The short answer
Disposition fees on mainstream leases usually land somewhere around $300 to $450, with some luxury brands higher. The exact amount for your car is printed on your lease agreement, normally in the end-of-term section. If a lease-end statement shows a figure well above the number in your contract, that gap is worth asking about before you pay.
When it applies and when it does not
- You return the car at the end of the term: the fee normally applies.
- You buy the car out instead of returning it: the fee normally does not apply, because there is nothing for them to resell.
- You lease or finance another vehicle from the same brand: many captive lenders waive it as a loyalty gesture — this is discretionary, not guaranteed.
- You trade the leased car to a dealer who pays it off: who absorbs the fee is negotiable, so get it in writing.
How to ask for a waiver
Ask the party with the discretion. The dealership cannot waive a captive lender's fee, and the lender will not waive it because you asked nicely on the phone once. The wording that works is specific: "I am leasing another vehicle from your brand this month. Can the disposition fee on account [number] be waived as part of that? If so, please confirm in writing."
Before you pay a disposition fee
- Does the amount match the figure printed in your lease agreement?
- Are you returning the car, or buying it out? (Buyouts usually mean no fee.)
- Are you getting another vehicle from the same brand — and have you asked for the waiver?
- Is the fee charged once, not repeated under another name such as a return or turn-in fee?
- Did you get any waiver confirmed in writing before signing the new deal?
Dollar ranges here describe what is commonly seen across mainstream leases and are estimates for orientation. Your contract, not this page, sets what you owe.