sherizel

I have a 2013 ES 350, the lease is up the end of May 2017. The car is in good condition except for some scrapes on the wheels and a 4 " thin scratch I can't seem to buff out. I still need to get the inspection done. The car has 31,000 miles on it. I just want to roll the lease over into a new ES 350. I realize Lexus is going to charge me for the wear and tear on the car. Should I expect them to waive those charges if I agree to a new lease or is that non-negotiable? Then will I have to put down a few thousand to get into the new lease? Of course I know this depends on how much I put down and what I want my payments to be but I'm just trying to figure out a ball park figure as to how much out of pocket money I need to get into a new car. They have been calling me non stop to come in and get a new car so I'm running out of time. Any advice on the best way to handle the process is appreciated. Thanks.

gmanusmc

We turned our IS350 in this past August. Have your preinspection done and you will know exactly what you are up against. The Lexus Financial site has detailed guidance on the turn in process and will help you a lot. Make sure you have both keys, all manuals, and I think the tires need to have at least 3/32" tread depth. They take pics of everything at the pre-inspection - they took about 40 pics of ours at every conceivable angle.

SW17LS

I would have them appraise it as a trade in, get some values from some other sources and trade it in instead of turn it in.

JDR76

My only advice is to remember that you have until May, or roughly 3 months to go. You can wait until the last day if you want to, so don't be rushed into anything. Take your time to find the right car/deal and don't let them pressure you into a false timeline.

dchar

Get the inspection done ASAP. They will email you a print out within a few days with all the issues that need to be addressed and the expenses if not addressed. You can get the dealer to pick up the tab for the issues while making your new deal, but make sure they don't roll it into your new payments. Like stated earlier, see if you can trade it in (especially if you are way below your mileage allowance).

Also, don't feel rushed about getting a deal. Wait a few weeks for the March sales event. You have time. You even can request for a short extension with LFS past your due date if you haven't found a deal or car you're satisfied with.

Dave Mac

Yes, get your pre-inspection done at your convenience - I usually wait until about the last month. And I would not do anything about tires or repairs until after that. I have found that the inspections are thorough but not obsessively detailed. They will take pictures of every little mark but that doesn't mean you will be charged. They have some kind of guideline about a scratch being shorter than a credit card or something. The tires on my last car were so bad that I was afraid I would pickup a nail and the tire shops would refuse to do the repair - yet no charge for tires. I would not have driven the tires down that much if I hadn't been in the final stages of my lease. And all about your selling dealer can do is (1) take the car as a trade or (2) give you or LFS a check for any excess wear. The deal is between you and LFS and if they tell you anything else they will be rolling it into your new lease. There is a lease termination fee that LFS will waive if you get a new lease with them but everything else is on you. I turned one in a few years ago with excess mileage and the dealer gave me a check payable to LFS for say $456. Would you believe I got a bill from LFS a month later for another .50 for two more miles.

Again, don't do anything until after the inspection - the process usually goes pretty well. Do take pictures of your own though before you return it. I once got billed for a chipped windshield and bald tires which I knew was not right so I called and they referenced the inspection photos which clearly showed the items in question on a red car - mine was white.

Dave Mac

Fillykonk

I'm in a similar position as the OP with a 2014 also due in May. Only difference is I plan on buying the car. It is in pristine condition with only 18k miles. Is it better to do this through the dealer or should I go directly through LFS? This is my first Lexus lease so pardon my ignorance.

SW17LS

LFS will just refer you to the dealer

bc6152

I've never leased a car but am wondering who does the preinspection and is their result binding on the final disposition i.e. repairs needed, etc.

Dave Mac

I don't know that a pre-inspection is binding and they tell you that the car may/will be re-inspected at turn-in but to submit a copy of the inspection report when you turn in the car. If done close enough to lease end I don't think there is usually a second inspection. My salesman told me he has not seen second inspections. And even though the inspection company is not related to LFS the inspector told me he documents everything no matter how small even though when he prints the report they all show as no repair cost. I have found it to be a pretty good process and as stated above would not do an preemptive repairs before the inspection. Because the inspection report is to some extent the last word the inspector did say that if I did any repair to the car after the inspection be sure to attach documentation with the report.

And just because for example a tire or all tires are worn below the wear limit doesn't mean they will charge you for a set of new Michelins. The one time LFS wrongly tried to charge for two worn tires they just billed me $100 or something.

Dave Mac

Dave Mac

I have twice attempted to buy my lease-return either for myself or a friend at the end of the lease and it just doesn't go well. You are dealing with LFS who isn't really interested in selling cars and will refer you back to the dealer. The price will be the residual plus as much as a thousand dollars in charges by the dealer for handling the transaction and then applicable sales taxes. The residual is often more the used car is worth and you would do better following the car to auction and buying it there - but doing this is no small task. It just didn't work for me. The leasing dealer apparently gets some kind of preferential treatment if they want to buy the car and I don't know how this relates to the residual - I think they just get first chance at the car.

Dave Mac

Fillykonk

Thanks for the info. I already figured out that the dealer would try to make money off any projected sale which is why I was hoping to bypass them in the process. I don't think the auction is the way I want to go so I'll just have to see what unfolds with the dealership itself. If worse comes to worse I'll let the car go and see what I can do regarding a certified pre-owned or looking at the Subaru dealer next door which the Lexus dealer also owns. As much as I love the ES and will still buy it if the price is right I've also been considering a 4wd SUV anyway due to an upcoming move to NC so that may be the way to go anyway.

SW17LS

I've done it twice, but it was a long time ago. It wasn't hard either time. No sales tax in MD because we pay sales taxes on the whole purchase price upfront. I don't recall any fees or premiums, and the whole thing took about an hour. I was cash purchasing both times...

tinkley

I also have a lease due next month and have not done my inspection yet. Do you recommend getting the inspection done before I fix some scrapes on my bumper? I would need to repaint it but don't plan on going to Lexus for the repairs.

Dave Mac

If you have substantial scratches on your bumper you might call one of the bumper repair guys to come to your house and do it ahead of the inspection - cost about $200 and most do a great job. But be sure the scratches are enough to warrant repairs. If you decide to wait until the inspector confirms that they will have to be fixed you will need to submit your repair invoice and maybe a picture with your lease turn-in documents and even then LFS may never see the documents and bill you for the damage anyway - you could work that out but it would take some effort. Do you think the scratches are that bad?

Dave Mac