Can You Mod a Leased Vehicle?

The short answer to that question is “YES”. Leasing is like “Rent-To-Own”, so if you decide to make expensive modifications to your leased vehicle and would consider purchasing your car at lease-end (or before that), mod away.

If you decide to return the vehicle at lease-end, you must return the vehicle to “factory condition”. Not to say the dealer will penalize your putting a new intake and exhaust system into your leased vehicle (as long as its installed properly), but they certainly won’t pay you back for all the money you spent modifying it.. The lesson here is to modify with caution and make sure your modifications (if very expensive) can be easily removed without damaging the vehicle.

Does modifying your car automatically void your warranty?

The quick answer is “NO”. However, you need to understand that if your vehicle is damaged due to the modification you made, the manufacturer CAN and WILL (if they can prove the modification was the cause) void your warranty. Again, performance modifications should be down with caution regardless of whether you lease or own.

The safest modifications are typically the “visual” ones, like new rims and tint. Performance modifications can be risky, so only do so if you will consider keeping the car after the lease matures or have the money to make the necessary repairs if something catastrophic happens.

Use common sense when you modify a leased vehicle. I would recommend making sure nothing expensive is “permanent” if you plan on returning the car in the end. Also note that if you do make exterior modifications, do them “tastefully” or there could be some penalties/fees.