My lease is ending soon and the dealer contacted me about early termination and getting into a new ride. The car has a minor accident issue (front bumper needs replacing). I was planning to fix it before returning, but I was recommended by the body shop I went to that I could just give it back to the dealer as is and pay the dealer instead of going to a body shop.
Has anyone here gone through this? Is it usually cheaper to let the dealer handle it, or better to repair before turning it in?
You need to get the 3rd party lease end inspection, see what the damage charges will be, then make a determination of whether it’s better/cheaper to fix it yourself or just turn it in and pay the damage charges.
To be clear the inspection is done by a 3rd party company that your leasing bank uses and is completely independent of the dealer.
Alternatively if you are just going to trade your car in to the dealer early (not grounding it) then the dealer will take the busted bumper into account when they set the trade in value, which will presumably be lower than if it was in perfect condition.
From my experience with BMW/Mini - yes, returning the car with the damage is way better option than repairing. It will cost you less. I prefer Autovin inspection to the dealer inspection - the easier process at home and the Autovin inspector is nicer. But YMMV.
Agreed. BMW is going to assess the visual damage and then send the car to auction. If you try to have it repaired, I can almost guarantee you that the cost will be higher than the initial estimate from the body shop once they get a look underneath the bumper cover.
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