Terminating a Lease

Ask the Hackrs
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1

I know this site is replete with lease termination discussions, but I wasn’t able to find anything exactly like this.

I leased a 2024 Dodge Hornet in July of this year (24mo/12k). Several days later, I struck a deer, dealing moderate damage to the car.

Stellantis is unable to produce replacement parts for the vehicle, which we’ve been trying to get since the time of the collision in July. This is well-documented (myself, the auto shop, the parts warehouse, and Stellantis themselves all possess documentation to this effect).

The vehicle also has myriad quality issues, including a critical safety recall. None of these things can even begin to be addressed until replacement parts are produced. These parts are “indefinitely” backordered (their language!).

This seems like a breech of the lease, from my seat. The leased vehicle isn’t able to be used for its implied purpose, and it’s ultimately the fault of the manufacturer for not being able to supply ordinary replacement parts in a timely (or even not) fashion.

Options? Has anyone experienced such a thing?

Thanks!

2

It sorta sounds like lemon law but since you were in an accident I’m not so sure.

Is your insurance paying for rental car? They might be more inclined to total it

3

My insurer is not providing a rental, but I didn’t really request one. Do you think I should inquire, would it help force the issue on the insurance side of the equation?

4

How can it be lemon law? He hit a deer.

5

He was mentioning it like it was a lemon law. Things like cannot do recalls, cant do this or that. But it’s all based on his accident. So I just wanted to say, it’s probably not a lemon law.

@Mister_Zachary You should ask the insurance company for a rental if you have it on your policy. This might encourage them to total it.

6

If your insurance is unable to fix the vehicle, they should total it.

2 Likes
7

Either your insurance or Stellantis/service station. IMHO, it’s ridiculous that you are paying for your own rental when you have no control over Stellantis being unable to source the right part.

8

Insurance won’t cover a rental for an at-fault accident without rental coverage.

2 Likes
9

Then OP should request one from service station/Stellantis. They’ve already been waiting 5-mo wait for a part that is “indefinitely” backordered.

10

What did your customer care rep tell you?

https://connect.dodge.com/us/en/contact-us

11

[quote=“paranoidgarliclover, post:9, topic:627125”]
request one from service station/Stellantis
[/quote]at fault accidents aren’t really a warranty item so i dont think this would fly

12

I get the no-fault part of it, and, if Stellantis balks, then it is what it is. But I think OP should at least try. It’s not like the OP has only had to wait a month.

Doesn’t hurt to contact customer care (as mentioned above).

13

This is the angle I’d take. If the vehicle can’t be economically repaired in a timely fashion, it’s a total loss by definition.

1 Like