New Car PDI Checklist: What Dealers Don't Tell You About Dents and Scratches

You've saved for months, chosen your car, and are finally at the dealership for delivery. The excitement is real and dealers know it. That excitement, however, is exactly what gets buyers to overlook problems that should never be accepted on a brand-new vehicle. According to our PDI data, 15% of new cars arrive with scratches and 10% show paint dents and dings. That means roughly 1 in 6 new cars has visible paint damage before it's even handed over to its first owner. Here's what dealers won't tell you and what you need to check before you sign.

The Pre-Delivery Journey Is Rougher Than You Think

New cars travel a long distance before reaching your city's showroom floor. From the factory, they're transported on multi-car carriers, sometimes loaded and unloaded multiple times. They sit in stockyards with other vehicles in close proximity. They get moved around dealership premises by multiple people. Every one of these touchpoints is an opportunity for minor and sometimes not-so-minor damage.

Dealers handle hundreds of deliveries. A scratch that's a dealbreaker to you is a line item they've seen dozens of times. The pressure to close the delivery and move to the next customer is real. Without a systematic pre-delivery inspection, damage gets waved off as barely visible or promised to be touched up, which is very different from factory-fresh paint.

What Our PDI Data Reveals About New Car Damage

Across our new car inspection data, the breakdown of issues found is telling:

• Scratches: 15% - the most common cosmetic defect, often on door edges, bumpers, and boot lids
• Paint dents: 10% - typically from transport damage or lot movement
• Parts replaced or substituted: 10% - components swapped out, sometimes without documentation
• Parking sensor issues: 5% - calibration faults or fitment problems
• Tyre issues: 5% - pressure irregularities or minor defects
• Battery issues: 5% - charge level or health concerns after extended storage

• Engine defects: 2% - rare but not impossible, even on brand-new vehicles

   

Your New Car PDI Checklist: Exterior

• Inspect all four panels in natural daylight. Showroom lighting hides scratches. Walk around the car and view panels from multiple angles.
• Check all door edges, boot lid edges, and bumper corners. These are the highest-touch points during transit.
• Look for paint texture inconsistencies. Orange peel, overspray, or uneven sheen can indicate a panel has been resprayed.
• Examine glass panels for chips or hairline cracks.

• Check that all panel gaps are even and consistent. Misaligned panels can indicate transit damage.

   

Your New Car PDI Checklist: Electronics and Mechanicals

• Test all parking sensors, front and rear. Approach a wall slowly in both Drive and Reverse to verify the beeping at the correct distances.
• Check battery health via the dashboard. A brand-new car should show 100% battery charge. Anything significantly lower suggests the car has been sitting for months.
• Verify all accessories listed in the brochure are fitted. Some dealers substitute or delay delivery of accessories without informing buyers.
• Start the engine and listen for any abnormal sounds at idle. Rev lightly to check response.

• Check all infotainment functions, air conditioning, power windows, and sunroof, if applicable.

   

What to Do If You Find a Problem

Do not accept delivery until the issue is resolved or documented. You have every right to reject a delivery for cosmetic damage on a new vehicle. Ask for a written acknowledgement of any defects and a signed commitment to rectification, along with a timeline. Never accept verbal assurances. If the dealer refuses to document issues, that itself is a red flag about how the rectification will go.

A third-party PDI inspector can strengthen your position significantly. Their report is documented, professional, and hard for a dealer to dismiss. Given that 25% of new cars have some form of defect at delivery, walking in prepared is not paranoia. It's prudent.