Should I repair damage on leased vehicle?

January 22, 2018 11:29 AM

My lease is up on February 5 and I just had my inspection. The guy noted a 5" scratch on the bumper and a 10" scratch on one of the wheels. I am not disputing the damage. The excess wear charge would be $220 for the bumper and $75 for the wheel. Should I get other estimates or does that sound reasonable? Pics inside.

2014 Ford Focus - pics of wheel and bumper

I am under SO much stress that if this sounds within $50 of reasonable I will just pay it. But if it's twice as much then I want to get it fixed - IF it can be done by Feb 5 AND I can be sure it will be done CORRECTLY so the dealer doesn't then ding me for unsatisfactory repairs. I already cannot sleep at night for various reasons so I don't need to add to my anxiety.

I'm about 6000 miles under the allowed mileage (24500 vs 30100) - does this give me any leverage to negotiate?

I can't go through insurance because the deductible is more than the charges. Plus these things happened awhile ago in two separate incidents, and if they can somehow figure that out, I don't want to end up in lots of trouble.

I can't just buy the car and forget about the damage, because I am unemployed.

posted by AFABulous to Travel & Transportation (12 answers total)

Response by poster: CORRECTION - $145 for the bumper (2.5 paint hours), $75 for the wheel, $220 total
posted by AFABulous at 11:36 AM on January 22, 2018

Are you sure those are actual scratches? Try taking a soft cloth and gently rubbing the bumper. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that the dark marks wipe away. With the rim, I'd try a magic eraser and see if that will clean it off. If it doesn't, I would just pay it. You're not going to find anybody who will repair that damage in any kind of professional way for those prices. If they have to paint, you're looking at at least a few hundred dollars.
posted by cosmicbandito at 11:37 AM on January 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

I can't speak for Ford, but I know Toyota policy is that you'll get dinged for any damage larger than a credit card. I imagine Ford would be similar.

See if the dealership has a pre-return inspection and estimate. That said, I did a pre-return inspection at Toyota for my last lease, which had a dent in the back. They said it would be $800. I found a person who specialized in lease repairs who did it for $300.

Note that, I had 15k miles on a 36k lease, and the dealer would not negotiate at all on the damage.
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 11:40 AM on January 22, 2018

Response by poster: Today was the pre-return inspection, which is how I have the excess wear prices. No they will not rub off and they feel like scratches. They have been there about a year.
posted by AFABulous at 11:44 AM on January 22, 2018

Best answer: Those scratches are pretty bad. They will need a bit of work to make them go away (filling, sanding and repainting at least half the bumper to blend in the work, maybe even easier to paint the whole thing). Even $220 would be cheap.

$75 for the wheel is peanuts. That seems reasonable.

Either way, that quote is a steal. Take it and run.
posted by Brockles at 11:47 AM on January 22, 2018 [19 favorites]

Best answer: The excess wear charge would be $220 for the bumper and $75 for the wheel. Should I get other estimates or does that sound reasonable?

It's reasonable. Seems low, even. The last body detail I had done (In Madison, but still) was ~300 dollars so that's my frame of reference.

If you want to shop around, any detail place can do it. That bumper should buff out, and maybe take some touch up paint. It will be a bit of work. The curb rash on the rim is permanent - you're gonna eat that unless you can get a replacement rim for 75.

The dealership is gonna detail the car for resale anyway - in your shoes, I'd just have them do it and eat the cost. It's fair enough. Pay the money, and think nothing more of it.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 11:49 AM on January 22, 2018

Yes, it seems very reasonable. Add to it that you don’t have to find a repair place, spend time and energy, and the reduction in anxiety by never having to think about it again? It’s a good deal.
posted by Vaike at 12:08 PM on January 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

Some car leases include scratches/ minor issues up to some dollar amount when returning the vehicle. If you were to lease another car from the same manufacturer/ dealer, they most likely would waive the fee.

Being under the mileage doesn't give you direct leverage, but you might want to check if the market value of the car is more than your buyout price. You could then decide to keep (purchase) the car to either use it yourself or to sell it to someone else.
posted by zeikka at 12:15 PM on January 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

Yea that seems really cheap. I cannot imagine getting those 2 items repaired for less than that.
posted by jmsta at 1:08 PM on January 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

Is it just the wheel cover that's damaged? You can get an OEM wheel cover on eBay for $30 or so, it looks like. I have no idea how easy they are to replace on a Ford Focus, but I was able to do it for my Corolla with almost zero knowledge of cars or proper tools. On the other hand, it may not be worth it to save $45. Plus there's always the risk that you'll get a knock-off (I wasn't worried about that as mine wasn't a lease-return situation).

I agree that the dealer is giving you a good deal.
posted by Kriesa at 1:14 PM on January 22, 2018

That isn't a wheel cover, that's an alloy wheel.
posted by Brockles at 3:41 PM on January 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

Nth-ing pay the man.

I just returned a lease with bald tires because their bald-tire penalty was far less than the cost of replacing it myself.

Also, how much is your time worth? (this applies to sooo many questions ...)
posted by intermod at 7:37 PM on January 22, 2018