Wear and Tear Guide

When taking a lease car finance option, you have a responsibility to return the car to the finance company in as good a condition as possible. The car will be inspected for damage at the end of the contract and any damage classed as ‘excessive wear and tear’ may incur a penalty to repair the damage. Obviously, having a car for 2 or 3 years is a long time and the inevitable few marks will appear from stone chips etc, so the BVLA (British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association) created a guide to what constitutes as fair wear and tear.

Follow these rules as a guide*

1. The car should be returned in a safe and roadworthy condition, with all the appropriate documentation, spare keys and equipment.
2. Cars should be serviced according to the manufacturers service schedule. Books should be stamped at the time of service to keep the history of the car.
3. Before the car is returned, the car should be in a clean condition to allow a thorough inspection of the car.

Brief Guide to Fair Wear and Tear*

1. Windscreen
   Acceptable - Small scratches outside of drivers eye sight.
   Unacceptable - Holes, chips and cracks in the glass, and scratches inside the drivers direct line of sight.
2. Wheels
   Acceptable - Minor scuffage upto 25mm in length. Wheels also meet minimum legal requirements.
   Unacceptable - Scoring and other damage to wheel surface. Damage to side walls or uneven tread wear.
3. Wing Mirrors
   Acceptable - Minor scuffage as long as no paintwork is damaged.
   Unacceptable - Missing, damaged, or cracked wing mirrors.
4. Bumpers
   Acceptable - Minnor scuffing upto 25mm in length.
   Unaccepable - Deef scuffs where paint is broken, dented and cracked areas.
5. Bodywork
   Acceptable - Small areas of chipping. Light scratches up to 25mm in length, relative to the vehicle’s age. Dents up to 10mm providing paint is not broken.
   Unaccepable - Stone chips or scratches over 25mm in length that have exposed the bare metal or primer or have rusted. Any impact damage. Multiple dents on a single panel.
6. Decals
   Acceptable - All decals need to be removed and all glue residue removed.
   Unacceptable - Any damage caused by the removal of such badges and advertising.
7. Interior Upholstery
   Acceptable - Should be clean and tidy, with only slight wear and soiling through normal use.
   Unacceptable - Burns, tears or permanent staining. Any damage caused by the fitting of equipment such as mobile phones.

* Different finance companies imply different standards of what they see as Fair Wear and Tear.