What is a car lease excess wear charge?

This is part of our Car Buyer's Glossary series breaking down all the terms you need to know if you're buying a new or used car from a dealership.

Nobody wants to get hit with an excess wear charge when returning a leased vehicle, but it's something that's likely to happen if your car has damage or other problems by the end of the lease term.

So, what is the excess wear charge?

It's a charge the lessee has to pay to refurbish the car for any damage that goes beyond normal use. This means you're allowed some wear and tear to be showing on the vehicle, but not any more than a manufacturer deems is OK.