Taking the new Prius in for the obligatory alignment check

galaxee · 06-07-2007, 02:42 PM

experienced techs doing pre-delivery prep?!

detail guys drive it to the detail shop and back, then up to the delivery area... and if your state requires an inspection, a tech might drive it from detail to the inspection machine or from the bay to the parking lot. (edit: i should make this more clear, the dealership DH works at sells something like 700 new cars a month, now if an experienced tech was to spend all that time test driving each one he would be pissed, because there are much bigger fish to catch in the shop doing maintenance work. the dealership would be pissed that they had to pay the guy to do it since well over 99% of the cars would not have a thing wrong with them.)

alignments are maintenance items too, btw. see here for maintenance stuff

mingler · 06-07-2007, 04:39 PM

I think the prep was just pulling the plastic off of things, opening up some packages, installing the front license plate, there were some other plastic things that needed to be put on as well. I would imagine they probably look over the outside for dings/dents/scratches.

My little shelf was missing from the glove box and no one noticed that, but me of course. They stole it from another one on the lot! My shade was broken and they also didn't notice that, but that they actually pulled from the parts department to replace.

eberrong · 06-15-2007, 07:24 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(GoEco @ Jun 7 2007, 04:39 PM) [snapback]457575[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

I think the prep was just pulling the plastic off of things, opening up some packages, installing the front license plate, there were some other plastic things that needed to be put on as well. I would imagine they probably look over the outside for dings/dents/scratches.

My little shelf was missing from the glove box and no one noticed that, but me of course. They stole it from another one on the lot! My shade was broken and they also didn't notice that, but that they actually pulled from the parts department to replace.
[/b]

I looked over my paperwork and the "My Prius checklist" requires a test drive over various speeds and road surfaces. They are supposed to fill in the odometer miles before and after the test drive. Mine was 1.0 and 1.3 miles. So they did a 0.3 mile test drive (around the parking lot probably). My salesman claims this was done at the port (whatever that means). I am going to bring it in for alignment next weekend. My salesman offered a free tank of gas for my trouble.

ystasino · 06-15-2007, 10:02 AM

I will wait until I hit some more Baltimore potholes and have it checked at around 10k miles or 10 months after purchase. It would still be free right?

I don't know that there's a car that will drive perfectly straight, is there such a thing as a perfectly flat road?

I have found its driving very precise, by far the most precise 4 seater I've driven and minimally affected by winds or big trucks.

06-07-2007, 02:42 PM	#11
galaxee running WOT until out of fuel Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: central NC/ western WI Posts: 9,033 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 5 Times in 3 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 21	experienced techs doing pre-delivery prep?! detail guys drive it to the detail shop and back, then up to the delivery area... and if your state requires an inspection, a tech might drive it from detail to the inspection machine or from the bay to the parking lot. (edit: i should make this more clear, the dealership DH works at sells something like 700 new cars a month, now if an experienced tech was to spend all that time test driving each one he would be pissed, because there are much bigger fish to catch in the shop doing maintenance work. the dealership would be pissed that they had to pay the guy to do it since well over 99% of the cars would not have a thing wrong with them.) alignments are maintenance items too, btw. see here for maintenance stuff __________________ black 2005 prius, tweaked just the way i like it my diagnostic guy on electronics: "lack of troubleshooting ability is due to a high common sense rejection ratio."

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06-07-2007, 04:39 PM	#12
mingler Red Prii Rule Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 94 My Car: 2007 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I think the prep was just pulling the plastic off of things, opening up some packages, installing the front license plate, there were some other plastic things that needed to be put on as well. I would imagine they probably look over the outside for dings/dents/scratches. My little shelf was missing from the glove box and no one noticed that, but me of course. They stole it from another one on the lot! My shade was broken and they also didn't notice that, but that they actually pulled from the parts department to replace.

06-15-2007, 10:02 AM	#14
ystasino Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 370 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I will wait until I hit some more Baltimore potholes and have it checked at around 10k miles or 10 months after purchase. It would still be free right? I don't know that there's a car that will drive perfectly straight, is there such a thing as a perfectly flat road? I have found its driving very precise, by far the most precise 4 seater I've driven and minimally affected by winds or big trucks.