Vehicle Lease Buyout Checker

Add up the true cost of buying out your lease at the end (or early).

Compare it to the vehicle's current market value and get a clear BUY OUT / NEUTRAL / WALK AWAY verdict.

Lease & buyout terms

Market value comes from KBB / Edmunds / CarMax / Carvana / CarGurus (or the shared trade-in value source). It's the only non-arithmetic input here.

Early buyout only

Total buyout cost—
Current market value—
Delta (buyout − market)—

Decision guidance

  • Total buyout cost < market value → BUY OUT (built-in equity).
  • Total buyout cost ≈ market value → NEUTRAL (buy if you trust / have history with the car).
  • Total buyout cost > market value → WALK AWAY (return the car and buy an identical used one on the open market).
  • Purchase-option fee typically $300–600 (some sources $150–500); $350 default.
  • A disposition fee ($350–$500) applies if you return the car unless you lease/buy from the same brand — factor it in when comparing walk-away.
  • Lease-end wear-and-tear / mileage charges apply on return; buying out avoids inspection charges and keeps full known history.
  • Residual is a fixed, contract-set % of original value. Regulation M (12 CFR Part 1013, Consumer Leasing Act) requires the residual to be a "reasonable approximation" of anticipated fair market value — a legal backstop if the number looks inflated.
  • Warn: if buyout is far above market, walking away lets the lessor absorb the loss (a lease is effectively a put option) — returning is legitimate, not a penalty.

Data sources

LegalClarity — how to calculate a lease buyout · The Modern Wallet — Auto Lease Buyout Calculator · Buy vs Lease — Lease Buyout Math · CarMind — Lease End Options 2026 · 12 CFR Part 1013 / Regulation M and the Consumer Leasing Act · CFPB leasing-vs-buying guidance.

Contractual figures govern; sales-tax and fee treatment varies by state and lessor. Confirm with an actual payoff quote before acting. All math runs in your browser.