Lease Mileage Overage Fees: What $0.15, $0.25, and $0.30/mi Actually Costs
Mileage overage fees are the single biggest lease “gotcha.” They are easy to ignore at signing when you are focused on the monthly payment, and they arrive as a large lump-sum bill at turn-in. The math is simple - the problem is that most lessees do not do it.
2026 overage rates by captive
| Captive Finance Arm | Brand | Rate per Mile |
|---|---|---|
| Honda Financial Services | Honda | $0.15/mi |
| Honda Financial Services | Acura | $0.20/mi |
| Toyota Financial Services | Toyota | $0.15/mi |
| Toyota Financial Services | Lexus | $0.25/mi |
| Subaru Motors Finance | Subaru | $0.15/mi |
| Nissan Motor Acceptance Corp. | Nissan | $0.15/mi |
| Nissan Motor Acceptance Corp. | Infiniti | $0.25/mi |
| Hyundai Motor Finance | Hyundai / Genesis | $0.20/mi |
| Kia Motors Finance | Kia | $0.20/mi |
| Ford Credit | Ford | $0.20/mi |
| Ford Credit | Lincoln | $0.25/mi |
| BMW Financial Services | BMW / MINI | $0.25/mi |
| Mercedes-Benz Financial Services | Mercedes-Benz | $0.25/mi |
| Audi Financial Services | Audi / Volkswagen | $0.25/mi |
| Porsche Financial Services | Porsche | $0.30/mi |
Indicative, April 2026. Confirm rate in your lease contract at signing.
Overage cost at various excess levels
| Total Excess Miles (3-yr lease) | At $0.15/mi | At $0.20/mi | At $0.25/mi | At $0.30/mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,000 mi | $450 | $600 | $750 | $900 |
| 6,000 mi | $900 | $1,200 | $1,500 | $1,800 |
| 9,000 mi | $1,350 | $1,800 | $2,250 | $2,700 |
| 12,000 mi | $1,800 | $2,400 | $3,000 | $3,600 |
| 18,000 mi | $2,700 | $3,600 | $4,500 | $5,400 |
| 24,000 mi | $3,600 | $4,800 | $6,000 | $7,200 |
Buying miles upfront
Most captives let you pre-purchase additional mileage at lease signing at $0.05 to $0.10 per mile - a significant discount from the end-of-lease overage rate. The additional mileage is built into the residual calculation, which effectively raises the depreciation fee slightly but at a much lower total cost than paying overages.
Example: You expect to drive 15,000 miles per year but the standard package is 12,000. Pre-buying 3,000 extra miles per year at $0.08 per mile: $240 upfront (or $6.67 per month). Those same 9,000 miles at turn-in at $0.25/mile: $2,250. The pre-buy saves you $2,010. If you do not end up using the extra miles, you’ve overpaid $240 - the maximum downside.
What if you are under mileage?
Unused miles have no cash refund value at lease-end. The captive retains the upside of a lower-mileage vehicle (worth more than the residual assumed). This is one reason why low-mileage lessees should always check the buyout math: the car is often worth more than the residual, creating a genuine purchase opportunity.
A practical example: residual $22,000 on a car you drove 25,000 miles total instead of 36,000. KBB for that trim at 25k miles: $25,500. Buyout at $23,500 (residual + option fee + tax) is $2,000 below market. Buy out, sell privately for $25,000, net $1,500 gain minus transaction costs.