I returned my leased IS250 a couple weeks ago. Today I got a bill in the mail from Lexus for $1798. That's to replace 3 wheels that have curb marks. They were hardly excessive in my opinion. Has anyone ever tried to get their charges reduced? Were they successful?
This is so upsetting especially since I went above and beyond in keeping the rest of the car in mint condition.

 

Always take pictures and have an inspection done and documented and demand to have any estimates done the day you return the car. Once had a dealer demand payment for damage they did after I returned the car. Pictures saved me. Some curb rash should be considered part of normal wear and tear.

 

It doesn't take much curb rash to have the lease return inspection company call for replacing the wheel. I took back a leased Mazda 626 I had co-signed for one of my sons. The inspection company flagged one of the alloy wheels for replacement. My salesman gave me the name of the wheel refinishing service they used. For a little over $100, he refinished the alloy wheel like new. I faxed the paid repair order to the leasing company and they removed the ~$400 charge for a new factory wheel.

 

really depend on what "some" curb rash is. ask them, they have clear guideline. sometimes if it's over 1" then it's considered done

 

When you turn a car in, don't they inspect it right then and there? If not, who's to say or prove THEY didn't rash it once it was in their possession? Seems like a bad rule to check for damage after you've turned it in and left it in someone else's care. At that point, anyone can say anything.

 

funny thing with lexus. Even though its not written on paper, I heard it is an unspoken rule that if you buy/lease another Lexus when you return your lease, they will waive all charges. Indeed, when I returned my RX300 which was a lease and bought my RX330, I never even received charges for putting on more than 15K on extra miles.

 

This could be, but I wonder if the participating dealer carries over the deficit into your new deal without you even knowing it. Could you have maybe gotten the RX330 for even less if it weren't for the extra 15k miles? It's awfully rare for a dealer to give free credit in a deal without it coming out of somewhere. One could never know.

 

i have never leased because of stories like yours.when you own it and you trade it in any damage after you sign is on there nickel.

 

not sure, but I got a horrible deal on my RX330. I needed a car asap because they were taking my old RX300. They didnt even knock a single dime off the msrp, but threw in the hitch in the back.

you could say that they ate my leasing charges, but I heard from multiple people who said they were never contacted by lexus about their old lease.

 

it probably was. same thing on my sc430 too moving on to ls460l. but now it's no longer the case, they get more strict