I leased a 2011 Honda Accord-LX four-cylinder in August. Last week, a car ran a red light…and long story short, my car needs a new radiator, fender, hood, headlights, and various other parts located in the front of the car.
The other guy’s insurance company accepted liability, but on the estimate sheet that it gave to my mechanic, many of the approved parts for the mechanic to install are listed as “aftermarket”, meaning that they’re not necessarily Honda-manufactured. I’m concerned that if I return the car at the end of the lease with non-Honda parts, Honda will tell me that I violated the agreement and will penalize me.
Is this a legitimate concern?
I think the visible parts, such as the radiator, definitely should be bought from Honda. But what about parts that are only visible if the fender is removed? Would Honda bother to inspect that thoroughly?
No, they are not going to take your fender off. The car should be “as good as new”, meaning everything functioning with no visible damage or blemishes. Now with any accidents, other stuff pops up down the road, so make sure you go back and have them fix everything properly. The should also guarantee that the paint is going to match, even in 3 years.
I’m in agreement with galant but you should read the lease agreement very, very carefully just to make sure that you don’t get surprised at the end of the lease when the car is turned in.
What happens if they pull a Carfax report or something of that nature, discover this incident, and use the diminished value argument against you when you turn the car in?
This area is not something I have a lot of experience with so the following is a cut and paste from a lawyer who has dealt in the area of insurance companies, leases, and so on.
Furthermore, vehicle leases typically state that when the vehicle is returned at lease-end, there will be additional charges for any excessive wear and use and the excessive wear clause includes payment for any damage to the body, lights, trim, paint, interior, glass, and for any missing equipment, parts and accessories. These clauses do not restrict charges to only unrepaired
damage or allow for aftermarket parts to be substituted for original ones. Accordingly, the person turning in a car at lease-end, which was severely damaged in a collision caused by another party, can still find him/herself liable to the bank or leasing company for thousands of dollars in diminished value
I’m figuring that Honda will run a Carfax or something before the lease is up and realize there was an accident. I should probably just tell the dealer and ask them if every part being replaced must be from the same manufacturer as were those original parts.
A few years ago I had a Saab that was in a accident and I leased the car. I had about 7,000 in damage and I had the Saab dealers auto body repair it. When I turned the car in the first question they ask if the car has been in a accident. I didn’t have any problem.
I told Honda Finance, and they said that if the insurance company is issuing a check directly to the mechanic, they don’t need to be involved…as long as the car is returned in the same condition. I’m going to speak with the dealer where I got the car as well.
Why are you allowing yourself to be in the middle of this and thereby accepting some liability? I know what I would do and that would be to haul it over to the dealer where I am leasing it from. Fix it- here’s the guy’s insurance info. Later, if they complain about anything relating to the repair- you guys fixed it and agreed with it then. You’re not paying anything so take yourself out of the loop…
Aside from that, hopefully you are using the term “mechanic” loosely. A full service shop is required for any major collision. That includes mechanics to assess and repair the functional parts and a body shop to do the rest. Those are two completely different skill sets. One check is cut to the shop. If your “mechanic” farms out the body work and paint, that opens up another can of worms.