816 NW 7th Terrace Fort Lauderdale FL 33311 (Between I-95 & US1) 954-760-4444

Purchasing a used vehicle can be risky. When excited buyers get emotionally caught up in the vehicle purchase, they often miss mechanical, cosmetic, and safety issues during visual inspections and test drives. These problems are compounded if the vehicle being purchased is located in another city and is purchased prior to being seen in person. To eliminate much of the anxiety and get an accurate picture of the condition of the vehicle, many buyers choose to have a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) done before the sale is final.

A pre-purchase inspection is a detailed assessment by a qualified individual to determine the cosmetic, mechanical, and safety condition of a vehicle before completing the purchase. Most pre-purchase inspections are done by a certified mechanic or automotive technician who is knowledgeable in the make and model of the vehicle being inspected. The intent of the PPI is to uncover existing conditions or to reveal maintenance shortcomings that may become potential safety or financial issues for the buyer in the future

A pre-purchase inspection is highly recommended when purchasing a vehicle without a warranty, or when the vehicle is located in another city. When there is no warranty, the buyer is immediately assuming all the risk in the event of a breakdown or major mechanical issue. For this reason, a qualified PPI makes financial sense. Vehicles in other cities present additional challenges when the purchaser is unable to take a test drive. With just a few phone calls, you can often arrange a PPI with a local shop where the seller can drop the vehicle off for a few hours. The resulting PPI report gives the buyer added security during a long-distance transaction.

What is a pre-purchase inspection?

When should I get a PPI?

When you return your lease vehicle back to the lessor, it is you that is responsible for any damages the lease company deems as “excessive wear and tear”.
Your car will be inspected when you return it by the lease company or dealership for any areas of damage deemed to be "excessive wear and tear". The cost of repairing any of this damage will be a recharge.

The average vehicle owner is charged more than $3,000 when returning their vehicles – often for minor damage such as door dings, bumper scrapes, and minor interior damage

What are lease return recharges?

Normal vs. Excessive Wear?

Normal wear is the minor and reasonable wear a vehicle endures in everyday, ordinary operation. Normal wear can include a few small door dings, paint scratches, stone chips less then 2 inches in diameter.

Excess wear includes occurrences beyond the normal or ordinary wear a vehicle endures. This includes wear caused by neglect, abuse, damage, poor maintenance, changing the vehicle’s appearance or using inferior parts and materials for repairs. Most damage over 2 inches in diameter fall into this category.