Lease return: What is needed

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Ferdball

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 6, 2014
Messages
168
Location
San Diego
Do I need to call the dealer to make an appointment for a lease return? Do I need to bring in my contract or any paperwork?

I have the car ready for return, but don't know the details. I haven't returned calls from their Lease department because I'm sure all they want to do is sell me a car. I have all the manuals, both keys, tires are fine, in fact I did a pre-return inspection...

My dealer is Escondido, CA by the way.
 
Ferdball,

I returned my 2014 two weeks ago. Having never returned a leased car, it was all new to me. Here is what I remember:

1. Yes, MB wants a pre-return inspection appointment. My salesperson did it instead.

2. You should plan to return everything included in the lease, including manuals, two keys, Nav software, the charger and run flat tires. Return can be to your dealer.

3. When I did return the car, someone in the lease return department (one guy) checked the car out and encouraged me to take pictures just in case something happens later.

4. I signed an Odometer Disclosure Statement attesting to the mileage on the car at return (9,616 miles!).

5. I was told it would be a few weeks before I would be free and clear of the excessive damage liability. Have not heard anything yet.

6. The dealer took a picture of my registration but did not take it from me.

7. They took the plates off and put them on my 2017 B250e. They would otherwise have given them to me to turn in.

8. As I had two lease payments left and the dealer agreed to cover them, they were subsequently removed from my account without any further action on my part.

I think that was it. If you are buying or leasing from the MB dealer another car, your salesperson will likely take care of the above for you like they did for me. That is what luxury car sellers should do, provide full service to their repeat customers.

By the way, did you see the deal that GlennD got? $15K off MSRP inclusive of all tax incentives?
 
Every state is different. In California the car needs new plates. Also the sales tax is only on the payment. Some states tax the whole thing.
 
You are subject to a $595 fee when you return a leased car if you are not leasing another MB.
 
Note: A little more detail of relevant info on this subject is included in a similar post under the subject of tires.

I just had my lease-end inspection completed (Friday, 6 Oct 2017).

My car had two obvious "issues":
1) well worn rear tires
2) a chip in the windshield that I don't think anyone would consider "minor"

I chatted with the guy who did the inspection about what to do about the tires. He said he'd been doing this for many years and had heard from many people that things didn't always go as expected, such that he STRONGLY advised against doing ANYTHING about the tires OR the windshield until I got the final report.

I got the final report the next day. While it accurately & clearly captured each of the "issues", it ultimately concluded that the condition of the vehicle did not represent EXCESS wear and tear, such that I would not be responsible for any associated expense.

I returned the car to the MB dealership a few days later (Monday, 9 Oct 2017). They asked for both keys and looked for the charger and the manuals. Other than checking/recording the odometer, nothing was said about the condition of the vehicle.

I'll update this if anything changes on the subject.
 
I logged in to view my report, but it said to contact the dealer. I didn’t, and had an uneventful return experience. But I spoke with the assessor, and other than a scrape on the rim, he said things looked good. My dealer was Escondido. I returned both keys, the charger, and two manuals.
 
pathiel said:
Note: A little more detail of relevant info on this subject is included in a similar post under the subject of tires.

I just had my lease-end inspection completed (Friday, 6 Oct 2017).

My car had two obvious "issues":
1) well worn rear tires
2) a chip in the windshield that I don't think anyone would consider "minor"

I chatted with the guy who did the inspection about what to do about the tires. He said he'd been doing this for many years and had heard from many people that things didn't always go as expected, such that he STRONGLY advised against doing ANYTHING about the tires OR the windshield until I got the final report.

I got the final report the next day. While it accurately & clearly captured each of the "issues", it ultimately concluded that the condition of the vehicle did not represent EXCESS wear and tear, such that I would not be responsible for any associated expense.

I returned the car to the MB dealership a few days later (Monday, 9 Oct 2017). They asked for both keys and looked for the charger and the manuals. Other than checking/recording the odometer, nothing was said about the condition of the vehicle.

I'll update this if anything changes on the subject.

Thanks for this, and I'll be watching for any updates, as our return is approaching.
We did 10,000 of our miles on a separate set of wheels and tires, in part to improve the ride/grip, and in part to save the wear on the originals to stay safely below the minimums. We re-installed the original wheels and tires in a front-to-back rotated position, as the fronts had about 1mm more treadwear than the rears, and experienced no balance issues, noises or vibrations. I think we're in good shape, but so far we have refused the pre-inspection.
 
bcurious - your last phrase caught my attention, "so far we have refused the pre-inspection". I assume you are talking about the pre-inspection conducted by the 3rd party inspector.

My return date is 2.5 months away, so I am curious on your rationale and how that will play out at the dealership on the actual return date.

I understand JeffRay had his salesman do the inspection, but that was b/c he was exchanging for a new lease at the same time.

On your return date at the dealership, are you expecting someone from the dealership to conduct an on-the-spot inspection and give you the results (excessive wear), or are you okay with them giving you the results at a later date?

I'm trying to understand the rationale and advantage of refusing the pre-inspection.

thx,
Joe
 
Joe,

I don't know for sure but I think it is to help dealer figure out what to do with the car. In our case, I would bet most of them go to auction, especially on the east coast, so pre-inspection is largely irrelevant.

For sure, the only inspection that would count for excessive wear and tear is the final inspection they do when you actually return the car.

For us, it might be nice to know what you will be dinged for so we have the option to address it more cheaply away from the dealer, like tires for example.

Just a guess of course.

They are supposed to come to you, no requirement to do it at dealer.
 
JeffRay - yes, I agree the pre-inspection is helpful to know what I may be charged and have the option to fix away from the dealer. That is why I'm curious to bcurious's strategy (and perceived advantage) for refusing the pre-inspection.

All along, I was intending to do the pre-inspection...
 
Joe,

With all due respect to our colleague bcurious, the following conjecture is completely ignorant of actual facts.

Let's say for example, Joe, you had the rear bumper squished in by some nameless driver. Lets say further, you had it "repaired" by your favorite non-MB mechanic. We all know the bumper piece itself is a cool $600+ plus labor to replace. So what did someone do with his salesperson who did the pre-inspection? One showed him all the nicks in the plastic film covering the rear bumper and then casually said, oh, and there was a dent pushed back out. He said okay. Now, when one dropped it off, the official inspection was done and it was not noted, nor did I say a word.

So if there was an issue other than bald tires, why mention it online before the fact? Just in case someone from MB is monitoring this forum? Unlikely, yes, but anyway.
 
I just got my Lease End Statement from MB. They added tax to the Vehicle Turn-in Fee. $595 + $46.11 = $641.11. Is this a taxable charge?
 
Hey Ferdball,

I just got a end of lease statement from MBFS and the close out fee plus tax was on it so I guess the answer is yes. In my case, as I leased another MB, they credited the fee including tax.
 
I had my pre-inspection on 12/11 and got the online report the next day.
My tires were fine. The report listed some minor scratches I had. Three of them were deemed to be under the threshold, so no charge. I had a longer scratch on the rear quarter panel that was marked down at $268. The inspector was also very keen on taking pictures of: both keys, the owner's manual, charger. The inspection was about 40 minutes and I would say there were no surprises for me.

After the report came out, I called MBFS to clarify a few things. The rep did say the turn-in fee was subject to sales tax. He also confirmed I can choose to repair the quarter panel damage on my own, prior to turn-in, which I did at my own body shop for less than $268. He was also very 'loose' about the actual return date, even willing to let me keep the car past the new year (not sure if it was due to the holidays, or they are always so generous on the actual return date).

I returned the car on 12/23 to my local dealership (not where I originally leased the car). And I did encounter a 'surprise' during the process. The dealer rep did a quick walk-around and came back saying my car was overdue for a service (I had never seen the Service Light). He was trying to tell me MBFS will charge over $300 to perform the service, but his dealership can do it now for me for $2xx. (Basically he is trying to sell me service to generate revenue for his dealership). I turned him down, so I'm sure he documented that, so I'm not sure what MBFS will come back with on my final bill...

Another thing I learned from a friend is that other car manufacturers (banks) require you to return the car to the exact dealership where it was leased from; namely, Audi and GM.

I will report back once I get the final bill...
 
We returned our leased B yesterday, a couple of days early of the period end. We were not using the car any more for commuting, due to the unusually cold conditions, and another snow storm was forecasted to hit our area in the final days, so it was more convenient to return it a bit early. We had turned down the offers from the dealership to perform early inspection at the dealership, but MBFS did send AutoVIN out to inspect the car a bit over a month before lease end. The experienced AutoVIN rep said that this was the first B that he had inspected. He spent about an hour, taking various photos and particularly spending a lot of time in the cabin with the vehicle remaining stationary. He scanned and notated the paint thickness in 11 locations. He noted chips in 2 locations and a 1" dent in one location. He measured tread thickness on all 4 tires. We used a set of substitute wheels and tire for about half of the accumulated miles in order to avoid wear that was in excess of allowable, and to enjoy better tire performance and noise levels during that usage. The AutoVIN rep used a laptop computer extensively, and I don't know if he accessed the OBD port, but it seems likely that he did. We accumulated 29,860 miles, which was short of our allotted 30,000, and which was also short of any required service requirements at 30,000 miles. I was concerned that some small cosmetic damages would be outside the scope of what was allowable. Previous to the inspection I spent over an hour using a commercial vacuum to remove bits of dog fur in the interior resultant of the sole time we used the B to bring our dog to the veterinarian. I also ran the car through an exterior wash. He provided me with a copy of his report at the completion of the inspection, asked me if we were going to get another, and pronounced our car to be "like brand new." I had read online, on other M-B forums, that the AutoVIN reps were extremely picky. From my experience, I would say that in my case he was very thorough, but that a picky person could have noted some condition problems that may, technically, be in excess of allowable damage. We always treated the vehicle as if the ending condition was important, and is if we were preparing to receive an attractive offer to purchase it at the end of the lease, meaning an offer that was an improvement over the option strike price and exercise fee stated in the lease agreement. Still, things can happen over a few years that even careful treatment doesn't prevent damages in excess of the stated terms to occur. I hope that our careful treatment and my concern for the presentation at the inspection were helpful in creating the nice outcome for ourselves during the turn-in process. Whatever the reasons, I did not find that I agree that the AutoVIN rep was picky or unfair at all. Upon visiting our dealership, we were asked for the 2 keys, to verbally agree that the manual had been placed in the glove compartment (it had,) and that the charge cable was in the boot (it was,) and that was that. We ended up interacting with a non-salesperson employee who, it happened, has been driving a leased B over a similar period whose term is up in March. We enjoyed comparing notes about what we liked, with many similarities, and the experience there was quick and painless. She was uncertain, but doubtful that our B would remain on the lot to be resold. She thought that she'd next try an E-class.
Our B's VIN is WDDVP9AB7EJ003748. If this one ends up under purchase consideration for anyone here, please feel free to reach out to ask any questions. At our lease end purchase option price of $22,517 plus $150 exercise fee, the decision to purchase was unfavorable for the usage we need it to cover. Other than that fact, there is nothing about this example that would make me object to having it in my possession!

On that note, I'll be checking in here still from time to time, and it's been nice being part of this community.
Thanks go out particularly to WTZOURIS and JEFFRAY for sharing their experiences and resources.
 
bcurious,

Thanks for the thorough post on end of lease inspection. In comparison, my salesperson and lease return persons inspections seemed perfunctory. Of course, I am sure that they did a more thorough one. Mine had less than 7000 miles but had that squished rear bumper that was repaired by my mechanic.

bcurious, good luck with your next vehicle. I trust your experience with electrics was a good one and perhaps you will be back in a MB electric one day.
 
My pre-inspection was also performed by AutoVIN, not the dealership (the dealership never contacted me nor offered themselves to do the pre-inspection).

I have moved onto a Chevy Volt lease. This is a commuter car and my main objective was to drastically reduce my pymts, while maintaining carpool (Calif HOV sticker).

This is the first time in 20 years there will be no MB in my household...
 
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