New car pickup. Things to check.

[Doubletalkjive]

Looks like we will be picking up the new RAV4 PHEV in a week or so 😀

Any tips on what to check on the vehicle other than the usual physical inspection inside and out? Last time we bought a car we didn’t drive it before signing on the dotted line (it was also a new car). Is that normal practice?

[Rosgoe]

I’ve never bought a car new or used without road testing it first. The worst thing I find with new cars and Toyota are not exempt from this is the paint finish horrible orange peel effect I’ve bought a 2015 auris and a corolla both new. I nearly rejected the auris on the paint finish and the corolla is not much better.

I’ve got a classic triumph and the paint finish is far superior to new cars. I would also check the leather seats as on my corolla the drivers seat covering has bubbled up have had it replaced twice now under warranty and it’s done it again !

enjoy your new car 🚗 

 

[philip42h]

1 hour ago, Doubletalkjive said:

Any tips on what to check on the vehicle other than the usual physical inspection inside and out? Last time we bought a car we didn’t drive it before signing on the dotted line (it was also a new car). Is that normal practice?

I think so. You are buying a new Toyota from a dealer that you trust. So as long as you have the full set of keys and paperwork, and have walked around the car once to make sure that there isn't any obvious damage, just drive it home.

Personally, there's very little that I could do by way of pre-acceptance checks. And if I did subsequently discover an issue, it would simply go straight back to the dealer for resolution. 

Enjoy!

[Rhymes with Paris]

It's been 30 odd years since I picked up a new car, and it was ok.

But the things I have learned from others since,would lead me to check for dealer damage.

Easy to miss things in the excitement of picking up a new car, I would have a checklist, and not care what the salesman thinks about that.

By dealer damage I mean body damage and bad respray/paint touch up where a new car is shunted around by incompetent drivers and transporter drivers, damp seats and carpets caused by leaving a window open in this weather,kerbed alloys.

Black grease marks on seats and carpets by pdi mechanics forgetting to put protection on while wearing greasy/oily overalls.

Scratches on hard hard and soft plastics interior.

And reading on here about manufacture defects, panel gaps uneven,or too wide, rusty tailgate hinges.

Full demo of electronics and infotainment system, should be part of handover now I think with the complications of new cars.

Defective 12v Battery from being in transit,or a storage field for weeks.

And yes I would insist on driving it prior to accepting it.

Of course I would hope none of these things are a problem with your pick up, and it's all good and an enjoyable experience for you.

Please let us know if all ok, and enjoy your new car.🙂

 

[Grumpy stumpy]

Make sure the bonnet alignment is spot on , mine was out only noticed it two days later , dealer had a go and made it 90 % better but Toyota don’t want to know, seen a few with same issue 

[ColinB]

When I picked up my new RAV4 I thought that the ride was a bit harsher than I remembered from my test drive. When I checked the tyre pressures they were 10psi above the normal setting...... 

[Mushu84]

For me the check list would be 

-Check exterior for damage/respray/scratches as it happens in transit sometimes and Dealers get away with it by fixing it before delivery 

-Check for any rust anywhere 

-Check al the alignment of the panels

-Check the alloys an tires are in good condition (no cuts or ware)

-Check all the plastics/door panels inside for scratches (there should be none as it is a new car)

-Check all electrics work as they should

-Ask them to check tire pressure as it comes with a very high pressure for transport purpose  

-Make sure you are not missing optional extras you ordered or that they are what you are expecting (it happens you are not receiving the correct car)

-Do a test drive with the car 

 

Take you time and inspect the car properly is the second biggest spending after the house 

You will have time to enjoy it, you have to realize that you are exited but a little restrain can make you life a lot better if everything is ok 

 

Stop accepting all the **** that dealership push to people from scratched/damaged cars, missing optional extras payed

 

Hope you enjoy your new car. Many mikes without issues 

 

[Flatcoat]

2 hours ago, Grumpy stumpy said:

Make sure the bonnet alignment is spot on , mine was out only noticed it two days later , dealer had a go and made it 90 % better but Toyota don’t want to know, seen a few with same issue 

Clamshell bonnets are notoriously challenging to align, not that should be an excuse. Mine is slightly out on one side (lots of people say they can’t see it but I can also feel it with my fingers) but I am also super critical with such issues. 

[ernieb]

I always take photo’s of the car from as many angles as I can get and often try to include the sales person. I’ve used these in the past to show the ‘fault’ existed when the car was delivered (door alignment slightly out).

I don’t think I’ve picked up a car with the correct tyre pressures for some time now. Check the delivered miles and fuel. It’s never happened to me but I know someone who didn’t check and drove home via an extended drive only to run out which was a real pain and the included recovery company didn’t have his car logged onto it’s system.

Common sense is the answer and take your time don’t be rushed, it’s your money after all.

[Doubletalkjive]

Thank you to everyone for your very helpful advice 😀

I will definitely be checking everything thoroughly before I sign on any dotted line. I can already feel my ocd coming on 😁 

I will of course report back here with news about how it all went smoothly with no glitches whatsoever. The optimist in me will win 😜

[Grumpy stumpy]

3 hours ago, Flatcoat said:

Clamshell bonnets are notoriously challenging to align, not that should be an excuse. Mine is slightly out on one side (lots of people say they can’t see it but I can also feel it with my fingers) but I am also super critical with such issues. 

Yep so am I, I can see mine is out still most can’t, Toyota assured me the car was not damaged on delivery and have offered for an approved body shop two hours away to have a go at it , Googled them, they don’t fill me with confidence and would have to be driven there not picked up by low loader so have said will live with it , only now just done 1k miles.

[Chas G]

What a hilarious thread.

Make sure you wear your overalls while taking date stamped photos of the underside car.

Don't forget to take a paint thickness tester with you for the corners of the panels.

Alternatively just take a leisurely walk round the car and enjoy the pleasure of picking up a brand new vehicle. 

[Flatcoat]

20 hours ago, Doubletalkjive said:

Looks like we will be picking up the new RAV4 PHEV in a week or so 😀

Any tips on what to check on the vehicle other than the usual physical inspection inside and out? Last time we bought a car we didn’t drive it before signing on the dotted line (it was also a new car). Is that normal practice?

Yes. 

[Rambler56]

Aside from the obvious check your spare/tyre inflation kit is in place and the locking wheel nut box and jack (if applicable) are present.

[Doubletalkjive]

1 hour ago, Chas G said:

What a hilarious thread.

Make sure you wear your overalls while taking date stamped photos of the underside car.

Don't forget to take a paint thickness tester with you for the corners of the panels.

Alternatively just take a leisurely walk round the car and enjoy the pleasure of picking up a brand new vehicle. 

Part of me agrees with you even having started the thread myself 🙂 

It does take some of the pleasure out of the experience. 

[Flatcoat]

Make sure it is the car you ordered! Not as daft as it sounds…… I have heard of dealers trying to fob customers off with wrong spec or different colour to that ordered. 

[Chas G]

55 minutes ago, Doubletalkjive said:

Part of me agrees with you even having started the thread myself 🙂 

It does take some of the pleasure out of the experience. 

If you have dealt with the toyota dealer before, I am sure everything will be fine. Just have a good look around the car inside and out to see looks OK and then.........enjoy it 👌 

[Rav Rob]

32 minutes ago, Flatcoat said:

Make sure it is the car you ordered! Not as daft as it sounds…… I have heard of dealers trying to fob customers off with wrong spec or different colour to that ordered. 

I picked up a new car once that had one odd door card, other 3 were fabric (as ordered) but the odd one was leather. Dealer declined my request to upgrade the other 3 to match it..lol

On the RAV, check if the memory seat function works OK just for fun, they don't always do the electric seat reset procedure (moving to the extremes in all axis to teach it 'home')
Also agree with tyre pressures, exactly the same, drove off and it felt like it was on Flintstones stone rollers! stopped and adjusted to normal.

[Grumpy stumpy]

3 hours ago, Chas G said:

What a hilarious thread.

Make sure you wear your overalls while taking date stamped photos of the underside car.

Don't forget to take a paint thickness tester with you for the corners of the panels.

Alternatively just take a leisurely walk round the car and enjoy the pleasure of picking up a brand new vehicle. 

After paying 40k I wish I had noticed the bonnet before I drove away from the dealer and not a few days later, I didn’t find that hilarious!

[Rhymes with Paris]

1 minute ago, Grumpy stumpy said:

After paying 40k I wish I had noticed the bonnet before I drove away from the dealer and not a few days later, I didn’t find that hilarious!

No , nothing hilarious about careless dealers and their incompetent employees damaging customers cars, and laughing about it.

While customers paying tens of £000s for the privelidge of having the ***** taken.

[Cyker]

I must admit, this is the first car I've bought from new and it's soured me from doing it again in the future so I can understand wanting to know what to check; You'd expect the car to be absolutely perfect, but many of us have found that isn't the case and while most of the things are relatively minor like shipping stickers still being there and tyre pressures still being at shipping pressure, you'd think for the amount of money you're spending that more care would have been taken than that of a back street used car dealer.

Come to think of it, all the cars we've bought from our local Toyota dealers have had issues that had to be rectified after the fact - Relatively minor ones, but still, you'd expect more meticulous prep by a main dealer.

[Rhymes with Paris]

Well yes, you would think that a dealer and their staff with their hand deep in your pocket would at least take a bit of care.

These rudimentary checks like tyre pressures, body damage, scratches, and obvious stuff could be easily carried out by the most junior apprentice or anyone with the slightest bit of sense, who actually gave a stuff.

So it remains, that faults are a lot easier to get sorted before accepting the car than after driving it away, and false promises to fix at some indeterminate point in the future.

My pal Denzel is still waiting for a second key for his ding dong sang Yong over a year later, not a new car ok , but he is not going to get it.

Once they have the money, that's it, zero concern, it's amazing what efforts can be made if the sale/commission/other incentive £ss is on the line.

[Torrox]

8 hours ago, Doubletalkjive said:

Thank you to everyone for your very helpful advice 😀

I will definitely be checking everything thoroughly before I sign on any dotted line. I can already feel my ocd coming on 😁 

I will of course report back here with news about how it all went smoothly with no glitches whatsoever. The optimist in me will win 😜

I am sorry to ask an irrelevant question here but as you are going to get the car can you ask the dealer that your car has an anti can-bus steel plate fitted. My dealer said that new rav4 phev don't come with it but they can fit if you live in London. Other postcodes will have to pay for the plate (£70) then the dealer will charge for the fitting labour. It's different from what I read here that Toyota supply the plate free and the dealer fits it for (£70) labour charge.

[Mushu84]

I know my list looks stupid and long and in a perfect world I would tell you go take your car and enjoy it 

 

But past experience tells me differently, I don't want to scare/upset anyone but you have to understand is a business for them and they don't like to loose money. Also they like to cover up any mistakes the dealer had made and another thing, I'm sorry to say people are to blame as they accept all the bull**** they sell/cover

 

I would complaint about everything at anytime is my money they are using is not for free 

 

[Yugguy1970]

I'd never buy any car, new or used, without having driven at least an example of the model first.  Used I wouldn't touch unless I'd been able to drive it specifically.

My dealer is pretty good, they let me have the used RAV I got recently for a day, before it had even had the bits sorted.