Audi S3 lease - mods

[abusaddique]

i tried searching for older threads but didnt really find many responses

does anyone have a leased S3/A3 that theyve modded. I was thinking of getting a full miltek system. may get a res delete if the miltek works out too much.

moving it back to stock once my lease is finished and returning it.

would audi penalise me for tampering with that sort of stuff?

 

[Schizophonic]

well if you start modding a lease car then possibly expect a fight if you argue with Audi if you bring it in for warranty works. As the exhaust can be connected to various parts of the car (chassis, enginer, electronics) if you car throws up an error then Audi has more of a leg to say they will charge you to fix the issue.

 

[abusaddique]

well if you start modding a lease car then possibly expect a fight if you argue with Audi if you bring it in for warranty works. As the exhaust can be connected to various parts of the car (chassis, enginer, electronics) if you car throws up an error then Audi has more of a leg to say they will charge you to fix the issue.

yeah i may contact them first to see whether theyd allow, possibly if i went to an audi approved garage etc, not too sure

 

[wab172uk]

i tried searching for older threads but didnt really find many responses

does anyone have a leased S3/A3 that theyve modded. I was thinking of getting a full miltek system. may get a res delete if the miltek works out too much.

moving it back to stock once my lease is finished and returning it.

would audi penalise me for tampering with that sort of stuff?

What does your lease contract state?

I'd have thought as it's not your car, and you are only renting it, then no mods would be allowed. You'd then be in breach of contract, which cannot be good for yourself. Why would Audi then honour any guaranteed future value?

 

[Jassyo06]

What does your lease contract state?

I'd have thought as it's not your car, and you are only renting it, then no mods would be allowed. You'd then be in breach of contract, which cannot be good for yourself. Why would Audi then honour any guaranteed future value?

Same applies to cars on PCP yer just renting them basically, then its just the same if you bought it with cash Audi don't need to fix it, if you've ****** it up by modifying it

 

[TYb]

If you can’t afford or buy it don’t mod it, it’s not yours to mod.

 

[abusaddique]

What does your lease contract state?

I'd have thought as it's not your car, and you are only renting it, then no mods would be allowed. You'd then be in breach of contract, which cannot be good for yourself. Why would Audi then honour any guaranteed future value?

its something im gunna go over tonight, i got in contact with the company that i brought off who just mentioned contacting audi directly which i will do. if they approve then great if not, its something ill consider going forward.

but only problem i see is even buying a car outright, modifying will still void any warranty you have? so you cant really win

 

[abusaddique]

If you can’t afford or buy it don’t mod it, it’s not yours to mod.

spending 40k on a car outright that loses 15k/20k in 2/3 years. id never buy a brand new car outright

 

[TYb]

spending 40k on a car outright that loses 15k/20k in 2/3 years. id never buy a brand new car outright

That’s fair enough but a lease or PCP isn’t yours to modify, then return back to norm as if it never happened. I don’t agree with it, somebody will end up with an approved 2nd hand car which could have all sorts done to it unknown to them.

 

[Rayner_1704]

The guy asked if anyone had modded their lease car not for an ear bashing I’m sure he knows the ins and outs and what is/isn’t allowed.

Btw I had mine lowered and res delete. Although it’s being put to standard at the start of March I’m sending it back due to buying a new car

 

[abusaddique]

The guy asked if anyone had modded their lease car not for an ear bashing I’m sure he knows the ins and outs and what is/isn’t allowed.

Btw I had mine lowered and res delete. Although it’s being put to standard at the start of March I’m sending it back due to buying a new car

did you get in contact with your leasing company/audi before doing it or did you just get it done?

btw how was the res delete sound wise?

 

[wab172uk]

but only problem i see is even buying a car outright, modifying will still void any warranty you have? so you cant really win

True, but it's your car to modify as you wish. You know you'll invalidate your warranty, but it's your choice.

Any car on Lease or PCP isn't your car. So not only are you invalidating the warranty but you are also in breach of contact.

If anything goes wrong with the car and Audi say "Sorry no warranty" then you either have to shell out thousands (if engine related) or if you can't afford to have it fixed, hand the car back. They'll then sue your **** for the cost of repair.

Is it really worth the risk?

 

[wab172uk]

The guy asked if anyone had modded their lease car not for an ear bashing I’m sure he knows the ins and outs and what is/isn’t allowed.

Btw I had mine lowered and res delete. Although it’s being put to standard at the start of March I’m sending it back due to buying a new car

Well, he clearly doesn't know the ins and out, hence his question.

 

[Rayner_1704]

did you get in contact with your leasing company/audi before doing it or did you just get it done?

btw how was the res delete sound wise?

No I didn’t contact them. Res delete is only a mod to a cat back. My advise catback or res delete ok but personally I wouldn’t touch the down pipe or a map. You are asking for trouble then. I’ll have the res delete and lowering springs for sale after March 7th

 

[Rayner_1704]

Well, he clearly doesn't know the ins and out, hence his question.

Fair enough, I’d personalky say it’s personal preference.

Like I said cat back and springs is as far as I’d go personally

 

[DrEskimo]

spending 40k on a car outright that loses 15k/20k in 2/3 years. id never buy a brand new car outright

If you don't mind me asking, how much will your lease cost you over the entire term?

I agree with the others btw, it's when something goes wrong and you don't have the opportunity to put it back to standard that things get messy. Of course everyone seems to operate on the 'wont happen to me' mentality....until of course it does happen to you...

Your contract will likely stipulate that the car has to be kept in a reasonable condition, which includes maintaining the warranty. Since mods invalidate the warranty, it is by definition is in breach of this AFAIK. I don't know how it works with leasing, but there has been a case where someone with a modified car on PCP was not only ordered to pay the full repair costs, but also ordered to either settle the entire outstanding finance, or return the car to standard, pay for the repair, and hand the car back.

I can imagine that leasing might end up in a similar scenario, as you have dramatically altered the value of the asset they are loaning you.

I agree that it's no so much an affordability issue, but if you want the advantages of leasing/PCP, then you have to sacrifice the fact that you cannot modify it. The costs savings and negated risk associated with deprecation come at the expense of strict T&C's....

In other words, you can't eat your cake and have it too my friend!

 

[abusaddique]

Well, he clearly doesn't know the ins and out, hence his question.

i know the ins and outs actually, but there is plenty of people who have had modded leased/pcp cars, hence trying to find out the forum if there were any here who have done it.

& i just got a reply from VWFS who said i could modify the vehicle

 

[abusaddique]

If you don't mind me asking, how much will your lease cost you over the entire term?

I agree with the others btw, it's when something goes wrong and you don't have the opportunity to put it back to standard that things get messy. Of course everyone seems to operate on the 'wont happen to me' mentality....until of course it does happen to you...

Your contract will likely stipulate that the car has to be kept in a reasonable condition, which includes maintaining the warranty. Since mods invalidate the warranty, it is by definition is in breach of this AFAIK. I don't know how it works with leasing, but there has been a case where someone with a modified car on PCP was not only ordered to pay the full repair costs, but also ordered to either settle the entire outstanding finance, or return the car to standard, pay for the repair, and hand the car back.

I can imagine that leasing might end up in a similar scenario, as you have dramatically altered the value of the asset they are loaning you.

I agree that it's no so much an affordability issue, but if you want the advantages of leasing/PCP, then you have to sacrifice the fact that you cannot modify it. The costs savings and negated risk associated with deprecation come at the expense of strict T&C's....

In other words, you can't eat your cake and have it too my friend!

The lease worked out really good for me, its costing 10k over two years which includes all maintenance, 2 services from audi, unlimited premium tyres and a variety of other benefits.

yeah i definitely appreiciate the fact that the car is not mine and isnt mine to modify hence asking the question has anyone done it. Reason for the question when i spoke to the broker who got me the deal said if its increases the value of the car, they generally dont mind you modifying it, as long as you can prove the work is done by a audi approved garage.

 

[Shawn8V]

As long as the car is returned back to stock then I don’t see what the issue is.

As for mods, coesmetic mods such as alloy change, lowering shouldn’t be an issue.

Now if you was to tune the engine, remap, big turbo etc etc then they wouldn’t be happy and you would definitely be breaching your contract and warranty.

 

[abusaddique]

As long as the car is returned back to stock then I don’t see what the issue is.

As for mods, coesmetic mods such as alloy change, lowering shouldn’t be an issue.

Now if you was to tune the engine, remap, big turbo etc etc then they wouldn’t be happy and you would definitely be breaching your contract and warranty.

all i wanted was a little extra sound really so was considering a res delete realistically
300BHP is more than enough, never really gunna need more power unless youre on a track

 

[DrEskimo]

The lease worked out really good for me, its costing 10k over two years which includes all maintenance, 2 services from audi, unlimited premium tyres and a variety of other benefits.

yeah i definitely appreiciate the fact that the car is not mine and isnt mine to modify hence asking the question has anyone done it. Reason for the question when i spoke to the broker who got me the deal said if its increases the value of the car, they generally dont mind you modifying it, as long as you can prove the work is done by a audi approved garage.

Yea fair play. As you say, with those sort of options you are probably looking at around £15k over 3yrs, so £10k over 2yrs is decent!

Now when you say VWFS said mods are OK, were you specific about what you meant by "mods"? I mean I had my rear diffuser painted by Audi before I collected my S5, and that would be a 'modification', but I'm not sure Audi would start changing the exhaust, or adding remaps....!

 

[Marky-s3]

Any car on finance ain't yours till the last payment just like your home but you modify it.
So kinda untrue im gonna start modding mine and if it goes bang and have no warranty ill pay to repair it out my own pocket simple as that pcp and hp are much same id say a lease is another matter

 

[DrEskimo]

Any car on finance ain't yours till the last payment just like your home but you modify it.

I really wish car forums would stop drawing parallels between a mortgage and car finance...!!!
They are in no way, shape or form equivalent, and any comparisons between the two is such flawed logic...

Renovations to a house increase it's value (an already appreciating asset), thereby likely reducing the risk to the lender as you are potentially borrowing less relative to the value of the asset (reducing the loan to value %). There is also no 'warranty' to void. It's extremely common to borrow more on your mortgage to do renovation work.

In contrast, modifying cars reduces their value, increases the risk in selling it at the predicted value (as it's a depreciating asset), and loses the warranty which is a large part of it's value. All increase the risk to the lender.

Try asking VWFS if you can borrow an extra £2k on the loan to change the exhaust and add a remap and see how far you get....

 

[Marky-s3]

What if you do a bodge diy job what will they say ?
Obv you are going to fund any mod to your car and not ask vwfs to fund it.

 

[Marky-s3]

What if you have a pcp over 3 years+ there is 0 warranty left to be had at the end

 

[Tom.H]

What if you do a bodge diy job what will they say ?
Obv you are going to fund any mod to your car and not ask vwfs to fund it.

Your mortgage company probably wouldn't say a lot at all, the insurance company on the other hand may do if you try claiming to put it right.

 

[Marky-s3]

If you mod it and declare it there's not much to fear is there ?

 

[davc]

I'm surprised VWFS have stated it's ok to modify the car, although they may see it as potential to get more money out the OP should things go wrong.

 

[DrEskimo]

What if you do a bodge diy job what will they say ?

They don't say anything because it's not a requirement to borrowing the money. It's a small risk, as overwhelmingly renovations increase value. You are also contained by the maximum LTV anyway, so it's highly unlikely the value will drop more than what you owe, even if you do bodge it up....

Only person losing is the homeowner....

What if you have a pcp over 3 years+ there is 0 warranty left to be had at the end

It will still decrease the value of the car. The GFV shapes the finance. If you modify the car and the car is worth less than the GFV, the lender is liable for the shortfall. I'm sure they have no interest in taking additional risk in losing money...

 

[Marky-s3]

Your putting it back to stock so its irrelevant.

 

[Rayner_1704]

This argument could go on for ever and has been covered so many times.
Yes you void warrenty if something goes wrong and you need to claim.
Yes some people will mod and put back to stock with no problems.
End of the day you shouldn’t do it but it’s your money so up to you if to take the risk.

 

[DrEskimo]

Your putting it back to stock so its irrelevant.

Yea sure. In that situation there is nothing to worry about.
The point is if the car goes bang and you have to be recovered, you don't have the opportunity. There was a chap on the SEAT forum who had modifications on his Leon, and the ECU went. He had to be recovered as the car wouldn't start, and during the inspection, obviously all the mods came to light. In the end was rather severely out of pocket....

Perhaps you think the risk is low, in which case all the best mate! The point is I'm pretty sure no one plans for the worse outcomes, they just have a habit of happening from time to time!

I'm personally much more risk averse....the benefit of a louder exhaust doesn't outweigh the financial risk for me...as ever you need to decide on your own risk/benefit, and whether you would be able to handle things financially in the worse case scenario.

 

[Marky-s3]

I agree the guy on skoda forum was trying to pull the wool over them you pay to play and as long as you pay if it goes wrong your going to be ok

 

[TYb]

Your putting it back to stock so its irrelevant.

It’s not irrelevant at all, modifying can cause additional wear and tear to the vehicle. Some poor ****** will end up buying the car not knowing it’s been pulled apart.

You can’t compare a lease or pcp to a mortgage, property generally appreciates whilst an every day car rarely does.

 

[wab172uk]

Your putting it back to stock so its irrelevant.

Two ways to look at that though.

Yes, you can mod a car, hope nothing goes wrong, and put it back to stock. Hand it back and move on.

If you lease or PCP the car through Audi and they find out it's been modded (irrelevant if put back to stock) it `will` affect the GFV. It has too. Audi are not going to give you the guaranteed price knowing they now have to sell a car second hand on their forecourt that has been modded. They will have to tell the new potential owner, as if anything goes wrong and they haven't disclosed, and previous mods are then uncovered by the new owner, then it causes problems for Audi. So why would they honour the GFV when you haven't honoured the contract?

If Audi don't know it's been modded, and you hand it back stock, think of the next owner. The car gets sold, and problems arise. They plug it in, and TD1 shows up. Or certain parts have worn excessively because of previous mods. The poor person now has Audi saying `no warranty`. There was a thread on here not so long ago with this exact same thing.

I've only modded 2 cars, but each time the car was sold, all mods were fully disclosed, so the new owner knew what they are buying, and knew any potential risks associated.

To often we live in a society were as long as we're all right, screw the next guy. His problem not mine.

 

[Steven87]

'you don't own your car if its on PCP' my car is on PCP and my name is on the logbook.....

If you're terrified of buying a car that may have been modified in the past then don't by a second hand car.

My 2p's worth.

 

[Tom.H]

'you don't own your car if its on PCP' my car is on PCP and my name is on the logbook....

Which also says along the top 'THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT PROOF OF OWNERSHIP.'

 

[TYb]

'you don't own your car if its on PCP' my car is on PCP and my name is on the logbook.....

If you're terrified of buying a car that may have been modified in the past then don't by a second hand car.

My 2p's worth.

I’m alright Jack comes to mind....

 

[davc]

Your putting it back to stock so its irrelevant.

Sorry, it's very relevant.

To often we live in a society were as long as we're all right, screw the next guy. His problem not mine.

I couldn't agree more, there are too many people out there with no morals whatsoever.

 

[Tom.H]

I must say though, having previously modded my last 2 cars. I don't see any problems so long as you make it known to the buyer as has been said, whether it's put back to standard or not - ultimately it could be somebody like us that buys it and finds out the hard way when the time comes, being able to buy an S3 or any car used doesn't necessarily mean you've got £000's sitting aside for a major repair.

There were a couple of issues with the R32 when I sold it (cv joint on its way out was one) which I made known as I wouldn't want to buy a car in good faith only to find out the owner knew things were failing- maybe that's just me but I believe honesty is the best policy. I'd hate to buy a car that's been modded with no knowledge only for it to by me in the a*s