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Thought I would phone Mobility for an update after the changes, as regards lease extension regardless of contract or mileage this has ceased, originally they would allow 3 to 6 month at the end of the lease, this has now change to 2 or 3 weeks maximum at the end of the lease.
Personally I feel a little cheated we paid £6999 AP signed a lease contract with the possibly of a 24 month lease extension, personally with all the changes due next year the scheme is not longer suitable for us.
Unfortunately I have suffered a brain injury and occasionally I get confused and often say the wrong thing.
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We are not due to change until March 2027 and we’re worried. With rising APs (and VAT to be added to them), we may be better off leasing privately now our finances have improved to the point where this might be possible.
We need a larger car than our current one as my wife’s chair has changed – we have to have both back seats permanently down now. Something Skoda Kodiaq/Subaru Forester size. Wondering whether to try and get out of current car due to change in circumstances, or ride it out until March ’27.
We are both disabled, and need the ‘luxury’ of heated seats, 360 cameras, powered seats etc to be able to drive. These all make the AP high.
Whatever happens, we fear the scheme has been irrevocably damaged by these changes.
Current: MY24 Renault Austral Iconic FHD.
Ordered 5/2/26: Chery Tiggo 8 'Summit' ICEPrevious Motability cars:
2013 Ford Focus estate auto.
2016 Vauxhal Zafira 1.4T SE Auto.
2019 Ford Kuga Vignale 1.5 auto AWD. (Ext lease)Thought I would phone Mobility for an update after the changes, as regards lease extension regardless of contract or mileage this has ceased, originally they would allow 3 to 6 month at the end of the lease, this has now change to 2 or 3 weeks maximum at the end of the lease. Personally I feel a little cheated we paid £6999 AP signed a lease contract with the possibly of a 24 month lease extension, personally with all the changes due next year the scheme is not longer suitable for us.
The problem is that a Motability lease contract is taken out for a period of 3 years (5 years for a WAV).
Basically, any extension of a 3 year lease (or 5 for a WAV) does not form part of the initial contract length , but is by the agreement of Motability. And Motability do have a right to not agree to extend a lease, providing that due notice of a minimum of 60 days is given (which they generally do in the letter inviting one to place a new order, 3 months in advance of original lease expiry).
Unfortunately this position has been tested by the Financial Ombudsman Service in this case:
https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/decision/DRN-5711848.pdf
and other cases. Customer’s complaints about not being permitted a lease extension were not upheld by the Ombudsman, who found in favour of Motability.
Basically the twenty four months mentioned in the signed agreement is only with the permission of Motability, not a contractual right sadly.
2 to 3 weeks?
I think I need some clarification on this…if you’ve ordered a car, surely you don’t have to give your current one back BEFORE your new one is ready?
This happened to me in the ’90s when a Ford dealer screwed me over and I had to return my current car and wait 2 months with a car until the new one was delivered.
As a wheelchair user I’ll be furious if we go back to this. SURELY Motability will allow you to keep your current car if you have one on order.
Entering into our 3 yr lease with a AP of £4995 it didn’t seem too bad as long as we could obtain another 2 yr extension to it as we had done on our last car. This was possible at the time.
Now it appears we cannot get a like for like replacement for when our lease expires in 01/07. Private purchase looks like a sound option now being able to drive the car we want.
2024 - KIA EV6 GT Line AWD
2019 - 2024 BMW X1 2.0d X Drive Sport Auto
2017 -2019 Audi Q3 2.0d Quattro Sport Line Plus
2005 - 2017 Honda CRV Exec 2.0d2 to 3 weeks? I think I need some clarification on this…if you’ve ordered a car, surely you don’t have to give your current one back BEFORE your new one is ready? This happened to me in the ’90s when a Ford dealer screwed me over and I had to return my current car and wait 2 months with a car until the new one was delivered. As a wheelchair user I’ll be furious if we go back to this. SURELY Motability will allow you to keep your current car if you have one on order.
Providing you have ordered a new vehicle before the current contact ends, Motability do usually agree to extend the contract until such time as a new vehicle arrives. (In the contract this is covered as it is ‘with the agreement of Motability’).
I think the OP was asking Motability about an extension without having ordered a new scheme vehicle prior to the current contract ending. Motability might agree to give the outgoing customer a few weeks but it is by their agreement and at their discretion as it is not part of the contract.
I think, reading between the lines, that once you get to the 3-month notice for when you can order your next car, Motability will “push” you to order at this point & not allow you to wait for the next quarter to see if prices change or wait to see if new cars come onto the scheme, etc. That way, any new car should be ready to collect 3-months down the road and this will prevent long waits/lease overruns. Makes sense if you think about it on their behalf.
At least – that’s the way I read it.
Thanks guys, thats a relief.
I did look through the Motability web site and yes it still says once you’ve ordered a new car you’ll keep the existing one until delivery.
What seems to have been removed is the ability to extend your lease if you have adaptions. The link is there, but goes to a different page. I’ll keep my eye on that.
What gets me is nothing is written in stone and things change with the wind. I paid £3.2K intending to keep the car at least 4 to 5 years then the wind changed.
I had the “time to renew your car” paperwork in the post this week. With the wind changing and the 3 years or else ultimatum, I noticed in the said paper that if I could not find a suitable car we may let you extend your lease, for Christ sakes make up your mind MB. As I can’t test drive cars because of adaption needed I’ve spent the last 2 months watching endless YouTube videos, hours on end about different cars so much so, I’m sick to death of cars.
I’ve now ordered a new car today before they start adding the VAT or the wind changes direction again.
Yeah it’s another kick in the baubles. My 3 year contract ends Apr 27 but had been hoping to at least get a further summer season in 2027 of caravan towing out of the current Kuga PHEV. Costs me approx £600 every changeover for a towbar supply and fit. Next season 2026 could be my last in the van as finding a suitable heavy SUV with an affordable AP may be beyond my means.
Yeah it’s another kick in the baubles. My 3 year contract ends Apr 27 but had been hoping to at least get a further summer season in 2027 of caravan towing out of the current Kuga PHEV. Costs me approx £600 every changeover for a towbar supply and fit. Next season 2026 could be my last in the van as finding a suitable heavy SUV with an affordable AP may be beyond my means.
We also should I say did tow a caravan our lease ends 10th August 2026, we have decided to cancel our 2026 site booking and sell the caravan, we have already decided to buy a nearly new Kia Niro EV with the remains 7 year warranty.
Unfortunately I have suffered a brain injury and occasionally I get confused and often say the wrong thing.
Yeah it’s another kick in the baubles. My 3 year contract ends Apr 27 but had been hoping to at least get a further summer season in 2027 of caravan towing out of the current Kuga PHEV. Costs me approx £600 every changeover for a towbar supply and fit. Next season 2026 could be my last in the van as finding a suitable heavy SUV with an affordable AP may be beyond my means.
We also should I say did tow a caravan our lease ends 10th August 2026, we have decided to cancel our 2026 site booking and sell the caravan, we have already decided to buy a nearly new Kia Niro EV with the remains 7 year warranty.
Sorry to hear you have to give up an enjoyable hobby so soon. Rachel from Accounts and the baying mob have no idea and certainly no guilt of the unintended consequences which will befall a lot of people.
I would like to send an email to chief at Mobility, hoping I can make a case to extend my lease ?
It might be a naive hope, but I’m wondering if Motability might soften their stance on lease extensions given all the adverse changes coming next year. It would be a good way to alleviate the pain for their loyal customers and wouldn’t attract any attention from the baying mob, the hostile press or Rachel from Accounts.
When we attempted to extend our lease last year our request was refused. I tried again and made the point that this was a change to a contract (which mentioned the ability to extend) that had been made unilaterally without our consent. They backed down.
I’m conscious that a lot of people complained (via the ombudsman?) and their complaints were not upheld, but I’d make two observations on that. Firstly, I don’t know how well written or how robust those complaints were (did they cite contract law for example?) and also Motability would have put up a strong fight as it would have opened the door for blanket extensions. I suspect that polite but firm direct approaches (as I made) are far more likely to result in a positive outcome than putting it on a formal basis. Just my thoughts though. Others may have better ideas. Either way, good luck and let us know how you get on. We know that Motability have a long standing track record of inconsistency!
I would like to send an email to chief at Mobility, hoping I can make a case to extend my lease ?
It might be a naive hope, but I’m wondering if Motability might soften their stance on lease extensions given all the adverse changes coming next year. It would be a good way to alleviate the pain for their loyal customers and wouldn’t attract any attention from the baying mob, the hostile press or Rachel from Accounts. When we attempted to extend our lease last year our request was refused. I tried again and made the point that this was a change to a contract (which mentioned the ability to extend) that had been made unilaterally without our consent. They backed down. I’m conscious that a lot of people complained (via the ombudsman?) and their complaints were not upheld, but I’d make two observations on that. Firstly, I don’t know how well written or how robust those complaints were (did they cite contract law for example?) and also Motability would have put up a strong fight as it would have opened the door for blanket extensions. I suspect that polite but firm direct approaches (as I made) are far more likely to result in a positive outcome than putting it on a formal basis. Just my thoughts though. Others may have better ideas. Either way, good luck and let us know how you get on. We know that Motability have a long standing track record of inconsistency!
I kept the email nice and polite and gently made my case hoping he could help, he will more than likely say no, but at least I tried.
Unfortunately I have suffered a brain injury and occasionally I get confused and often say the wrong thing.
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