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I want to buy out my leased car. (Here’s exactly what to do next)

Lease End

Adam Broud

Published 1/27/26

Lease Buyouts
TL;DR (8-minute read): You technically don't even need to read this article. If you want to buy out your leased car, Lease End can handle the payoff, loan options, paperwork, and DMV steps for you without you lifting a finger. But if you want to understand why buying out your lease might be the smart move, what to compare before you decide, and how to avoid expensive mistakes, keep reading.
Lease EndPerson hugging vehicle
If your lease is ending and you are thinking, “I actually like this car,” you're not alone.
For years, leasing has been marketed as a short-term relationship. Drive it for a few years, hand the keys back, start over. What does not get talked about enough is that almost every lease includes a built-in option to buy the car instead.
At Lease End, we see thousands of drivers every year who assumed returning the car was their only real choice. It is not.
Buying out your leased car is simply choosing ownership instead of restarting the leasing cycle.

Signs Buying Out Your Lease Is the Smart Move

Before we get into steps, let’s validate the instinct. Buying out your lease often makes sense if several of these feel true.

You Like the Car You Are Already Driving

This sounds obvious, but it matters. You know how the car drives, what it costs to insure, how it fits your life, and whether it has been reliable. That knowledge has value.

You Are Close to or Over Your Mileage Limit

Mileage penalties can add up fast at lease return. Buying out your lease removes mileage caps entirely because you become the owner.

You Want to Avoid End of Lease Fees

Disposition fees, wear and tear charges, and inspection surprises tend to show up at the worst possible time. Buying out of your lease means you are not paying to recondition a car for someone else.

Your Buyout Price Is Reasonable

Your lease buyout price was set the day you signed your lease. If your car has held value better than expected, buying it out can be financially efficient even if there is no obvious equity on paper.

You Want Stability

Ownership brings predictability. No renegotiating every few years. No starting over in a market with rising prices and interest rates.
For a deeper decision framework, consult our guide: Should You Buy Out Your Lease?

Step One: Find Your Official Lease Buyout Amount

Every lease has a payoff price, sometimes called the residual value. This is the amount it costs to purchase your leased car.
In theory, you can find this by calling your leasing company, waiting on hold, navigating phone menus, and digging through paperwork.
In reality, this is where many people stall out.
This is also where Lease End’s Payoff Intelligence comes in. We pull your official payoff amount directly so you do not have to track it down yourself.
If you want to see what your numbers look like before you even talk with us, you can start with the Lease Buyout Calculator.

Step Two: Understand the Real Cost of Buying Out Your Lease

The basic math behind a lease buyout looks like this:
Lease buyout cost =
  • Residual value
  • Sales tax
  • Required fees
What matters is not just the number itself, but how it compares to your alternatives.
Many drivers make the mistake of looking at the buyout price without considering what they would pay if they return the car.

What You Should Actually Compare Before Deciding

Mileage Penalties

If you return your lease and are over the mileage limit, you may owe hundreds or thousands of dollars. Buying out avoids this entirely.

Dealer Fees

Going through a dealership can introduce document fees, processing fees, and add-ons that are not required when buying out through Lease End.

APR and Loan Terms

Most people finance their buyout with a lease buyout loan. The interest rate and structure of that loan matter more than almost anything else in the decision.
A lower APR can turn ownership into a comfortable monthly payment. A higher APR can make the same buyout feel expensive.
Lease End works with lenders who understand lease buyouts and used car loans, which is why many drivers see better options than they find on their own.

Step Three: Decide How You Will Finance the Buyout

Unless you are paying cash, you will use a lease buyout loan.
This is different from a new car loan in a few important ways:
  • The vehicle is not new.
  • The title is transferring from a leasing company to you.
  • The payoff timing matters.
Not every bank handles lease buyouts well, which is why people often get conflicting answers when they try to do this themselves.
Lease End specializes in lease buyout loans and matches drivers with lenders that are comfortable with this exact situation.

Step Four: Handle Title, Registration, and Paperwork

This is the step most people underestimate.
A lease buyout involves coordinating:
  • Payoff to the leasing company
  • Title transfer
  • Registration in your name
  • Lienholder updates
  • State DMV requirements
Doing this yourself is possible, but it is also where delays and mistakes tend to happen.
Lease End handles this entire process digitally. No dealership visits. No DMV guesswork. No paperwork chaos.
You can learn more about this on the Lease End About Us page.

Why People Use Lease End Instead of Doing It Alone

Lease End exists because buying out a lease and finding a loan is bureaucratic.
We make money by facilitating loans with our lending partners, not by charging drivers to use the service. In fact, working with Lease End is free.
What you get is:
  • Real loan options from trusted lenders
  • Transparent APRs
  • Title and registration handled end-to-end
  • No dealership pressure
Want more background validation? Read this: “Is Lease End Legit?"

What Happens If You Do Nothing

If you do not actively choose a buyout, most leases default to return.
That often means:
  • Mileage penalties
  • Inspection fees
  • Disposition fees
  • Higher replacement costs
  • Starting over in an expensive market
Once you turn the keys in, any value you built into the vehicle stays with the leasing company.
That is why we always recommend running the numbers first.

Exactly What To Do Next

If you want the simplest path forward:
  1. Visit LeaseEnd.com
  2. Use the Lease Buyout Calculator
  3. Review your payoff and loan options
  4. Decide if ownership makes sense for you
  5. Let Lease End handle the rest
If you want help from a real person, you can also reach out through the Contact page.

Final Thought

Buying out your leased car is not a trick or a loophole. It is an option that already exists in your contract.
Before you return your keys, take a few minutes to understand your numbers.
Fill out the form below with your VIN or license plate number and see exactly what buying out your lease would look like for you.
Author

About the author
Adam Broud

Adam Broud is a writer and comedian based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. As a professional stand-up comedian with an MBA, his writing uniquely blends the worlds of business and comedy. Adam's writing for ads and comedy has appeared in places such as Buzzfeed, Vanity Fair, your television, and his mom's box of keepsakes. Feel free to review his writing from any of those places, but just know it's kinda weird if you choose his mom's house.

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