What is dealer prep?

I often hear people talk about the dealers needing time to prep the vehicle before you can drive it off the lot. What are they doing to your new ride? I ordered a new truck, will it come off the transport incomplete in some way?

If it's just a car wash, I'd hate to think of a pimply teenager picking up a half-soapy sponge he just dropped in the gravel parking lot and rubbing it down the sides of a new ride.

 

When i worked at ford we checked the truck out made sure everything was tight and looked truck over oil, trans, etc and if it had security etching in the glass and install antana pull all the tape off truck. when it was shiped things like that and road tested and had a checklist of things to look at and do hub caps ,floormats and any aftermarket stuff that had to be put on that was ordered. hope this helps.

 

ditto with the info above. Also keep in mind that this cost is passed onto you but you can maybe negioate that price.

 

I can tell you what it isn't,I bought my 08 F350 crew cab lariat V10 from my local dealer,they found the truck I wanted north of san antino tx,they wanted 1500 bucks to bring it to oklahoma,I said no I'll get a 200 dollar plane ticket and fly down to get it,the tx dealer wouldn't pick m up at the airport,got a cab,came into the sales department and identified myself,they threw the keys at me and said it was down there and pointed,first no floor mats had to get them to get me some,the stickers were all over the truck andshoe polish sale signs on the front windows ,no fuel and filthy,they weren't making in money off the sale,I can sorta see the no fuel,but I'm fixing to go on a 700 mile trip back to oklahoma,no help,Got a razor blade scraper at wall mart went to the car wash and cleaned it up so I could see out the windows and put a 140 bucks of fuel in it before I could start home. I would have thought there would have been some professenal courtesy between dealers,nope not there.so that's what dealer prep isnt.

 

I agree with you on this one...me and my buddy had the same experience when we went to pick up his new car 450 miles away (not Ford though!!).

 

Skip, not for nothing I would have walked out of the dealer and told them to kiss my ***. In this economy, dealers should have a nice meal for you and rub your feet when you buy your ride.

 

if they treated you like that, what do u think the odds are they would be any diffrent if u started the deal there..

its amazing how in this state of bad economy some car dealers still think its the good ol days of the 1970's...

shame on that dealer indeed...

 

PDI = Pre-delivery inspection. The vehicle is supposed to be road tested to make sure everything checks out okay, clean-up, put hubcaps / center caps on, plastic and tape off interior and exterior, floor mats in place, antenna on.

From what I've seen from most, not all, but most dealership clean-up shops, I'd rather they do everything EXCEPT clean it up. I would rather do it myself and know it's done right.

 

Dealer prep varies greatly from dealership to dealership I've found and I'm shure they do as little as possible. My 04' wasn't washed, shined up or anything when I bought it. A lot of dealers will shine the vehicle up inside and out and give it a good washing and even fill it with gas, not where I bought mine. I got $5800 off the truck so I wasn't complaining. Also the guys at the dealer were nice to deal with and no BS like at larger dealerships.

 

I am a pimply faced teenager that works does that for a ford dealership , and if it helps we also use brushes! What we do is check over the vehicle for all the pieces ex. floormats, keys and fobs. Then we take it over to service, so the mechanics can install all the loose pieces such as license plate bracket, antenna on, and then road test it to make sure it runs right. Then they bring it to me and I pull off all the tape, and the vehicles come so dirty off the truck and covered in bugs, you would want us to clean it, inside and out. Then we put it on the lot. If its a sold unit after service is done with the PDI we go fill it with fuel, wash it, chamios it, clean the door jambs, the wheels and wheel wells. Then shine the tires and wheel wells, and put on plate frames. Then interior take off stickers and put factory sticker in the glove box, clean all the windows, shine all plastic interior panels, vaccum and install floor mats.

 

Boy am I glad that I have a couple of trustworthy dealerships for buying vehicles and having them ready when I want them. My last 2 trucks I bought were from different dealerships. Now neither one was new, but they did a full inspection on both of mine. I told both No dealership stickers and they listened to me (the one had to take theirs off cause it had already had it on) Complete wash and hand wax, detailed inside (even cleaned the door jambs), full tanks of gas, floor mats (SD didnt have them when I test drove), Bedliners put in both at no extra charge (I told them after they worked out the numbers). They were both ready to go when they said they would be.
The one dealership I have delt with when they get new vehicles in, it starts with the saleman making sure that it is the correct vehicle and has eveything its supposed to. Then it goes to the body shop first to make sure all the panels are alighned properly and doors and latches, etc work the way they are supposed to. Then off to the mechanics for a inspection, (body shop personell and mechanics both install misc items) then they road test it and then if it is a sold unit they was and wax it. If it is a lot vehicle they just put it out once off the truck, then do everything when they can or when someone buys the vehicle.

All I can say is when buying something as expensive as a new of fairly new vehicle, the dealerships should be treating you like royalty. If not the walk out and tell them to kiss you you know what. I did it already to a few dealerships. I had one call me back, and start to apologize to me. I told them to forget about it, they had their chance. Salesman cant fool me or mess with me, I pick up on their tricks and scams. I wish I had been with my wife (we hadnt meet at the time) when she bought her Sport Trac cause the salesman saw her, and instead of seeing a person, they only saw $$$.