7 quick tips to escape a faulty new car

Are you buying a new car? Okay, so you already booked it and now waiting for the right ‘muhurat’, but what if you are paying extra or buying an old model year car or your dealer is not giving you all the accessories? It is important to inspect your car and all the related documents before taking the delivery. To make things easier for you, we have prepared a short guide for pre-delivery inspection, so you can get a perfect deal and escape the fraud while buying a new car.

1. It’s all about the right timing

As Indians tend to buy cars on auspicious days or ‘muhurats’, some specific days are more chaotic at the dealerships. In such chaos, one can’t check the car or documents with full attention. So, it’s advisable that in such scenario you should complete the pre-delivery inspection beforehand. The other important thing is to check the car in proper day light, as the glitzy showroom lights can hide a lot. You might not also get good service in the evening since dealership personnel are in a hurry to wrap the day up.

How to inspect the car-

1. Get the car parked in proper lighting and start with exteriors, check for any damage, scratch, repairs or paint job hitches. Sometimes, the dealer tries to remove the scratches and dents, but you can notice as it doesn’t match with rest of the paint job and it would be dull or shiny than rest of the car.
2. If the speedometer is disconnected, there are chances that the car was being used as a demo car. Also, insure that the odometer doesn’t read above 100 km.
3. Check the windscreen for any manufacturing defect, if you see any air bubble or scratch, ask the dealer to get it replaced.
4. Check for all the electricals, battery, spare wheel, tool kit and hazard sign.  

2. Are you getting an older model?

Model year plays a vital role in the resale value of the car, being one of the most important decisive factors in price valuation; it can make you lose thousands. So, if the dealer has an older model year car, he might sell it to you as generally they need to give big discounts on these cars. It can happen anytime, but the probabilities are high if you are buying the car in the first quarter.

How to check?

We will recommend you to check it before the documentation work as once the car will be registered on your name; you can’t do much about it. The model year can be checked by the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), which is stamped in engine bay and passenger compartment. Every manufacturer uses different VIN number decoding, so you need to decode accordingly, mostly the 9th or 10th letter represent the year. Apart from the VIN number, you can also ask the dealer for ‘Form 22’, which is issued by the manufacturer. You can find the engine number and chassis number on it and manufacturing month and year can be found in the road worthiness column of the ‘Form 22’.

3. Documentation- Everything needs to be in black and white

You are going to make a big investment; therefore it’s advisable to do all the paper work in order.

1. Please ask for the bill (VAT Invoice), RC or temporary registration certificate (Form 19), if the RC is not ready. Check your name, engine number, chassis number and vehicle number are mentioned correctly.
2. Also check for the tax calculations and any extra charges like lodging charges, etc.
3. If there is any damages on the car or some accessory is not fitted, ask the dealer to fix it, if he ask you to do it later, take the same in writing with the authorized person’s sign on it.
4. Ask for the insurance certificate, check for what all it covers, and it is valid and active.
5. Dealer will also provide you the original PUC certificate that is valid for one year.
6. User manual with original warranty card with necessary dealer stamps and extended warranty if opted for.
7. Warranty cards for other parts like battery, tyres, stereo, central lock, etc.

4. Accessories- that too cost a lot

Now-a-days, the cars are getting smarter and coming with lots of features and accessories. So, it is important to inspect all these accessories as well. First, inspect for all the accessories, which come with the specific variant.

1. Music System- One of the basic feature is the music system, so we advise you to take a USB device, AUX and CD, so you can check the stereo is fully functional. If the car has the steering mounted controls, please do check these too.
2. Rear parking assist/ Camera- If the car is equipped with the parking sensors or camera, please check these as well.
3. Central Lock- Check the central lock, is it working properly or not.

5. The Freebies

One can argue with the dealer for free car cover, but don’t pay attention to some other essential things, which go un-noticed. So, we will advise you to check for these as well

1. Engine Oil and Coolant: Please check the level of the both engine oil and coolant as if these are low in your car, it can harm it badly.  
2. Spare Wheel and tools: Insure that the spare wheel is there and it is a fresh one. Also check for the tools.
3. Battery: Check the battery is in good condition; ask for the original warranty card.
4. Check for the accessories that you asked your dealer to provide.

6. Those hidden additional charges

Do you know, even after your hardest efforts to get that Rs. 5000 discount, your dealer can billed you Rs. 10-15000 extra. So, it is very important to tally all your bills carefully. Visit the RTO website and check for the taxes valid for your car and calculate the tax. Ask your dealer to provide the break-up on it and then match both the amounts. Dealers also include handling charge, which is not valid. Check the invoice for these details, also calculate the insurance premium, and see if your dealer is selling you an expensive policy, you can do it yourself.

7. Pictures- The memories and Evidence

It is a memorable experience for you, so it is very important to catch all the first moments with your car. Also, it will help you to keep a record that in what condition you received the car, what all the accessories were fitted. Click pictures of any dent or damage on the car or any faulty part. These pictures will strengthen your claim, if the dealer denies taking any responsibility in future.