#1Panel Gap Symmetry & Flush Fitment
Critical check
BEFORE YOU TAKE THE KEYSMeet your new car.
Meet your new car.
Check every detail.
A 50-point pre-delivery inspection checklist, from paint and tyres to the VIN and paperwork. Mark each check, note any issues, and keep a report before signing for delivery.
50 inspection pointsSaved on this devicePrintable report
🚗 Exterior & Paintwork
0 of 10 Verified#2Paintwork Thickness & Orange Peel Texture
Critical check
#3Rubber Beadings & Weatherstrip Masking Lines
Critical check
#4All 6+ Glass Panes Manufacturing Date Code Match
Critical check
#5Headlamp & Taillamp Sealed Condensation Check
High priority
#6Bumper Snap-Fit Clips & Wheel Arch Liner Alignment
High priority
#7Door Hinge & Latch Screws Factory Primer / Tool Marks
Critical check
#8Sunroof Gasket & Roof Ditch Water Channel Integrity
High priority
#9Fuel Filler Flap, Inner Cap Tether & Hinge Spring
Routine check
#10Emblems, Monograms & Chrome Trim Adhesion
Routine check
⚙️ Engine Bay & Mechanical
0 of 10 Verified#11Apron & Strut Tower Factory Spot Welds & Seam Sealant
Critical check
#12Engine Oil Level, Clarity & Emulsion Check
Critical check
#13Coolant Expansion Reservoir Level & Fluid Color
Critical check
#14Brake & Hydraulic Clutch Fluid DOT4 Level
Critical check
#15Factory Paint Torque Marks on Hose Clamps & Bolts
High priority
#1612V Battery Manufacturing Date & Terminal Purity
Critical check
#17Underside Sump, Gearbox & Rack Fluid Weepage
Critical check
#18Auxiliary Serpentine Drive Belt & Pulley Runout
Routine check
#19Radiator & AC Condenser Aluminum Fin Condition
High priority
#20Windshield Washer Fluid & Spray Fan Coverage
Routine check
🛞 Tyres, Wheels & Underbody
0 of 10 Verified#214-Digit DOT Week & Year Stamping Match on All Tyres
Critical check
#22Full Tread Depth (7.5-8.5mm) & Vent Mold Whiskers
High priority
#23Alloy Wheel Rim Bead & Diamond-Cut Face Scuffs
Critical check
#24Spare Wheel Specification, Size & DOT Code
Critical check
#25OEM Jack, Lug Wrench, Tow Eye & Toolkit Presence
Critical check
#26Cold Tyre Pressure Placard Verification
Routine check
#27Sidewall Bulges, Pinched Cord Plies & Cuts
Critical check
#28Brake Rotor Disc Finish & Caliper Casting Purity
High priority
#29Wheel Lug Nut Fastening & Anti-Theft Lock Key
Critical check
#30Valve Stem Caps & TPMS Sensor Stem Integrity
Routine check
💺 Interior & Cabin Electronics
0 of 10 Verified#31Odometer Reading Sanity Check (< 50 km Strict Limit)
Critical check
#32Steering Wheel, Gear Knob & Pedals Matte Texture
Critical check
#33Dashboard Fitment, A-Pillar Trim Clips & Rattle Tap
High priority
#34All Power Windows One-Touch Operation & Anti-Pinch
High priority
#35AC Chiller Delta & Temperature Drop Test
Critical check
#36Infotainment Touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto & Camera
High priority
#37Seatbelt Inertia Reel Jerk Lock & Height Adjusters
Critical check
#38Seat Upholstery Stitching, Foam Cushioning & ISOFIX
Routine check
#39Full Lighting Switchgear, Horn & Hazard Flashers
Critical check
#40Central Locking, Keyless Proximity Sensor & Boot Latch
High priority
📋 Legal, VIN & Forensic Verification
0 of 10 Verified#4117-Character Stamped Chassis VIN under Seat / Firewall
Critical check
#42VIN 10th Character (Year) & Month Plant Code Decoding
Critical check
#43Engine Block Number Plate Match vs Documents
Critical check
#44Form 22 (Roadworthiness Certificate) from Manufacturer
Critical check
#45Tax Invoice, Form 21 & TCS Alignment
Critical check
#46Twin Original Smart Key Fobs & Key Barcode Tag
Critical check
#47OEM Battery Warranty Card & Tyre Warranty Slips
High priority
#48HSRP Laser Etch Code & Windshield Fuel Sticker Match
Critical check
#49Pre-Affixed NETC FASTag Tag ID & Active NPCI Status
High priority
#50PUC Certificate, Owner Manual & RSA Contact Card
Routine check
0% Done (0/50)
✓ 0 Pass⚠️ 0 Flag⏳ 50 Left
Why PDI is Your Single Most Important Legal Right
In the Indian automobile retail ecosystem, the legal transfer of vehicle ownership is governed by Section 41 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the signing of Form 21 (Sale Certificate) under Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR). Once Form 21 is processed and the permanent registration application is accepted on the Ministry’s Parivahan Vahan 4.0 portal, the vehicle becomes legally tied to your name.
If you uncover a repainted door, cracked windshield, or leaking oil sump after vehicle registration, automobile manufacturers and authorized dealerships routinely classify it as “post-delivery warranty wear” rather than transit defect. Securing a replacement vehicle or a full cash refund requires protracted litigation under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
Conducting an independent 50-point PDI before loan disbursement, final down payment, and RTO tax payment ensures you hold 100% of the financial leverage. If serious red flags emerge, you can simply reject the specific chassis number and demand another allocation without forfeiting your booking token.
The 4 Golden Rules of Stockyard PDI
1Insist on Direct Daylight Inspection
Never conduct a PDI in a dimly lit basement, cramped service bay, or after dusk. Fluorescent tubes hide swirl marks, slight color mismatches between metal and plastic bumpers, and clearcoat orange peel anomalies.
2Inspect Before Washing & Polishing
Dealerships use heavy silicone-based glaze and quick-wax compounds to mask scratches and stone chips. Inspecting the vehicle in its raw stockyard condition reveals transit tape residue and panel gap alignment accurately.
3Take Macro Photos with Timestamp
Photograph the 17-digit stamped chassis number on the floorpan, engine block plate, all 4 tyre DOT codes, and all 6 glass logos before leaving the stockyard.
4Get Dealer Commitments in Writing
If non-critical cosmetic blemishes (e.g., minor scuff on wheel arch cladding or missing toolkit screwdriver) are flagged, do not accept verbal promises. Demand a signed endorsement on dealership letterhead with an SLA.
Essential Toolkit to Bring on PDI Day
Professional automotive inspectors carry five simple, inexpensive items that provide immediate forensic clarity in the showroom stockyard:
- High-CRI LED Flashlight / Torch: Modern smartphone lights are diffuse. A focused LED beam at an acute angle reveals microscopic sanding marks, clearcoat overspray on rubber seals, and engine bay fluid weepage.
- Microfiber Cloth & Water Bottle: Useful to wipe off stockyard dust from glass date stamps, tyre sidewall DOT codes, and chassis VIN plates to verify engraving crispness.
- Digital Tyre Pressure Gauge: Checks whether stockyard transporters left transit over-inflation (45-55 PSI) uncorrected, which damages suspension bushings on the drive home.
- USB Cable & Smartphone: Verifies all USB data ports, 12V auxiliary sockets, wireless charging pad, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth pairing.
- Printed PDI Checklist or Saved Mobile Bookmark: Ensures you systematically verify all 50 points without getting distracted by celebratory dealership music, garlands, and sales executive rushes.
Frequently Asked Questions (PDI & Delivery Rights)
Can an automobile dealership legally force me to register the car or pay the full amount before PDI?
No. You have the absolute statutory right under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 to inspect the specific allocated vehicle in daylight at the dealership stockyard before registration and before full payment. Once a vehicle is registered at the RTO with your name on the Vahan database, it becomes a registered second-hand asset, and refusing delivery becomes legally complicated. Never pay more than the refundable booking token until you have physically verified the chassis VIN and performed this 50-point PDI.
What should I do if one of the window glass date codes does not match the rest?
All factory glass panes (windscreen, rear glass, and 4 side windows) are sourced in batches and should reflect the same month/year or at most 1 month prior to assembly. If 1 glass pane displays a different manufacturer, different date code, or a date code newer than the vehicle assembly date, it indicates the glass broke during transit or stockyard handling and was replaced by dealership staff. Demand an official written transit damage disclosure or ask for a replacement vehicle from the next allocation batch.
What is an acceptable odometer reading for a brand new car at delivery?
A normal brand-new car transported via carrier truck typically shows between 15 km and 45 km on the odometer. Readings up to 60 km may be acceptable if the dealer yard is situated outside city limits. Any reading above 70-100 km strongly suggests the vehicle was used for customer test drives, dealer employee commutes, or driven hundreds of kilometers by road from a regional hub with the speedometer sensor disconnected. Check the steering wheel texture and tyre mold whiskers for verification.
How can I detect if a new car panel was repainted after transit damage?
Factory automotive paint is applied by robots in cleanrooms and electro-baked at 140°C, producing a consistent micro-texture (orange peel) and paint thickness of 90-130 microns. Dealer bodyshop repairs are sprayed with rubber beadings on, leaving paint overspray, hard masking tape edges, trapped dust nibs in the clearcoat, and swirl marks from rotary buffing compounds. Inspect the car in open sunlight at a 45-degree angle, look for tool marks on door hinge bolts, and gently pull back rubber window beadings.
How do I decode the manufacturing month and year from a 17-character VIN?
Under ISO 3779 standard, the 10th character of the 17-digit VIN denotes the manufacturing model year: T corresponds to 2026, S to 2025, and R to 2024. The manufacturing month is encoded as an alphanumeric character (typically the 9th, 11th, or 12th character depending on the brand, e.g., A=Jan, B=Feb, C=Mar up to M=Dec, skipping 'I' to avoid confusion with the number 1). Always ensure the car was manufactured within 60 to 90 days of your purchase date.
What legal documents must match the stamped chassis number before I drive out?
The stamped chassis number on the vehicle's steel body must match character-for-character with: 1) Form 21 (Sale Certificate), 2) Form 22 (Initial Certificate of Compliance with Pollution Standards and Roadworthiness), 3) Dealership Tax Invoice, 4) Insurance Policy Cover Note, 5) Windshield High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) third-sticker, and 6) Temporary/Permanent Registration Certificate on Parivahan Vahan.