Driving home a new car is undoubtedly a gripping experience. Nonetheless, most buyers are not aware of the requisite precautions that must be considered before taking a car delivery to steer clear of any complications.

After finalising a model, buyers should assess a pre-delivery inspection before proceeding with car registration at a showroom. It is a comprehensive assessment including stringent scrutiny of several car components to identify any recurring major or minor issues in the model.

The next segment will talk about top 10 checklists every car buyer must determine before taking delivery of their dream vehicles.

A pre-delivery car inspection checklist includes an examination of the following components.

1. Exteriors

A car may undergo damages while transiting from the manufacturer's location to the dealer's showroom. Therefore, before a buyer must take a walk around the vehicle to locate-

• Dents or scratches, especially in bumpers and along either side of the vehicle
• Identify any difference in colour across car body panels

2. Interiors

Get inside the vehicle to look for issues like-

• Stains on dashboard, roof liner, seats, doors, armrests, floor mats, parcel trays etc.
• Moisture in carpet
• Scratches or cracks on mirrors, windscreen and windows
• Batch number and manufacturing year on every windows and windowpane corners
• Smooth opening and closing of all the door locks
• Any tampered rubber piping
• Remote key locking system
• Driver's controls (if the vehicle has a central locking system)
• Windows rolling up and down easily
• Driver's controls on all the doors and windows (if the vehicle has a power window)

3. Engine

The engine is the next important thing to check before a new car delivery. Car-buyers should open the bonnet for the following component inspection.

• Fluid levels such as engine oil, brake fluid, windscreen washing liquid and coolant
• Damaged plastic parts
• Signs of oil spillage
• Tangled wires

4. Tyres and Wheels

Cars remain stationary in showrooms for a prolonged period. Hence, one must inspect tyres to detect any-

• Flat spots
• Early signs of tear and wear
• Adequate treads

Moreover, one should also look for dents, cracks or scratches on the wheels.

5. Electricals

Individuals should never forget to run an inspection on all electrical components before a car delivery, such as-

• Horns and wipers
• Headlamps, tail lights, brake lights, fog lamps and parking lights
• Music system ports like USB, CD player, Radio, AUX input; control buttons and speakers for any disturbance

6. Odometer and Fuel Metre

Odometer to confirm that its reading is between 100km and 15kmOther than these, buyers should also notice the fuel metre to confirm if it is sufficient to drive to the nearest fuel station.

Note: Generally, dealers provide up to 5 litres of fuel for test driving.

7. Boot Space

Individuals need to open boot lid to look for-

• Spare tyre
• Tyre replacement toolkit
• Any tampering on the rubber piping etc.

8. Test Drive

Dealer representatives accompany test drives to explain all necessary features of the vehicle and their usage to help buyers examine following components performance and efficiency.

• Steering precision
• Gearshifts
• Braking efficiency
• Suspension performance, including Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) levels

9. Air-Conditioning

During test driving, buyers should necessarily test the air-conditioning for-

• Dust and dirt clogs the air ducts, resulting in poor reduced cooling efficiency
• How long does it take to regulate the air inside the cabin as per the given temperature

Besides, if the car is in the showroom for a long time, do not forget to check the refrigerant levels.

10. Documentation

The next tick on the car delivery checklist is the paperwork. Buyers should collect the manufacturer-issued Form 22 from the dealer that includes credentials such as-

• Engine number
• Chassis number
• Month and year of manufacture

Apart from this, one must also examine the following documents.

• Payment receipts
• Certificate of invoice and sales
• Insurance policy
• RC or Registration Copy (temporary registration) book
• Owner's manual and any other equipment
• PUC Certificate
• Warranty documents of the model
• Warranty documents of different components like music system, tyres and battery

In addition, it is imperative to ensure that the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), engine and chassis numbers match with the documents the dealers provide. Besides, individuals must also confirm that the name and address are error-free and consistent across all the documents.

11. Duplicate Key

The last metric in what to check when buying a new car is the duplicate key. Buyers must check if they can lock, unlock, and ignite the new car's engine smoothly with a duplicate key.

Apart from these, a buyer should always start the engine and run idle to check for leaks under the bonnet and judder or unusual noises. Moreover, they must confirm that the exhaust is not emitting black fumes. Lastly, it is crucial to cross-check with the dealer that all the accessories one has purchased are installed correctly before a car delivery.

In case these examinations lead to detection of any issue, the model will be passed on to concerned professionals for necessary modifications before delivering to customers.