After Relocating to Canada, Lucid Air Touring Owner Says He Had to Pay $12K to Break His Lease Because Lucid Wouldn’t Allow Even “A Single Day” of Driving in Canada

Update: 

Lucid reached out to clarify that the lease issue described below reflected standard industry policy rather than a Lucid-specific restriction. Lease terms-including limits on relocating a vehicle outside the U.S.-were set by the financing institution, not by Lucid. Lucid added that similar relocation limitations existed across other brands, including Mazda, Toyota, and BMW.

The company also noted that temporary travel to Canada was permitted for up to 30 days under its lease agreements and said it was unclear why the customer believed otherwise, but it would investigate...

There are moments in car ownership when the real roadblock is not mechanical, electrical, or even technological. Sometimes the trouble appears in the documents we sign, long after the new car scent has faded and the sales team has moved on to the next delivery. 

The Lucid Air Touring is by all measures a significant achievement in modern automotive engineering, the sort of electric luxury sedan that can convert skeptics into believers. Yet even the most advanced vehicle can be grounded by the kind of unexpected restriction that reveals itself only when life takes an owner somewhere the paperwork cannot follow.

“First of all, we love our 24 Air Touring.  Despite its infotech hiccups and a solid month of a complete battery replacement, it’s been an amazing car.   

We are 1 year into a 3-year lease.   We have no choice but to break our lease as we are relocating from Los Angeles to Canada.  

We have tried everything with Lucid to see if there was some way we could take our beloved AIR with us and complete the lease there.  Since there is a Lucid dealer in Toronto, it shouldn’t be a problem.  But it is.  

Not only will Lucid Financial Services not let us bring the car to Canada, but it won’t even let us drive it in Canada for a single day.  

We asked if we could break our lease here and lease a new one in Toronto.  The ONLY way to break a lease is to pay off the final two years of our lease and hand the car back in.  Unlike every other lease I have ever done, Lucid also won't let you find someone to take over the lease, which I have done on two previous occasions.  

This was in the contract. I am not accusing Lucid of being deceptive, but the end result of this is they have taken a very satisfied customer, a champion of their product who sang its praises to anyone who would listen, and turned me into a disgruntled ex-lessee who is forced to eat 12 grand and have the car taken from our lives. We won’t consider driving a Lucid again.  

Brand loyalty is HUGE, and I hope, if Lucid survives, they understand that they need to maybe be a little more flexible in their policies so people become dedicated followers of their brand, as I would have.”

The comments that followed the post reflected the kind of collective troubleshooting only car communities can produce. Suggestions ranged from practical to optimistic. One member recommended simply taking the car north and managing the mileage, which prompted Austin to clarify that Lucid once allowed thirty days of Canadian driving and now allows none at all. Another commenter proposed subleasing to a family member or another enthusiastic owner, but Austin explained that the contract prohibits lease transfers outright. Even well-meaning advice about keeping the car in the United States for occasional visits unraveled once insurance complexity and cross-border practicality entered the picture.

Lucid Air: The Engineering Behind It

• The Air feels like it was engineered with a clean sheet of paper: tiny electric motors, huge range numbers, and performance that comes on so effortlessly you barely register the speed building.
• Its cabin leans into minimalism, but not in a cold, tech-for-tech’s sake way; it’s airy, thoughtfully shaped, and comfortable enough to turn long drives into something you actually look forward to.
• Lucid’s obsession with aerodynamics pays off; this car slices through the air with so little drag that it almost feels unfair compared to most EVs on the road.
• Even the base versions feel sophisticated, but the higher trims push into territory usually occupied by top-tier German luxury sedans, just with far less drama and far more efficiency.

This kind of situation highlights how a vehicle can perform beautifully in every measurable way yet still fall victim to circumstances beyond the engineers' control. Austin called his Air Touring an amazing car and meant it. The range, refinement, and overall composure of the Air make it one of the most impressive electric sedans available today. It is the kind of product that, under normal ownership conditions, builds loyalty through capability rather than marketing. That is why the sudden limitation at the Canadian border felt so jarring. A car designed for long-distance serenity was effectively stopped not by weather, terrain, or technology but by a clause tucked into a financing agreement.

For some commenters, the solution looked deceptively simple. Why not leave the car in the United States and drive it during the return trip?. Why not continue life as if the border were simply another scenic line on the map? These suggestions might work in theory, but modern insurance, long-term travel patterns, and legal obligations rarely bend to such convenience. A car cannot stay in a country its owner no longer resides in without layers of complexity that go far beyond the joy of driving it. This is where policy and practicality collide.

Lucid, like any young automaker navigating a competitive market, must balance customer experience with financial risk. Restrictive policies often originate in residual value calculations, recovery logistics, and insurance mandates that leave little room for improvisation. Still, there is a human element to ownership that cannot be captured in legal language alone. Austin acknowledged that everything he faced was written in the contract, yet the outcome left him feeling penalized for circumstances he could not reasonably control. A customer who once championed the brand now departs frustrated, not by the car itself but by the conditions around it.

The irony is that this predicament was not caused by engineering flaws. It did not stem from battery issues, software bugs, or quality lapses. Instead, it came from an administrative boundary that remained invisible until it became immovable. For anyone living near a border or in a profession that requires relocation, such rules can turn a promising ownership experience into a financial burden. The Air Touring was ready for the journey, but the contract was not.

This story serves as a reminder that even the most advanced machines are ultimately shaped by the systems they operate within. The Lucid Air remains a standout achievement in electric mobility, a car that many owners regard with genuine admiration. Yet a single limitation in a lease agreement proved powerful enough to end an otherwise positive relationship. In a world where customers expect flexibility and brands rely on loyalty, policy can matter as much as performance. Sometimes the roadblock is not on the road at all.

Image Sources: Lucid Media Center

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.