Lease Car Repairs Sorted before the inspector arrives

Fair wear and tear is the deterioration a car picks up from ordinary use over the term of the lease, and nothing beyond that. Inspectors work to BVRLA guidelines, which set out what is acceptable at handback and what gets charged for, so the assessment is not simply one person's opinion on the day.

In practice the charges come off a short list. Kerbed alloy wheels, scraped bumper corners, dents in doors and wings, stone chips that have gone through the clear coat into the basecoat, and scratches long or deep enough to reach primer. A few small chips on a bonnet after three years is expected. A 200mm scratch down a door is not.

Cleanliness matters too. A dirty car hides damage from you but not from an inspector, and a vehicle handed back filthy invites a closer look at everything else. Wash it properly first so you can see exactly what you are being assessed on.

• Kerb scuffs and scrapes on alloy wheels
• Diamond cut wheel faces with corrosion under the lacquer
• Scuffed and cracked bumper corners
• Dents and creases in doors, wings and tailgates
• Stone chips through the clear coat into the basecoat
• Scratches deep enough to expose primer or bare panel

You do. As the driver you are responsible for the condition of the vehicle for the whole of the lease term and for every repair charge raised at handback, whether the damage came from a supermarket car park in Bury or a pothole on the way into Radcliffe.

That responsibility starts on day one, not in the month before the car goes back. Damage left alone gets worse. Once the clear coat is breached, moisture and road salt work underneath it, a stone chip turns into a rust spot and a light kerb scuff spreads into corrosion around the rim. A repair booked when the damage happens costs less than the same repair after two winters.

It also means you get a choice about who does the work. The leasing company is not absorbing the repair as a favour, it is billing you for it later at its own rate, so there is nothing to lose by having it dealt with beforehand.

Usually yes, provided genuine parts are used and the manufacturer process is followed. Some leasing companies do insist that repairs go through a main dealer, normally on warranty grounds, but plenty will accept work from an independent specialist that fits genuine franchised parts and works to manufacturer guidelines.

That is how we work. Signature fits genuine franchised parts and follows the manufacturer process for the repair in hand, so there is nothing about the workmanship that should affect a warranty or give the leasing company grounds to recharge you for the same panel again.

Read your agreement before you book anything. The wording varies between leasing companies and it takes five minutes to check. If your contract genuinely does tie you to a franchised dealer, we will say so rather than take the job.

Two to four weeks before the return date is the sensible window. It leaves time for an inspection, a decision on what is worth repairing, the work itself and a proper paint cure, without the car being repaired so early that it collects fresh damage before anyone looks at it.

If you are later than that, call anyway. Most SMART repairs, meaning bumper scuffs, small dents, chips and a single kerbed wheel, are same day jobs and can often be fitted in at short notice. Panel resprays, several wheels or a bumper replacement need longer.

Weather affects mobile work. Paint and lacquer will not cure properly in rain or a cold snap, so if your handback date is tight we would rather bring the car into the body shop at Radcliffe than hand you a finish that fails a fortnight later.