If you're leasing a vehicle in order to save money, but are thinking of terminating your lease contract early, you may want to think twice. Leases aren't always as easy or as affordable to get out of as auto loans.
Can You Terminate Your Car Lease Early?
In most cases, you can get out of an auto lease early, but you may not be able to do it cheaply.
Leasing typically comes with fees both at the beginning and end of your term. However, if you need to get out of your lease early, there may be early termination fees (ETF), making the cost more than you bargained for.
Additionally, lessors often require you to pay all your remaining lease payments in one lump sum before releasing the contract early. Costs involved with getting out of your car lease early may also include:
- Excess mileage charges
- Wear and tear fees
- Any taxes not yet collected
- Any negative equity
- Storage and transport fees
- Pay the cost of sale preparation
Check your lease contract to see if your lessor has any charges for terminating your lease early, or if there are stipulations that prevent you from getting out of the contract before a certain time. Even if there are extra fees imposed on you for returning your leased vehicle early, it might be easier to terminate a lease nowadays than it's been in the past.
Since the pandemic, many dealerships and lenders have pushed into the digital realm to get business done. This includes video conferences to meet with dealers that typically needed to be done in person in the past. Of course, your vehicle still needs to be turned into a franchised dealership to be inspected and processed before a leasing company allows you to terminate your lease contract early.
Is it Worth it to Terminate Your Lease?
The first step is to look at your leasing contract and see if you even can get out of your lease early, and how much it's going to cost you in ETFs. Then, you need to gather the following information:
- Your monthly lease payment amount
- How many payments you have left on your contract
- The residual value of the vehicle
To figure out a good ballpark figure for getting out of your leased vehicle early, add together the cost of your remaining lease payments and any ETFs. To see if it's worth it, compare this figure with the buyout price at the end of your lease, and find out what the current market value of the car is by checking sites like Kelley Blue Book and NADAguides.
Depending on how close you are to the end of your lease term, if the buyout price on the vehicle is significantly lower than the early termination price, it may be a good idea to wait it out. Then, once you buy out your lease, you can trade in the car for something else.
If you decide not to wait, how you handle getting out of your leased vehicle early could depend on the difference between the current market value of the car and the residual value of the vehicle as predetermined in your leasing contract. If the car has more value than the lessor predicted, you may be able to sell it for enough to pay your way out of your lease early.
Three Options for Terminating Your Lease Early
If you're looking to get out of your lease early, for whatever reason, you typically have three options:
- Sell your leased car to a dealer – Selling your leased car to a dealer is similar to doing a trade-in, except they pay off your lease contract, including the early termination fees. It's typically a pretty easy process, especially since used vehicles are in high demand since the pandemic. You may be able to get a little more for a car that's coming off a lease since the turnaround time on a sale is likely to be shorter, depending on demand. If this is the case, you may even be able to walk away with some cash in hand depending on if the dealer's willing to pay more than the lessors estimated residual value on the vehicle.
- Have someone else take over your lease – Lease assumption isn't always something you can do, but in many cases, you can transfer your lease to someone else, as long as they meet all the lessor qualifications and there's equity in the vehicle.
- Lease buyout – With the demand for used vehicles at affordable prices up right now, you may be able to buy out your lease then sell the car privately as long as you get enough money to make it worth your while. If you can't come close to selling it yourself for the amount you need to pay off your lease, including ETFs, it may not be worth it to try and get out of the vehicle early. Most leasing companies allow for some form of early lease buyout, but again, it may cost you those extra fees.
If Leasing Isn't for You
Now that you've figured out whether it's worth it or not to get out of your lease early, it's time to decide what to do next when it comes to getting a vehicle.
If you didn't mind leasing but the car just wasn't for you, you likely have the option to swap into another lease on a different vehicle with the same company. Many lessors contact lessees toward the end of their contracts to see if they'd be willing to get into another car lease early.
However, leasing isn't for everyone. If you found that the restrictions that come with it such as the mileage limitations, or cost of maintenance and repairs are too much for you to handle, it may be time to consider an auto loan for your next go-round. If this is the case, Auto Credit Express wants to get you started on the path toward your next vehicle.
We've gathered a nationwide network of special finance dealerships that are signed up with lenders to help people with credit challenges. Whether you’re just not sure where to start or you need a little help due to bad credit, start here. By filling out our fast, free, no-obligation auto loan request form, you're taking the first step toward finding your next car loan without all the hassle of searching. Get started right now!
