Bud

Does anyone have a checklist of things to look at/for when picking up a new car?

Has anyone refused to take a car because of a problem with a car?

SoCal240/6

if you don't want them to drill 2 big holes dead center in your front bumper (for the front plate), you need to make that very clear to them before you pick up the car.

Lynn

Bud, check the library or bookstores for books on purchasing new cars. They usually have a delivery checklist in them. I was in the midst of delivery rapture and forgot all about the list. Fortunately, the only things I have noticed since delivery are two very tiny flaws in the paint.

Bud

SoCal, is ther another way to mount the front bumper or are you saying to have them leave it off?

In my area of NY, the cops are really picky about having the front plate on. I don't want my insurance to go up because of a ticket. My agent says it'll only be $298 for 6 months for the C230, whereas I'm paying $240 for 6 months for my 97 Sube, so my rates are really low. No tickets or accidents in over 14 years.

DrMike

I think what we are left with in terms of delivery is checking over visible factors like paint, upolstery, etc. For the past few cars I told the salesman, in a call before delivery, that my wife is really really picky about paint, etc. I said that I wanted the car carefully checked prior to my arrival, because I wouldn't take delivery if there were defects in the paint, upholstery, etc. I'm not sure it this was the critical factor, but the cars were delivered in satisfactorily pristine condition.

young

in a way, i hope you bought the car from a dealer you were comfortable with. that is, the salesperson should have done most of the checking for you before you pick it up. i didn't have a checklist but i had a couple of requests. no front license plate mounted. no dealership sticker on the back of the car. i'd also recommend allocating an appropriate amount of time for the rest of the paperwork (depending on state laws) and for the orientation. otherwise, what am i supposed to do except for a visual check?

has anyone had an issue where the paint was damaged when you went to pick it up? anything else that was damaged/wrong w/ the car?

benggolf

My email address is benggolf@shaw.ca.

SoCal240/6

Here's a VERY extensive checklist for you:

http://www.e46fanatics.com/faq/checklist.html

Seems overly complicated to me, I just go and look at the car inside and out carefully and write a check for the thing, but that's just me.

Bud

SoCal, thans for that list. Yes it is going overboard, but at least it gives me something to work with.

When we bought our 99 ML320, the salesman rushed through the features of the truck in about 10 minutes. There was another customer waiting to test drive and buy a used E coupe and he was anxious to get it over with. It took longer to sign everything and hand over the check than it did to see the features.

My wife tried getting out of the rear seat and the door would not open from the inside. Sales guy was in drivers seat, me in passenger seat. I mentioned that the child locks must be on, so I got out and opened the door from the outside. He never said anything, but it turns out that MLs don't have child locks, and in fact the door handle was broken.

When he opened the hatch to show us that area, a rubber moulding was hanging down. He took it to the service dept and came back 10 min later with the strip glued. Only lasted a couple of weeks and we had the have it fixed again.

So, that experience makes we want to have a checklist.

I doubt I'll be removing their badge, unless it's really ugly. I like my local dealer (who will be doing all of the service) to see that I will now have abought 2 MBs from delaers 2 to three hours away because they refuse to negotiate off list. Luckily, my local service dept people are really nice, though they are defintely not as upt-to-date as the info I receive from one of the ML listserves I'm on.

Deb

Bud, your question is timely. My C230K should have shipped out of Germany yesterday (I hope) and I am thinking very much about what to look for on delivery. On my two, brief visits to my dealer (a 3 hr rt drive from my house) I have felt rushed by the sales staff and I don't want that to happen on delivery. So knowing what I want to look for ahead of time will save time for everyone.

SoCal, thanks for the links. That's a big help. I've been waiting for this car for 6 months already and I'm looking forward to picking it up
Deb

Buellwinkle

I refused my car because of a door ding. They promised to fix it the next day but the guy that promised wasn't in so it was a fiasco. Luckily I knew the owners name and demand that I speak to him and that stirred things up for the general manager. The whole dealership knew my name that day.

The only things I worry about on a new car is stuff they won't fix under warranttee like cosmetics. Check the car out during noon when the sun hi-lites any possible blemishes in the paint, dents, wheels, interior rips, marks, threads coming loose, stained carpet or headliner. Mechanical things are taken care of under warrantee and lemon laws help if they don't.