[CamaroBruno]

Hey all, I've loved my 6th gen Camaro, but the family is growing and I need a bigger vehicle. I don't like Chevy's options, so I will likely buy from a different company. Since my Camaro is my first lease, I have a couple questions for you GM lease veterans about how to handle the inspection etc:

1) the inspection: The car's in good shape, but there is some curb rash on the rims and the tires are probably near the end of their life. I'd like to know if I need to shell out for new tires (for the next owner ) or repair anything to avoid excessive wear and tear charges. I did purchase the wear and tear coverage for this. Should I have AutoVIN do the inspection? It sounds like this is my only option to get it looked at before actually dropping the car off at the dealership.

2) Since I'm not re-upping with Chevvy, are they going to try to nickel and dime me for everything?

3) What else that I'm not thinking of should I be worried about/planning for as I turn in my car?

Thanks in advance!

[Cannon Green]

My only little bit of advice here is the dealership has no business knowing you're not going to get another Chevy, leave that out so they dont look down on you/treat you bad.

[Aragorn]

They’ve always made me buy new tires, it kind of sucks. Make sure the car is very clean and in good order. They do allow a little bit of wear and tear but not much. Lastly make sure you didn’t go over on the miles allowance.

[kweevuss]

I would assume your lease agreement will state any min tread requirement for tires. Not sure personally if curb rash would be considered normal wear and tear - assuming not

[Azerlazer26]

There’s going to be a what I believe is a $395 end of lease fee that you’ll need to pay.

[Glen e]

Most lease companies use what they call a “ding-o-meter” which is just a piece of clear plastic with a circle on it and anything bigger than the circle is a dent it needs to be fixed. The circle is about the size of a baseball hardball.They will let you go with normal wear and tear. Usually the dealer taking it in doesn’t care at all about nickel and diming you, , because they Have the option either buying the car For their used car lot, or give it up to the finance company who will come get it and then take at the auction. It’s a lot less painless than many people think that haven’t done it, I’ve leased four different brands and never had a problem turning it in , with a few dings on the side in the front.

[LT4]

You have a good handle on things. If you are not getting another car of the same make, they are no so accommodating, so you have to be aware when you turn in the lease...

1. TIRES:
Its always good to buy new tires 6 months before the end of a 36 month lease, that way you get to make some use out of them. You wouldn't return a rental car with an empty tank because they will charge you $10 a gallon to fill it. Same thing here; DO NOT LET THEM BUY TIRES because they will send you an expensive bill for crappy tires. Instead, get your own crappy tires at the lowest price possible. The tires just have to be compatible with the car, so no Michelins. Sears used to be good for junky yet legal tires.

2. INSPECTION:
Don't just leave the car for someone to inspect without you being there. You must be there for the inspection so things don't 'show up' on the inspection report that you can no longer verify. You'll get stuck with the bill and have no recourse. Video the inspection taking place so you have proof.

3. DINGS are OK:
The lease agreement states EXACTLY what normal wear and tear you are allowed.... curb rash might be ok, a scratch or ding here and there is ok, depending on the size. Know this before the inspection.

[VinnAY]

What I do at lease end is sell it/trade it in...it has a payoff like anything else and that's what I work towards. When I got the Camaro I had it worked in that the Chevy dealer the trade was that he had to payoff/make the last 5 payments on the lease.

Ive never had a problem doing my leases this way with Chevy or Ford.



When I've done the inspection it's basically the way that you got it (new) with the mileage accounted for. Too, every manufacturer or lease company has their own way of doing an end of lease. For instance Honda gave me a $1500 credit for anything, like tires, so I really was able to get out of that for no penalty. What they call fair wear/tear is extremely small and will always benefit them and never benefit you.


So like I said I sell them and don't play that inspection game.

[CamaroBruno]

Thanks all! The car is in good shape and I paid for some extra wear & tear coverage, so I'm feeling pretty good about everything except for the tires. I think I'll need to buy new ones, so what are the absolute cheapest brand/specs?

[FH212]

Originally Posted by CamaroBruno

Thanks all! The car is in good shape and I paid for some extra wear & tear coverage, so I'm feeling pretty good about everything except for the tires. I think I'll need to buy new ones, so what are the absolute cheapest brand/specs?

If you have a local Discount Tire check with them. They have some off brands that start really cheap, and dont waste the money on the road hazards warranty.

[HackSaw]

I agree with checking Discount tire When i put Continentals on my car I got 3 different rebates (1) discount tire (2) continental (3) using discount tire charge card

[JT58]

I had a couple of leases and was able to just turn them in, no extra costs incurred. I kept the cars in excellent shape though, no dents and the interiors were mint. On one I put new tires on it as the original ones were pretty worn after 35K miles. The inspections went pretty fast- they were looking for obvious things. I would check your wear and tear policy that you paid extra for first before you buy tires.

[zts1986]

Find out what your minimum tread depth is. It should be in your lease contract. Usually you can buy some used tires on Craigslist that'll make the minimum and you'll come out far ahead of buying new tires.

[VinnAY]

Towards your lease end the company should be sending you a packet that lays out all the things you can expect, how their return process is, the inspection, etc etc