I am scheduled to return my leased 2006 BRG Cooper S next week. My car is 8,200 miles below my allowance, the interior is perfect and the car only has 2 tiny (less than 2 inches) dings and one small scratch which will likely buff out. In short, MINI will be able to sell it for the top of book value.

Problem is, someone backed into my bumper in a parking lot last week and now the front bumper cover is cracked (three fine cracks about 3 inches long where the bumper meets the grill/hood). I assume a good body shop could use fiberglass to repair the bumper, but I checked online and the bumper cover is less than $200 so replacement seems the best option (and I am sure MINI will replace, not repair). I understand that it will cost to replace and paint the cover also, but what should I expect in the way of a penalty? I have to return the car a week from today so I really don't have time to take care of the repair before lease return. That said, I don't want MINI to charge me $1,500 for a job that should cost $600. Any thoughts??

 

They will, if you don't. I did my due-diligence with my lease return, and like you I returned it with way under the allowed miles. They nonetheless found a way to try to charge me money, instead of returning my deposit. A couple of stern phone conversations later, they called it even, and kept my deposit and waived my fees. I'm sure that's standard MO: a the best defense is a good offense: if you try to charge them money, eventually you won't have to return the deposit.