Can I Modify Or Tune A Lease Car?
If you take pride in the vehicle you drive, you may want to invest in making it look and perform the best it can. You may also want to make modifications for practical reasons, such as storage or towing.
It is sometimes assumed that when you lease a car you cannot make any alterations to the vehicle whatsoever. This is not actually the case; most funders will allow modifications to a lease car as long as they do not leave permanent damage or marks to the vehicle when you hand it back at the end of the contract.
Any modifications must be declared to your insurance company to ensure that, should you need to claim for any reason the insurance is valid.
Types of vehicle modification
There are many different options when you are looking to modify a car. Some such as changing the bodywork or any other permanent modifications should be avoided as this will incur damage costs at the end of your lease agreement.
Adding alloy wheels is a popular modification which is usually allowed with a lease car. If the wheels are not too big for the vehicle or affect the drive, and the original wheels are put back on before the car is handed back.
Remapping a car is also a popular modification as it can improve both the performance and the economy of a vehicle whilst easily being reversed. Again, you will need to have permission from the funder and have the work carried out by a professional. If you want to remap a leased vehicle you will need to ensure the process is reversed at the end of your lease.
If you are thinking about roof boxes, we would advise asking for roof racks at the start of your lease. Adding a roof box to a car that already comes with a roof rack is fine.
If you are wanting to use your leased car for towing, you will need to enquire about this before receiving your vehicle. Tow bars can cause damage or leave marks which you can be fined for at the end of your lease agreement.
Wrapping a business lease car
If you are a business wanting to lease, you may want to explore wrapping the vehicles for advertising and brand awareness. Wrapping a car is a great way to get your business seen and a good way to advertise. If you have the funders’ permission and get the work done professionally to ensure there are no marks left on the bodywork, this is generally an acceptable modification to make to a lease car.
Wear and tear
We know when a leased car comes back to us it is not going to be in the brand-new condition it was delivered to you in after normal everyday use. Each of our contracts has a fair wear and tear policy, which outlines the acceptable wear and tear on a leased vehicle so that you have a clear idea of what is acceptable wear and tear and what will be charged for as damage.
An agreed modification that has not been removed before the end of the contract inspection may incur damage charges.
If you have any questions regarding wear and tear, please contact our team or view our fair wear and tear guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are wanting to enquire about modifications or tuning your car, either during your contract or before you agree to a lease deal, our team at Car Leasing can help. Please contact us to discuss your requirements and we can advise you on the best next steps.
If you fail to remove any modifications or restore any tuning or remapping before handing the car back to us, you may be charged as per the terms of your contract. We advise a walk around the vehicle about 10 weeks before your term is due to expire so that you can check the car for any damage and arrange for any modifications to be removed so that the car is in the correct condition.
Any modifications need to be declared to your insurance company. If you do not declare a modification, should you need to claim on your insurance you may find your policy is invalid if you fail to declare anything that is then found at a later date.