Car Lease Mileage Limits: What You Can and Can't Do

When you lease a car, the car lease mileage limits, the maximum number of miles you’re allowed to drive during the lease term without paying extra fees. Also known as annual mileage allowance, it’s one of the most important terms in your contract—yet most people ignore it until they get hit with a bill at the end. Typical limits range from 10,000 to 15,000 miles per year. If you drive more than that, you pay—usually 15 to 25 cents per extra mile. That adds up fast. Drive 20,000 miles a year on a 12,000-mile lease? You’re looking at $1,200+ in fees just for going over.

These limits aren’t random. Leasing companies base them on how much value they expect the car to lose over time. More miles = more wear = lower resale value. That’s why they cap it. But here’s the thing: lease mileage overage, the cost you pay when you exceed your agreed-upon mileage limit isn’t the only risk. If you’re close to your limit halfway through the lease, you’re already in trouble. You can’t just reset it. You can’t pause it. And if you don’t plan ahead, you’ll end up paying more at the end than you saved by leasing.

Some people think they can outsmart the system—drive 20,000 miles a year, then just pay the fee. But that’s like buying a $10 shirt and paying $50 to return it. The smarter move? Know your driving habits before you sign. If you commute 50 miles a day, that’s 12,500 miles a year. You’re already near the top of the standard limit. If you take road trips, visit family often, or work in sales? You might need 18,000 or 20,000 miles. Most dealers will let you buy extra miles upfront for less than the overage rate. Paying $0.10 per mile at signing is way cheaper than $0.25 at the end. And if you’re not sure? Go higher. It’s better to pay a little extra now than be stuck with a $2,000 bill later.

excess mileage fees, the charges applied when you exceed your lease’s allowed mileage aren’t the only surprise at lease end. You’ll also get hit with wear-and-tear charges, tire condition penalties, and dents you didn’t even notice. That’s why lease end inspection, the final check done by the dealer before you return the car matters. Many dealers offer a pre-inspection a few weeks before your lease ends. Use it. Fix small scratches. Replace worn tires. Clean the interior. These things cost $50 to fix yourself. They cost $300 to fix at the dealership.

And here’s what no one tells you: if you drive less than your limit, you don’t get money back. That’s not a refund—it’s a cap. You paid for the right to drive up to that number. If you only drove 8,000 miles a year, you didn’t save money—you just didn’t use your full allowance. That’s not a win. That’s just not losing.

What you’ll find below are real stories, real math, and real fixes from people who’ve been there. We cover how to calculate your true annual mileage, how to negotiate better limits before signing, what to do if you already went over, and why some leases are set up to trap you. No fluff. No jargon. Just what you need to know before you hand back the keys—and avoid the bill that comes with them.