Drivers caught cold by repair bills

Half of drivers who lease cars are unsure about the wear and tear policy of their agreement – or can’t remember receiving one at all.

This follows research from Autoglass BodyRepair, which conducted a survey of 1,500 people who have privately leased a car in the last five years. It found that motorists are often surprised to find themselves liable for minor damage when they return their vehicle at the end of the contract – with 69% receiving repair bills that were unexpected.

Leasing agreements, such as Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) or Personal Contract Hire (PCH), now account for 90% of the new car market and specify a maximum level of wear and tear that a car can have when returned.

If the car does not meet the level stated in the leasing agreement the lessee is charged for repairs, with the average bill for repairs done by a leasing company being £473.

The research found that people who have had multiple leasing agreements are more likely to understand the need to have repairs completed ahead of returning the car, giving them the opportunity to shop around to reduce repair costs. However, those who have had multiple leasing agreements were more likely to be charged penalty fees for exceeding the mileage, missing logbooks or missing keys, suggesting even experienced customers face unexpected charges.

Taxiarchis Konstantopoulos, managing director at Autoglass, said, ‘Leasing a new car is now the norm so it is important to ensure that motorists fully understand their fair wear and tear policy, and return their car to the leasing company in the best possible condition. Autoglass Body Repair offers quality and competitive solutions that could help motorists solve a problem whilst controlling their costs.’