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‘You Need to Be Careful:’ Woman Returns Audi to the Dealership When Her Lease Ends. She’s 40,000 Miles Over

"Just buy the car outright at that point."

Woman returns Audi to the dealership when her lease ends

Photo by: Unsplash.com

Steve Ecker

By: Steve Ecker

Nov 1, 2025 at 8:00pm ET

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A Houston-based Audi salesman revealed the shockingly large tab one customer received for driving 40,000 miles over the allotted amount on her lease.

Leasing a car can be a great option depending on driving habits and the number of miles you drive. Some perks of leasing include lower maintenance costs, no long-term commitment, lower monthly payments, and getting a new car every three to five years.

However, it can quickly add up if the lease mileage limit is exceeded when you return the car to the dealership.

In a TikTok, Audi salesman Jonny Harris (@jonnydelivered) reveals how one customer went over 40,000 miles on their lease limit and was hit with a huge bill.

The Importance of Reading the Lease Terms

In the post, Harris advises viewers to be careful when agreeing to lease terms.

“We just had a client that walked into the showroom to return their lease, and they were 40,000 over their lease limit. That’s a huge, huge amount to be over,” he begins.

In the comments section, Harris reveals that most brands have different mileage penalties.

“With Audi if you go over your miles they charge 0.25¢ a mile. 40,000 miles equates to $10k worth of mileage penalty,” Harris explains.

Harris mentions this isn’t rare, and that it happens more than you’d think.

“You need to be careful with how many miles you are scheduling for your lease, ‘cause if you drive more miles than you think, you can get hit with a huge bill,” Harris cautions.

Harris then offers a few options if you end up in the same situation as the Audi driver. First, he says you can avoid the penalties by buying the vehicle. The next option is getting a new lease and rolling over some of the penalty into the new lease.

You can of course also opt to pay the penalty.

Viewers Chimed In On This Lease Situation

Viewers had thoughts about the lease situation, many of which Harris responded to.

“Just buy the car outright at that point,” one said.

“The client had already purchased a different vehicle so they didn’t want to also purchase the car they were leasing,” Harris replied.

“I once leased, at 15 months I knew I was going to go over at 24 months. .. got out early and bought a car instead,” another shared.

“Yeah I'm [about] 40k over too lmao but I'm buying out so I guess it doesn't really matter,” someone added.

Meanwhile, some took the opportunity to trash leasing. “I would NEVER LEASE,” one said.

“Pros and cons to however you choose to purchase. For me it makes sense and I currently lease,” Harris replied.

Gallery: Audi A6 E-Tron Sportback

AJH_0113

AJH_0352 AJH_0880 AJH_2185 AJH_2366 AJH_2408 AJH_2420

Source: Audi

When Does a Car Lease Make Sense?

Going over the lease limit can be costly. Determining whether a lease on a car is a good idea will depend on your financial situation, driving habits, and long-term goals.

Some pros of leasing a car include lower payments, the ability to drive new cars, and less long-term hassle, Autotrader reports.

Leasing is great for drivers who want the latest features, luxury vehicles, or don’t want to be hit with any surprise maintenance costs and repairs, Consumer Reports notes.

However, there are some potential drawbacks to leasing. Autotrader reports the cons of leasing include added liability, limited mileage, and contractual obligation.

Consumer Reports also mentions that leases should be avoided if you put a lot of miles on your car, you plan to keep your car for a long time, or if you require a new ride every year or two.

Farm Bureau Financial Services says these five types of people should lease a car:

What do you think?

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Someone who is a low-mileage driver
Someone who likes driving a new car every three years
Someone who takes care of their vehicles
Someone who is financially stable and has good credit
Someone who wants to drive an expensive car without being stuck buying it

At the end of the day, it's a personal decision. Understanding your driving habits and preferences will ultimately determine whether buying or leasing makes more sense.

Motor1 has contacted Harris via Instagram and TikTok direct messages. This story will be updated if he replies.

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