Car end of lease - how much fuel to leave in tank?

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darkovo
darkovo Posts: 209 Forumite
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Hi,
My 1st car lease coming to the end of the 2 years and handing it back soon.
I can't see anywhere in the documentation of how much fuel we need to leave in the tank, presuming only need to leave a small amount in there so they can fill it up themselves?
What do other people do?
Thanks
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  • motorguy
    motorguy Posts: 22,473 Forumite
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    darkovo wrote: »
    Hi,
    My 1st car lease coming to the end of the 2 years and handing it back soon.
    I can't see anywhere in the documentation of how much fuel we need to leave in the tank, presuming only need to leave a small amount in there so they can fill it up themselves?
    What do other people do?
    Thanks

    If i'm selling a car i aim to not have the fuel light on, as a minimum.

    I'd probably do the same if it was a lease or PCP return.
  • loskie
    loskie Posts: 1,761 Forumite
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    do the decent thing leave at least 50 miles or so in. My lease car arrived on a trailer (this was a cheap astra lease) to SW Scotland from Stoke. With 5 miles and a full tank. Trailer and fuel were totally unexpected. When it went back there was around £12 of petrol left in. The lady that came to collect it seemed pleasantly surprised.
    Treat people as you would wish to be treated yourself.
    If I was collecting a car and the fuel light was on, it was dirty etc etc I would be less lenient with the damage report.
  • George_Michael
    George_Michael Posts: 4,251 Forumite
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    At a conservative guess, a two year lease probably cost in the region of £5000+ so even if you put in a couple of gallons of fuel before returning it, something which would cost around about £10, this is a tiny fraction of the money already spent on that vehicle.
  • darkovo
    darkovo Posts: 209 Forumite
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    Thanks for the replies, I think we've covered every angle :)

    Ethics aren't my main concern when it comes to cold hard cash.

    I'll give them a call and see what they expect.
  • motorguy
    motorguy Posts: 22,473 Forumite
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    darkovo wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies, I think we've covered every angle :)

    Ethics aren't my main concern when it comes to cold hard cash.

    I'll give them a call and see what they expect.

    I'm curious as to why, given you've had a unanimous "leave a couple of gallons in it" outcome, why you asked in the first place, given you're going to ring them and ask them anyway?
  • agrinnall
    agrinnall Posts: 23,344 Forumite
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    Well, if cold hard cash is your only consideration siphon out the fuel so that the tank is empty then put enough back in to get the car to the nearest filling station.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    I'd leave next to nothing in it. Any fuel you leave is likely to end up being used by the company anyway using it as a runaround. I don't think they expect to get them back with fuel in.
  • boliston
    boliston Posts: 3,012 Forumite
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    when i handed back a lease car i told the guy collecting it there was a petrol station about a hundred yards up the road and apologised there was not much fuel in it - he just said he has a fuel card so never pays for fuel himself
  • darkovo
    darkovo Posts: 209 Forumite
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    motorguy wrote: »
    I'm curious as to why, given you've had a unanimous "leave a couple of gallons in it" outcome, why you asked in the first place, given you're going to ring them and ask them anyway?

    Ha!
    I've never done a lease before and wasn't sure what people normally did, hence the question.
    And so after differing replies I may as well call them to get an answer from the horses mouth, even though they may be biased to say leave quite a bit in?

    I've had rentals before where you collect with a full tank and they expect to receive it back with a full tank, but thats a different scenario.
  • Herzlos
    Herzlos Posts: 14,688 Forumite
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    It'll sit on a forecourt and sell with an almost empty tank. I'd give them enough to drive it away if the contract says otherwise.
    How much did it arrive with?
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