Many business fleets choose to lease their vehicles instead of buying them outright. Leasing allows you to upgrade your models easily every few years and provides the benefit of a professional vehicle-sourcing partner. Whether you are keeping up with the latest luxury passenger vehicles or the best safety features for your work trucks, every lease eventually comes to an end.
When you are ready to turn in a leased vehicle, you'll want to prepare it for return just as you might prepare an office building that had once been your center of operations. Leased vehicles should be returned as close to their original condition as possible, minus a few years of understandable wear-and-tear.
At Wilmar, we like to make it easy to both acquire and return fleet vehicles, so here's a quick 10-point checklist to help you optimize your lease vehicle returns and get the best value from every fleet vehicle lease.
1) Perform a Full Inspection and Maintenance Routine
No doubt you have a routine inspection and maintenance process that has kept your leased vehicle in ship-shape during it's time in your fleet. Start your return preparation simply by doing an extremely thorough maintenance routine with an eye toward catching every little detail from scratches in the paint to low tire treads.
Document everything with details notes and photos as you apply the usual remedies to any issues that are a simple matter of in-garage maintenance to fix.
2) Remove All Personal and Company Items from the Car
Empty the vehicle of personal and company items. Remove everything from the glove compartment, seat pockets, consoles, cup holders, and side-mounted mesh panels. If there is built-in storage, empty it. If there are kits, toolboxes, or coolers, remove them.
3) Uninstall Devices, Equipment, and OBD II Tracker
Next, break out the screwdriver and begin removing all installed devices, equipment, and plug-ins. Aftermarket upgrades that are not part of your lease can be unscrewed, unclipped, unsealed, and extracted from the vehicle - likely to be installed in the newer model you acquire when the next lease begins.
Remove any stowed or bolted-down equipment in the vehicle, and don't forget your OBD II telematic tracker, often plugged in just below the steering wheel.
4) Note Odometer Trip and Total
Take note of the Odometer numbers, both Trip and Total, and write them down. Then zero-out the trip Odo to leave the care with nothing but it's total mileage. This number will likely change only slightly for your leased vehicle's final trip back to the leasing office.
5) Remove All Company Decals, Stickers, and Plates/Frames
On the outside of your vehicle (and perhaps the inner windshield) remove every decal and sticker specific to your company. Peel vinyl branding from the side panels and take your parking and toll road tags from the windshield. If you supplied the license plate or swapped out the plate frame for a branded frame, undo this process and reclaim your fleet plates before returning the vehicle.
6) Have the Vehicle Cleaned and Detailed - Inside and Out
Now that everything is removed, you're ready to clean. Hire a professional vehicle cleaning service for the full inside-and-outside detailing. Make sure the carpets are shampooed, the seat crevaces are vacuumed, and any sticky residue left from sticker removal is dissolved or scraped clean.
A good detailing can genuinely save you from lease return fees by making it clear that the vehicle is unmarred and still in great condition.
7) Check the Paint Job and Windshield for Nicks
Closely inspect both the glass and paint of your leased car for any scratches, scrapes, nicks, or other superficial damage. In some cases, a small amount of paint repair can save you much more by returning a pristine leased vehicle.
8) Touch Up the Wheels and Rims
Take time to wash and perhaps rotate the tires and polish the rims. Not only does this make the car look nice, it can also help you spot scuffs or damage that should be either reported or repaired before the leased car is returned.
9) Collect Every Set of Keys
Make sure you have collected every available set of keys for the car. ount the number of keys given at the beginning of the lease and how many you are holding when ready to return the lease. If one is missing, audit drivers and lockers until it is found. You may also consider changing the coin batteries inside each key so it gives a good, strong signal when the vehicle is returned.
10) Book Your Return Appointment
Finally, you are ready to schedule a time to drop off the leased car and sign the final paperwork. Booking an appointment and adding it to your work schedule will ensure that the car arrives on time and that you are ready for the time required to fully process the return together with your leasing office.
Returning a leased vehicle can be a straightforward and simple process when you approach with the right checklist, schedule, and expectations. For more information about the fleet leasing or returning process with Wilmar Inc. contact us today. We are always happy to keep our business clients informed, prepared, and provide any fleet management assistance you may require.
