Tips on Buying Cars: End of Lease Requirements, toyota highlander, large ford

Question
I have lease expiring on a Toyota Highlander and I will be returning it to the dealer with no intention of getting another lease or purchasing another vehicle. I am under the mileage allowance so that is not a problem but there are some minor dings and scrapes and a small hole about the size of a nickel in the rear bumper. Can you tell me what Toyota will look at in the final inspection and what precautions you recommend I take to assure the least "excessive wear" cost when returning the vehicle?
It has been suggested that I pretend that I am going to purchase another vehicle from the dealer, so I get more favorable treatment, when I return the leased vehicle. This sounds a bit over the top; what do you think?


Answer
First of all, don't try to fool the dealer.  If you pretend to buy another vehicle in the hopes that they'll waive any charges on the leased car, then they'll just make the waiver of any charges subject to the purchase or lease of another vehicle.  And when they do, they'll add those costs into the price of the new car, so you'll pay for the damages anyways.  I was a lease coordinator for a large Ford dealership that had about 700 vehicles out on lease at any one time, and I used to BEG people to bring their vehicle in early for a pre-termination lease inspection.  Why?  So you had time to correct problems at much less expense.  For example, if I found you had a broken tail light lens, I could advise you to go on eBay and buy a used one for maybe $30 or $40.  BUT- if you waited till the lease ended I had no choice but to go get a new one from the dealer's parts department, and now you're out $200.  So, my advice is to contact the dealer and find out if someone there (preferably a manager) will be willing to look at the vehicle ahead of time and advise you to its condition.  If not, then you may want to consider a professional assessment of the car by a certified appraiser.  You'll most likely have to have the hole in the rear bumper repaired, but that's far cheaper than buying a whole new bumper cover (yes, there are body shops that repair plastic like that, and it will be good enough for the lease company).  Dings the size of a nickel or larger should be repaired, too, but a "scrape" can be something so small it's almost invisible, to the whole side of the vehicle needing repainting.  It all comes down to common sense:  the vehicle should show "normal wear and tear" for its year and mileage.  Can you touch-up a few paint chips yourself, so they're unnoticeable?  Then you shouldn't have to pay for those, unless the vehicle has 423 individual paint chips.  Your most important precaution: get a copy of the vehicle condition report when you turn in the Highlander, and make sure it states that all damage has been noted with associated charges, and that you won't be liable for any further problems the lease company discovers after they've taken possession of it.  Without that report, you could be on the hook for hundreds, even thousands of dollars in damage and repairs.