Ford Fiesta End-of-Lease Inspection

This Ford Fiesta was at the end of its lease and the owner wanted to know where it stood before handing it back.

The condition was decent for a car that had been driven for several years. There were scratches, stains in the interior, a scuffed wheel, and some minor dents. The dents were under 10mm -- within the lease company's acceptable threshold. The wheel scuff was noted; recharge for a wheel refurbishment typically runs at trade price, and once the more obvious scratches were polished out, the remaining damage on the car -- including that wheel -- would likely fall below the point where the lease company considers billing worthwhile.

On these jobs, the approach is never to fix everything. Lease company thresholds exist precisely because they do not want to spend admin time chasing small amounts. Get below that threshold and the remaining damage disappears from the bill. Polish out the scratches, clean the interior, touch in any chips on the door edges, put the parcel shelf back in -- and the residual damage becomes their problem, not yours.

Gary recommends calling the lease company and asking what their threshold is. Some will tell you; many will. It is worth knowing before you spend money repairing things that would not have been charged for anyway.