Highlights
During the festive season, many dealers sell bad cars to people.To avoid this, PDI must be done before taking delivery of the car.Along with inspecting the car in PDI, you can also check its documents.
New Delhi. The festive season is about to start in the country. In such a situation, many people have started planning to buy a car. Many of these people will also be buying a car for the first time and this will be the first car in their family. In such a situation, people expect that they get the full value of the car they are buying. But it is also important to keep some things in mind while buying a new car. Let us tell you that many times dealers sell defective cars to people under the guise of festive season. Due to which later customers have to face a lot of trouble in getting it fixed. If you have also booked a new car and are waiting for delivery, then keep some things in mind before taking delivery of the car.
Here we are telling you what precautions should be taken before buying a car. How to deal with the car dealer and why Pre Delivery Inspection (PDI) is necessary before taking delivery of the car from the showroom and how it is done. Let's know…
Dealers hand over defective cars to the showroom
There are four ways in which dealers sell defective cars at the showroom
(1) Car dealers keep test models of some cars in their showrooms which are used to give test drives to customers. These cars get damaged due to being driven by many people and some of their parts also get damaged. Dealers cleverly repair these cars and sell them to new customers.
(2) There are some vehicles that get damaged during transportation or have dents on their exterior. Some dealers repair these cars and sell them without informing the customer.
(3) Due to low demand, cars often remain parked in the dealer's stockyard. Due to the effect of weather, these cars start rusting, the paint gets damaged and the tyres also start getting damaged. The dealers hide all these defects and sell the cars to the customers.
(4) Sometimes the waiting period for some variants of vehicles is long. In such a situation, the pressure to complete the supply of vehicles increases. Vehicles supplied in a hurry have some defects, which are later repaired and sold to the customer.
Why is PDI necessary and when should it be done?
PDI means Pre Delivery Inspection. This is a process in which inspection facility is available before the delivery of the car. In this, the interior, exterior, engine and all the features of the car are checked to see if they are working properly or not. By doing PDI, it can be known whether there is any problem in the car or not. The car dealer knows in advance what the problem is in the car and how to hide it from the customer before delivery. Therefore, PDI of the car should be done before the car is registered.
The dealer himself does the PDI. After a thorough check, a PDI badge is put on the car, which indicates that the car is ready for delivery. Before taking delivery of the car from the dealer, the customer can also do the PDI of the car himself and check everything at his level.
Know how to do PDI…
First of all, make a checklist. In this list, note down every point to be checked in the car like- engine, exterior, interior, tyres, features, paint of the car etc. The advantage of this list will be that no thing will be missed.
Check the exterior like this…
-Walk around the car and see if there are any scratches or dents in it. Pay special attention to the bumper and the edges of the car.
–To hide small scratches, dealers polish the car. These scratches become visible after washing it once or twice.
–For this, try running your hand over the entire body of the car. This will help you spot any dents or scratches. This will make the paintwork visible.
-Look at the body from a very close and side angle. This will show the color difference if it has been re-painted somewhere.
–Look carefully at all the corners of the car such as door edges and panel gaps, edges around windows and the front bumper.
–When a car is parked for a long time, the tyres become flat. Even new car tyres can get worn out.
–Check all four tyres, also check the rim and alloy wheel. Check the stepney properly, also check the jack and other tools.
Check the interior like this…
–Check the dashboard, upholstery, seats and glovebox thoroughly inside the car.
–Remove the floor mats and check if there is any moisture or dirt in the carpet.
–Also check all the mirrors of the car to see if there are any cracks or scratches in them.
–Check all the switches in the car. Make sure they are working properly or not.
–Switch on the air conditioner (AC) and check if the cabin cools down quickly.
Engine, Odometer and Fuel
–Open the bonnet of the car and check its fluid levels. Engine oil, coolant, brake fluid and windscreen washing fluid should be filled.
–Start the engine and let it run for a while. Check under the bonnet for any leaks or unusual noises or vibrations.
– Apart from this, keep your foot on the accelerator pedal and accelerate two or three times and listen to the sound of the engine. Black smoke is not coming out of the engine.
–The odometer reading of a new car should not be more than 30-50 km. If the reading is more than 30-50 km, then talk to the dealer about it.
Also verify the car documents
–Check all the papers of the car like- registration certificate, insurance cover, manuals, warranty card, roadside assistance number and service book.
–Take 'Form 22' from the dealer and check it. It contains the information of the car's engine number, chassis number and the month and year of car manufacturing.
–Check if the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), Engine Number and Chassis Number of the car matches with the documents provided by the dealer.
take a test drive
–Take a test drive once with the dealer representative. During the test drive, check the steering, gear shifter, brakes and suspension of the car.
–Make sure that the car is not making too much noise and check if the car is not vibrating too much. Also notice the engine noise.
Make a video of the inspection
Register the car in your name only after checking everything. Keep an eye on the car after registration. Do not let the car go back inside the service center. If the car has to be sent inside, send it with another car. If you want to be more secure, make a video of the entire inspection.
Also know these important tips…
-If the dealer refuses to do PDI then understand that there is something wrong with the car. You can refuse to buy such a car.
–If any major problem is found in PDI then it is wise not to buy such a car. This will not lighten your pocket in the future.
–The biggest advantage of doing a pre-delivery inspection is that you avoid buying a bad or damaged vehicle.
–Many times, due to a small mistake, one has to suffer loss or has to visit the showroom again later.
Tags: Auto News, Car Bike News
FIRST PUBLISHED : September 7, 2024, 19:19 IST
