Lease Turn-In


What is Normal wear and tear on a lease turn in?

There is going to be some damage to the paint on a vehicle after two to five years of normal driving, however the definition of Normal and Acceptable damage varies from lessor to lessor.

The Best Approach to Lease Turn in:

Take the vehicle back to the lessor for a pre turn-in check. This should be done 30 days prior to the turn in date, and carries no charge. The lessor will provide a checklist of all the damage and wear found on the vehicle. The list will also denote what will result in a penalty charge if left unrepaired. They will usually provide you with a cost for them to do the repairs.

In most cases, any work that needs to be done, can be done for LESS by someone other than the lessor, however, it is the leasee's responsibility to arrange for the work.

Lease turn in problem areas:

One of the areas most commonly attacked is the condition of the painted finish of the vehicle. The General rule of thumb is that if the paint can be touched up it will pass inspection, but if the damage area needs to be repainted then a penalty charge will be charged if the repairs are not made prior to vehicle turn in.


Armed with a pre turn-in checklist, Southern Colors will probably be able to resolve the finish problems, for Much less Cost and Time than the alternative sources. Areas most commonly repaired:

Chip and Scratch touch-up.

Bumper repair and or repaint.

Side view mirror repair and or repaint.

Clear coat scratch removal.

Southern Colors can repair most damage on a Same Day Basis, probably while you wait.