Can you modify a leased jeep

does anyone know the logistics of putting a lift and bigger tires on a lease?

i say go for it, if u plan to buy it after the lease

u better be buying it out...If not make sure you get in writing what the stealership will and will not allow to be done.

Just keep all of your original parts and return it to stock when you return it, you can sell your lift when your done.

My buddy has installed a 2" BB and upgraded to 15x8 black steelies and 32x11.5's. He asked the dealership prior to performing the mods, and their response was that anything that IMPROVES the value would be acceptable, and he would face no penalties for such.

He doesn't seem to worry about it much, but like others I have concerns. I might keep the stock wheels/tires and put them back on when I turned it back in. If not for the sake of getting penalized, then so the dealership doesn't score free upgrades. They can keep the BB in my opinion, too much trouble to get it off for the small expense.

I can't picture that a dealer would see black steelies as an upgrade from some nice ravines, canyons or moabs.

I will be putting a RK 5.5" LA (welding and cutting), BL, MML, DS, and Medic skid on my leased 04 Rubi next week and don't really care what the dealership says. I know the Manager and he said that it shouldn't affect my warranty.

I am however planning on buying out the lease in two years. I only leased it so I could get a good payment.

Oh yeah, I'll be cutting out the stock muffler and installing a glass pack as well.

I say go for it.

Wow that's strange that a dealer would allow that.

IMO I couldn't imagine modding something I didn't own, I hope you don't throw your money away.

ColoradoTJ said:

I can't picture that a dealer would see black steelies as an upgrade from some nice ravines, canyons or moabs.

When you own an X with the stock 28" tires and steel wheels, I think just about anything would qualify as an upgrade. :rofl: :rofl:

If you lift that jeep, the dealer will lift your wallet.

Having leased a car before, I would prepare to bend over when you return that modified jeep. I don't care what the dealership jokers tell you, you're going to get royally screwed. Just an FYI.

Kopczyk said:

Wow that's strange that a dealer would allow that.

IMO I couldn't imagine modding something I didn't own, I hope you don't throw your money away.

You better buy it, nuff said.......

If you don't buy the lease, you will learn....

Also remember, that with a leased vehicle, the vehicle DOES NOT belong to you.
It belongs to the leasing firm, delearship or otherwise.
That's sorta like going out and renting a car for the weekend, and putting mods on it....

Fred

double taxes on lease... one time when u LEASE the car, and one time when u PURCHASE the car at the end of the lease...

lease can be nice if u only drive less than 12,000 miles and driving it for sole purpose of DRIVING and nothing else and if you want a new car every 3~4 years. but i drive 12,000miles every 6months of less so I would not stand a chance with a leasing.. LoL
what you need to do is buy a car with high residual value....Wrangler...or something like that

90% of the time it's better to buy the car out right!

Isn't the purpose of lifting to wheel? And after wheeling, there could be damage? Even if the dealer is ok with the mods, most aren't ok with damage. Damage = $ in the long run...

I had a friend that had his cherokee lifted 4.5 inches with 32" tires. At the end of his lease he took the 32's off, and just put the stock 30s back on. Took it into the dealership and needless to say they were happy about what it was. They ended up just buying bigger tires and putting it out on the lot for sale. No fines towards him.

On my Unlimited I lifted my body with 1" PA pucks, tore the side steps off, it was an accident I tell ya. They never spotted a thing on a cold rainy night in Socal. Good buy Unlimitted automatic, I surely dont miss it.

There is nothing in a lease contract that prevents anyone from lifting their Jeep, nor does the dealer care one way or the other. The ONLY thing that counts is what that Jeep is worth to the dealer at the end of the lease. That is the ONLY important thing!

If that Jeep is worth less than what the estimated market value was expected to be at the end of the lease, then you owe the difference. If you can sell it outright for that amount (buying the lease out), then you're off scott-free. But there is nothing preventing a leased Jeep from being lifted, you only need to worry about what it will be worth on either the used market like if you sell it yourself, or what the dealer feels it is worth on the wholesale market... and if the lift and other mods reduced that value by making it harder to sell, then you pay the difference between that price and what your lease paperwork says it should have been worth.

But if the mods you add make it worth more than the usual market value and you can sell actually it for that amount, you can then just write the dealer or leaseholder a check for what they expected and you can pocket the difference.... which would be fairly unlikely.

Jerry Bransford said:

There is nothing in a lease contract that prevents anyone from lifting their Jeep, nor does the dealer care one way or the other. The ONLY thing that counts is what that Jeep is worth at the end of the lease. That is the ONLY important thing!

<SNIP>

Actually Jerry there may be.
Leases are different, depending on who the lease company is.
Some don't even allow the vehicle to leave the state without prior approval.
I would highly suggest the person read *all* the lease to make sure.
I have seen, first hand, leases that don't allow any modifications to the vehicle, without prior approval, even changing to any size tire, other than stock.

Remember, a leased vehicle belongs to someone else, not the leasee.

Fred

StealthTJ said:

Actually Jerry there may be.
Leases are different, depending on who the lease company is.
Some don't even allow the vehicle to leave the state without prior approval.
I would highly suggest the person read *all* the lease to make sure.
I have seen, first hand, leases that don't allow any modifications to the vehicle, even changing to any size tire, other than stock.

That certainly could be the case with some leasing companies though I personally never saw a lease agreement (contract) that included such a restriction... and I read plenty of lease contracts when I used to lease vehicles for my job. I always figured that was the case since the lessor was always financially protected no matter what due to the mutually agreed to value the vehicle had to be worth since they were going to net the same $$$ at the end of the lease whether it was from its market value or its reduced market value plus a check from the lessee to make up the difference.