End of Lease Inspection : Polestar3 with 2-year lease

This Polestar 3 was two years old and coming back off lease. The owner -- Paul -- had looked after it well overall. Gary ran the pre-return inspection and found the car was in better condition than a lot of cars he sees at this stage.

The main issue was light scratching along the near side, running the full length of the car. These are the marks that come from car parks, hedges, and general use over two years of driving. On a light-coloured car they show up clearly. Gary worked through the panel by panel with the buffing machine and got almost all of it out. One area on the front bumper still had a faint trace that would need a respray if the lease company wanted it perfect, but the improvement was immense and it was unlikely to be flagged.

On a closer look around:

• Front lights, grille, and number plate area: perfect, not a mark.
• Front wheels: a couple of minor nicks on the rim, otherwise good.
• Rear wheel: some scuffing on the edge but the face of the wheel was intact.
• Rear bumper: a couple of small nicks and scratches -- nothing of concern.
• Windscreen: no chips, but a tiny surface score that had not gone through to the glass layer. We cannot repair that, and Gary does not expect the lease company to charge for it.
• Boot aperture: scratches consistent with a car seat being fitted. Gary buffed these out.

The Polestar 3 does not have locking wheel nuts -- confirmed via the manual. It does have the full electric-car kit in the boot: locking wheel nut key, repair kit, compressor, safety triangle, and charging lead. Everything present and accounted for. Service history is held digitally as part of the Polestar service contract; Gary recommended printing a copy to leave on the passenger seat.

The car left clean, buffed, and ready for return. Gary's advice for Paul: spare key back in the car, confirm the service record is accessible, and wait to see what the lease company says. Everything that could be done without a respray had been done.