Dealer Prep
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 67
Dealer Prep
This weekend I was picking up my dad's new Pathfinder this weekend and them trying to deliver it to us in just horrid condition. The door inges and edges were covered in dust, the driver's seat leather was dirty, and the tires weren't even dressed. Later in the day, we checked the tire pressure and found them all to be 10-15 above the recommended levels, and the spare was over 60, twice what its supposed to be! Strangely enough, they did torque the wheels.
What is supposed to happen during dealer prep? What things are supposed to be looked at/checked?
What is supposed to happen during dealer prep? What things are supposed to be looked at/checked?
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,143
From: a meadow south of Atlanta
Dealer prep is incumbent on each individual dealer, and each dealer would define it slightly differently.
All shipping materials (plastic, foam, stickers, etc) except the window sticker should be removed. A good wash (including wheels) is mandatory. Any inside dirt or spots should be removed. Having dirty seats on a new vehicle is never acceptable anywhere. All fluids should be checked. Presence of owner's manual, jack, etc, should be confirmed.
Dressing the tires is normally done at most dealers before a new vehicle is delivered.
There is usually some dust on the door hinges and edges, especially if the vehicle has either been on the lot for an extended period, or if there was a dust storm before, during or after transit, or if the vehicle was test-driven on a dirt road or in stormy weather, etc.
The hinges are not normally cleaned as part of dealer prep, as they would not normally be dirty on a new vehicle. Also, because of the grease that must always be there, most folks don't clean them. The door edges, however, should have been cleaned.
Have you cross-checked the accuracy of your tire gauge? Are you checking the tires when cold or warm? The rack loaders sometimes add air to the tires to tighten the holddowns for shipping. The dealer should check this before delivery, but many don't. I would rather find them overinflated than underinflated.
This pressure complaint has been pervasive with the '04 Maxima. I personally check tire pressure immediately after purchase and every time I leave the car at the dealer for any kind of service. I carry 36 front and 33 rear, but my dealer always resets everything to 32.
Sounds like the quality of the dealer prep on your vehicle was below average.
All shipping materials (plastic, foam, stickers, etc) except the window sticker should be removed. A good wash (including wheels) is mandatory. Any inside dirt or spots should be removed. Having dirty seats on a new vehicle is never acceptable anywhere. All fluids should be checked. Presence of owner's manual, jack, etc, should be confirmed.
Dressing the tires is normally done at most dealers before a new vehicle is delivered.
There is usually some dust on the door hinges and edges, especially if the vehicle has either been on the lot for an extended period, or if there was a dust storm before, during or after transit, or if the vehicle was test-driven on a dirt road or in stormy weather, etc.
The hinges are not normally cleaned as part of dealer prep, as they would not normally be dirty on a new vehicle. Also, because of the grease that must always be there, most folks don't clean them. The door edges, however, should have been cleaned.
Have you cross-checked the accuracy of your tire gauge? Are you checking the tires when cold or warm? The rack loaders sometimes add air to the tires to tighten the holddowns for shipping. The dealer should check this before delivery, but many don't. I would rather find them overinflated than underinflated.
This pressure complaint has been pervasive with the '04 Maxima. I personally check tire pressure immediately after purchase and every time I leave the car at the dealer for any kind of service. I carry 36 front and 33 rear, but my dealer always resets everything to 32.
Sounds like the quality of the dealer prep on your vehicle was below average.
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