BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear Standard
The BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear Standard
General appearance and road safety
All electronic safety features and advanced driver assistance systems that help the driver, eg parking sensors, cruise controls, lane departure and collision warnings, must be in working order.
There must be no rust or corrosion on any part of the bodywork,trim of the vehicle, or on the alloy wheels.
The vehicle must be roadworthy, and no warning lights should be illuminated.
There must be sufficient fuel (fuel warning light must not be illuminated) or full charge in the battery, if an electric vehicle, to bring about the vehicle collection or return.
Maintenance, servicing and repairs
The vehicle must have been serviced and looked after according to the manufacturer’s servicing/ maintenance schedule.
The service book, if originally supplied with the vehicle, must be present and date-stamped by the repairer or workshop as evidence that the services have taken place. If the service record is kept electronically, the customer must produce evidence that the vehicle has been serviced and maintained according to the
vehicle manufacturer’s service and maintenance schedule. Appropriate evidence would include hard copies of the service record or invoice clearly showing the date, vehicle mileage reading and the repairer/ service agent’s stamp. Customers must remove any sensitive personal information from such documents.
Any repairs made to the vehicle before its return must be to a professional standard by repairers who can provide full warranty
on their work. Sustainable repair initiatives, such as green parts can be used provide they are Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) green parts and the repairer provides a full warranty on their work.
Unauthorised odometer changes and mileage blockers are not acceptable. Any odometer malfunctions must have been reported to the leasing company. The customer fully warrants that the mileage reading at the time the vehicle was collected is correct.
The
BVRLA
Fair Wear & Tear Standard (continued)
Documentation
All vehicle documentation must be intact and present in the vehicle when it is returned including:
› the V5C vehicle registration document (where appropriate)
› MOT receipt (where appropriate)
› operation manual (where supplied)
› service record booklet (where supplied)
› any other documents relating to the vehicle and its equipment, eg certificate of recalibration, details of the audio equipment and any security codes
Appearance
The vehicle’s exterior must be sufficiently clean, and allow sufficient space around the vehicle (2 metre space at least) to allow a detailed inspection.
The inside should have been valeted and must be cleared of rubbish. If the vehicle contained a smoker’s pack, the ashtrays must be emptied and the cigarette lighter present.
Vehicle keys
A full set of keys, including the spares and locking wheel-nut keys, should be returned if originally supplied.
The BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear Standard (continued)
Paintwork, vehicle body, bumpers and trim
There must be no rust, corrosion or discolouration on any painted area, including painted bumpers, body mouldings and mirrors.
Repaired chips, scratches and dents are acceptable provided the work is completed to a professional standard by repairers who can provide full warranty on their work.
Obvious evidence of poor repair, such as flaking paint, preparation marks, paint contamination, rippled finish or poorly matched paint, is not acceptable.
Chips
Chips of 3mm or less in diameter are acceptable provided they are not rusted. A maximum of four chips on any panel, six chips per door edge and eight chips on any forward-facing panel is permitted.
Dents
Dents of 15mm or less in diameter are acceptable provided there are no more than two per panel and the paint surface is not broken.
Chips within dents are not acceptable.
Dents on the roof or on the swage line of any panel are not acceptable.
Scratches
Surface scratches of 25mm or less where the primer or bare metal is not showing are acceptable provided they can be polished out. A maximum of four surface scratches on one panel is acceptable.
Measuring chips, dents and scratches
The BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear Standard (continued)
The BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear Standard (continued)
Paintwork, vehicle body, bumpers and trim (continued)
Unpainted mouldings and wheel arch trim
Scuffs and scratches of 25mm or less are acceptable provided the moulding or trim is not broken, cracked or deformed.
Badges, emblems and labels
Badges, emblems, labels, logos, advertising livery and wrapping applied by the customer to the bodywork or glass of the vehicle should be removed before returning the vehicle. Removing badges, emblems, labels, logos, advertising livery and wrapping must be done professionally and the vehicle returned to its original colour and condition unless otherwise agreed in writing with the vehicle leasing company.
Any damage caused by fitting or removing badges, emblems, labels, logos, advertising livery and wrapping, including faded paintwork, is not acceptable.
Soft and hard top convertibles
Convertible roofs must be fully operative and free from damage, rips and tears. The rear window must not be cracked or creased. Accessories originally supplied, eg wind deflectors, must be present and in good condition.
Tow bars
Tow bars must only be fitted with approval from the leasing company. If fitted, a tow bar must be in good, rust-free condition, with electrical connections that work properly.
A ball cover must be in place.
After-market accessories
After-market accessories such as bonnet louvres, spoilers or body kits must only be fitted with approval from the leasing company.
The BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear Standard (continued)
Windows, glass, door mirrors and lamps
Panoramic roofs
The roof must be fully functioning, with no chips, cracks or holes. Surface scratches of 40mm or less are acceptable provided they can be polished out.
Inner blinds must be returned in working order, if originally supplied.
Windows/windscreens
Windows/windscreens must be in a condition capable of passing an MOT.
Light scratching is acceptable provided it does not interfere with the driver’s line of sight and the heating elements and the ADAS (automated driver assistance systems) still work properly.
The vehicle’s ADAS (automated driver assistance systems) must have been recalibrated according to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations if any component part, including windscreen(s) have been replaced.
Damage in excess of 10mm in the driver’s line of vision (a vertical strip 290mm wide centred on the steering wheel), or in excess of 40mm elsewhere in the area swept by the vehicle’s wiper blades, is not acceptable (See diagram on page 18.)
Repaired damage is acceptable provided repairs are to a professional standard, repairs do not interfere with vision, and the work is warrantied.
Windscreen wipers must be present, secure and in good condition so that they can clear the windscreen and give the driver a clear view of the road ahead.
The washer reservoir must have sufficient liquid to clear the windscreen when working in conjunction with the windscreen wiper blades.
Tinting of windows/windscreen must only be carried out with approval from the leasing company. Excessive tinting is not acceptable.
The BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear Standard (continued)
Tyres and wheels
Tyre wear and damage
All tyres, including any spare, must meet minimum UK legal requirements and comply with the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations of tyre type, class*, size and speed rating for the vehicle. Any replacement tyres must be to the same specification as those originally supplied on the vehicle.
Tyre Labelling Regulations describe the performance of a vehicle’s tyres according to three factors:
FUEL EFFICIENCY (the tyre’s rolling resistance),
VEHICLE SAFETY (the tyre’s wet grip) and
EXTERNAL ROLLING NOISE (expressed in decibels).
Replacement tyres should be in the same class as those which are sold on the new vehicle.
There must be no damage to sidewalls or tread, or any cracking.
Evidence of uneven wear due to under- or over-inflation or incorrect steering geometry is not acceptable. The following are typical examples of what happens to tyres if the above has occurred:
› Over-inflation = centre of tyre excessively worn
› Under-inflation = both outer edges of tyre unevenly worn
› Incorrect steering geometry = the inner or the outer edge of the tyre unevenly worn.
Wheels and wheel trims
Dents on wheel rims and wheel trims are not acceptable.
Scuffs up to 50mm on the total circumference of the wheel rim
and on alloy wheels/wheel hubs are acceptable.
Any damage to the wheel spokes, wheel fascia, or hub of the wheel/ alloy is not acceptable. There must be no rust or corrosion on the alloy wheels/wheel hubs.
The spare wheel, including ‘spacesaver’ jack and other tools, must be intact, stowed properly and in good working order.
The emergency tyre inflation kit, if supplied when new, should be in full working order, serviceable and ready for use.
A canister that has been partially or fully discharged must be replaced.
The BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear Standard (continued)
Mechanical condition
The vehicle should be returned in a safe, legal and reliable mechanical condition, capable of passing an MOT test.
The vehicle’s engine and brake management system should not be displaying any warning light, eg diesel particulate filter (DPF), tyre pressure system (TPS), or oil pressure. If a warning light is illuminated, the vehicle may not be driveable and the collection process abandoned, in which case a fee may be charged. Advisory illuminated alerts are acceptable, eg countdowns to the vehicle’s next service.
Fluid leaks such as oil, coolant and brake fluid are not acceptable.
The following items are not acceptable fair wear and tear, because the customer has neglected
to service the vehicle and/or failed to action warning messages from the vehicle management system:
› brakes: eg grooved brake discs or drums caused by excessive wear or metal to metal contact from worn out disc pads;
› engine: eg seized or damaged due to running vehicle with insufficient coolant or oil, or with broken internal components;
› manual transmission: eg clutch slipping, noisy clutch or gearbox, or excessively worn or ineffective synchromesh;
› automatic transmission: eg noisy gearbox or torque converter, abrupt gear changes, or loose gear linkage.
Performance modifications
Performance modifications must only be carried out with approval from the leasing company.
Vehicle underside
Any impact damage to the vehicle’s underside is not acceptable. Catalytic converters not working because of obvious abuse or damage are not acceptable.
The BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear Standard (continued)
Vehicle interior
Passenger area, seats, headrests and trim
The interior upholstery and trim must be clean and odourless with no burns, scratches, tears, dents or staining.
Carpets should not have holes. All seats and headrests originally supplied must be present.
Interior fittings such as seat belts, rear view mirrors, courtesy lights, sun visors, door bins, etc, must be present, intact and free of damage.
Door aperture, boot, boot liner and luggage area
Scratches on treads, sills and seals that reflect normal use are acceptable.
Torn or split floor coverings and damaged surrounding trim panels are not acceptable.
Accessories such as parcel shelves, load covers, boot liners, restraining straps and nets must be returned with the vehicle.
Measuring chips, dents, scratches and scuffs
The BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear Standard (continued)
Equipment and controls
In-car entertainment equipment, telephones, navigation systems and battery charging leads
All original equipment, accessories and controls must be present and operate correctly (including satellite navigation discs, Secure Digital (SD) cards and remote units, headphones, battery charging leads, Bluetooth and other integrated systems).
Damage to electric vehicle battery charging leads, plugs and sockets is not acceptable. If originally supplied, both fast and slow charging leads must be present.
All personal data such as home address, credit card details etc. should be removed from satellite navigation systems and on-board computers. A factory reset should be performed to ensure that personal data is not passed on to future vehicle owners.
If accessories or non-standard equipment have been wired-in or mounted on the dashboard, any holes or other damage must be neatly repaired when they are removed.
Aerials must be left in place or the hole must be neatly repaired.
Fuel caps and covers and fuel flaps must be present and intact if originally supplied.
Driver safety equipment
All original fitted electrical equipment, including reversing cameras, indirect vision cameras/camera mirror systems, adaptive speed controls, speed limiters and lamps, should be present and fully functioning. Any replacements fitted must be of a similar standard and specification to that originally supplied.
ww w.bvrla.co.uk
© COPYRIGH T 2022
Bri sh Vehicle Rental & Leasing Associa on River Lodge Badminton Cour t Amersham Buckinghamshire HP7 0DD