Car Leasing Care - Maintenance
Every lease vehicle is offered with maintenance, although this will increase the monthly rentals a variety of factors are considered including how many miles you drive, the type of vehicle you are leasing and the cost of maintenance on that vehicle. Car leasing maintenance is optional and servicing is required to maintain the residual value of the leased car.
Optional maintenance
When maintenance is described as optional this can often be miss leading, all cars leased by our finance partners are required to be maintained during the contract period this can either be included in the monthly cost of the vehicle or customers can choose to pay for regular maintenance themselves when the car is due a service, tyres or it were to break down. The expectation of a car taken over three years driving ten thousand miles a year is that one service and possibly a set of front, rear or all tyres changed. Although taking maintenance is optional the decision to include maintenance is permanent if you decide to not take maintenance and do not have alternative cover such as break down, the cost of recovery is payable by you, although manufacturers typically offer a 12-month free recovery on all new cars, breakdowns are typically unpredictable and so for peace of mind some prefer maintained contracts with potential recovery costs built in. All of our funders refuse to offer maintenance after delivery through All Car Leasing because however brief the car begins to build up a history that is relatively unknown by the finance company, such as vigorous driving or high levels of air pollution are common causes for cars having shorter service intervals. If customers decide to take maintenance this covers them for a list of items that vary slightly from one funder or broker to the next at All Car Leasing all of our funder offers.
- Breakdown cover for the duration of your lease
- Servicing cost (this excludes damage or cost of replacement where the keeper is at fault)
- MOT if required
- Tyre replacement (tyres can be replaced at 2mm tread depth or below excluding intentional damage)
- Puncture repair (providing the tyre can be repaired)
- In addition to the list above that is not exhaustive, all vehicles come with their manufacturer’s standard warranty which includes the car makers rules and regulations for extended warranties.
How much is leasing maintenance?
The optional cost of maintenance on your lease car is calculated on an individual basis and can vary from one funder to another. Taken into consideration is the cost of a service for your lease vehicle, for example, premium brands will have a higher cost for servicing compared to budget brands such as Dacia. Mileage is also taken into consideration, as higher mileage contracts are expected to require more tyres and more services. Servicing costs and mileage also increase the risk or malfunction and punctures which are also considered. All leased vehicles are supplied with premium brand tyres and although budget tyres can be used during the contract period, the vehicle must be returned to the finance company with premium tyres or risk a return penalty for new tyres to match those delivered with the car. To calculate the cost of your leasing maintenance request a quote from your assigned account manager, and compare that to the cost of servicing and the service intervals of the prospective lease car. Consider as well if you have alternative cover for breakdown etc. and how many tyres you would expect to need during your contract. If you then break down all of the costs covered under the finance company maintenance you will find the difference is nominal, and that is why we offer maintenance as, close to worry-free motoring as we can, with no surprise charges.
How do I know leasing maintenance is right for me?
A very personal question that needs some consideration, although ultimately customer maintained is cheaper in the majority of cases, paying a little each month gives the majority of All Car Leasing customers the peace of mind that they can book their car in with any VAT registered garage in the UK and not have to pay a penny. Maintenance is a popular option for businesses with the organisation being responsible for maintenance it is easier to manage if the fleet vehicles are taken for tyres or services whenever required. Servicing will vary depending on the vehicle and manufacturer's schedule. A full list of what is included in the maintenance package can be seen here.
End of my lease
When it comes to returning your vehicle to the finance company one of the most important parts of the vehicle that is checked is that the vehicle has been cared for, the majority of vehicles no come with a digital maintenance book, rather than a physical maintenance book, this means that the cars service history is indestructible and the mileage of the vehicle at the time of service, what type of service was carried out and the garages comments at the time of service. This can also be stored in a physical maintenance book and can help the car maintain its residual value. If the leased vehicle was not serviced regularly as required or was incorrectly serviced or cheaper none manufacturer-approved parts were used such as budget tyres or own-brand filters the leaseholder could be charged a penalty for the loss of residual value or replacement with approved new parts. Even if maintenance is taken as part of the service these penalties will still apply, which is why All Car Leasing advises that all of our maintenance customers use VAT approved garages that use genuine manufacturer-approved parts these include dealerships.