Driving your vehicle FAQs

In the unfortunate event of a breakdown call 0344 879 6000 opt 1.

Many new vehicles include a breakdown recovery service during their warranty period but the level of cover varies depending on the manufacturer. If the level of cover provided by the manufacturer is of the same standard available via Lex Autolease, our recovery agent will ask the manufacturer to respond to your breakdown. If your manufacturer's cover has expired or does not provide benefits equal to the Lex Autolease scheme, our recovery agent will make arrangements for Lex Autolease to respond.

The priority will be to repair the vehicle so that you can continue your journey with the minimum disruption. If a repair cannot be completed at the roadside, the vehicle will be recovered to the nearest Lex Autolease approved repairer supplier who will attend to the repairs.

If your vehicle cannot be repaired at the roadside or at a nearby garage supplier, the recovery agent will take you, your vehicle and your passengers home or to anywhere on the UK mainland. It is the driver's responsibility to collect the vehicle once repaired.

The above applies only where the customer has maintenance or AA cover without maintenance – non maintained vehicles are not covered.

This is dependent on both the type of warranty that applies to your vehicle, your contract type and also the provision from the manufacturer.  If your vehicle contract includes relief vehicle provision as part of the agreement then a replacement vehicle will be made available for a maximum of 28 days. Please note this may not be a like-for-like vehicle.

If your vehicle does not include relief vehicle cover then it depends on the provision offered by the motor manufacturer. Manufacturer replacement vehicle cover is outside of our control and usually falls into three main categories:

• Manufacturer or dealer provides onward mobility – you would need to provide a credit card and driving licence prior to driving the vehicle.
  
• Manufacturers do not support any form of onward mobility – it is the customer's responsibility to arrange an alternative vehicle while repairs are being completed
• Manufacturers offer a value of support per day to help customers with their onward mobility costs. The value may not cover the full amount of the daily charge. The request for this type of support must be made before the customer incurs any costs as retrospective claims are not supported.

Upon delivery we would expect you to check the hire vehicle for any damage to ensure that there are no unexpected damage claim charges. Equally, when the vehicle is collected by the supplier, it is advisable to check the vehicle again to ensure that any damage sustained in your care is accurately recorded. Please note that you’re expected to refuel your relief vehicle before returning it to the supplier.

This will typically be a small hatchback-type vehicle, for example a Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo or Vauxhall Corsa.

In business hours the expected waiting time for a relief vehicle is up to 4 hours. Delivery is not available outside of business hours, although it may be possible to make a vehicle available for collection from a rental branch.

Lex Autolease opening hours are 08:30–17:30 Monday to Friday and 08:30–12:30 on Saturdays. The two hour service level applies to booking made two hours before the end of working hours e.g. bookings must be made before 15:30 on week days.  Vehicles are provided subject to availability.

If you don't have Accident Services as part of your agreement, please speak to your insurer directly.

If you pay for Accident Services within your agreement, to report an new incident your drivers can call us on 0344 879 6000. We're here 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday. 

Our Accident Services can help with vehicle recovery, incident management and give you access to a network of repairers. We may be able to provide your driver with a replacement or temporary hire vehicle for an additional charge, depending on your contract. Or repairers may provide a courtesy vehicle while they repair the vehicle. 

How your drivers arrange and pay for routine servicing, maintenance and MOTs will depend on if you have maintenance included in your agreement. If you’re not sure, please check your original agreement documents.

Your drivers will need to show us a service record when they give the vehicle back at the end of the contract, so please make sure they’re booking it in for regular services. If they don’t, you may face additional charges. The vehicle manufacturer’s recommendation will let your drivers know how often they should be servicing your vehicle.

It’s also important your drivers keep on top of maintenance checks. For example, keeping tyre tread depth within legal limits and fluid levels topped up. If they spot any warning lights, they can use their vehicle handbook to find out what they mean.

If you have a maintenance package:

Your drivers can manage their vehicle through the Lex Autolease Driver Portal. Here they can book an MOT, and routine servicing and maintenance including tyre replacements. They can choose a garage based on location, select preferred dates, and receive instant booking confirmation.

Your drivers can also:

• Speak to their local franchised dealer, who’ll be able to let them know when the next available appointment is.
  
• Book directly with our supplier, Kwik Fit, by calling 0330 123 1590 between 8am - 6pm Monday to Friday or going in to one of their local centres.

Having your driver check lights, tyres and windscreens and arrange to get them fixed before their MOT appointment may help to reduce the amount of time their vehicle is off the road.

If you have a maintenance package as part of your agreement, routine service and general maintenance costs are included. MOT’s, tyres, and other general maintenance needs are also covered if they fall under general fair wear and tear. You can find out more about what is and isn’t covered in the BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental Leasing Association) Fair Wear and Tear guidelines. Any repairs that are needed for damage, theft, vandalism, driver neglect or misuse aren’t covered by maintenance agreements so will be charged.

If you don’t have a maintenance package:

Booking an MOT

Your drivers can use any garage they’d prefer to book their MOT. Kwik Fit is our preferred supplier and we’ve agreed specific rates which may be more cost-effective. If you wish to book with them, your drivers speak to them directly, letting them know they’re a Lex Autolease customer.

Getting your driver to check and fix lights, tyres and windscreens before your MOT appointment may help to reduce the amount of time their vehicle is off the road.

Booking routine servicing or maintenance

To book routine servicing or maintenance for their vehicle, your drivers can speak to their local franchised dealer, and they’ll let them know when the next available appointment is.

If you don't have a maintenance package with us, you’re responsible for the costs for servicing, maintenance, and MOTs of the vehicle. This includes any general maintenance costs and tyre replacements.

Your drivers can check their vehicles MOT date by visiting the DVLA website. If the vehicle is pre-registered, the date of the MOT may be earlier than 3 years from the delivery of your vehicle (4 years if Northern Ireland registered). 

We'll send reminders to help drivers remember to book their MOT, and it’s up to them to make sure the vehicle has a valid MOT and is safe, legal, and roadworthy. If you opted to take our maintenance cover, the cost of the MOT will be covered.

If you have a maintenance package with us and a vehicle fails its MOT, we’ll work with the garage directly to get it fixed and retested

If you need to replace your tyres, you can book this in through the Driver Portal. ​​​​​​​Or you can give us a call on 0344 879 6000 and select the option for tyres. We’re here 9am-5.30pm Monday to Friday.

If you have a problem with the mats or number plates supplied with your vehicle, please contact a Customer Service Representative in the first instance. Please note that these items will only be replaced free of charge if they are faulty (i.e. not damaged through accident), have been supplied by our supplier, or are covered under the 3 year warranty.

If you wish to add accessories to your vehicle after delivery, such as a tow bar, audio equipment, telephone kit, driving/fog lamps, body kits or modifications, you will need approval from both your company (if Business Contract Hire) and/ or Lex Autolease. All expenses for any changes made to your vehicle after delivery, including maintenance of these items, are your responsibility.

If you remove any accessories, we ask you to repair any damage that may have been caused by their fitment and ensure the vehicle is returned to us in its original condition.

Cleaning your vehicle regularly and checking oil and water levels as well as tyre pressures will help to keep your vehicle running efficiently. During winter, the appropriate amount of anti-freeze should be included in the cooling system.

Tyres

You must take care not to drive your vehicle with tyres below the legal limit (this is a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm in a continuous band around the central three quarters of the tyre).  You can put yourself and other road users at risk and both you and your company can be held liable for prosecution.

You should be aware that prosecution for illegal tyres will result in penalty points on your licence. We strongly recommend that you regularly check your tyres to make sure they conform to legal requirements.

Diesel particulate filters 

Although particulate filters are very effective in dramatically reducing the amount of particulates emitted from diesel vehicles, most filters need to burn the trapped particulates off fairly regularly, known as regeneration. This usually requires the vehicle to be driven at over 50mph for a short period of time. Therefore, we would recommend that diesel vehicles are more suited to high mileage motorway drive cycles with plug in vehicles being used for urban based driving.

Driving licence

It is a requirement that, at all times, you are the holder of a full and valid driving licence. As Best Practice, we recommend that you always have your licence with you while driving as it may be needed if you have to book a replacement vehicle.

If you need to book an additional rental vehicle, our dedicated Car & Van Rental Reservations Team at Nexus Vehicle Rental can be contacted on 0344 879 6666, or via email at LAnewbookings@nexusrental.co.uk. Please note, you will need your Lex Autolease account number to be able to place a new booking.

How much notice do I need to provide when requesting a rental vehicle?

Our minimum lead time requirement is 4 hours for a standard vehicles. Specialist vehicles are subject to longer lead times based on availability. Please refer to our vehicle groups guide for exact clarification.

If I have a problem with my rental vehicle, who should I contact?

Should you need any advice or assistance with your reservation please contact our reservations team here at Nexus on 0344 879 6666 at your earliest opportunity. If, however, you need urgent roadside assistance, our individual suppliers will provide an emergency contact number in the vehicle.

What should I do if I have left any items in a rental vehicle that has now been returned?

Please contact us as soon as possible in order that we can address this with the supplying branch. We will endeavour to ensure any personal belongings are returned, however due to how quickly rental vehicles are turned around for the use of other customers, we cannot guarantee items will be retrieved by the branch. Please ensure the vehicle is emptied of personal belongings when off hired to avoid any disappointment.

If you're thinking of taking your vehicle abroad in Europe, we’ll give you some documents before you go. These are:

• A VE103a certificate that allows you to drive your Lex Autolease vehicle outside of the UK
  
• A letter from us authorising you to take the vehicle outside of the UK
• If you have a maintenance package with us, we’ll also provide you with details of our breakdown service in Europe.

Please request these from us at least two weeks before you go by calling our European travel line on 01564 701 118. Lines are open 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday. Or you can also do this online by visiting the Lex Driver Portal. 

When you call or request these online, we’ll ask for the following information:

• Your vehicle registration number
  
• Exact dates the car will be out of the country
• Countries to be visited

You’ll need to pay for any maintenance needed on your vehicle whilst you’re out of the country. If you have a maintenance package with us, we may consider refunding these costs up to the same price of the repairs as if they had been carried out in the UK. We’ll need receipts and translated invoices within 28 days of any costs being incurred.

We recommend taking a touring kit of spare parts, a warning triangle and a first aid kit when travelling overseas, as they are mandatory in many countries. To find out more about what’s needed in the country or countries you're visiting, please call our travel line.

Council Parking Fines

If a parking fine is received on a vehicle the driver has the timeframe specified on the ticket to respond to the notice and either pay or appeal the fine. If the ticket is ignored then the issuing authority will issue a Parking Charge Notice to Lex Autolease who will respond to the fine (depending on the customer's policy).

Some parking fines will be captured by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR); these will come directly to Lex Autolease and will be responded to in accordance to the customer's policy. If you're unsure as to the terms of your policy please speak to a Customer Service Representative.

Private Parking

If the policy is to nominate we will transfer liability using the details as instructed. This could be to a private individual or a company address. The Parking Company will reissue the notice to the address provided by Lex Autolease and will reset all time scales to pay or appeal the charge. Any Appeals can be made directly to the Parking Company. 

If the Parking Company do not receive a response back regarding the reissued notice they will revert back to Lex Autolease, as the registered keeper, to obtain payment. Lex Autolease will settle the outstanding charge and then recharge this to the relevant customer account. 

Where Lex Autolease are unable to the transfer liability we will send the notice using the details as instructed. A covering letter with a copy of the charge will be provided along with our instruction that the charge will need to be paid or appealed.If after 28 days we are contacted by the Parking Company again to advise that the charge has not been paid and remains outstanding then, at that point, Lex Autolease will have no alternative but to pay the charge and recharge this to the relevant customer account. 

It is the driver's responsibility to either pre-register or pay the daily charge when entering the Congestion Zone. If the vehicle is not registered, or the driver fails to pay on the day, then Transport for London will issue a Penalty Charge Notice to Lex Autolease.

Due to a London by-law which prevents Lex Autolease being able to make representation against the offence, Congestion Charges have to be paid by the registered keepers. The fine will be paid and recharged to the customer. An administration fee may be charged depending on the customer's policy with Lex Autolease. If the customer wishes to appeal the fine they can do so directly with Transport for London.

It is the driver's responsibility to either pre-register or pay the daily charge when entering the Congestion Zone. If the vehicle is not registered, or the driver fails to pay on the day, then Transport for London will issue a Penalty Charge Notice to Lex Autolease.

Due to a London by-law which prevents Lex Autolease being able to make representation against the offence, Congestion Charges have to be paid by the registered keepers. The fine will be paid and recharged to the customer. An administration fee may be charged depending on the customer's policy with Lex Autolease. If the customer wishes to appeal the fine they can do so directly with Transport for London.