Vehicles are being purchased during the festive season. If you are also planning to buy a new car, there are some precautions that need to be taken before delivery.
What precautions should be taken before buying a car? How to deal with a car dealer and why Pre Delivery Inspection (PDI) is required before taking delivery of the car from the showroom and how it is done…
First of all let us know what is PDI?
PDI stands for Pre-Delivery Inspection. It is a process in which inspection facility is provided before the delivery of the car. In this, the exterior, interior, engine and all the features of the car are checked to see if they are working properly. PDI is done in two ways.
- The dealer himself does the PDI. After a thorough inspection, a PDI base is placed on the car, indicating that the car is ready for delivery.
- The customer can also do the PDI of the car himself and check everything at his level before taking delivery of the car from the dealer.
Why is PDI required, when and where should it be done?
Can PDI detect if there is a problem with the car? The car dealer already knows what the problem is with the car and how to hide it from the customer before delivery. Therefore, the PDI of the car should be done before the vehicle is registered.
Car PDI should be done in a place where there is good lighting. It makes it easy to see all the parts of the car. It would be beneficial to take along an expert, mechanic or someone knowledgeable about cars. Even if you can't find an expert, you can do it yourself.
Let's know how to do PDI…
Step-1: Make a check list
- First make a check list. In this list, note down every point to check in the car like engine, exterior, interior, tires, features, car color etc. The advantage of this list is that nothing will be left out.
Step-2: Exterior
- Look around the car for any scratches or dents. Pay special attention to the bumper and sides of the car.
- Dealers polish cars to hide minor scratches. These scratches start showing after one or two washes.
- For this, move your hand over the entire body of the car. If there is a dent or scratch it will be caught.
- Look at the body closely and from a side angle. Because of this, if re-painting has been done somewhere, there will be a difference in color.
- Check all corners of the car such as door edges and panel gaps, around the windows and the front bumper.
- When a car is parked for a long time, the tires go flat. New car tires can also be flat.
- Check all four tires, rims and alloy wheels too. Check the steppin properly, also check the jack and other equipment.
Step-3: Interior
- Inside the car, thoroughly inspect the dashboard, upholstery, seats and glovebox.
- Remove the floor mat and check the carpet for moisture or dirt.
- Also check all car mirrors for cracks or scratches.
- Check all the switches in the car. Check if they are working properly.
- Turn on the air conditioner (AC) and check if the cabin cools down quickly.
Step-4: Engine, Odometer and Fuel
- Open the bonnet of the car and check its liquid level. Engine oil, coolant, brake fluid and windscreen washer fluid must be full.
- Start the engine and let it run for a few minutes. Check under the bonnet for any leaks or listen for any unusual noises
- Apart from this step on the accelerator pedal and accelerate two-three times and listen to the sound of the engine. No black smoke coming out of the engine
- The odometer reading of a new car should not exceed 30-50 km. If the reading is more than 30-50 km, talk to the dealer about it
- Dealers offer 5 liters of free fuel to customers. Check the fuel level and see if there is enough fuel to reach the nearest fuel station.
Step-5: Car documents
- Check all car papers like registration certificate, insurance cover, manual, warranty card, roadside assistance number and service book.
- Be sure to get the 'Form 22' from the dealer and check it, it contains information about the car's engine number, chassis number and the month and year of the car's manufacture.
- Check if the vehicle identification number (VIN), engine number and chassis number of the car match the documents provided by the dealer.
Step-6: Take a test drive
- Take a test drive once with a dealer representative. During the test drive, check the car's steering, gearshifter, brakes and suspension.
- The car is not making too much noise and check that the car is not vibrating too much. Also pay attention to the sound of the engine.
Step-7: Make a video of the inspection
Only after checking everything get that car registered in your name. After registration, keep an eye on that car. Do not let the car back inside the service center. If you want to send the car, send it with the car. If you want to be extra safe, make a video of the entire inspection.
What to do after taking delivery of the car? After buying a car, the invoice (bill) should be checked thoroughly. Many dealers initially quote the on-road price of the vehicle after adding insurance and RTO charges to the ex-showroom price of the vehicle.
When we look at the bill after buying a car, we see many hidden charges, such as file charges, service charges, handling charges and accessories charges. Overall, around Rs. Hidden charges of 5-10 thousand are imposed. Service charge is illegal.
If you see such charges in your bill, raise your objection immediately or make it clear to the dealer at the time of booking that you will not pay any hidden charges.
Also know these important tips…
- If the dealer prevents you from doing PDI then there is something wrong with the car. You can refuse to buy such a car.
- If there is a major problem with PDI then it would be wise not to buy such a car. This may increase your costs in the future.
- One of the biggest benefits of pre-delivery inspection is that you avoid receiving a defective or damaged vehicle.
- Many times a small mistake leads to damage or a trip to the showroom.
What precautions should be taken while buying a car? First decide the budget and choose the car accordingly. Apart from this, one should always choose a car according to his needs. Don't finalize the deal from a single showroom, finalize the deal by taking quotations from three-four more dealers to get a better deal.
- Whatever car you go to see in the showroom, get complete information from the salesman, ask about all the features and engines. Choose only the type whose features you can use regularly. Apart from this, also do a test drive of the car.
- If you need a loan to buy a new car, first of all you should know about the interest rates of different banks and finance the car from the bank that offers the lowest interest rate loan.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
