FAQ about returning lease

[osuka]

if i had about a year left in my lease and want to give it back to mazda, aprox. how much penalty do i to pay, and do they care if i have lowering springs and a cat back exhaust when i return it?

thanks :D

[S.F.W.]

if i had about a year left in my lease and want to give it back to mazda, aprox. how much penalty do i to pay, and do they care if i have lowering springs and a cat back exhaust when i return it?

thanks :D

You will pay out the remaining months of the lease plus any excess kilometer charges. They will want your car back to stock.

[osuka]

so i just have to pay for the remaining months and there is no excess charge? but does anyone know what would happen if i gave them the car back with aftermarket springs?

[-RJ3-]

I would suggest reading your contract when you leased the car.. Im sure they will check this prior to taking your car back. I suggest putting your stock springs back.

[S.F.W.]

so i just have to pay for the remaining months and there is no excess charge? but does anyone know what would happen if i gave them the car back with aftermarket springs?

they will charge you a fee for original springs, as well as labour for the change over.

[osuka]

what are the chances of someone lease busting my car if i put it on lease buster?

[osuka]

and would the dealer mind if they see that the OEM exhaust has been tampered with, cuz my OEM exhaust was chopped into a few pieces and there might be a few welds and adapters here and there

[S.F.W.]

and would the dealer mind if they see that the OEM exhaust has been tampered with, cuz my OEM exhaust was chopped into a few pieces and there might be a few welds and adapters here and there

I don't see that being an issue, as long as it works properly.

[S.F.W.]

what are the chances of someone lease busting my car if i put it on lease buster?

if you include an cash incentive to tkae over the lease, you have a good chance. If you are asking someone to just take over your lease with no incentive..slim to none.

[osuka]

what would you recommend i do if i put it on lease buster, make it stock or leave my stuff on

[S.F.W.]

what would you recommend i do if i put it on lease buster, make it stock or leave my stuff on
stock. Majority of people looking at lease take overs do not want modified cars.

[osuka]

but the thing is that i've bookmarked a few mazda 3 ads on lease busters and no one seems to be interested :S

what would you say is a good cash incentive?

[S.F.W.]

but the thing is that i've bookmarked a few mazda 3 ads on lease busters and no one seems to be interested :S

what would you say is a good cash incentive?

I would say 2-3 months payments, assuming there is at least 20,000KM left before you are over the mileage limit. If you are already near or over the free km in the lease, you are SOL, nobody is going to take the lease over.

[sp3GT]

^That's really up to you, some put $1000 - 1500 incentive. I guess it depends how badly you want to get rid of it.

[osuka]

and i believe theres a fee that has to be paid when ownership and lease is switched to another person right? does anyone know how much that is?

[McGuyver_3]

the lease transfer fees i think are around about 500$ or so. As for the modifications, i was informed as long as the parts that are on the car increase the overall value of the car then it wont matter. But i never got to return my car due to unfortunate circumstances

[osuka]

the lease transfer fees i think are around about 500$ or so. As for the modifications, i was informed as long as the parts that are on the car increase the overall value of the car then it wont matter. But i never got to return my car due to unfortunate circumstances

what kind of modification would increase the overall value of the car and whered you hear this from??

[loganm3]

I picked up my current Mazda from leasebusters, and I have lease busted a Protege5 in 2006.

The guy I got my car from paid me $2500 to take over the lease. He was over km's by 8000 and in his contract it was $0.16 a km so I felt it was a VERY fair deal. So if you are over km's, look at your contract and tally it up. This is the starting point of how much you offer.

Then your mods, I say leave them on but also (I hope you still have them) give all the stock parts. I would toss in $300-$500 to cover the cost to put the car back to stock.

If you have snowtires, winter floor mats, roof rack and etc.... toss it into the deal. You can take a few $$'s from the insentive to recoup the costs but not much.

If the car has an damage like stonechips, dents, scrapes and etc..... put some money into the deal to cover the repair costs. My car has a dent and stoneships hence why the guy gave me $1220 to cover the repairs.

How much do you pay a month compared to the other cars on leasebusters? My old GT Sport without leather I paid $395/mth, the car I picked up off leasebusters was a GT Sport with leather and it's $375/mth. If you have a good deal, then someone should pick it up, but say you are $20 more then the other persons same Mazda 3 on leasebusters you need to make the deal even to intice buyers. Simple math, take months left and multiply by how much more a month you pay than the other person's Mazda 3.

The number of months left is also important. If the car has less than 12 months left it's not an easy sell. If the car has little to no allowable km's left it is an even HARDER sell. My Protege5 had 11mths left and 23000km left on the lease. The car was MINT and the guy gave me $1200 to take the lease and tossed in the snowtires.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS cover lease transfer costs. Remember the person taking the lease is doing YOU the favor!

So for example say your car has 5000km over the allowed lease up to that current month (and you pay $0.16 per excess km), the car is in good shape with just a few stonechips and you have snowtires, and there is a simplar Mazda 3 on leasebusters that is $10 less a month. The car has 15mths left on the lease.

I would say you should offer: $800 for the kms, $150 for the difference in the lease payments, $300 for the mods, $200 for the stonechips and $200 to sweeten the deal. Also toss in the snowtires! You should have NO issues getting someone to assume your lease for $1650

I think leasebusters costs aboout $300 (not sure, don't take my word) and the lease transfer is about $700 (but this is all up to the dealer). It's not cheap to break a lease!

As for giving the car back to Mazda, they will want it STOCK. I returned my Protege5 with a stubby antenna and they tried to charge me $50 for a new one....I just went to my garage and found the stock one and drove it to the dealer.

Good luck, and try posting the lease transfer on leasebusters, craigslist and on the TM3 classified section first to see if you can avoid the leasebusters fee.

[McGuyver_3]

what kind of modification would increase the overall value of the car and whered you hear this from??

My last mazda was modified like crazy i had every gt gfx option in and on the car that you would imagine. It was a base model gx according to vin. I was going to leave the aftermarket leather seats, seat heaters , power windows and mirrors with folding mirrors, mazda speed sway bars exhaust and lowering springs in the car. I had also retrofitted oem xenons aswell as auto headlights and wipers,with gt tails sideskirts gt front end. I cannot remember what else i had done other then a fully blown stereo which i took out anyways. But i spoke with the inspector/adjuster for lease returns from a specific mazda dealer which i rather keep unnamed. I was informed that these mods were all ok as the car was below its expected mileage on lease the car was in good shape and the mods added value to the car. But you must also remember how anal the adjuster him/herself is. Some will overlook certain things and some wont

[osuka]

my cars got 36k km with 80k allowance with 15 remaining months i think but its got some hail dents from last year on the roof and hood. but overall its in pretty good condition, would $1000 cash incentive be good enough?

and wow, its actually $300 to post an ad on lease busters?!?

[osuka]

My last mazda was modified like crazy i had every gt gfx option in and on the car that you would imagine. It was a base model gx according to vin. I was going to leave the aftermarket leather seats, seat heaters , power windows and mirrors with folding mirrors, mazda speed sway bars exhaust and lowering springs in the car. I had also retrofitted oem xenons aswell as auto headlights and wipers,with gt tails sideskirts gt front end. I cannot remember what else i had done other then a fully blown stereo which i took out anyways. But i spoke with the inspector/adjuster for lease returns from a specific mazda dealer which i rather keep unnamed. I was informed that these mods were all ok as the car was below its expected mileage on lease the car was in good shape and the mods added value to the car. But you must also remember how anal the adjuster him/herself is. Some will overlook certain things and some wont

so if i kept my s-techs and cat back on, does that count as adding value to the car?

[loganm3]

I think its $300, but this is all from memory from a few years back. It's not free or cheap (like $30) I know that for a fact. Shoot them a call tomorrow and see what they charge.

You have loads of km's left so thats a big plus. As for the hail damage, personally, I wouldn't take over a lease that needs hail damage repaired. Maybe look into getting it fixed!

$1000 would be fair, but remember it's all realitive to what other Mazda 3's (and simular cars) are going for on leasebusters. Research the market, see what is being offered and compete.

I would start by taking some pictures, posting them on kijiji and craigslist and the tm3 board and see if you get any response. Offer $1000 insentive, you will cover all lease transfer costs and all stock parts are included (if you dont have the stock parts I'd make it $1500) But do your research!! Scower leasebusters and see what the market is doing in the GTA. Selling a car (face it, you are selling someone your lease) is just like selling a house or any other major purchase. Everyone uses the internet to research, everyone knows what is a good deal and what is a bad deal....and everyone likes getting the best deal possible. If you want it gone fast, you have the make the deal sweet....if you want to make the deal average it will take some time to get gone.

Also remember that every month it takes to get rid of the car is another payment. If you're paying $350 a month and want the car gone fast maybe offer a $1000 and a free month (an extra $350) if someone takes the car by X date.

I doubt you'll have an issue getting rid of your lease if you are the best deal on leasebusters, have low kms and (this is the major one for me) the hail damage is not really that bad.

[S.F.W.]

so if i kept my s-techs and cat back on, does that count as adding value to the car?
no.

[osuka]

it sucks how you need 50 posts to start posting on classified ... i got my car and so many parts to part out : /

[loganm3]

Ask a moderator nicely to allow you to post.

And if they allow you make sure you follow the forum rules in classifieds

[osuka]

yah i sent a PM to flipdaddy, but he never got back to me :(

[S.F.W.]

it sucks how you need 50 posts to start posting on classified ... i got my car and so many parts to part out : /

We aren't going to make an exception. We get many requests, and you have been on the forum over a year, and just started posting. The purpose of the 50 post requirement is to have users contribute something to the forum, before getting the benefit of selling items to our users.

[BoostieMonster]

umm sorry edit

[osuka]

does anyone know how thorough do they check for the return lease inspection?

[loganm3]

With a fine tooth comb. I was charged for a cracked foglight and paintchips on the hood.....when I though my car was MINT. Each lease is different for acceptiable "wear and tear" so check your lease agreement.

[osuka]

how much did they charge you?

[BoostieMonster]

Usually they try to overcharge you for every nick or dent. That's how they get you at the end, make you pay for the fix so they can sell/trade it for more on your dime.

I had a small dent and scratch on my acura return, they wanted $800 to fix it. Their policy was if its under $1,000 estimate from them you can do it on your own and just show them the receipt. So I had a friend of friend body shop guy fix it for $120, gave the receipt for $120 and that was that (Mind you there was a bit of hassles with miss-communication but all solved at the end).

[loganm3]

I was charged $750 for a foglight and stonechips on the hood

[m_bisson]

all i paid was $30 for a plastic wheel cover..... My paint chips were small enough to be counted as normal wear and tear.

[osuka]

good thing i have the chips and dings insurance ... how much does that insurance actually cover?

[S.F.W.]

good thing i have the chips and dings insurance ... how much does that insurance actually cover?

at this point, it's time to use our wonderful search feature. You would see threads such as these:
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=18937
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=25908&highlight=lease+return

[loganm3]

How does a cracked light constitute "mint?"

Scratches head...

Well I thought it was mint when I returned it!

It was one of those chips/cracks that you could only see if you are on the ground and looking right at the light

[SKYMP3]

How bad is the stone chips on the hood, you lease the car for 4 years or 3, it is impossible to have no stone chops on the hood unless you put a clear bra from day 1.

[loganm3]

Leasing companies don't care what is possible/impossible...they have standards and returning cars must adbide by them.

Ford credit, the people who own my current lease and my past Mazda 3 lease, tried to charge me $1800 for going over my pro rata km's after my car was totalled. They gave me some bull about how the excess km's devalued the car....um I'm pretty sure the bashed on side was the true reason the cars value dropped.

I remember sitting down with Jeff and almost leasing a new Mazda 3, and we went over lease details. It was nuts if you didn't have the "wear and tear" package. Something like any scratch longer than an inch, anymore than 3 stonechips and you will be charged. Leaseing a car is funny now for me....I work so hard to make sure the car is always clean and scratch free, yet I don't own it! I am taking care of someone else's car, well until I buy it out in 12 months.

[m_bisson]

Here is what i was told by the dude from AutoVin: You can have 3 chips/scratches PER PANEL as long as they are not larger than a credit card (combined). 1 chip in a window is $75, 2 chips is $150, 3 chips or a crack and you replace the window. Scuffs/scratches on rims/wheel covers are okay, but if the wheel cover is cracked or broken it needs to be replaced. Internally there can be stains on the seats and stuff, but no cuts in the fabric.
Mechanically everything must work: lights, brakes, parking brake, forward/reverse gears (he'll just roll the car forward and back to make sure), no warning lights on the dash, radio and speakers make sounds.

The wear and tear package is not needed. Just like the extended warranty, the dealer sells it NOT because it protects the consumer but because THEY PROFIT FROM IT. At the end of the day, the more they sell to you the more they take home! Even "trustworthy" salespeople like Jeff are in it for the money. That's why we all go to work, right?

[osuka]

i've also heard that if the paint of the car does not match then they request to get it fixed, how close does the paint have to be?

[Honva]

if i had about a year left in my lease and want to give it back to mazda, aprox. how much penalty do i to pay, and do they care if i have lowering springs and a cat back exhaust when i return it?

thanks :D

If you have done a lot of upgrades/mods, it may be better to buy back the lease and then sell it. Someone interested in your mod may give a good price. It doesn't make sense to spend money returning the car to stock condition and pay penalties.

[Mistro]

Grrr... this is annoying and ironic. I read this thread before heading off to uni. I come back to the lot, and it seems like some idiot rear ended my car slightly. There's now two faint vertical lines in the back bumper approximately the same distance apart as a license plate, and the paint seems to be flaking around there.

:(

[osuka]

Grrr... this is annoying and ironic. I read this thread before heading off to uni. I come back to the lot, and it seems like some idiot rear ended my car slightly. There's now two faint vertical lines in the back bumper approximately the same distance apart as a license plate, and the paint seems to be flaking around there.

:(

try using touch up paint and turtle wax, might help :)

[dhlwtu]

If u go to a good detailer that may work 2

[Mistro]

Well, I still have another 16 months left on the lease so I guess I'll just take it in for a nice detailing before handing it back to the dealer :( It's just annoying noticing those scratches. I also noticed a bunch of light scuffs/scratches that almost look like the car got keyed. And there's also a few vertical marks along the side moulding like someone banged their doors against it. I hate university parking lots.

I learned my lesson I guess. I park far far away from anyone else now in any parking lot. The walk is worth avoiding the headaches.

[mastereh]

I have a 2006 Mazda 3 which will be returned this coming July.

On my driver side door I have a small ding from when someone opened their door too hard and caused a minor scratch and dent. Its approx 1" in size. I'll have this fixed prior to the car being inspected so this shouldn't be a problem.

I also have my brake calipers painted is this something I need to have removed? What would be the best way to get this done?

Also how many mm are acceptable for tires? I believe mine are sitting at about 7-8mm each. But I'll have to double check.

[sp3GT]

I think calipers painted is fine, I returned mine like that and they didn't say anything. Tires should be 3/32.

[mazdaskit]

they told my bosses son when he returned his car if the damage is bigger then a credit card then he will be charged for it