WIKDWGN

The lease on my Wagon is up at the end of February. I'd like to purchase the car but need some advice. I tried taking the car to the dealership I leased it through in CA (I'm in NV) and they wouldn't sell me the car because it wouldn't pass CA smog laws. The car has Renntech catted downpipes on it. The car isn't registered in CA and passes smog in NV where it's registered. The simply said they can't sell it to me as it sits, and recommended I put the stock down pipes back on it. Yes, I understand this is the risk I took modifying a leased car. My question is, what other ways are there to buy out a lease without going through a dealership? I don't exactly want to write a check and buy it with cash at the moment, so the buy-out price would need to be financed one way or another. Just looking for ideas on how I can purchase the car as it sits. I really don't want to spend the $ to put it back to stock just to be able to buy it and then have to put the Renntech downpipes back on it. There's got to be a way to get it done. Thanks

pghc63

you don't buy a leased car from a dealer. You buy it from MBFS who owns the car
check your payoff amount from statement
contact couple of banks and see how much they will finance the car and what are the terms .Hopefully you get the whole amount approved . If not you have to cover the difference in cash. Bank will cut you a check
call MBFS and tell them you want to buy the car and follow whatever process they require
no need to put it back to stock as they care less if they are getting their money

SEXYBEAST

agreed, unless u want to certify the wagon and then mercedes gives u a one year unlimited warranty. that could be the sticking point....

WIKDWGN

I've been told that Nevada is a "Non-Sellable" state, and state law mandates if the car is registered in Nevada that I must buy out the car through a dealership, regardless of how its paid for. Besides registering it in a different state, does anyone know of a way around this? Thanks

mercedesmax

Have you tried going through a Nevada dealer? Probably won't need an emission test in NV. CA smog policies are much stricter than any other state

E634Me

The PRC (people's republic of California) also has fairly broad new restrictions on exhaust system mods as I recall.

WIKDWGN

I haven't yet, but don't think I have a choice unfortunately. I'm not a fan, at all, of our local dealer, and the only other in Nevada is down in Vegas (500 miles or so). Hopefully it was just a California thing and it goes smoothly at the local dealer.

MuffinFlavored

my question would be... how upside is the car in terms of lease residual payoff value versus market value at the time of lease expiration? isn't it like... typically $20k+?

i think you could get a different dealer to buy the car and then try to get it at auction but... idk i doubt that would really work. somebody has to make a profit and not take a loss in the whole thing.

superswiss

This is interesting. I wasn't aware of this, but quick research shows that seems to be true. If you lease a car in Nevada, the lessor is the dealer and not MBFS. However, if I understand you correctly you leased the car in California, and then registered it in Nevada, so who is your lessor? I'm guessing your lessor is actually MBFS as is the case in California. Have you called MBFS to find out who actually owns your car? It can't be a Nevada dealer unless there was a transfer of ownership before you registered it. You have to find out who actually has the lien on this car.

From the Nevada DMV website:

WIKDWGN

Yes, MBFS is the lessor as per my statements. I was originally told by the dealership I leased it from that I needed to go through them to purchase at end of lease. While I was at that dealership trying to figure out a solution, they told me I can actually do it through any MB dealership, including the local dealership, to purchase or turn in the car. I called MBFS to see about just buying direct, and they said that because it is registered in NV, then we have to follow the NV rules for purchase. I'll call them to double check this, but I'm 99% sure she said its where the car is registered, and not originally leased, that specific states rules apply. My local dealership is a Renntech dealer, and I have an email in to the Renntech rep there explaining the situation. Hopefully he can provide some help / insight. Such a pain in the butt just to "buy" a car that's already in my garage!

places

This is why you don't mod a leased vehicle.

WIKDWGN

If it has to go back to stock then so be it. I'm not complaining or getting upset with the dealers, they are following the rules and I took the risk of modifying a leased car. I get it. I'm simply trying to figure out a way to purchase the car as it sits, the way I want it. I wasn't expecting the car to hold value as well as it has, hence the initial reasoning for leasing.

superswiss

I guess this is because Nevada doesn't allow direct car sales unlike most other states. Tesla worked out an exception as part of their Gigafactory and the associated tax breaks. You can always go through a dealership when buying out a leased car, but in most states you can just buy it directly from the bank as said. Your situation is complicated, because you are technically in breach of contract. Modifying a leased car is explicitly prohibited by the contract you signed. In Cali transfer of ownership does automatically trigger a SMOG check. It's been several years since I bought out a lease here and I don't actually remember if I had to take it in for SMOG check after buying it out directly from the bank, but I must have. In my case I had it leased through US Bank, and they financed the buyout and I later payed off the loan early.