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Ford Lease Return Tire Requirements

Ford Credit's Red Carpet Lease wear-and-use standards are simpler than most brands' — and more forgiving on brand. But get the tread depth or the size wrong and it lands on your lease-end invoice.

Not sure you need tires at all? Start here: /guides/do-i-need-new-tires-before-returning-my-lease/

What Ford checks at inspection

Per Ford Credit's published wear-and-use materials — the Wear and Use Evaluator Card and the self-assessment checklist mailed to lessees — the inspector checks three things about your tires:

• 1/8″ (4/32″) or more tread on every tire
• Appropriate size and rating for the vehicle (find the size on the sticker inside your driver's door)
• No sidewall damage or plugs, no exposed cords or belts
• Spare tire present (if your Ford came with one) — broken or missing parts count as excess wear and use

What fails a Ford inspection

• Any tire under 1/8″ (4/32″) tread
• Tires that aren't an appropriate match — wrong size or wrong speed rating
• Sidewall damage, plugs, cuts, or exposed cords/belts
• Recapped or retreaded tires
• Missing spare tire (where originally equipped)

The Red Carpet Lease specifics

Ford's program is a Red Carpet Lease, and its wear-and-use standard is set by Ford Credit, not by your dealer. Two things worth knowing:

Ford mails you the checklist. Before lease end, Ford Credit sends wear-and-use guidelines so you can self-assess the vehicle — tires included. Do this honestly and sort any failing tires before turn-in, when you still control the cost.

WearCare® covers up to $5,000. If you bought Ford's WearCare protection plan, excess wear-and-use charges are waived up to $5,000 in most cases. Check your WearCare addendum for the exact coverage and exclusions — tire charges may be included, which changes whether you need to shop for tires at all.

Any brand passes. Ford's published standard says tires must be "an appropriate match for the vehicle" — size and rating — with no required brand or manufacturer marking. A quality used tire in the right size and speed rating meets the standard just as well as the originals.

How the math usually works

Ford Credit does not publish a fixed per-tire excess-wear fee — tire charges are based on the final third-party inspection at vehicle turn-in. That means check your lease contract for the exact charge structure, and assume the bill will reflect replacement cost, not your cost. In practice, replacing a failing tire yourself before return almost always costs less than the invoice Ford's inspector generates after.

The Ford loophole: used is fine

Ford's standard is about condition and matching, not receipts. A used tire with 6/32″ of even tread in the correct size and rating passes the same way a new one does — the inspector checks depth, matching, and damage, not where you bought it. That's the entire premise of LeaseEndTires: we hunt down tires that match your Ford's exact lease spec — same size and speed rating, 1/8″+ tread — for $29 a pair ($49 a full set). No find in 48 hours, no fee.

Quick checklist for Ford lessees

• Read the sticker inside your driver's door: size, speed rating, load rating
• Quarter-test all four tires (see our 4/32″ guide) — inner, middle, outer grooves
• Confirm all four tires match your size and rating — any brand is fine
• Check sidewalls for plugs, cuts, bulges — any of these fail regardless of tread
• Check the spare: present and in serviceable condition (if originally equipped)
• Review your WearCare® addendum if you bought it — it may cover tire charges

Sources: Ford Credit wear and use page (ford.com); Ford Wear and Use Evaluator Card & Self-Assessment Checklist; Ford dealer lease-return guides confirming the 1/8″ (4/32″) tread standard (AutoNation Ford Miami, Fort Worth). Requirements summarized Oct 2026 — always confirm your own contract's terms.