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Frequently asked questions
Maintenance
We'll only service a vehicle when it is due. You should book your service when it's due within 1,000 miles or in the next four weeks. If you have maintenance in your contract, book your service here or call us on 0345 250 0000 to book the work.
Your maintenance booking will be handled promptly and we will prioritise those most in need
Booking directly with the garage will hamper our efforts to allocate the slots fairly, so we may reallocate bookings if they're not made through LeasePlan. Please remember to clean your vehicle before handover and leave locking wheel nuts accessible.
You may be able to book collection and delivery of your vehicle when it goes in for a service or mechanical repair. This service is offered directly by the repairer and so it's subject to the repairers availability and your location being within a set distance of repairer (most repairers operate a within a 10 miles radius). Collection and delivery is not guaranteed by LeasePlan.
Minor repairs such as the replacement of a bulb, wiper blades and in some cases MOT's, won't qualify for collection and delivery. Of course anything deemed to impact the performance/safety of the vehicle such as issues with brakes, loss of power and any red engine management lights will also not qualify for this.
General servicing is not covered while travelling abroad. We recommend you carry out recommended vehicle checks before travel and check your dashboard to find out when a service is due . If it is likely to fall while you are out of the UK, book in before you travel.
If urgent work's needed when you're abroad, you'll need to keep copies of the invoices detailing the work, the cost, and payment evidence. Please send this to customer services to review and we'll confirm whether you'll be reimbursed.
Remember, if you're taking your vehicle abroad, contact us to arrange your permission to drive letter and VE103.
You'll find the answer to this in your original contract or in the company car guide, but if you’re still not sure, please contact your fleet manager or call the driverline..
Chipped windscreens must be repaired as soon as possible. If neglected, chipped windscreens will eventually crack, becoming unroadworthy. If your lease includes glass repair, please call 0345 250 0000 at any time to make an appointment.
Although Battery Electric vehicles do not have as many moving parts, they still need regular servicing to check and maintain the safety of the vehicle and deliver important software updates under the manufacturer warranty. The vehicle will tell you when it needs service or maintenance. Use the LeasePlan service booking portal or call us to arrange your service or repair. LeasePlan have an extensive network of EV repairers and will arrange the next available appointment within your location.
Sometimes the work needed is minor and the garage may not offer collection and delivery. If it is offered, please charge your vehicle easily has enough charge for collection and return.
Different cars have different service schedules and it also depends on how many miles you do. Because of this, we won’t send you a reminder for servicing.
Your vehicle will have a maintenance guide, so do take a moment to check how you’ll know when to get a service. This could be a dashboard alert when you hit a certain number of miles, or when the car is a certain age.
To keep your car in top shape and improve fuel consumption, remember to regularly check the condition and pressure of your tyres. Do also keep an eye on your coolant, windscreen wiper fluid and oil levels.
For details of what's included in our maintenance package, see FAQ "What does maintenance cover include?" We have a handful of exclusions for vehicle maintenance and you'll be recharged for any costs incurred on these exclusions. These include;
- Repair or replace parts where there's driver error, damage or negligence (including misfuelling and frost damage).
- Tyre damage from misuse. This includes bulges or tyre wall damage from kerbing which will be repaired or replaced but the costs will be recharged.
- Repairs from accidents (whether at fault or not), impacts, vandalism, theft or misuse as this should be covered by your insurer.
- Missing or broken items such as badges or wheel trims.
- Vandalised or stolen wheels, tyres or mechanical parts as this should be covered by your insurer.
- Lubricants, AdBlue or fluid top-ups between service intervals.
- Vehicle glass
- Adding or removing artwork or lettering.
- Washing, frost damage, valeting or waxing
LeasePlan approved garages and tyre fitters must be used, and all work has to be authorised by LeasePlan before it begins.
If you have maintenance in your contract, you must make a booking using our service booking portal or call us on 0345 250 0000. If you don't use our service booking portal or line and independently book a service or repair,
LeasePlan will not reimburse the full cost. Occasionally by exception LeasePlan can agree reimbursement, but this will be based on our set labour and parts costs, and you'll have to pay any difference.
You're responsible for ensuring your vehicle is serviced and maintained. If you don't maintain your vehicle in line with its service schedule, you'll invalidate the manufacturers warranty and this could have cost implications when the vehicle is returned.
If you have maintenance cover in your contract, call us as soon as possible to arrange an appointment for a service. If you don't have a maintenance contract with us, you must get your service done at any VAT-registered garage of your choice.
If you have maintenance cover with us you must book your service or repair using our service booking portal or call us on 0345 250 0000 and we will arrange an appointment through our approved network of service and repair garages. All work carried out will be submitted for authorisation so you're only charged for any work not covered in the maintenance package.
If you have maintenance cover and do not use our service booking portal or line and instead arrange an appointment directly with a garage, you will be charged and will not receive total reimbursement.
If you don't have a maintenance contract with us, you can take your vehicle to any VAT-registered garage of your choice and at your own cost.
If you have maintenance in your contract, you must book your service or repair through our service booking portal or call us on 0345 250 0000.
As well as dealers, we have an extensive network of independent and approved garages in the UK that offer the same levels of service as the main dealers, improving availability and location flexibility for booking appointments.
Booking through our online portal (here) or calling our service booking line, ensures the work is allocated to a garage that matches your needs. The average lead-time within our independent network is approximately 14 days whereas the dealer network can be up to 25 days, sometimes longer.
It's very important that checks are carried out on your vehicle if you have requested collection and delivery. The main reasons you're vehicle won't be collected will be:
- Illegal tyres
- Damage to the windscreen in the drivers side
- Red engine management light
- Issues with the brakes
- Not enough fuel/electric to get to and from collection address and a possible road test
Please ensure your vehicle is roadworthy before collection. If your vehicle is not roadworthy, please call us to arrange recovery to the repairer.
If you're looking to book a service or any other maintenance, please do this via your Tesla app.
If you're looking to book an MOT, this can be done via LeasePlan's service booking page.
Contractually our suppliers should be checking the vehicle before they drive it away to ensure it's legal for them to drive back to their garage. If there is any damage on the vehicle then the supplier may request you sign a disclaimer.
You may need to wait up to three weeks, or possibly longer depending on demand, for an appointment if you need a collection and delivery appointment. The timescale varies by repairer as it is subject to their availability.
On the day, if the vehicle's being collected by the garage, they'll collect it between 8.30am and 10am from the agreed location. If this is a work location, feel free to leave your keys with your reception if it's easier for you. Please ensure the vehicle has a decent level of fuel/charge, is accessible to collect and remember to leave your locking wheel nut in the vehicle on the day.
We cannot guarantee a specific time but the garage will contact you to let you know when your vehicle is ready. Usually, vehicles are delivered back to you between 4pm & 5.30pm unless otherwise agreed.
LeasePlan Maintenance gives our customers convenience and peace of mind. With one fixed monthly payment, you get:
- Anytime access to our online booking portal, or call us to arrange your maintenance appointment
- Access to a national network of specialist, approved, and dealership repairers that meet LeasePlan and manufacturer standards.
- All scheduled servicing, software updates and routine maintenance to protect the vehicle warranty and ensure the vehicle operates safely
- All mechanical repairs or replacements including unexpected costs, such as a new clutch or gearbox
- All electrical repairs or replacements.
- Tyre repairs or replacements for normal wear, punctures and blow outs.
- Replacement tyre repair kits for vehicles with no spare wheel. For more information on tyres see (insert link to tyres FAQs)
- Replacement of items that fail from normal wear and tear, including bulbs, batteries, brakes, exhausts and wiper blades.
- MOT tests (from three years onwards).
- It may be that vehicles can be collected for servicing from, and delivered to, a home or office. However, this service is directly from the repairer, and is subject to the repairer's availability so we can't guarantee availability. The repairer may request a driver licence check and a fee for insurance cover. Courtesy vehicles are not guaranteed by LeasePlan Items not covered by our maintenance cover, including damage caused by the driver or by third parties will be recharged or will need to go via an insurer. For detail on what's not covered, see FAQ "I have maintenance cover but I've been charged for work?"
If you can't make your scheduled appointment, call us as soon as you can on 0345 250 0000 to rearrange. It's your responsibility to ensure the vehicle's maintained and serviced at the relevant service intervals. If you don't cancel your appointment and then don't arrive on the day, you maybe recharged a cancellation fee to reimburse the repairer for loss of income. It could also result in a repairer refusing future bookings for your vehicle.
Important: if you have an MOT booked, you will not be legally allowed to drive the vehicle if the MOT expires unless you're on your way to the MOT centre. Your insurance will also become invalid and you could receive a penalty fine and three points on your licence if stopped by the police.
Tyres are one of the main reasons vehicles fail an MOT, so it's worth checking the condition of your tyres before your MOT takes place. If you have a maintenance contract with us and your tyres need replacing, please make an appointment or contact us on 0345 250 0000.
If you have a maintenance contract with us and your vehicle has failed an MOT due to tyres, we will arrange and authorise replacement tyres with the test centre. Not all MOT test centres are able to replace tyres, so we can arrange a mobile fitter. We can also arrange an emergency appointment for you, but please bear in mind that there are additional costs applied that will be recharged to you.
You may not get your vehicle back on the road on the same day.
It's important that you don't drive the vehicle away to get the tyres replaced as the vehicle will be illegal and the insurance will be invalid. You could receive a penalty fine and three points on your licence if stopped by the police.
If you don't have a maintenance contract with us, you can take your vehicle to any VAT-registered garage of your choice. Please remember to keep all receipts of any work done as this may be asked for when you return your vehicle at the end of your contract.
If you'd like detail on the work carried out, please ask the garage when you drop it off.
LeasePlan doesn't cover any loss of use of the vehicle.
If you have relief vehicle included in your contract, our team will organise for a replacement if your vehicle's off the road. If you do not have relief vehicle in your contract, you'll need to arrange this at your own cost.
This depends on the garage, a wash and vacuum may be offered but is not part of the LeasePlan maintenance cover. Most repair garages no longer offer a free wash and vacuum.
Courtesy vehicles are provided directly through the repairer and are not part of the LeasePlan maintenance cover. Not all garages will have availability of courtesy vehicles at the time of your booking. Courtesy vehicles may also be subject to the garages insurance cover and a driving licence check, which may incur additional costs directly with the garage. Courtesy vehicles are unlikely to be like for like replacements.
If you wish to reserve a courtesy vehicle, please call us and make your request known at time of booking and we'll pass your request to the garage to confirm at time of booking. If an automatic vehicle is required due to driving licence restrictions, please let us know when you book as these are harder to source and there is no guarantee of availability.
This service is provided by the garage. LeasePlan cannot be held responsible for any last minute changes in availability on the day.
The majority of vehicles getting a standard service are returned the same day, but if the garage find work that's more complex, it may mean that your vehicle is off the road for more than the one day.
If this is the case, and you have booked in through the booking line, we'll let you know as soon as possible.
If you have not received a progress update from the garage by 3pm, please call the driveline who will be able to give you an update. If any complex work is discovered, that delays the return of your vehicle, our team will be able to advise you on options. If your vehicle is off the road for longer than 24 hours, we have a dedicated team who will chase the garage to have your vehicle repaired and back on the road as quickly as possible and keep you updated with progress.
If you have maintenance in your contract, please ensure you book through the our booking portal or call us. We'll send you a reminder the day before. If your circumstances have changed and you're unable to make the appointment, call us on 0345 250 0000 as soon as possible so we can make alternative arrangements.
If you're dropping the vehicle to the garage yourself, try and ensure you arrive by 9am latest, so the garage can start working on it as soon as possible. Arriving late may delay the work or require the work to be rescheduled. **For MOT's it's extremely important you arrive at least 15 minutes before the appointment time. If you are late then the MOT will need to be rebooked. ** If the vehicle's being collected by the garage, they'll collect it between 8.30am and 10am from the agreed location. If this is a work location, feel free to leave your keys with your reception if it's easier for you.
Please ensure the vehicle is accessible to collect and remember to leave your locking wheel nut in the vehicle on the day. If you have a pre-arranged courtesy vehicle, ensure you have your driving licence and motor insurance certificate with you for checking. Sometimes, there may be a small fee to check your licence and add you to the garage insurance cover. Courtesy vehicles are the responsibility of the repair garage and aren't part of the LeasePlan maintenance cover and are unlikely to be a like for like replacement.
We don't offer 'while you wait' appointments as we cannot confirm how long your work will take on the day.
All work carried out must be authorised by LeasePlan to ensure it's necessary, done to the right standards, and completed swiftly. Booking through our portal (link) or via our service booking line, speeds up this process. Expect to receive a progress update by 4pm. The garage will advise what time the vehicle will be ready for you to collect or, time of return if delivery has been arranged. This is usually between 4pm and 5.30pm.
A wash and vacuum before vehicle return is subject to the services provided by the repair garage and is not part of the LeasePlan maintenance cover. Most repair garages no longer offer a free wash and vacuum before return of vehicle.
It's important to let us know if you need to add any extra work to your original request as it could impact the time it takes to get your vehicle back. Please update us as soon as possible, on 0345 250 0000 so we can let the garage know. If your vehicle is off the road for longer than 24 hours, our dedicated team will chase the garage daily, to have your vehicle repaired and back on the road as quickly as possible and keep you updated with progress.
If nothing complex is found during the service, the vehicle should be ready for collection between 4pm-5pm or delivered back to you between 4pm & 5.30pm (if you've selected this option). We can't guarantee a specific time but the garage will contact you to let you know when your vehicle's ready.
If it's not possible to return the vehicle due to the work identified, or if it's going to be late, we'll let you know as soon as we can so you can make appropriate arrangements. If you have not heard by 4pm, please call us. Repair work will need authorisation form LeasePlan before it can start and the garage will contact our team to approve. Most work is approved within 10 minutes, although occasionally there may be a short delay while we assess the work needed.
You may need to have your vehicle serviced before returning, depending on when the service is due. If it's due before the vehicle is returned, the vehicle would need to be serviced and confirmation provided when handing the vehicle back.
Regardless of the mileage you do, most manufacturers still recommend regular servicing based on the age of the vehicle. It's best practice to check the vehicle's handbook for guidelines on this. If you don't follow the service schedule and something goes wrong with the car, your warranty may be invalid and you'll have to cover the, often expensive, costs of repair yourself.
Do not start the engine If you put the wrong fuel in your vehicle and you have breakdown cover in your contract, call 0345 250 0000 and select 'Breakdown' option for recovery assistance. Costs for repair and refuel will be recharged.
If you do not have LeasePlan maintenance in your contract, please call your own breakdown service provider to arrange recovery.
Please check the vehicle manual to understand whether your vehicle is safe to drive. If it is, please book an appointment with a garage as soon possible. If you have maintenance in your contract, please call 0345 250 0000. If you don't have maintenance in your contract, please book an appointment with a garage of your choice as soon as possible.
If the handbook suggests your vehicle isn't safe to drive, and it requires immediate attention, you'll need to get it recovered. If you have breakdown and recovery in your contract, please call 0345 250 0000, and select the 'Breakdown option'. If you don't, please contact your breakdown provider.
If your vehicle isn’t ‘roadworthy’ (in other words safe to drive), you could face three penalty points, a fine of up to £2,500 or, in the most extreme cases, a driving ban. Also, it may invalidate your insurance if you have an accident and the reason for the accident is due to the vehicle not being roadworthy.
For the full details, you can read the government’s guidance on how to check your vehicle is safe to drive or review the Highway Code to see what the rules say.
Please regularly check your vehicle’s handbook which will explain what to look at and when. Good checks to do include:
- your windscreen, windows, mirrors, reflectors and number plates are clean
- you have working lights and brakes before you start any journey
- you have fluid in your windscreen washer bottle
- your tyres are correctly inflated, with enough tread depth and without cuts or other defects
- your windscreen has no chips - these must be repaired immediately if they do appear
- your oil, radiator level, brake fluid and battery
As we use a number of suppliers, the cleaning methods will vary. If you have allergies or any intolerances, please ensure you let the Service Booking Line know and the garage or fitter before your appointment.
Taking care of your Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs) is very important if you have a Diesel vehicle, especially if you only take short journeys. Filters must regenerate every 300 miles or so which is generally done by driving for 10 to 20 minutes at 40mph or faster as this heats up the exhaust and burns off the soot in the filter. Failing that, some cars have an ‘active regeneration’ process that adds fuel to the exhaust to raise the temperature which allows the filter to be cleaned at lower speeds. However, the revs must still stay above 2,000 for around 10 minutes.
If your DPF is becoming blocked, a warning light will appear on your dashboard. Don't ignore this as your vehicle could shut down which can result in major engine damage. The DPF will need to be removed and cleaned or replaced. If the DPF is not included under your warranty, you’ll have to pay for this work. It will usually look like one of these symbols:
If this light comes on, taking corrective action to clear the DPF is fairly simple as all you usually need to do is take the vehicle for a drive of 10-20 minutes at speeds in excess of 40mph in a location that it's safe to do so, such as a dual carriageway or motorway. This will usually be enough and the light will turn off as the DPF has regenerated itself.
Adding 'AdBlue' to your vehicle is the driver’s responsibility as it won’t be covered as part of your LeasePlan service maintenance. To minimise nitrogen oxide emissions, regulations (Euro 6) were introduced that mean Diesel Exhaust Fluid ('AdBlue') is now added to vehicles. Typical consumption is around a litre of 'AdBlue' for every 600 miles, but this will vary between vehicles and driving style. An average tank size of 10 litres should last around 6,000 miles.
You'll get a dashboard warning light when your 'AdBlue' level starts to run low and your car’s handbook will tell you how to refill. If you run out, 5 litres should be enough.
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