[blackwasp]

A few months ago, a couple of videos surfaced online involving brand new vehicles crashing right after delivery. In fact, in both these instances, they did not even leave the dealership premises.

1. VW Polo:

http://youtu.be/lJacuv8m8VQ

http://youtu.be/uO7XD7mgZK0

2. Kia Carnival:

http://youtu.be/2wVHnt0OY_c

Here are some tips to minimize the chances of crashing your car right at the delivery:

• Ask dealership personnel to move it out of the tricky parking spot. A person taking delivery will not be familiar with the new car or the layout of the premises, whereas it would probably be a daily occurrence for the showroom staff to move cars around the tight spaces of the dealership.


• Tell friend to drive if you still are a newbie driver. There's no shame in asking for help when you need it. When we got our Maruti 800 (first car in the house), Dad requested a colleague to drive our prized possession home.


• If you haven't driven an automatic transmission before, then be sure to learn in a friend's car or rent one in order to get familiar with it. Let's face it, with the pace of new technologies, we're all bound to encounter something unfamiliar to us. With the increasing popularity of automatics, it is likely that more and more people will be making the switch from a familiar MT to an unfamiliar AT in the coming years.


• A new car can be unfamiliar in many ways. Different seating position, hood line, dimensions and overhangs - it all takes some getting used to. Until you get used to it, ask someone to guide you in tight spaces and especially while parking. Thanks to reverse cameras and parking sensors this has become significantly easier, but it's always better to err on the side of caution and have a second set of eyes on the job.


• Even if it's considered to be good luck, avoid having your newbie family members drive. It's best to give them the chance in a familiar & safe surrounding, and after the initial excitement has worn off.

• Opt for home delivery! With Covid-19, it's not just safer for the car, but also for the people involved too. Some cars are delivered home on flatbeds as well, removing the stress of letting someone else drive your brand new car more than absolutely necessary.


• Get familiar with the features. It's a good idea to read the owners manual (available online these days), watch a few reviews on YouTube, and of course read the Team-BHP reviews. This will give you tips on navigating any new or unorthodox controls (Eg. e-parking brake), and familiarize yourself with the dashboard and instrumentation in advance.


• Focus. It's easy to get distracted in the melee and all the celebration, video shooting by family, balloons, music, clapping etc. Don't let the festivities distract you from focusing on taking your new car home as safely as possible.

[Rehaan]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

Hilarious title!

Here's one more video, and probably the most epic one. Like a scene from a B-grade 'Gone in 60 Seconds':

https://youtu.be/2qXi8YQ5fQE?t=14

If you're looking for more:

1) Kia Seltos - Apparently a sales executive crashed it.


2) Mahindra e2o - Again, sales exec.

However, it's really worth remembering that electric cars don't audibly notify you when they are on, so the chances for mishaps are much higher as people don't realise the car is loaded and ready to shoot at the slightest touch of the accelerator.

I predict there's going to be an increasing number of these delivery mishaps, as more and more people buy their first-ever EV.


Two more points:

1) Wear your seatbelt before you even turn on the ignition. Doing so helps in situations like the Kia Carnival or i20 crash above.

2) Look in the footwell and see where you put your feet in relation to the pedals. Not all cars are the same. Not all pedals are sized the same. Not all pedals are spaced out the same. See how bad the Gallardo's pedal positioning is, which is what played a part in the infamous valet crash.

[Rehaan]

For some this might sound like a strange topic for a thread, but there's certainly a surprisingly high number of these cases around.

Somraj S recently shared the following with us via our Share page:

Today while I was crossing the Renault showroom of Vasai, this incident happened in front of my eyes.

A gentleman just taken delivery of a brand new Renault Kwid Climber, along with his family, just crashed his car while taking it out from the showroom. He rammed the car to the parking area where some Motorcycles were parked.

Front side of the car got totally damaged. I was standing around 20 meters far. Taken some pics but are not very clear. Attaching the same.

I think this is a shareable scoop and people can learn "How not to take delivery of a brand new car"

[Shanksta]

Here is another classic video. The Kia Carnival failed at demolishing the wall but the Italian tank does it with ease.

https://youtu.be/A9YDKuBGf-A

Jokes apart, as mentioned in the opening post. Never be embarrassed or feel small to ask a friend or family member that is good at driving to assist you while taking delivery if you are not confident or familiar. I have personally helped two relatives and my best friend take delivery of their cars since they were newbies.

Also one of the cars, an Ertiga petrol belonging to my uncle that I drove to his home and parked safely had two of its doors repainted the same week since my uncle misjudged the length of the car while taking a turn inside his apartment complex the very next day(his earlier car was an Alto).

[stallmaster]

Originally Posted by Shanksta

https://Youtu.be/A9YDKuBGf-A

That nonchalant uncle looking at the whole scene unfold with hands behind his back.

[GTO]

Great thread & perfect timing with so many delivery accidents being reported!

IMHO, newbies should not be taking delivery at all. If you are a newbie (all of us were at one point), buy a cheap used car to practice driving, take driving lessons if required, bring your skills up at least to a moderate level and then go buy that new car. When we're new to driving, we will abuse the car. Why not abuse an old car for those initial months? I learnt driving on an old Premier Padmini & used Maruti 800.

[Simhi]

A great thread and I can relate to all the points mentioned in the opening post.

1. In 1998, my friend asked me to drive his new Maruti 800 all the way from showroom to temple and then to his home. This was in Jaipur and traffic was very sparse in those times. Anyways, I think I was more tense than him as I had the responsibility to deliver his car without any scratches.

2. In 2001, I requested my brother to drive my new Santro to home and this was in Pune. The delivery was in the evening and we took delivery from Tilak road showroom and traffic was crazy.

3. In 2018, the dealer person took the Yaris out from the showroom and parked it on the road. He went on to provide all the instructions before letting me drive. Looking back, I feel now that he did the right thing.

So, I totally agree. Take help of friend if you are new to driving. Take help of the dealer people to get the car out of tight parking spots in the showroom.

[ajmat]

The problems are

1: People think they are wonderful drivers and can jump in and accelerate in one shot. I see that with a lot of journalists during media drives!
2: A lot of folks who buy the cars may not even have a proper driving licence. the logic will be to buy then get licence later. You just have to see the many new cars with L boards driven sol.o.

[Bibendum90949]

A very timely thread.

On a related note, just to add from what I've observed in showrooms during new car delivery. Families who come with small kids need to keep a close watch on them since the adults in the family are more excited about the new car and kids tend to move around and end up near the car and even chances of their fingers getting squeezed on the doors is a possibility. There should be a personnel from dealer side who should be only entrusted with the job of ensuring a new car delivery takes place without an incident.

When I took delivery of my new car last year, there was this lady who crashed her face onto the big glass door and was bleeding profusely, just after they took their new car out. She apparently thought the door was open since the housekeeping staff keep cleaning them every now and then. They should put some of their brand stickers on the glass doors to avoid such silly mishaps.

Besides, the dealers should have a delivery area with more space and visibility all around and devoid of poles, tight exit etc. I've seen even the experienced ones panic a bit while taking new car delivery. So the state of novices is quite imaginable.

May be a good idea to add some of the points that come up on this thread to our Team BHP PDI check list PDF document which many of the new car owners rely on.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by GTO

IMHO, newbies should not be taking delivery at all. If you are a newbie (all of us were at one point), buy a cheap used car to practice driving, take driving lessons if required, bring your skills up at least to a moderate level and then go buy that new car. When we're new to driving, we will abuse the car. Why not abuse an old car for those initial months? I learnt driving on an old Premier Padmini & used Maruti 800.

This is a very important and helpful lesson. Having suggested this to many in my known circle, I have seen reluctance to accept this idea of an used car.

More often than not, people take it that 'can't they afford to learn on a new car?'. Having seen people learn driving in their new cars and also seen them crash/dent their rides, I admire their false smile/pride and the heartburn deep down.

Fun fact:
A friend bought a new car. I took the delivery as he was still learning driving. All through the first year, he claimed insurance on 6 separate occasions. The insurance surveyor and the service center guy are his good friends now

As for me, I wouldn't feel ashamed to ask anyone to drop the car if I am not aware/comfortable of certain features/dimensions of the car. And I would prefer familiarising myself in an open road first.

[Leoshashi]

Happened to me as well. After taking delivery of my XL6, a weird feeling took over me, my first car bla bla bla. My driving style too became weird, a mix of defensive and extremely cautious driving, restricted gentle movements etc. Result: I nearly crashed into a newly delivered Ciaz, right within the showroom premises, barely 10m from delivery bay. That driver was also not paying attention and was reversing.

By the time people shouted and made that Ciaz driver stop, I realised that even I was not driving comfortably. Quickly calmed my nerves and thought that this kind of driving will surely end up ruining my car. From that very moment, I started driving the way I normally do and reached home safely without any further drama.

Being too cautious can be dangerous. I noticed a similar thing with my dad. When we were in Singrauli, our neighbor bought a preowned red SB308. He crashed into a tree the next day and eventually gave up driving. To keep his car running, it's keys were with us and dad used to drive his car around the colony sometimes. I noticed this that he used to drive that car much better than what he did with our 800. He himself said that he doesn't get any kind of pressure while driving that red car, while driving our 800(which was his first new car) gave him a bit of tension and he ended up brushing against a few things which he would never do usually.

[landcruiser123]

Honestly, the number of new car accidents within the premises of the dealer is shocking. I thought people will be more careful with their shiny new possession bought with their hard-earned money and drive conservatively. If they are new to driving, common sense suggests they’d get a trusted friend/relative to drive them home but this thread seems to suggest the opposite.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

...
They should put some of their brand stickers on the glass doors to avoid such silly mishaps.

Besides, the dealers should have a delivery area with more space and visibility all around and devoid of poles, tight exit etc. I've seen even the experienced ones panic a bit while taking new car delivery. So the state of novices is quite imaginable.
...

Also it wouldn't hurt to have some instructions painted in the delivery area, especially where there are tight turns to take to exit.

Or a laminated card inside each new car that has a few words of caution / wisdom for the new driver, visible to the driver.

The onus for this is really on the owner/driver, but always make sure the parking brake is engaged during all the photo shoots. Make sure the kids and others are safe. Avoid obviously unsafe actions like standing at open doors, or having kids / others in front of the car (unless the engine is switched off and hand brake is engaged.

Also beware of other new customers come to pick up their cars. They might not have read this thread.

[laluks]

When I took the delivery of my Civic some 15 years ago, I asked the dealership to get the car out of their premises to the road. Reason being, My Civic was parked inside the showroom display area, with many new cars stacked around, moreover I felt the exit via the glass door was too narrow for my comfort. They understood and obliged. Why take a chance ?

[Sanidhya mukund]

When we upgraded from the Ikon to the Merc C-Class, we requested the dealership to let their driver deliver the car to our home. This was done because our own chauffeur had never driven an automatic before. Neither had he ever driven a car larger than a Maruti SX4. This was a good decision, because the first time he drove around the colony, I noticed that he was actually quivering while driving. He was terrified at the thought of scratching the brand new car. A few confidence inspiring words definitely helped. He now drives this car effortlessly.

However, one should be vigilant enough to identify the credentials of the person you are assigning the task of delivering your car. I remember a very horrific incident from my native place wherein a school master had purchased a brand new Tata Nano from the capital city and had asked a local auto driver to drive the car to the village from the showroom. The auto driver claimed to be an expert driver, but didn’t even have a licence!
On their way back, the auto driver rammed the car into a pole, causing the instant death of all the occupants, including the owner. This was a very very tragic incident.

On a lighter note, here’s Suzuki’s idea of properly taking delivery of your new car. :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8eZPUcaHEY