had before the 535 was an E 320. It was OK, but I was spoiled by my old C 280 and the 320 had some annoying quirks. There was a delay in response to moving the gear selector from forward to reverse and a delay in the engine responding to the throttle. Parallel parking was an exercise in frustration every time. I got into the habit of flooring the accelerator and quickly backing of when I wanted the car to move because I think it made the engine start to wake up a little sooner. Other than that it was great. A fantastic highway cruiser, solid as a rock and could hold 100 mph for hours and never notice it. I drove from Sterling, Colorado to Lincoln, Nebraska in a little over 4 hours in it.
I loved the 535 when I first drove it and assumed I would get used to the goofy controls and the iCrash. I was blinded by the good stuff about the 535. Great acceleration and the best lighting system I've ever experienced.
It's been 2 1/2 years and 38k miles and I have never gotten used to the controls. In fact I hate them more every time I drive it. What frustrates me is that it's such a shame. If this car had decent controls it would be fabulous. When you start the car the iCrash says, "Do not use this system unless traffic conditions permit." When I first looked at it I never thought to ask myself under what traffic condition is it safe to stop looking where you're going and stare at a TV screen on the dashboard so you can do something as basic as adjust the heater. It's just stupid. I hate the gear selector, hate the turn signals, hate the wiper controls, hate where the cruise control is (the turn signal should be there), and I despise iCrash. BMW built a great car and turned it over to some idiot video game guy to design the controls. Just a shame.

[kaisen]

From BMW's Wear and Use Guidelines:
http://www.bmw.ca/ca/en/insights/corporation/financialservices_2009/_teaser/_shared/pdf/End_Of_Lease_Brochure_Eng.pdf

Dents, Dings, Chips.
Acceptable:
All chips affecting an area less than the 2" middle circle of the Evaluator, and all dents that fall within the 2" middle circle of the Evaluator and do not penetrate the paint, are acceptable and do not warrant a charge (maximum three occurrences per panel).

Unacceptable:
All chips affecting an area greater than the 2" middle circle of the Evaluator, more than three dents per panel, any dents that penetrate through the paint (regardless of size), and all dents that extend outside the 2" middle circle of the Evaluator are chargeable.

Scratches.
Acceptable:
Surface scratches that do not penetrate the paint, that can be removed with normal reconditioning, are acceptable.

Unacceptable:
All scratches that penetrate through the paint, regardless of length, are chargeable.

Hood.
Acceptable:
Minor stone chips that affect an area within the 2" circle on the Evaluator are acceptable.

Unacceptable:
Stone chips that affect an area greater than the 2" circle on the Evaluator are not acceptable.

Tires.
Unacceptable:
Tires must have at least 4⁄32" of tread at the lowest point, deeper than the blue wear bar on the Evaluator. Tires must match the original equipment supplied on your vehicle (speed rating, type, brand, run-flat, size). Please see your BMW Retailer for details.

Windshield.
Acceptable:
Cracks or stars that are outside of the driver’s wiper arc and within the inner circle of the Evaluator are acceptable (up to two occurrences). Surface chips in the driver’s wiper arc are acceptable.

Unacceptable:
Any cracks or stars within the driver’s wiper arc are chargeable. Any cracks or stars outside of the driver’s wiper arc greater than the 1/2" inner circle of the Evaluator are chargeable.

Bumpers.
Acceptable:
Superficial scuffs/scratches that do not penetrate the paint are acceptable.

Unacceptable:
All dents and any scratches/scuffs that penetrate the paint are unacceptable. Any cracks or punctures to bumpers are not acceptable and are chargeable.

[wdfifteen]

Well, I turned the car back in on Oct. 2nd. Things didn't go quite as BMW's lease return guidelines described them (thanks for pointing me to them Eric). I was too busy to do anything about the worn-out tires or the curb rash on one of the wheels, so I was expecting to fork over some money, as the guidelines were specific about tire wear and damage.
I had made an appointment and arrived with the car at the appointed time. They weren't expecting me and were busy doing something. The guy had me sign a form and I left the form and the keys on the counter. I hung around a while, nodded at the guy, he waved goodbye, and then I left. As far as they knew, I hadn't even returned a car, just a set of keys. No one looked at the car at alll. It's been six weeks and I've been expecting a call from BMW leasing, but so far nothing.
Thank you all for the advice and suggestions you offered.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Interesting thread. We're getting ready to lease an X5. But with the tax laws the way they are, if they don't change, we'll do the buy out with the business at the end of 42 months.

That has always been bad business. What tax laws will save you money in the long run assuming you finance the buy out?

If you don't finance the buy out, why aren't you leasing another car at the end of the lease?

What deprecation schedule is used at the time you take ownership?

[edgemar]

I have 15 months left on my MBZ GLC 300 lease and the run flat Pirelli Verde tires are shot at 18k miles.

The cheapest new run flat tires are about 1K. Do I have any options other than replacing the tires before I turn it in? I don't want to buy it at the end of the lease.

TIA!

[petrolhead611]

What price your life?

[edgemar]

true... i guess you gotta pay to play...

[Deschodt]

I've just leased 2 electric cars in a row and returned my last lease early... General info I learnedin the process:
- if you took some extra insurance on condition you can waive a lot of damage - mine was up to 10K of damage but limited to $1000 per incident. So say a seat stain, a wheel scratch, a bumper ding, a dent, but not a head on collision ;-)
- A head on collision is also not a roblem as long as repaired by an approved brand shop, not ANY shop...
- The final inspection is a joke, unless the car is wrecked, they're checking the tools are still in it, that sort of thing, major body issues and tire wear...
- The dealers have nothing to do with this - your deal is with the finance arm of the brand - so it can be a PITA to return a car because the dealer will only care if they wanna buy it for themselves (in my case they did)... Otherwise they can blow you off...
- You can return early without penalty if you are buying another one from them, or if you have a buyer and the stars align... I just returned my car 7 months early with 1/2 the miles left on it, and my market value was > what I owed. Passed the savings (and the fed credit) to a friend and they got a 9000 mi E-golf for $17K out the door ! (33.5K new) which was shocking but everyone won on that one - dealer only charged a $400 inspection fee to do the deed...

[MRM]

It was fun to see this thread. In some sort of cosmic coincidence, some years later I ended up getting myself a 2011 535, with the mild redesign. I am about ready to roll over 140,000 miles on it and every time I think about trading it in I slide into the driver's seat and fall in love all over again. I'll keep it for at least another year. By the time my model came around the issues WD noted had been fixed. It's very easy to drive and is a wonderful highway cruiser and daily driver.

My wife ended up selling her 08 E 350 to a friend and moving into a 2012 model. She's right at 100,000 miles with no plans to trade it in. Both cars fit us perfectly and have been mostly trouble free.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by petrolhead611

What price your life?

Never heard of a lease company sending out a hit man over tires. I thought they would just break our kneecaps.