STAR Lease stands for Short Term Advantage Rate Leasing. These are short term leases ranging from four to 12 months at rates that are similar to, or, in some cases, more attractive than a traditional lease term. We work to identify vehicles that will have a lease payment of 1.25-1.5% of the vehicle’s MSRP

STAR Leases are available on new, unregistered vehicles. Model eligibility is determined on a monthly basis by the STAR Leasing Residual Committee. Available models and their corresponding lease offers may be made available at the discretion of the STAR Leasing Residual Committee.

To qualify for a STAR Lease, applicants must meet the following requirements: a minimum FICO score of 700, at least five lines of credit, at least two years of credit history, no late payments in the past 12 months, and at least one auto loan or lease on your credit history. Credit decisions are made at the discretion of STAR Leasing. For those who do not qualify based on the listed requirement, a one-pay lease option may be available at the discretion of STAR Leasing.

STAR Leasing credit approvals are valid for one year from the original approval. If you completed a 9-month STAR Lease, you would be eligible for another STAR Lease without a credit inquiry. After completing the second STAR Lease, you would be required to requalify for a third STAR Lease, as this would exceed the one-year time frame from your original approval.

STAR Leases are intended for lower-mileage drivers. We allow 1,000 miles x the number of months of the lease contract. Therefore, a 4-month lease has an allowance of 4,000 miles, while a 12-month lease allows for 12,000 miles. For example, if you had a 6-month lease and the vehicle was delivered to you with 350 miles on the odometer, you would need to return the vehicle with 6,350 miles or less on the odometer.

STAR Leasing charges $0.25 cents per mile over the allowance. For example, if a 6-month lease was returned with 8,000 miles above the delivery odometer reading, you would be charged for those 2,000 additional miles: $0.25 x 2,000 miles = $500 in overage penalties. 

STAR Leasing vehicles are to be turned in to the originating dealership on or before the maturity date of your lease contract. There is no disposition fee to turn in your lease. If you have any payments still owed on your STAR Lease upon turning it in, you will be billed for the total of the remaining payments. Payment will be due within 30 days of turning in your STAR lease.  

When turning in your STAR Lease, a lease-end inspection will be completed at the dealership. The inspection will identify any billable excess wear and tear on the vehicle. A copy of your lease-end inspection will be provided, and an invoice will be sent for any charges due. The charges will be due within 30 days of turning in your Star lease.  

To schedule your lease-end inspection, please email [email protected] with your name, make and model of your lease, and date and time you would like to schedule your inspection and turn-in. 

No. STAR Leasing vehicles are unavailable for the lessee to purchase after the lease term ends. They will become the property of STAR Leasing. Once the vehicle is made available for sale, you would have the option to purchase it as a pre-owned vehicle at the market price.

Lease extensions are available at the discretion of STAR Leasing. If you would like to extend your STAR lease, please reach out to [email protected] with your name, year, and model of your lease, and how long you would like to extend your lease. STAR Leasing will get back to you with a decision or additional options for your consideration. Payments are subject to change when requesting an extension. 

We recommend ordering your next STAR Leasing vehicle 3-6 months prior to your current lease maturity date, depending upon the delivery time of your preferred vehicle. Work with your dealership’s Loyalty Manager to determine the ideal time to order your next STAR Lease, as they can help you plan for its arrival around the maturity of your current lease. Your dealership’s Loyalty Manager will help you determine what models will be available for STAR Leasing and the right time to place your order so you can seamlessly move from your current lease to the next. 

STAR Leasing offers are contingent on the state of the pre-owned market, and we cannot guarantee which models will be available beyond the models currently offered.  We anticipate having STAR Leasing models available for the next 1-2 years while new vehicle inventory remains in short supply. 

We will collect ACH payment information the day you sign your lease contract and take delivery of your STAR lease. Your first lease payment will be due at signing. You may write a check or use a credit card to pay the first payment.  ACH payments will be set up for 30 days after delivery for the remaining payments in the contract. If, for any reason, you need to change your ACH payment information during your lease contract, please email [email protected] well in advance of your next payment being withdrawn. 

STAR Leasing charges a $30 late fee on all payments made more than 10 days after the due date. You will be billed for the late fee on your next payment.  STAR Leasing charges $30 for any returned checks or ACH payments. You will be billed the return fee on your next payment. 

Yes, you can switch to a different dealership or brand of vehicle for your next STAR Lease vehicle. Work with your dealership’s Loyalty Manager to learn about models and brands available through STAR Leasing.  

No, there is no obligation to continue in the STAR Leasing program beyond the first lease.   
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