Getting the cold sweats before the lease ends

Lorraine Sommerfeld Wheels Columnist

Nearly three years ago, someone scraped the rear corner of the bumper on my Pontiac Montana minivan. It was new, and the part was plastic, and the resulting mark — the size of my hand — mocked me whenever I saw it. The fact the vehicle wasn’t mine, and would have to be turned in at the end of the lease, struck fear in my heart.

I’ve leased vehicles, usually for business, for more than two decades. This was the first time I’d had even a scratch, and for three years I’ve been all Scarlett O’Hara about it — I’ll worry about it another day.

With my lease up in three months, I decided it was time to give the van a thorough going-over and start contemplating reality.

GM closed its Leasing Division two years ago. Leasing lost its popularity when the bottom dropped out of both the new- and the used-car markets, so the price of the guaranteed residual became meaningless and a huge loss for car dealers. New cars with significantly lower prices than before were as cheap or cheaper as the guaranteed price for your leased car after four years.

A leased vehicle must be returned in decent shape. The subjective term “reasonable wear and tear” is usually applied. But I wrote last November about a marked upswing in complaints to the Automobile Protection Association as lessees were being hit with outrageous bills upon returning their vehicles; some unscrupulous dealers were trying to make up the hit by overcharging for repairs at the end of the lease. A return to calmer waters in the industry is taking hold, but I’ve been dreading the end of my lease, nonetheless.

Knowing for about two years that I wouldn’t be leasing again with GM, or probably anyone else, my little dings and scrapes have acquired new meaning. Mostly by looming large in my nightmares and forcing me to squint at strangers in parking lots as they whump open their doors and send their carts hurtling into my vehicle. People are careless; I pay for that carelessness.

Finally deciding to grab the minivan by the horns, I pulled into my dealership the other day determined to confront my fears. Anticipating some sort of narrow-eyed standoff, a me-versus-them mindset, I asked if anyone could look over my vehicle for me. If anyone dared to tangle with the Angst Ridden End-of-Leaser.

A salesman recognized me, but I told him I needed advice that would be applicable to anyone. He told me I was right to come in advance, and recommended it for all clients. “Give us a call, but yes, definitely find out ahead of time what you need to know,” Lance told me. Finding out beforehand what kind of repairs might need to be made gives you an opportunity to control them yourself.

We walked around the minivan, me pointing out all the flaws I saw. We paused over the scrape on the rear bumper. He rubbed it. Nothing. I told him I’d already spit on it and it hadn’t worked.

“Come on, let’s drive it round back,” he said. We pulled up to a body shop area, and a silent man named Danny came out holding a rag. Lance pointed, and Danny knelt down. He started rubbing. Two minutes later, the scratch was gone. I felt like an idiot. I could have done this.

The source of three years of stress was gone in two minutes. Lance laughed. “Polishing compound. And CLR to clean up the brake pad dust there, your interior looks good, your windshield is clear. In a couple of months, check your tire wear (he handed me a pamphlet with a GMAC Smart Tool in it; it’s a good helper), and you’re on the right track.”

Returning a vehicle, selling one or even keeping it; ask your dealer or mechanic for tips for keeping it safe, as well as pretty.

Lorraine Sommerfeld appears Mondays in Living and Saturdays in Wheels. Reach her at: www.lorraineonline.ca.

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