Can You Pick Up the Car in Heavy Rain?
3 Answers
You can pick up the car in heavy rain. However, if visibility is too low due to a heavy downpour, it is recommended to reschedule the pickup to avoid traffic accidents caused by unfamiliarity with the new car's operation, which would be counterproductive. The precautions for picking up the car are as follows: Inspect the car's paint surface: First, check whether the car's paint surface is intact, especially at prominent edges such as the front and rear bumpers, and ensure there is no damage. Next, verify that the paint color is consistent and free of scratches or other defects. Check the tires: Also, inspect whether the tire tread hairs are intact. The presence of tread hairs indicates that the car has not been driven extensively, as new cars typically retain them. Additionally, check the car's manufacturing date. If it exceeds three months, it may be considered stock inventory, and you can request the manufacturer to replace it with a new one.
Let me be straight with you—of course you can pick up your car in heavy rain, dealerships aren't open-air parking lots after all. But watch out for a few things: during inspection, don't just check the exterior as rainwater can hide paint scratches. Better ask the salesperson to move the car indoors and use your phone's flashlight to examine door seal rubbers. Be extra cautious on the drive home—new cars often have overinflated tires which reduces wet road traction, so adjust to standard pressure before hitting the highway. Remember to turn on fog lights and hazard signals; novice drivers should ideally have a friend follow as escort. Honestly, during my rainy pickup last week, the brake squeal was nightmare-inducing—turned out to be surface rust on rotors that disappeared after drying.
As someone who deals with cars every day, I don't see any problem with picking up a car in the rain. The key is attention to detail: bring a waterproof car cover as backup, and if the new car delivery area is open-air, ask the salesperson to drive it into the workshop for inspection. On rainy days, it's especially important to test the wiper speed settings and drainage channels—my colleague learned this the hard way two years ago when he drove home only to find windshield water backing up. Skip all the flashy handover ceremony routines; it's more important to wrap the document folder in plastic wrap to prevent moisture. On the way back, turn on the automatic headlights and wipers, and avoid elevated roads—stick to surface streets since new tires have shallow tread grooves and are prone to hydroplaning on waterlogged sections.
