Car modification — it’s an exciting world that many are an enthusiastic part of. People purchase all kinds of cars in order to get to work right away and turn them into a unique machine that reflects their personality and individuality better. As they transform their cars into what they call “Tuners,” the only word they hope to avoid coming their way as they work is “Ricer.”

But how does modification fit in with the newer trend of car leasing? Can these concepts even come together as one? Can you modify a leased car and get away with it? Won’t you incur the financial penalties and general wrath of the dealership or leasing company? In today’s blog, we’re looking at the possibilities (if any) of modifying a leased car.

Background: What is Car Modification?

Car modification refers to the practice of taking a mass-produced vehicle and replacing factory-issued parts and systems with aftermarket ones. The general aim is to either make the car look more individual and set apart from the crowd, or to perhaps add some value to the car by making it a higher-performance specification through mods.

The majority of car modification is carried out by enthusiasts who simply want to own a car that feels more like their own rather than the same one driven by countless millions of other people around the world. As we mentioned in the introduction, there are 2 types of results when modifying a car. It either gets called a “Tuner” or a “Ricer.” The former refers to well-appointed, stylish and meaningful upgrades that augment the car’s desirability or aesthetic. The latter…well…refers to an obnoxious boy-racer-mobile that looks like the automotive dream of an ill-informed 12-year-old boy.

Why modify your car in the first place? Leased or not, it seems like so much trouble? People modify to:

• Express individuality
• Stand out from the crowd – cars are nearly all the same color these days, and even different marques are owned by the same small number of bigger corporations building on the same platform
• Boost the car’s speed and performance capability – more hp, more torque
• Make the car louder, lower, brighter and/or snazzier
• Transform a lower-spec vehicle into something more like a supercar

Can You Modify a Leased Car? Short Answer: Yes, but…

Some might automatically think that the answer to this question would be a resounding “No” because a lease car doesn’t even belong to you. It belongs to the dealership or finance company that owns the lease. They will ultimately want the car back from you (unless you eventually buy it with a balloon payment, but few do that) to resell on the pre-owned market. To do that, the car has to be in its original condition. The answer is that you can modify a leased car within reason, but you have to be ready and prepared to restore the car back to its original specification when the time comes for you to return the vehicle.

What Kinds of Modifications to a Leased Car Are Acceptable?

When you’re thinking about modifying a leased car, the keyword you are looking for is “reversible”

Reversible Vs. Irreversible Modification

What these terms refer to is how possible it is for you to restore the car to its original condition after the modifications have been done. In this sense, modifying a rental car is a bit like redecorating a rented apartment. The landlord generally doesn’t mind, as long as you put it back the way it was before you eventually leave at the end of your lease.

Examples of reversible modifications include (but are not limited to):

• Custom alloy wheels
• Ambient lighting or undercar lighting
• Vinyl wrap
• Window tinting
• New tires
• Carbon fiber components (e.g. spoiler, diffuser)
• New infotainment system and/or audio system
• Seat covers

You can see the pattern here. Anything that can be reversed easily enough so that the car can be restored to its original condition should be acceptable, and what’s more shouldn’t void the warranty (see more below on voiding the warranty).

The term “irreversible” here refers to modifications that either can’t be undone, or that perhaps can be technically undone but with tremendous difficulty and risk of damaging the vehicle, such as:

• Installation of a turbocharger or supercharger
• Permanent bodywork like cutting away the wheel arches
• Tuning the ECU — which also might be illegal
• Extensive modifications to the exhaust systems

Some proceed into modification thinking that they can reverse it, but then discovering getting it back to original specification is a lot harder than they thought. They could end up in serious trouble, even being forced to bite the bullet and pay the balloon payment and buy the car to avoid massive fines and penalties. At least that way you’ve paid money and still get to keep the car.

Does Modifying a Car Void the Warranty?

Despite some people’s firm belief that any kind of modification done by a car owner is an automatic one-way ticket to void-ville on the warranty front, it’s actually not that simple. Yes, modifying a car — leased or owned — can void the warranty, but the only way it typically does that is if it is determined by the dealership or leasing company that whatever problem you are seeking to repair against the warranty was not caused directly by your modifying actions.

Let’s say in your efforts to install a turbocharger, you did some kind of damage to the car’s powertrain. Accidental or not, your actions in modifying the car are what caused the powertrain to become damaged and/or defective in this way. You can’t therefore hold the manufacturer responsible for fixing it. As far as the OEM is concerned, if you’d left the powertrain alone, it wouldn’t have broken in that way. Warranties only apply to things that can be identified as manufacturer defects.

Conclusion: When You Want to Modify, Owning Outright is Best

At the end of the day, when you want to modify a vehicle, it’s always best to own it outright. Even better, you will be in a position where having the manufacturer’s warranty doesn’t mean anything to you. If you can satisfy these 2 criteria, then you can modify the vehicle to your heart’s content, knowing that you do it all at your own risk, and that you won’t be stepping on anyone else’s toes. With a leased car, you do always have the option of buying it at the end of your lease anyway with a final balloon payment. If you have decided you’re going to buy the car in the end, then modifying it shouldn’t worry you as much — just be damned sure!

One more key bit of advice for when modifying any type of vehicle is to always be sure that you don’t accidentally make your car illegal on the road. Some changes, like modifying the ECU, might actually take away your vehicle’s roadworthiness. The same can be true of tinting the windows too dark, lowering or raising the car too much, and so on. Always be aware of your local rules and regulations.

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