Car maintenance is a key responsibility for both owners and dealerships, and a PDI plays a key role in this.
What does a PDI stand for?
A pre-delivery inspection – otherwise known as a PDI – is what a lease company will carry out before delivering your new vehicle.
This PDI check is a key process before you can get behind the wheel.
Essentially, it is a final check carried out by a garage or dealership to ensure that the vehicle is safe to drive.
The checks will include an examination of the exterior, interior, electrics, and the engine – along with all the key components.
What is a PDI check?
The aim of a PDI assessment is to find any issues with the vehicle that may have been missed at the factory, during its time sitting on the forecourt, or any damage sustained when transporting the car.
A PDI check will cover both cosmetic, mechanical, and computer faults.
However, for many lease companies there is a standard six-point assessment that will be carried out.
This will include engine, lights, interior, exterior, and equipment. The final one will cover all other relevant parts of the vehicle that aren’t covered by the previous four.
Following this, the sixth check is a road test, where all the key components are checked to see if they are working – with a big focus on the brakes.
If a more serious issue is found, then the vehicle will be sent to a trusted local garage for a repair.
However, if it passes, you will be presented a certificate that guarantees all checks have been carried out and it is in perfect working order.
Always insist on having a copy of this document.
Within the six categories, there can be a lot of variety on what is carried out. This will depend on the make, model, age, and many other factors. When booking in your PDI, find out what is – and isn’t – being checked.
Benefits of a PDI
There are several advantages to having a signed PDI before you start driving your new lease vehicle.
Most importantly, it ensures that your vehicle is in the safest condition possible, with all major parts of the engine is perfect working order.
For the company providing the lease, it also means they are providing the vehicle advertised.
Drivers will also know that any smaller imperfections will have either been dealt with or highlighted before they proceed with the agreement.
How long does a PDI take?
A pre-delivery inspection will normally only take a few hours to carry out all the checks.
However, if there are any issues, they will need to be fixed. This will add hours – or even days to when the vehicle will be available to take home.
Most lease companies will up to five days to officially sign off the vehicle. Again, this can vary depending on a variety of factors.
Will a PDI check impact the delivery date for your new car?
In most cases, a Pre-Delivery Inspection will not impact the delivery date of your car – as the lease company will take this into account before issuing you your new vehicle.
Most smaller issues will be dealt with rather quickly – however, where more is needed to be done, then it could delay the start of your lease.
The company will keep you informed of any changes to the start date.
What to do after you receive your PDI report?
Once you know your vehicle is safe to drive, you will receive a pre-delivery inspection report.
After you make your own car maintenance checks to ensure that you are happy with the vehicle, then you should make sure all the details match the lease documents, V5, insurance, road tax, and warranty details.
As a legal requirement, it is important that all this information matches what you have on your own records.
It is advisable to carry out your own test drive in a safe area – and at lower speeds – to make sure that nothing isn’t working and that you have no concerns.
If you have any questions about pre-delivery inspections, then leave them in the comments below.
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