My car lease expires in 2.5 years, but I have moderate damage to my back rear bumper (likely only cosmetic). Should I do nothing, get it repaired/replaced or see what the dealership can do concerning buying the car and giving me a new leased one?
Here’s a photo of the damage - https://ibb.co/j46Gd1T
Any paintless dent repair shop will fix this.Look around for PDR shops in your area.
It has to be repaired ASAP as after few days plastic will assume the new shape and it will not be possible to get it back in shape.
Yes, PDR is a good idea
A body shop will do this.
Tester
The dealer does not buy the vehicle. You return at lease end and anything beyond normal wear and tear you will be charged for that.
You heat it up and push the plastic back in place. With any luck the paint won’t crack and the damage won’t be too noticeable. However, as said damage beyond normal wear and tear will be assessed at the time of turn in. Of course normal wear and tear is a subjective thing and the judge did not agree with me but took the side of the leasing company. So beware.
If you chose to take care of this yourself, you can get quotes from several body shops, check them for reputation and select the one that you feel will do the best job for the least money.
If you let the dealer get involved, they do not have any incentive to save you money, and as a middle man in the deal, they expect to make some money on the deal, at your expense.
This is cosmetic damage only. It will not affect the safety, handling, reliability, or performance of the vehicle.