Getting a car ready for lease return

Start a month or more ahead

The common mistake is getting the car washed on the way to the dealer. By then there's no time to do anything about what the inspector finds. Most leases come with a wear-and-tear guide that explains what counts as normal and what gets charged, often with size limits for scratches, dents and chips. Find yours and read it first, so you know what you're checking against.

Many lessors also offer a pre-inspection a few weeks before the end date. If yours does, book it. It tells you exactly what would be charged, and you can compare that with the cost of fixing it yourself.

Wash it, then look closely

Dirt hides damage, especially on lower panels and wheels. Get a full exterior wash, including the underside if it's been through a winter, and then go over the car in daylight. Walk around slowly, crouch down to look along each side, and run your hand over anything that catches the light. Take photos of every panel as you go, so you have a record of the car's condition before you hand it back.

• Scratches through the clear coat, especially on bumpers and door edges
• Dents and door dings, which show best when you look along the panel
• Windshield chips and cracks, which are often cheap to repair if caught early
• Curb rash on the wheels
• Tire tread depth and matching tires on each axle
• Lights, mirrors and sensor covers for cracks

Decide what's worth fixing

Small chips in the windshield can usually be filled for less than a lessor would charge. Paintless dent repair is often worth it for a couple of dings. Light scratches that haven't gone through the clear coat may polish out. Deeper damage, or anything involving a bumper repaint, is a judgement call: get a quote and compare it with what your pre-inspection says.

Tires are worth checking early. If the tread is below what your lease requires, replacing them yourself is usually cheaper than paying the charge.

The inside and the paperwork

The inspector looks inside too. Vacuum the carpets and the trunk, clean the seats, and take out everything that's yours, including the toll transponder, phone mounts and anything in the door pockets. Stains, burns and strong smells can all be noted. Fast Lane's wash is exterior only, so plan the interior separately.

Gather everything that came with the car: both keys, the owner's manual, floor mats, the cargo cover and any parts like the tire repair kit. Missing keys in particular can be expensive to replace.

One more wash before you go

After any repairs, give the car a final exterior wash a day or two before the appointment. A clean car won't hide anything from an inspector, and it isn't meant to. It just makes it clear that what's been noted is real wear, not dirt.