Returning a vehicle at the end of a lease can be stressful. Not only are you on the clock to find a replacement, but unless you’ve paid for pricey extra coverage, you need to worry about getting charged for wear and damage.

It’s a good thing that leases generally come with a guide that defines wear and tear. The criteria are usually rather forgiving, taking into account that a used car won’t, in fact, look like a new one. But what if the manufacturer uses another company for its leases, and that company follows a different set of rules? Some Lucid Air lessees are claiming this is exactly what’s happening. In some cases, these customers are hit with thousands in charges they feel go against the rules they signed up for.

Customers Reporting Expensive Returns

The driver of a Lucid Air contacted us and shared some surprising revelations. This person is nearing the end of their lease and shared two threads from the Lucid Owners forum where multiple people had complaints about charges and a lack of communication. A quick look around the web suggests the issue isn’t widespread. But it’s not exactly isolated either.

The first one we saw was from user dapellegrini. According to the post, the car was turned in after 18 months and shortly thereafter, they received a bill for “excess wear and tear” in the amount of $1,825. The lease return report showed what it called three windshield chips and two photos of a sun visor. The windshield was $1,450, the visor $375.

Looking at the photos, it’s tough to see what the problem was with the sun visor. The “chips” on the windshield were tiny specs of damage often seen on cars, likely too small for auto glass companies to repair.

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Dapellegrini said they attempted to reach out to Lucid and said they got the run-around. Worse yet, they said, the phone number on the initial invoice was… a collection agency. Weeks after, they gave up trying to reach someone to dispute and decided to just pay. But that’s not the end, because they couldn’t even pay through the available care options.

Other users reported similar issues, but not just related to specific damages. One said they were charged $3,000 for three wheels with “road rash.” Another was charged $200 for a scuff we have trouble seeing. Another said they got a $5,750 charge for damages… months after they returned their vehicle. Moreover, that charge came after getting monthly statements saying they were behind on payments, again, months after the lease return.

Perhaps the biggest head scratcher here is a former Lucid lessee who claims they received an invoice for $5,800 but have no idea what it was for. They can’t log in to see the alleged damages, and have been trying for a week to figure it out. This person also says a Lucid rep thought the car was “one of the cleanest lease returns” they’d seen. Incidentally, this former Lucid lessee was going to switch over to a Gravity. After this fiasco, they’re looking at a Cadillac.

Keep nosing around and you can find more claims of big-time charges following lease turn-ins. Like a $3,160 bill where the customer can’t see the official report and accompanied by an image showing a credit-card-length scratch. Or a customer who says they were charged $4,300 for items including a charger they said was “gifted.”

Lucid’s Wear And Tear Guidelines

Some of these customers seem to have a point, especially those with tiny scuffs on wheels. Lucid’s wear and tear guidelines are actually quite generous, allowing for dents unless they’re “larger than the size of a credit card,” and allowing for up to 11 paint chips. When it comes to wheels, it says cracks, bends, or breaks are the only problem. Scuffs or curb rash apparently aren’t part of that definition. Others, though, had complaints about charges for what was clearly visible damage, including cracked wheels and tires with deep gouges in the sidewall.

Bank of America Handles Lucid’s Leasing

The real issue may be related to communication. Lucid stores sell cars, and lease deals are labeled Lucid Financial. But Bank of America is really the company taking care of the money. Beyond that, a third party handles the lease inspections, and some owners say the inspections didn’t happen for weeks after turn-in. That’s three companies involved in the process, and in some instances at least, it seems the customer is stuck in the middle.

Some customers claim they aren’t allowed to be present for the official inspection, and they can’t take the car back if it fails. So, like the customer who said they have full glass coverage, they could get hit for big glass repairs their insurance could’ve handled. Some customers say they aren’t able to see the final inspection. And when there is a dispute over charges, customers say they’re unable to reach someone to resolve the issue.

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Lucid’s Response

We contacted Lucid directly about the problem. The company declined a request for an interview with a specific individual, but addressed the issue in an emailed statement:

A few days after we reached out to Lucid, we saw that company reps on the Lucid Owners forum had reached out to at least two of the complaints in the thread, which suggests that the company is actively addressing owner concerns on this matter.

Have you had a bad Lucid leasing experience? Shoot us a message to [email protected] and let us know.