INTRODUCTION

Lack of attention to preventative measures, misuse or neglect is the main reasons fleet vehicles suffer from excessive wear and tear.

Taking into account a vehicle’s age, mileage and overall condition, from the mechanics and electrics through to the bodywork and upholstery, fair wear and tear summarises the degree of deterioration judged to be reasonable at the end of a lease contract period.

Fleet operators can expect to incur refurbishment charges if a vehicle is returned with an unreasonable level of wear and tear at the end of a contract period or a reduced residual value at vehicle disposal.

Some amount of wear and tear damage does occur through normal, everyday business use, and would be deemed fair wear and tear for the age of the vehicle. This would not adversely affect the disposal price. If, for example, stone chip damage had exposed the base metal and failure to touch it up had resulted in penetrating rust setting in, the deterioration would not be acceptable as fair wear and tear. The main question then becomes one of responsibility.

A vehicle used for company business is a reflection of the company’s image and therefore its appearance should be maintained by the regular cleaning of the bodywork, upholstery and trim.

The main causes of unreasonable wear and tear in fleet vehicles are:

• Lack of regular checks by the vehicle user and/or fleet operator, leading to faults and damage going undetected and un-repaired;
• Not adhering to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended maintenance and servicing schedule;
• Drivers not taking responsibility for the day to day care and maintenance of the vehicle;
• Poor quality of body repairs, leading to general neglect;
• Drivers provided with insufficient information to enable them to responsibly fulfil their obligation to maintain the vehicle.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

Responsibility for the monitoring, maintenance and repair of company vehicles will vary from fleet to fleet.

FLEET OPERATOR’S RESPONSIBILITY

Fleet managers should ensure maintenance and servicing of the vehicle follows the manufacturer’s recommended schedule, using only approved servicing agents and approved quality service parts. A thoroughly completed service book should be maintained for the vehicle.

Regular spot checks, possibly related to distance travelled and use, should be carried out and recorded to ensure any current problems with care or driver are identified at an early stage.

USER’S RESPONSIBILITY

The driver has a responsibility to note any damage, mechanical problems or areas of worsening wear and tear and bring them to the attention of the fleet manager.

As a minimum the daily/weekly checks as defined in the preventative maintenance procedure need to be performed.

SERVICING AND DOCUMENTATION

Regular maintenance and servicing should be carried out by a franchised dealer or approved servicing agent according to the manufacturer’s guidelines, using only approved service parts and lubricants. Any defects or damage occurring during normal vehicle use should be rectified as soon as authority for the repair has been granted.

The vehicle instruction book, including the full service record and any other documents relating to vehicle equipment, are the responsibility of the vehicle user and must be intact and available when the vehicle is returned for replacement.

APPEARANCE

Regular cleaning of both the interior and exterior of the vehicle is required. The vehicle should be returned in a suitably clean condition to allow proper inspection of the paint, body and interior.

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT

Accessories such as car telephones that have been installed are to be removed, and any holes or damage should be repaired to a professional standard. All standard equipment, together with non-standard or ‘customised’ fittings originally supplied, must be returned at the end of the contract period.

BADGES AND EQUIPMENT

Non-standard badges, labels or advertising fitted to the bodywork or glass of the vehicle should be removed, with any damage caused by their attachment or removal repaired. Any paint work colour fade due to the attachment of advertising would be chargeable to the user. Advertising should never be painted directly onto the vehicle.

KEYS AND SECURITY

A full set of keys should be available along with a note of their numbers. If the locking system is remote, the appropriate key fobs should be available and functioning. Return of the master key which controls the vehicle’s engine management system is mandatory.

If the vehicle was originally supplied with a security system, this should be intact and fully operational, including any key or key fob necessary for operation. Any additional, non-standard security system should be fitted according to a recognised standard.

VEHICLE EXTERIOR-BODY DAMAGE

Any damage must be repaired as and when it occurs. All work should be completed to a professional standard, with any applicable anti-corrosion guarantees taken into consideration. Obvious evidence of repair such as colour mismatch or misalignment between panels will be unacceptable.

VEHICLE EXTERIOR- DENTS

Minor dents (20mm in diameter) are acceptable as long as the paint surface has not been penetrated so that no bare metal is visible or corrosion has set in. Multiple dents occurring on a single panel (no matter how small) is unacceptable, and the panel should be repaired or replaced.

VEHICLE EXTERIOR- BUMPER SECTIONS AND RUBBING STRIP

Provided these are not broken cracked or deformed a limited amount of scuffing and score marks is acceptable.

VEHICLE EXTERIOR- WINDOW GLASS

Cracks or damage within the driver’s line of sight are not acceptable and would require windscreen replacement. If relatively minor, repair using resin impregnation to motor registry standards is acceptable.

Light scratches and minor chipping around the periphery of the windscreen is accepted as fair wear and tear. The windscreen must be able to pass a roadworthy inspection.

VEHICLE EXTERIOR-LAMP GLASSES/LENS

All lamps must be operational. Minor scuff marks or scratches are acceptable, but holes or cracks in the glass or plastic covers or lamp units are not.

VEHICLE INTERIOR- LUGGAGE AREA

Surface scoring and light blemishes that reflect normal use are acceptable, but floor coverings and surrounding trim panels should not be torn or split.

VEHICLE INTERIOR- INTERIOR TRIM

The interior should be clean and tidy with no visible burns, tears or permanent staining to the seats, headlining or carpets. Wear and soiling through normal use is acceptable, as are any repairs that are not readily visible. Stitching that has come apart is unacceptable and needs to be repaired.

VEHICLE INTERIOR- LIGHT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

For light commercial vehicles it is recommended that a lining be fitted in the load area to prevent serious damage to the vehicle’s interior, as excessive damage to this area is unacceptable.

VEHICLE INTERIOR- DOOR OPENING TREAD AREA

A reasonable amount of scuffing to the door and luggage area treads and sills is acceptable providing paintwork has not been damaged down to bare metal and aperture seals are not torn.

VEHICLE INTERIOR- CONTROLS

All original controls must be intact and operate correctly. If replacement has been necessary, e.g. due to theft, then equipment of a similar value and specification, preferably of the same manufacture as the original, should be fitted. All odometer alterations must be reported and unauthorised odometer changes are unacceptable. Information stored in GPS/Satellite Navigation Systems should be deleted. Missing parts and items will be recharged.

VEHICLE INTERIOR- RUBBER SEALS

Normal wear will cause a certain amount of damage and splits to rubber door and other seals, but any evidence of neglect or misuse is unacceptable. If a seal becomes displaced it should be refitted immediately to avoid it becoming trapped or torn.

VEHICLE UNDERSIDE- UNDERSIDE

Minor dents and deformation, such as stone damage, is acceptable as long as it has not caused major corrosion. Any suspected impact damage should be investigated and dealt with professionally, as significant damage or distortion to chassis components is not acceptable.

VEHICLE UNDERSIDE- EXHAUST SYSTEM

The system should be properly suspended and in efficient working order, with no gas leaks or evidence of blowing from the exhaust system joints – i.e. the system should be in undamaged condition.

The exhaust system should be in a condition to meet motor registry requirements in all aspects, particularly if fitted with a catalytic converter. CAT failure is unacceptable and preventable through:

• Using the correct fuel;
• Regular servicing and maintenance;
• Immediately investigating any poor running symptoms;
• Neither towing nor clutch starting (for manual transmission) the vehicle.

VEHICLE UNDERSIDE- OIL LEAKS

Any serious oil leakage should be rectified at the earliest opportunity. Some minor oil misting or dampness around seals or gaskets is acceptable, providing oil drips are not present.

VEHICLE UNDERSIDE- WHEELS AND WHEEL TRIMS

Dents or damage to the rim or main body of the wheels are not acceptable. All four wheel trims must be intact, with no more than minor scuffing due to everyday use. If mudflaps are standard equipment they must be intact and properly attached. The spare wheel, jack and appropriate wheel tools must be stowed properly and in good working order.

VEHICLE UNDERSIDE- TIRE WEAR AND DAMAGE

All tires, including the spare, must meet motor registry requirements and comply with the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations of tyre type, size and speed rating. There should be no obvious damage to sidewalls or tread caused by ‘kerbing’ or other heavy misuse.

VEHICLE UNDERSIDE- MECHANICAL CONDITION

Regular servicing and maintenance through an approved repairer and in accordance with the vehicle manufacturer’s servicing programmes should keep the vehicle in sound mechanical condition.

The following examples are conditions usually caused by vehicle neglect or misuse and therefore are not regarded as fair wear and tear.

VEHICLE UNDERSIDE- BRAKES

Grooved brake discs caused by metal to metal contact.

VEHICLE UNDERSIDE- ENGINE

Engine seizure caused by running the vehicle with a lack of servicing, insufficient coolant, lubricating oil or with broken internal components.

VEHICLE UNDERSIDE- TRANSMISSION

Slipping transmission, erratic gear changing, clutch slipping, noisy transmission or ineffective synchromesh is not acceptable.

CONCLUSION

All fleet vehicle users, along with fleet operators and supervisors, should be aware of the principle of fair wear and tear. Excessive wear and tear not only increases the whole of life cost of the vehicle but also constitutes a safety issue. It is important that the vehicle be maintained to the standard recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. Failure to do so could create a safety hazard and a liability for the organisation.

• Fair wear and tear summarises the degree of deterioration judged to be reasonable when a fleet vehicle is returned at the end of a contract period;
• Wear and tear damage occurs through normal everyday business use and is deemed acceptable if reflective of the vehicle’s age, mileage, and overall condition;
• Lack of attention to detail, misuse or neglect is the main reason fleet vehicles suffer from excess levels of fair wear and tear.
• All parties should be aware of their responsibilities with regard to monitoring, maintenance and repair of company vehicles;
• Maintenance and servicing should follow the manufacturer’s recommended schedule and be carried out by approved servicing agents;
• Regular spot checks by fleet operators or local supervisors will help ensure any problems with the vehicle (or driver) are identified at an early stage;
• A vehicle log book system will help both drivers and fleet operators keep track of any vehicle damage, problems or areas of worsening wear and tear;
• The vehicle user should be responsible for a minimum weekly check on oil, water and tyre pressure;
• A schedule of regular cleaning should be worked out between the vehicle user and fleet operator/ supervisor;