How Many Years Before a Leased Car is Scrapped?
3 Answers
Non-commercial vehicles and commercial vehicles have different scrapping periods, as detailed below: Scrapping regulations for non-commercial vehicles: For household 5-seat sedans and 7-seat SUVs, non-commercial small and micro vehicles have no usage period limit. When the normal mileage reaches 600,000 kilometers, the government will guide the scrapping process. In addition to the above vehicles, small and micro non-commercial passenger vehicles, large non-commercial sedans, and wheeled special machinery vehicles also have no usage period limit. Common scrapping regulations for commercial vehicles: Small and micro taxi passenger vehicles have a scrapping period of 8 years, medium-sized taxi passenger vehicles have a scrapping period of 10 years, and large taxi passenger vehicles have a scrapping period of 12 years. Public transport passenger vehicles have a scrapping period of 13 years, other small and micro commercial passenger vehicles have a scrapping period of 10 years, and large and medium-sized commercial passenger vehicles have a scrapping period of 15 years. Micro commercial trucks have a scrapping period of 8 years, light and large commercial trucks have a scrapping period of 10 years. The vehicle scrapping process is as follows: The owner of the vehicle applying for scrapping and renewal must fill out and submit the "Application Form for Vehicle Modification, Transfer, Alteration, Suspension, or Scrapping" in duplicate and affix the owner's seal. The registration office will accept the application and issue a "Vehicle Scrapping Notice" for vehicles that have reached the scrapping period. For vehicles that have not reached the scrapping period, after inspection and confirmation by the vehicle inspection office, if they meet the scrapping standards, a "Vehicle Scrapping Notice" will be issued. The vehicle owner can choose a qualified recycling company to dismantle the vehicle with the "Notice". The recycling company will dismantle the vehicle and take photos after verifying the "Notice". The engine must be separated from the vehicle, the engine block must be broken, and the frame (chassis) must be cut. The vehicle owner must submit the "Modification Form", "XX Province Vehicle Renewal Technical Inspection Form", "Scrapped Vehicle Recycling Certificate", and photos of the dismantled vehicle to the vehicle inspection office for verification and signature. The license plates and certificates will be reclaimed, and the scrapping registration will be processed according to regulations. Special notes: According to Article 30 of the "Vehicle Registration Regulations", if the vehicle is damaged and cannot be driven back to the registration location, the vehicle owner can submit the vehicle for scrapping to a local vehicle recycling company. If a commercial vehicle is converted to a non-commercial vehicle, it must be scrapped according to the original commercial vehicle's scrapping period. According to Article 43 of the "Vehicle Registration Regulations", after completing the vehicle transfer or cancellation registration, the original vehicle owner can apply to the vehicle management office to use the original license plate number when registering a newly purchased vehicle. The application to use the original license plate number must meet the following conditions: (1) The application must be submitted within six months after completing the transfer or cancellation registration; (2) The vehicle owner must have owned the original vehicle for more than three years.
I frequently deal with rental vehicles and understand that they are not scrapped according to the lease contract years. The lease period is usually 2-3 years, after which the company sells the cars to the used car market to recycle funds, rather than directly scrapping them. However, the actual scrapping of a car depends on its condition. For example, national regulations may mandate the compulsory scrapping of small commercial vehicles like rental cars after 8 years, while private cars are recommended for scrapping after 15 years. In practice, well-maintained vehicles can last much longer, with 10-15 years being quite common. High mileage or frequent accidents may lead to early scrapping. Rental companies are shrewd, replacing vehicles early to avoid high costs, but the real reasons for scrapping are aging and policy requirements.
Having driven for many years and used numerous rental cars, the end of a lease doesn't mean the car is scrapped. Contracts are short, typically 1-3 years before changing, but the cars continue to be used. Scrapping depends on usage duration and mileage; generally, after 10 years, severe aging may cause them to fail inspections and be discarded. Currently, there's no mandatory fixed lifespan set by the state, but rental cars classified as commercial vehicles might be forcibly retired after 8 years. I've seen well-maintained cars last 15 years without issues—maintenance is key. When renting, don't stress over scrapping; the company handles selling them as used cars.
