How Tires Affect Your Lease Return

Obviously, if you turn in a leased car with a bashed-up front end, that’s going to cost you some money. But did you know that having worn out tires can do the same thing? Most dealerships have requirements in their lease agreement for the condition the tires should be in upon return. This is something you should take into account when returning your lease.

Even if you’ve never leased a car before, you can still probably guess that they’ll want it back in good condition. What you may not consider is that this includes the tires. To avoid fees or being charged for new tires, here are some things you can look for:

• Check your tread depth. I’ll talk more about the tread depth later, but if it’s down to the wear bars, you’ll almost definitely need to replace them before return.
• Look for any damage like slashes, bubbles, holes, etc. Tires can be rejected for being damaged as well as just low, and you may end up having to pay for a new one.
• Make sure all the tires are the same size, speed and load rating and brand. Some lease contracts will mention that they don’t care what brand you return it with, but some will want a specific brand, so if you want to be safe match everything to the originals.
• Make sure the spare (if your vehicle has one) and all the tools that came with it are still in the car, and stored in their proper places.

This is, of course, on top of checking over your vehicle for body damage/cleanliness.. Most manufacturers allow what they call “normal wear” on their returned lease vehicles, but any damage beyond that could result in more fines. Also, that’s a pretty vague term, so you don’t want any cracked glass, broken mirrors, torn seats, etc. Also remember to check the mechanical components of your vehicle, like brakes. If you know they’re worn down, it may be cheaper to replace them before returning the car.

Let’s get back to tires. You’re probably asking yourself:

How Much Tread Depth Do You Need to Return a Lease Anyway?

Unfortunately, this varies by dealership and lease. Usually it will list this in your contract, along with the other requirements for return. That being said, a good majority require at least 4/32, so if you can’t find it in your contract or get in touch with them to check, it’s safe to stay above that measurement.

Once you find out the tread depth required by your lease, you can measure your tires and see if you need to replace them or if they’re good as is.

Now that you know what to look for when returning your lease, keep this in mind when picking up a new one. If it’s been previously leased, aside from checking the vehicle over, take a look at the tires, too. Make sure they’re in good condition and have a decent amount of tread, that way you can be sure you have your money’s worth when you start those lease payments!