[northernlights]

8 days and 1000 miles of driving and not a single incident with the car until I pulled into the Vikase parking lot in Munich for drop off. As I pulled forward into the parking "stall" I heard that brutal sound we ALL hate to hear of the front air dam scraping onto concrete. I put the car in reverse and that equally confirmatory heart sinking lurch off the offending curb/barricade/etc. occurred. I get out to check and under the dam the plastic is scraped up a bit. It's not terribly noticeable but I know its there. I did point it out to the Vikase people and they commented "I know cause I heard it" and wrote it down on the paperwork. As a side note there are no parking minders and a high curb but not quite high enough to see very well, so to all future ED Munich drop people BE CAREFUL...

Anyway I KNOW I will do this about 20 more times over the life of my lease no matter how careful I am and so I am debating whether to "go through the motions" to alert my dealer (per Vikase's instruction's) and then suffer through paperwork hassle? and potential VPC delay while they make a new part in Germany and pack mule it to Oxnard. Or is this just normal wear and tear that won't get repaired anyway.

So to people that have had minor damage what would your advice to me be?

 

[Calif65GM]

If it doesn't bother you then leave it as is. Honestly, I've lost count on how many of these scrapes are on the bottom of my car.

Most likely won't be fixed at the VPC anyways. If you want it fixed, notify your CA when you get home and they'll most likely take care of it when it arrives at the dealership.

 

[DDoone]

It's not terribly noticeable but I know its there.
So to people that have had minor damage what would your advice to me be?

It's wear and tear when you turn in at lease end so forget about this minor less visible damage and remember it only for the sake of not doing it again. If you have nightmares about it, at the end of the day the mantra of leasing is: It's not my car.

 

[adc]

I had mine fixed at VPC, but it was a scratch on the lower right side of the bumper - in other words, visible. If it had been under the front lip, I would have ignored it. (Because I already have scratches there after 2 months in the US).

 

[vern]

Great attitude,I bet you use 87 octane too.
cheers
vern

 

[DDoone]

Great attitude,I bet you use 87 octane to.
cheers
vern

only the week before I give it back, too

 

[skywalkerbeth]

I got scraped by some wanker in some parking lot in some hotel just before the end of my trip. I noted it, told Thomas (RIP ) and it was fixed at the dealership no problem.

 

[adc]

I've never seen a lease where significant scratches, dings, etc. were considered "normal" wear and tear. Usually you end up paying for these unless they are very minor.

Actually, the BMWNA lease end terms are remarkably easygoing - I just turned over a car this May.

Tires must have 4/32 left over I believe, dings up to 3" total deformed area diameter are allowable, as well as assorted scratches and chips. They even provide you with a template that makes it easy to judge which will pass and which not.

That's why I was never too stressed out and pretty much left it until the very end to see if life's assorted dings would pass. Since they were within the limits of the template, there was no problem.