When you lease a car through Motability the agreement typically lasts for a period of 3 years (or 5 years for Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles), however the scheme recognises that a lot can change with a customer’s personal circumstances during this time and it’s possible that a person with a disability may find that the vehicle is no longer suitable.
Early termination of your Motability lease agreement is possible, although it may be more convenient to adapt your current vehicle to suit your updated needs as opposed to cancelling the lease completely.
There are many adaptations that can be added to a car during the lease. For example, if the problem is that your vehicle’s storage space is too small then fitting a rooftop stowage system could solve this without the need to return the car. Other common adaptations that can be made to a vehicle include fitting hand controls to use instead of foot pedals to control the speed of the vehicle, steering wheel aids to assist people with a disability who find it difficult to hold or turn a steering wheel and the use of a transfer plate to ease the transition from a wheelchair to the car seat.
If the reason for cancelling your contract is because the disabled person is no longer able to drive the car, remember that scheme allows additional named drivers to be added to the insurance so a friend, carer or family member could drive the vehicle instead.
If you are currently thinking about terminating your Motability lease early you will need to discuss this with a member of the Motability Customer Services Team. A member of the award-winning team at Motability will take some details from you and they will ask if you are planning on applying for another vehicle through the scheme. They will then advise you on the options that are available to you.
There are some things to consider if you do decide to terminate your Motability lease early. First, be aware that you could be charged up to £250 to cover the administration fees. On top of this, you may also lose a part of your entitlement to the Good Condition Bonus (the full amount is only available to customers who return their vehicle in a good condition at the very end of their lease). You must also be aware that if you prematurely cancel a Motability lease more than 3 times during a 7-year period then your eligibility for the Motability Scheme could be affected.
If you paid an Advanced Payment when you signed for your lease then this could be refunded to you (on a pro-rata basis), however it’s worth noting that if a customer fails to comply with the terms and conditions of their lease agreement and Motability cancels the lease as a result, then any Advanced Payment would not be refunded.
To discuss cancelling your Motability lease contact the Motability Customer Services Team on 0300 456 4566.
