Does anyone have any tips on what to look for when your new car arrives before you drive it off the lot? For example, looking for any small or minor scratches, dents, damages, underneath the car, etc?
Call me a little paranoid, but it seems like if you don't catch something before you drive it off the lot, you're held liable since there is no way to prove you didn't do it after driving off.
Yeah I test drove mine despite the sour puss face my CA had. I made sure the alignment was right, checked The interior.....CA kept on saying "it's covered in our warranty" blah blah blah.
I would do the same. If you drive it off and then later notice a dent or damage underneath, or interior blemishes, those aren't covered under the warranty, correct? They could say, "How do we know you didn't do this after you drove off?"
Would you actually refuse delivery and have BMW reorder the car (which I'm sure they would refuse to do) if you found they had repaired shipping damage? VPC repairs I'm sure are considered the same as at the factory.
Here's one for the ages: bring an accurate tire pressure gauge and check the tire pressure.
I'll bet the pressure will be low. It immediately puts the lie to the "quality check list" the salesperson will show you. And, once you do it, they are put on notice that you intend to go over every stinkin' thing on the car.
It's a little assholic, but when you are spending the amount of money it takes to buy a BMW, who cares?
Also, if it's a domestic delivery at your local dealer, pay attention to the weather. Go on a bright day. Eat a good breakfast -- stay off the coffee. IOW, get a game face on.
Whatever you find, they'll want to fix. They've already booked the deal and paid the commissions. The holdback paperwork is on its way to BMW NA. IOW, you have maximum leverage.
Here's one for the ages: bring an accurate tire pressure gauge and check the tire pressure.
I'll bet the pressure will be low. It immediately puts the lie to the "quality check list" the salesperson will show you. And, once you do it, they are put on notice that you intend to go over every stinkin' thing on the car.
We took European Delivery on our car and my CA had clear instructions not to touch the car after they rolled it off the truck (don't wash it, don't remove the Euro plates, toll vignettes, etc.), but I did ask them to check the tire pressure. I remembered reading somewhere that the tires were over inflated for the boat ride to help minimize the movement of the car (I don't know whether this is actually true or not). He didn't get this done before we arrived so we pulled it around to the service bay and he brought out a tire gauge and air tank. All of the tires were high, ~45 psi. If the dealer forgets to check the tire pressure the tires may be over inflated.
It would be awesome if someone could just create a bullet point list of the things to check before taking delivery. Maybe the same list that the dealership goes through when they take delivery of the vehicle from the transport.
1. check exterior lines, gaps, paint, glass, wheels, tires [including pressure]
2. check interior upholstery, trim, systems
3. check engine bay and trunk
4. check underbody if possible
5. go for a test drive
6. get goodies
7. get list of damage/repairs due to shipping, if any
for those of you who have taken delivery on custom orders, how much time does it usually take to complete the process at the dealership on the day of?
When I took delivery of my car, I paid for it before I drove off. I actually asked the finance guy that I was signing papers/handing the check to -- what if the car doesn't drive right? He said "we've NEVER had an issue with that before".
Anyway, how many of you insist on a test drive before paying for the car?
I went through the "new owner orientation" only after paying for it. And the car was indoors at that time. So...would the recommended approach be:
- Get new owner orientation.
- Test drive.
- Pay for car.
Would the dealership agree to this?
Otherwise, I think the list of things to inspect is good. I didn't do that and there were several minor things that I had to go back and get fixed...minor rattles, glue sticking out of the roundel on the steering wheel, and the steering wheel slightly off to the left.
Check the carfax history. My car had the windshield replaced before I took delivery. I never found out till 2 years later by chance...The replacement was causing the plastic cowls to rattle....
I recommend taking it for a test ride. I drove my F30 home and it had a steering wheel shutter ( vibration) between 40-60 mph. Parked it called the dealer and took it back on Monday. It is a Sport model, fitted with Continental tires 225/45R18 . Low and behold right front tire had an internal 6 inch band separation. That Monday night a truck came in with more Sport models, the dealer took all four tires off another car and put them on mine. Problem solved. This time I have Goodyear tires.
]So my recommendation is take it for a spin before you sign the papers.[/B][/B]
I recommend taking it for a test ride. I drove my F30 home and it had a steering wheel shutter ( vibration) between 40-60 mph. Parked it called the dealer and took it back on Monday. It is a Sport model, fitted with Continental tires 225/45R18 . Low and behold right front tire had an internal 6 inch band separation. That Monday night a truck came in with more Sport models, the dealer took all four tires off another car and put them on mine. Problem solved. This time I have Goodyear tires.
]So my recommendation is take it for a spin before you sign the papers.[/B][/B]
My windshield had a warpage only seen on the highway after I drove off. BMW replaced it with no fuss.
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