The excitement of having bought the car that you’d long been thinking of is unparalleled. The joy, happiness & satisfaction of knowing that in a short while, those wheels shall be parked in the driveway is simply out of this world. A word of caution though, for there are far too many instances of new cars being driven out of the showroom and later, turning out to be, well, ‘not-as-new’.
The problem with discovering that the dealer hadn’t been as honest with you, when buying the car is that the car is already registered in your name and rectification, is, quite frankly, a very tall task. This is why, the practice of having a pre-delivery inspection checklist for new cars is so valued. It attempts to nip the rot in the bud itself, maximizing the chances at ownership nirvana.
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Ask the dealer to only go ahead with the registration after you’ve conducted your inspection at their stockyard. The VIN (vehicle identification number) check tells you the month and year that a particular car has been manufactured. Anything more than a couple of months is to be rejected.
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Match the paperwork from the manufacturer against that by the dealer. The numbers (Frame & Engine) have to match and walk away from the first signs of tampering.
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Verify that all charges are as per prescribed norms and make sure that any discrepancies are clarified to your satisfaction.
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Check for shut-lines, panel gaps, alignment of the doors, boot/hatch lid and bonnet. Check the fitment around the lights and the bumpers. Observe the car for any paint mismatch. Walkaway if there’s any signs of a cover-up. The procedures surrounding new cars is such that once registered in your name, it is extremely difficult to let go of a lemon, without financial loss. So give the go-ahead only when you have ascertained everything.
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Fix up a suitable date for delivery and preferably ask for a slot when the sky is properly lit.
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Arrive at the dealership with all documentation from your side and verify it against all paperwork that the dealer is to hand over to you.
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Once again, inspect the car thoroughly, to ensure that nothing has been altered or changed since the time you gave the go-ahead for the registration.
And that’s it! If all’s been as per the pre-delivery inspection checklist for your new car, then thank the showroom staff, finish the formalities and set off on the first of many happy clicks on the odometer.
