- This topic has 73 replies, 32 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 5 months ago by
.
- Topic
I’m not a great fan of lease extensions, as I think they make poor financial sense for the customer to be paying full entitlement for an ‘old’ car, plus APs assume a 3 year lease and are priced as such. None the less, as our order window opens up next month, and there’s nothing grabbing me at present that I’d prefer over our current car, I asked about a lease extension when I called Motability the other day (having read on here that the policy had changed).
I was told that we could only extend for 6 months, not the two years as was previously allowed. The criteria for 2 year extensions is now that the car must be under 20,000 miles or have significant adaptations. Our car has done 25,000 miles and has no adaptations, so therefore does not qualify for a 2 year extension and the maximum allowed would be 6 month. I mentioned that I had paid extra for a number of options, but this isn’t a consideration apparently. The decision is based solely on mileage or adaptations.
To be clear, I wouldn’t want to keep the car until it was 5 years old, but I’d like the option to extend for 2 years with the option to change (or hand the car back if we buy privately) at any time within that 2 years. I’m going to wait and see what quarter 2 brings first, but might then go back to them and challenge this, on the basis that the rules have changed mid lease and should, IMO, only apply to new leases.
Before I do this I have a question to fellow forum members. A number of you have recently reported that, even since this policy change, you have been able to extend your lease by two years. Those of you who have done this, were any of these 2 year extensions on cars that had done over 20,000 miles and had no adaptations? Thanks.
- Replies
Oh crumbs I didn’t know about the rule change, when did that happen? Ours was extended on our car over 20000 and with no adaptions last July, we are waiting for our ordered car now. I would think it’s worth a challenge as you said.
I think lease extensions make better financial sense for us… After paying out a big AP and maybe more for extras why repeat that every 3 years when you can extend to 5, giving more time to save up and being able to change at a moments notice if a deal pops up?
As for being an old car I don’t see that as a problem… you still have the same level of maintenance, insurance and breakdown cover. Apart from being a reg snob or doing lots of miles and wearing the car out I don’t see the need to renew… you’re doing just over 8k a year, I’m over 17k a year (53k now after 3yrs & 2 months) and my drivers seat is starting to show signs of wear now ☹️
Had mine extended for Two years with 30k miles
When did you extend? I’m not 100% sure when the policy changed.
Hi Glos Guy. I got my Tiguan in March 2018, it was first extended in March 2021 for a further 2 years till March 2023 bringing it up to 5 years. In Feb 2023 I contacted to say I was having difficulty finding something suitable so would have to leave the scheme, I was offered a further 6 months which was automatically extended in October 23 until March 2024 when I handed the car back. For the final year I was over the 20,000 mile mark and was allowed the 2×6 month extensions.
Hi Glos Guy. I got my Tiguan in March 2018, it was first extended in March 2021 for a further 2 years till March 2023 bringing it up to 5 years. In Feb 2023 I contacted to say I was having difficulty finding something suitable so would have to leave the scheme, I was offered a further 6 months which was automatically extended in October 23 until March 2024 when I handed the car back. For the final year I was over the 20,000 mile mark and was allowed the 2×6 month extensions.
Thanks. I think your extensions were before the policy change. I think the change came in at the end of last year. I’ll be very interested to know if anyone has extended for 2 years so far this year on a car that is over 20,000 miles and no adaptations.
What does say in the ‘Current lease’ section in your online account ao how lng you can extend. It may say different to what you were told!
If it only shows 6 months, extend for that time. Near the end of 6 months tell Motability, you regret doing so but, you will have to leave the scheme as there is nothing suitable. Its highly unlikely Motability will want to loose you as a customer after many years and likey allow you to have another extension.
The biggest issue as I see with this, is the longer you keep extending your current lease, the less ICE cars will be available.
@Glos Guy I put in to extend for two years through my online account in January, and got the okay straight away, was not asked for mileage or adaptions. Not sure when these new rules came in, but I had no problem whatsoever.
@Glos Guy I put in to extend for two years through my online account in January, and got the okay straight away, was not asked for mileage or adaptions. Not sure when these new rules came in, but I had no problem whatsoever.
Does the option to extend the lease only show on the online account once your order window opens? I’ve just looked at the online account, including the lease section, and cannot see any option to extend. The order window opens 22nd April so maybe it will become an option from that date? Knowing how rubbish their website and IT are, if they haven’t updated it to the new policy yet I might be able to do as you have done!
Yes it did. The option only appeared when my lease window opened in January. There was an options section and I just click on 2 year extension, and then got a confirmation email almost straight away.
Yes it did. The option only appeared when my lease window opened in January. There was an options section and I just click on 2 year extension, and then got a confirmation email almost straight away.
Thanks. Thats useful. I shall wait until our order window opens and if the 2 year extension option appears I shall click on it. If it doesn’t I shall call them and ask again. If they don’t agree to it I shall raise a compliant, on the basis that IMO the rule change should only apply to new leases. To impose this change on existing leases, to those who ordered believing that a 5 year lease was an option and may have added expensive options as a result, seems wrong to me.
About a year ago
Ok. Thanks. That was before the policy changed.
@Glos Guyi shall be doing the same as you when my new lease window opens in June.??
Kind regards
Andy======================
Motability cars:
2021 - Volvo XC40 T5 PHEV.
2020 - VW Golf TDi SE Match.
2017 - VW Golf TDi SE Match.20,000 miles in 3 years really isn’t much. That’s about 550 miles a month.
One of my justifications for joining the scheme was to have a car I can use to take my daughter to places further away for day trips. That doesn’t fit with an AP spent to cover 5 years, although I was aware of a change in the offing.
I guess I’ll have to see what mileage I’ve done after 2 years. Make a plan from there.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
@Glos Guy I put in to extend for two years through my online account in January, and got the okay straight away, was not asked for mileage or adaptions. Not sure when these new rules came in, but I had no problem whatsoever.
Does the option to extend the lease only show on the online account once your order window opens? I’ve just looked at the online account, including the lease section, and cannot see any option to extend. The order window opens 22nd April so maybe it will become an option from that date? Knowing how rubbish their website and IT are, if they haven’t updated it to the new policy yet I might be able to do as you have done!
Yes I can confirm, same as @Markymate, that my online account allowed application for extension on the very day my order window opened back on 23/11/23. Although I was fortunate to get the 2 years I never at the time thought I would use it. I was all for ordering a new shiny car to have it available when the original 3 year lease was up. However, the delay with the facelift Kuga means I probably will put any change off till 2025. I also don’t really want to fork out for another AP at the moment or indeed another £600 for a tow bar. I would have been feeling trapped if only granted 6 months extension.
Unfortunately it will be a maximum of 6 months from the date motability changed this regardless of what was in place at the time of your lease.
Hopefully something you like comes up in Next Quarter
I extended our lease beginning of February just after our order window opened. 2 year extension was on offer through our account and it was done instantly. Vehicle has no adaptations and mileage over 30,000. Nothing suitable for us at minute on the scheme so I’ll sit back and see what the next quarter brings. Actually considering leaving the scheme for the first time.
I got a 2 year extension in January this year with 58k on the clock no problems at all done over the online chat.
I got a 2 year extension in January this year with 58k on the clock no problems at all done over the online chat.
….and no adaptations on your car?
I got a 2 year extension in January this year with 58k on the clock no problems at all done over the online chat.
….and no adaptations on your car?
no adaptions thats correct
I got a 2 year extension in January this year with 58k on the clock no problems at all done over the online chat.
….and no adaptations on your car?
no adaptions thats correct
Great. Thanks.
Hey, first time posting on here.
I got my car in 2019 and when it came to 2022 I asked for an extension. I was told initially that I could only extend it for 6 months due to no adaptations and high mileage (close to 70,000 miles at the time). So not sure how this is a new policy?
I was then told I could extend to 5 years due to paying a high AP (£4,000).
I was also told at the time that an extension of less than 2 years cannot be extended unless for reasons out of my control – like if replacement lease vehicle takes a while to be delivered.
Hey, first time posting on here. I got my car in 2019 and when it came to 2022 I asked for an extension. I was told initially that I could only extend it for 6 months due to no adaptations and high mileage (close to 70,000 miles at the time). So not sure how this is a new policy? I was then told I could extend to 5 years due to paying a high AP (£4,000). I was also told at the time that an extension of less than 2 years cannot be extended unless for reasons out of my control – like if replacement lease vehicle takes a while to be delivered.
Hi and welcome! The new rules have come in during the past few months. I paid an AP (with optional extras) that was even slightly higher than yours and when I mentioned this I was told that they no longer consider that when determining whether or not to allow a 2 year extension. Anyone can extend to 6 months, but for a 2 year extension the car must now meet one of two criteria – either be under 20,000 miles or have adaptations. As our car doesn’t meet either of those criteria I was told that I cannot have a 2 year extension, just 6 months.
However, as we have seen from a recent response, there is inconsistency with the application of this new policy. When our order window opens up at the end of next month I’m going to try to get a 2 year extension online without speaking to anyone (as someone else has done). If that doesn’t work I’m going to ask again and say that they aren’t applying the new policy consistently and therefore if exceptions are made they can make one for me. If they still refuse I shall make a formal complaint as I believe that any new policy changes should only apply to leases taken out after the policy change, and not be retrospectively applied to leases that were taken out under the previous rules.
Of course, if something exciting comes onto the scheme next month I may not need to do this, but given how the scheme is going I’m not confident that will happen.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.