If you’re one of the many who lease a vehicle via PCP or PCH, ensuring that you don’t end up out of pocket at the end of your lease can be a little bit of a worry. However, 360 Vehicle Leasing are here to help, with some key information which will help you to identify if something counts as “fair”, or if you should probably get it fixed.

So, wear and tear – what does that actually mean?

Wear and tear is the damage that occurs to a vehicle over the course of its lifetime. FAIR wear and tear is damage within the parameters of what is expected from a vehicle’s age and mileage. For example, a car which is under a year old shouldn’t have much damage or repairs needed, in comparison to a car which is six years old and has been used on a number of long-distance journeys.

But what if there’s been a bump, or a scratch?

Cosmetic damage is often easily repaired and doesn’t cost too much, however if you’re unable to get a scratch or a dent repaired before you return your vehicle, it’s good to know that they don’t expect the car to be in pristine condition. Acceptable and unacceptable scratches and dents can differ between dealerships, although Toyota’s fair wear and tear manual says that surface scratches less than 25mm are acceptable, anything over and above this is unacceptable. Dents on the other hand – anything above 10mm in diameter is unacceptable.

Who determines if damage is “fair” or not?

The dealership. When you lease a car, you will receive a “fair wear and tear” document, which outlines what is and isn’t fair wear and tear. For example, if you replace the tyres, they must match the original wheel trim, and cuts and tears to seats are certainly NOT fair wear and tear.

And don’t forget, you absolutely MUST keep your service history up to date, as it is part of the contract. For each service which has been missed, you will incur a charge – which will be part of your final bill! So keep on top of your services, take good care of your car, get it cleaned often, and you shouldn’t be hit with any stressful surprises when you hand it back!

For more information from 360 Vehicle Leasing, or to find out about the great offers they can provide for your next lease, click the blue box below!