WEAR AND TEAR GUIDE

Our inspection agencies inspect vehicles in accordance with the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA). 

The vehicle must have been kept in good condition and repair, subject to fair wear and tear appropriate to the age and mileage of the vehicle. Vauxhall Finance plc is legally entitled to require you to compensate us and pay our reasonable costs incurred relating to any failure to take reasonable care of the vehicle, under section 99 (2) and section 100 (4) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, and in accordance with the terms of your agreement. 

We will charge you for repairs or refurbishment work undertaken to make good any damage in excess of fair wear and tear. If we do not carry out such repairs, you will be liable to us for the decrease in value of the vehicle as a result of your failure to keep the vehicle in an appropriate condition.

The Vehicle needs to be available for inspection in an open environment for the inspector to walk around with ease.



Documentation

All vehicle documentation, including the V5C vehicle registration document, MOT receipt, operation manual, service book and any other documents relating to the vehicle equipment must be intact and available. All documents must be in the vehicle upon its return – including details of all audio equipment security codes.

Servicing

The vehicle should have been serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule and a record of the service history should be retained, as described in your agreement. 
The service book should be date stamped by the authorised repairer.   

Appearance

To enable the vehicle to be inspected in detail, the vehicle's interior and exterior should be:

  • valeted, 
  • cleaned 
  • cleared of all rubbish 

Vehicle Keys



All keys and fobs which were provided with the vehicle must be returned and in full working order.

Mechanical Condition

At inspection and collection/return, the vehicle should not have any mechanical defects. It must be able to pass an MOT test and be safe and reliable to drive. If the vehicle is displaying any kind of engine warning light, it will not be deemed drivable and the collection process will have to cancelled and rescheduled (if you have chosen the collection service), resulting in additional costs being payable by you – see the “Voluntary Termination Checklist” for further details.

The following are not considered to be within fair wear and tear (non-exhaustive list):
  • Engine: problems caused by inappropriate, or lack of, fuel, lubricants, coolants or other required fluids or broken parts;
  • Brakes: worn-out pads leading to damage to brake discs or drums;
  • Manual vehicles: noisy or slipping clutch, excessively worn or noisy gearbox or ineffective synchronizer mechanism;
  • Automatic vehicles: Noisy torque converter or gearbox, abrupt shifting or loose linkage.
New complaints will not be considered unless you have an exceptional reason for being unable to complain prior to the deadline.

Repairs

Repairs which have been made to the vehicle before its return must have been carried out to an expert standard, by professional repairers, and be covered by a warranty which can be transferred. Repairs made to a poor standard are not acceptable (e.g. poor paint match, quality or finish).

Vehicle Interior

Vehicle interior, which includes all carpets, trim and upholstery, must be clean, and free from holes, heavy wearing, staining, tears, burns, scratches or odours. All fittings to the vehicle must be clean and in full working order with no damage. This includes seat belts, rear view mirrors, courtesy lights, sun visors, door bins etc.

Wheels, Tyres and Trims


All wheel trims, where fitted, must be present when the vehicle is returned, and trims and rims must be free from holes and dents. Alloy wheels with minor scuffing are acceptable up to 25mm in length. Scoring and other damage to alloy wheels are outside of fair wear and tear.

All tyres must conform to at least the UK legal requirement (which is currently 1.6 millimetres of tread) and any replacement tyres should be the same class, size and speed rating as the tyres which were originally supplied with the vehicle, in line with the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations.. Damage to tyre tread or sidewalls, and/or uneven wear caused by incorrect tyre pressure will not be within fair wear and tear.

Any spare wheel (including space-saver, if applicable) must also comply with the above requirements, and any associated tools which were originally provided must be present, correctly stored and fully functional, including wheel nut locking key and tyre inflation canister if applicable. If the tyre inflation canister has been partly or fully used, you will need to have replaced it with a new canister.
 
 

Bodywork

The vehicle body must be sound, well-maintained and free from any panel damage or disfigurement. Any impact damage to the chassis or underbody will not be acceptable. Small areas of chipping are acceptable as are light scratches up to 25mm in length (relative to the vehicle’s age).

Paintwork


All paintwork on the vehicle, including bodywork, side mirrors and bumpers/mouldings should be in their original condition, with no areas of discolouration, rust or corrosion. Some light stone chipping, and very minor dents up to 10mm are acceptable. If chips or scratches have exposed primer or bare metal, the customer should ensure that such damage has been appropriately and professionally repaired before inspection. Minor scuffing to bumpers, up to 25mm, is acceptable.

Soft and hard top convertibles

Convertible roofs must be fully operative and free from:
  • Damage
  • Rips
  • Tears

badges, labels and stickers

Any badges, labels or advertising materials must be removed and any damage made good. 

Light commercial vehicles must be returned in the same colour and finish in which they were supplied.
 
 

original equipment

All original equipment (including in-car entertainment systems) must be fitted and in satisfactory working order. If replaced, the nearest equivalent to the original should be fitted. Any damage caused by the installation of telephone or radio equipment should be repaired prior to the vehicle being inspected.

windows/windscreens

The driver’s line of sight must not be obstructed or affected in any way. All heating elements must be in full working order. No cracks, holes or heavy scratching in any glass will be permitted. Only a chip outside the line of sight and repaired by a professional whose work is accompanied by a warranty will be accepted.

Door Mirrors

Side mirrors must be present, free from any damage and in full working order (including heating elements and adjusting mechanisms, if applicable).

Lamps & Lenses

Minor scuff marks or scratches up to 25mm to exterior lenses are acceptable. Holes or cracks in the glass or plastic covers of lamp units are not acceptable.   
All lamps must work. 

Door aperture, boot, boot liner and luggage area

Treads, sills and seals should not be excessively scratched in excess of normal use. Floor coverings and surrounding trims should not be torn or split. All accessories originally supplied with the vehicle, such as parcel shelves, load restraints or covers should be present, fully functional and free from damage.


Vauxhall Finance


© 2019 Vauxhall Finance is a trading style of Vauxhall Finance plc, Registered Office - Heol-Y-Gamlas, Parc Nantgarw, Treforest, Cardiff, CF15 7QU.

Registered in England and Wales No. 275607 VAT No. 311 9782 01. Vauxhall Finance plc is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

Vauxhall Finance plc is a member of the Finance & Leasing Association and follows the FLA Lending Code. Copies of the code are available by clicking here.