Lease Return? Here’s What You Need to Fix Before Turning in Your Vehicle
Leasing a car is a popular option for many drivers. It allows you to enjoy a new vehicle every few years without the long-term commitment of ownership. But when the lease term comes to an end, many customers are caught off guard by the costs associated with returning the car. Dealerships are extremely thorough in their inspections, and even minor damage that has built up over the years can result in hefty penalties.
The good news is that many of these issues can be addressed before you return your vehicle, often for far less than what the dealership will charge. At Colorado Coach Auto Body, we help drivers prepare for their lease returns by tackling the most common cosmetic and structural concerns. Taking the time to repair your vehicle properly can save you hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars.
Here are the key areas you should check before turning in your leased vehicle.
Minor Dents and Dings
No matter how careful you are, dents and dings are almost inevitable over the course of a lease. Parking lot bumps, hailstorms, or even careless drivers opening their doors too close can leave behind unsightly impressions.
While a dealership will often classify even small dents as “excess wear,” a local body shop can repair them quickly and affordably. Paintless dent repair (PDR), for example, is a popular method that restores panels without the need for repainting, keeping costs low while restoring your car’s smooth finish.
Tip: Walk around your car in good lighting and at different angles. You’ll often catch dents that aren’t immediately obvious.
Scratches and Paint Scuffs
Paint damage is another common lease return pitfall. Whether it’s from brushing against a garage wall, an overzealous car wash, or highway debris, scratches and scuffs can make your car look poorly maintained.
Dealerships often charge steep rates for repainting, sometimes requiring entire panels to be refinished even if the damage is small. At an independent shop, however, spot repairs, buffing, and touch-up work can restore the car’s appearance at a fraction of the cost.
Tip: Pay attention to high-traffic areas like door handles, side mirrors, and bumpers—these spots are prone to scratches that inspectors will notice immediately.
Bumper Damage
Bumpers take the brunt of everyday driving. From low-speed parking mishaps to scraping a curb, damage to bumpers is extremely common. Even a small crack or paint chip can count against you in a lease inspection.
Repairing bumper damage before turning in your car ensures you won’t face inflated dealership fees. In some cases, bumpers can be repaired rather than replaced, depending on the severity of the damage. Either way, addressing it in advance is almost always more cost-effective.
Tip: Don’t assume bumper damage is “too minor” to matter. Inspectors are trained to flag even subtle imperfections.
Windshield Chips and Cracks
A single pebble on the highway can cause a chip in your windshield. Over time, that chip may spread into a crack, making it a bigger safety issue. Lease inspectors rarely overlook windshield damage; it’s considered a safety concern as well as cosmetic.
Most chips can be repaired quickly and inexpensively if you take care of them early. But if the crack spreads, you may end up needing a full windshield replacement, which is far more expensive.
Tip: If you’ve been putting off a chip repair, don’t wait until just before your lease return. Handle it promptly to avoid escalation.
Interior Wear and Tear
While much of the focus is on the exterior, interior condition matters too. Stains on the seats, cigarette burns, torn upholstery, or even worn floor mats may be flagged during inspection.
Detailing and interior repair services can make a huge difference in how your car is perceived. Reconditioning the interior helps avoid charges that are often disproportionate to the actual damage.
Tip: A professional interior cleaning can refresh your vehicle and help you avoid deductions for issues like odors or visible stains.
Wheels, Tires, and Rims
Another area many drivers overlook is wheel condition. Curb rash, scratches, and gouges in alloy wheels are extremely common, but they rarely escape notice during a lease return. Similarly, tires that are excessively worn or mismatched may also be flagged.
Wheel refinishing is often more affordable than you might expect, and replacing tires before you return the vehicle ensures you won’t be charged for “uneven wear” or “below-standard tread.”
Tip: Check your lease contract. Most require tires to meet specific tread depth and brand requirements.
Why Dealership Fees Are So High
When you return a leased vehicle, dealerships want to bring it back to “like-new” condition before reselling it. They use manufacturer standards and internal repair rates, which are almost always higher than what an independent body shop will charge.
For example:
- A small dent that costs you $100–$150 to repair locally could show up as a $500+ charge on your lease return bill.
- A windshield chip that costs $75 to fix at an auto glass shop could result in a full windshield replacement fee from the dealership.
By handling these issues ahead of time, you stay in control of your costs.
The Bottom Line
Returning a leased vehicle doesn’t have to be stressful or expensive. By addressing minor dents, scratches, bumper damage, windshield chips, interior wear, and wheel condition before inspection, you can avoid surprise charges and return your vehicle with confidence.
At Colorado Coach Auto Body, our goal is to make this process simple for you. We work for our customers, not for dealerships or big insurance companies. That means we’ll give you honest advice, fair pricing, and high-quality repairs designed to protect your wallet at lease return time.
If your lease is ending soon, schedule a pre-return inspection with our team. We’ll walk through your vehicle with you, point out areas that might be flagged by the dealership, and help you decide which repairs make the most sense.
Because when it comes to lease returns, a little preparation now can save you a lot later.
