luxury1

How can you tell how long a car has been on a dealers lot? Is there a way based on the sticker?

Faymester

Not sure if there's a way by just looking at it; but if you get the build date you can make a good guess as to how long it's been sitting there.

Brian231

Build date is usually on driver door jam by B pillar. To see how long the car sat on the lot, check for flat spots on tires or while driving. Often times, cars are moved around or test driven so it is difficult if you visually did not track the specific vehicle.

LexFather

I know with Lexus if you go and look in the glovebox there is a certificate which shows the port date and the date the car arrived at the dealership. It has to be inspected at least twice.

mmarshall

There are many signs, besides just the sticker and the build date on the door jam, that a new car has been sitting around a while.

Fallen leaves from trees packing the car's nooks/crannies, insect/bird droppings (don't laugh...it happens, and screws up the paint if left on), excessive film on the windows from the sun hitting vinyl parts inside, too-low air pressures in the tires from a slow leak, if PSI was bled when it came off the transporter (cars are usually shipped with much higher-then-normal PSI), flat spots, of course (as mentioned) on the tires, acid rain spots on the paint/trim, excessive rust on the brake rotors (unless it is a Porsche or an exotic with ceramic brakes), and moisture building up under the headlight covers (though this may indicate a sealing defect more than just long storage).

<VENOM>

Either the drivers side door jam or the glove box, the Toyota/Lexus vehicles we bought all had the same month and year on the sticker in which we where buying them

But does it really matter, my friends Camry was 2 months old, it's still new and all it really needs is a highway drive to bake out the moisture

AsianGirl007

iTrader: (1)

What he said.

8speed

or you could just ask the dealer.........they have to disclose the destination information if you're being charged a destination fee!

kalvano

No they don't. He would have to go ask Lexus, since they are the ones charging the fee.

pingu

Or you can look at the VIN

http://www.carspace.com/guides/How-t...de-VIN-Numbers

spwolf

2 months is nothing... sometimes cars sold are 6 months old or more :-).

You can see it on certificate, VIN number or tires since tires have build date (week)...

IS350jet

The quickest and easiest way is to look at the PDI (pre-delivery inspection) sheet in the glove box. It will be dated. It should show the date it arived and the date it was PDI'd.

luxury1

Thanks for the replies! The reason I wanted to know is just for negotiations purposes. If a car didn't sell in 6 months I have better hand. Just wanted another tool in my arsenal.

MD350

If you are in a state that requires yearly state inspections (like Virginia), just look at the month it expires. It is usually stuck on the windshield. The inspection was completed 12 months earlier than the experation date. These are done at PDI.

This way, just walk the lot and check the inventory. No need to open doors, glove boxes, etc.


I used to work in the auto industry and have seen units on dealer lots for 12 months + (expired inspection stickers).

doug_999

The PDI/Window sticker are not reliable ways to tell how old the car is. If the car gets transferred from one dealer to another and/or there is a price increase, they will often re-print the window sticker (they did this with my new, I mean one year old new car).