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So you decided to lease a car instead of purchase it and it is almost time to return it. Well, just like if you were going to sell your car, you would lose money on the asking price if there were mechanical or appearance problems with your car, you may have to pay money if there are any problems with the car. So, you may already know that there are a few things that need attention on your lease or maybe you think they will overlook the faults that have occurred during the lease period. Either way it would be wise to have your lease inspected prior to returning it.

An auto body shop that performs a lease inspection can actually save you money in the long run! They will look for everything that the dealership will in advance and can help you repair any problems or concerns which will in most cases cost more at the dealership. Most dealerships will want to just replace things that can just as easily be repaired for a fraction of the cost of replacement.

A big determining factor in the problem is if it is normal wear and tear or excessive wear and tear. So, some things that the lease inspection will look for are:

The first area of concern is the exterior of the car. The inspection will look for dings, dents, chips, scratches, corrosion, or poor repair. Normal wear and tear would be occurrences less than two inches in diameter. Also scratches that can be buffed out would be normal wear and tear. Excessive wear would be any occurrences over two inches in diameter. Also any missing or broken exterior parts would be considered excessive wear. To add to excessive are any visible sand/grinding marks, rough texture, excessive overspray or bad color match larger than 2*in diameter. Basically any damage the reduces the car's re-marketability or appearance. All wheels, rims, lights, turn signals, lamps and windshield are looked at during the inspection.

The next area is the interior. If there are any burn holes in the interior of the car you may have a problem. If they are less than 1/8* in diameter that would be normal, however any bigger than that is considered excessive wear. Any cuts or tears bigger then 1/2 *in diameter are considered excessive. Any stain in the interior that can be removed is normal wear and tear, however if it cannot be removed it is excessive wear.

Lastly, the entire vehicle is inspected and all of the following are deemed excessive.

Non-operational or malfunctioning equipment

** Substandard or incomplete repair

** Any replacement part that does not meet manufacturer's specifications

** Vehicle system failures that result from not adhering to manufacturer's maintenance requirements

** Any missing equipment (includes keyless entry remote) or broken parts

** Any replacement part that does not meet manufacturer's specifications of equal quality and design

** Any modification ,including, but not limited to, suspension modifications, changing vehicle color or non-factory paint schemes, lettering or graphics, holes in frame, post-delivery customizing, engine adaptations, fuel system adaptations, tinted or engraved glass.

So as you can see there are very specific regulations to returning your lease and not losing any money out of your pocket. Therefore, getting a lease return inspection would be advisable.