How a Subaru Lease Return Works

You’re reaching the end of your Subaru’s lease—but do you know what comes next? Follow this guide to return your vehicle at the end of your lease term.
Written by Jacqulyn Graber
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
At the end of your Subaru’s lease term, you have three options: purchasing your leased vehicle, extending your current lease, or turning in your leased vehicle. Regardless of which route you take, there are a number of steps you’ll need to complete per the manufacturer’s lease agreement. 
A major perk of leasing a vehicle is the ability to drive a brand-new vehicle for a few years and then return it to the dealership and pick something new. However, you can’t just drop off your vehicle and run—Subaru lease terms include specific end-of-lease instructions that you must complete in order to avoid fees and complications. 
To help make your lease return as seamless as possible,
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if you decide to extend your lease.
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How a Subaru lease return works

When your Subaru lease is up, you’ll have to choose between three routes:
  • Purchasing your current leased Subaru
  • Extending your lease
  • Turning in your leased vehicle

If you want to return your leased Subaru and walk away

If you’re ready to completely part ways with your leased Subaru, you’ll need to complete a few steps before dropping it off:
  • 45+ days prior to lease end: Contact your nearby Subaru retailer and schedule a return time within 30 days of your contracted lease end date. If you return your vehicle more than 30 days before the end of the lease term without purchasing it, you may have to pay a substantial charge of up to several thousand dollars. 
  • After you’ve scheduled your lease return date: Go through Subaru’s
    Lease Return Checklist
    to prepare your vehicle for return. You’ll want to begin by
    scheduling a complimentary pre-inspection online
    . You can also go through Subaru’s
    Wear and Use Guide
    yourself and perform an at-home inspection. 
  • After your inspection: Make repairs to reduce end-of-term liability, then provide Subaru with repair receipts from authorized repair centers. 
  • The last few days leading up to your appointment: Contact your retailer or local DMV for any state license and/or registration requirements, then begin preparing your vehicle for turn-in. Remove personal items, clear out personal information from the vehicle’s interfaces, and make sure all items that came with the vehicle are inside.
  • On the day of the return: Turn in your vehicle to a Subaru retailer, along with every set of keys and a completed Odometer Statement. 
  • After the return: Complete the Lease Turn-In form online or contact Subaru within one business day of turn-in. You’ll also need to cancel recurring payments, as Subaru does not do this automatically. You may receive a lease-end bill, which you should pay promptly to officially end your lease. 
After you return your lease, you may receive a lease-end bill within 30 to 60 days. This bill may include deferred payments, extra mileage charges, a turn-in fee, and/or any tickets and citations. 
If you’re interested in leasing a new Subaru after turning your old one in, you’ll have to add the shopping process to your checklist. We recommend contacting your local Subaru dealer for exact guidance, as well as information on vehicle offerings and any current promotions.
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icon4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars
icon4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers

If you want to extend your Subaru’s lease

Whether you absolutely adore your Subaru, or simply need a little bit more time, extending your lease is another great option.
In order to extend your lease, you’ll need to
contact
Subaru or
send them a secure message
online. You could be eligible for a one-time, six-month lease term extension on your current lease. In order to be eligible, you must be current on your lease payments and not subject to any bankruptcy or repossession proceedings.
If you’re approved, you’ll then be permitted to turn in your vehicle at any time during the six months without incurring early termination penalties. (Just follow the turn-in steps as outlined above.) You must turn in or purchase the vehicle at the end of the six-month extension—multiple extensions are not offered.
As for mileage, you’ll pay a prorated price for each month of your extension. 

If you want to return a Subaru lease early

When you began your lease, you probably thought you’d keep your Subaru the entire lease term, no problem—but then life got in the way! Maybe your financial situation changed, you decided to move, or maybe you really want a different car.
You can turn in your leased Subaru early, just know that if you return your vehicle more than 30 days before the end of the lease term without purchasing it, you may have to pay a substantial charge of up to several thousand dollars. 
The actual charge will depend on when the lease is terminated, but the earlier you end the lease, the greater the charge is likely to be. This charge may include an early termination fee, as well as all remaining payments as outlined in the Early Termination section of your Lease Agreement.
Additionally, if you have any past due payments, and/or unpaid late fees or taxes, you’ll still owe these to Subaru. Finally, if your state charges personal property tax on the vehicle, you will still be responsible for any future tax bills for tax periods occurring before you returned the vehicle.

How to find the best Subaru insurance

If any of the above information seems complicated, don’t worry—Subaru will walk you through the lease return process to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible.
And if you need someone to walk you through the
car insurance
comparison shopping process, you’ve got
Jerry
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Jerry is the easiest and most effective way to find a car insurance policy that is customized for you.
After providing you with a comprehensive cross-analysis of the best policies across providers, Jerry will handle the phone calls, paperwork, and renewals for your top pick so that you don’t have to. They can even help cancel your old policy! So why do all that extra work when Jerry can do it better?
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FAQs

You can return your leased Subaru to the local Subaru retailer of your choice—you’ll just need to make an appointment first. If you need help finding a retailer, you can
click here
You can return your Subaru lease early if absolutely necessary. However, keep in mind that if you return your vehicle more than 30 days prior to the end of the lease term, you could be subject to significant fees. 
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