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Your lease-end is just the beginning

Our First Class Finish process will help you decide which lease-end option is right for you

Review Your Options

As you approach the end of your lease, you have three options to choose from. Please contact your dealer or call the Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Lease Maturity Department at 800-873-5471 to discuss.

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Return Your Vehicle

If you're interested in returning your current vehicle and getting behind the wheel of a new Mercedes-Benz, your dealer can help with that transition.

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Extend Your Lease

If you purchase or lease a Mercedes-Benz and need to remain in your current lease as you wait for your new vehicle, you may be eligible to extend your lease.

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Purchase Your Vehicle

If your current car is too perfect to let go of, your dealer or Mercedes-Benz Financial Services can help you with the steps to purchase it.

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Your Loyalty, Rewarded

If you replace your off-lease vehicle with a new Mercedes-Benz vehicle, we will credit your account for excess wear and use charges up to $500[1]. Plus, if you lease or finance your next Mercedes-Benz vehicle with Mercedes-Benz Financial Services (MBFS), you will receive a credit for the vehicle turn-in fee, up to $595[2]. It's our way of thanking you for choosing to stay with us.

Learn more

Prepare for Lease-End

Once you’ve made your decision, the process for returning your vehicle starts approximately four months prior to your lease maturity date and should include the following steps.

  • View from behind as a gray Mercedes-AMG GT drives along a curvy road.

Lease-end Steps

Step 1:
Third-Party Vehicle Pre-Inspection
Schedule a vehicle pre-inspection. An MBFS representative will contact you approximately 120 days before your contract maturity date to schedule an appointment with the independent third-party inspection company that conducts MBFS inspections. You choose the time and location that's most convenient, including at home, at work, or at your Mercedes-Benz dealer.

Step 2:
Review Pre-Inspection Results
Review your pre-inspection report available online at www.AutoVINLIVE.com. Then explore the option of repairing any excess wear and use items with your Mercedes-Benz dealer in advance of your expected vehicle return date.

Step 3:
Return Your Vehicle
Contact your dealer to schedule a day and time to return your vehicle.

Step 4:
Lease-End Statement
Get your final lease-end statement in the mail, detailing any charges incurred for mileage overages and/or excess wear and use. Charges will be based on the final, third-party vehicle inspection to be conducted at vehicle turn-in.

Assess Your Vehicle

Before your pre-inspection, use The Credit Card Test® and the vehicle condition guidelines below to determine if your vehicle has incurred excess wear and use that you may be charged for at lease-end. If repairs are necessary, we recommend these repairs be performed by an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer.

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The Credit Card Test®

Use The Credit Card Test® to assess your interior and exterior damage. In general, if interior and exterior damage cannot be seen when a standard size credit card is placed over it, you won't be charged. [3]

The following vehicle conditions will result in excess wear and use charges:

  • Holes, cracks, gouges, tears, or cuts in the sheet metal or bumper, regardless of size
  • Dents that are larger than the size of a credit card
  • Scratches that are through the paint and larger than the size of a credit card
  • The sixth and each subsequent scratch per panel that is through the paint and smaller than the size of a credit card
  • Tears, cuts, holes, burns, or stains to the interior that are larger than the size of a credit card
  • Damaged safety items, regardless of size (e.g., torn seat belts)
  • Glass or lights that have cracks, stars, holes, or plugs (a star is a chip with one or more legs, and a plug is considered unsafe for vehicles with supplemental restraint systems)
  • Collective damage, regardless of size, that is caused by a single event (e.g., hail damage)
A close-up of a scratch on the fender of a vehicle.

Large fender scratch

A close-up of a tear in the upholstery of a seat

Torn seat

A close-up of a dent on the exterior of a door.

Large dent

A close-up of a crack in the corner of a windshield.

Star in windshield

The following vehicle conditions will result in excess wear and use charges:

  • Wheels that are cracked or bent
  • Wheels that weren't originally equipped with the vehicle at the time of delivery (upgraded aftermarket wheels installed by an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership are acceptable)
  • Rims that are bent or have breaks (regardless of size)
  • Tires with less than 1/8" tread depth
  • Tires that have sidewall damage (which includes plugs and cuts), bulges, or exposed cords
  • Tires that are mismatched: Tires on each axle that are not the same size, brand, model, type and/or speed rating, and equivalent in quality and performance to the original tires (Note: 4-wheel drive vehicles require all 4 tires to be the same size, type, and speed rating)
  • Spare tire and rim (or inflation kit for those vehicles without a spare tire) that are missing or not in operable condition
A close-up of a broken rim.

Broken rim

A close-up of a dented rim.

Dented rim

The following vehicle conditions will result in excess wear and use charges:

  • Maintenance specified by the manufacturer has not been performed and documented
  • Warranty repairs have not been completed

The following vehicle conditions will result in excess wear and use charges:

  • The vehicle's factory-installed parts are not present, are damaged, or are in poor working order
  • Third-party aftermarket alterations have not been restored to their original condition
  • Changes to vehicle color or the addition of non-factory paint schemes
  • Damage caused by parts and accessories removal

Prior to turn-in, be sure to remove all personal items from the vehicle, complete all scheduled maintenance, and ensure all originally equipped items (if applicable) are returned with your vehicle. These items include, but are not limited to:

  • Second key
  • DVD system
  • Remote controls
  • Headphones for entertainment system(s)
  • Becker MAP PILOTs
  • Navigation disc or SD card
  • Headrests
  • Cargo cover
  • Tool kit
  • Spare tire

If your mileage is over the maximum number of miles allowed on your Lease Agreement (plus any additional miles purchased midterm), an excess mileage charge will be assessed at vehicle return. Refer to your Lease Agreement for the per-mile rate.

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