Is a Car Without Plastic Seat Covers Considered New?
3 Answers
If there are no protective films when picking up a new car, it is advisable to request a different vehicle. Responsible car salespeople typically remove the protective films in the presence of the owner. If the car lacks protective films upon delivery, extra attention and inspection are necessary. If the manufacturing date on the car's nameplate is over two months old, it's best to avoid it, as such a car is likely either a display model or a returned vehicle. Additional Information: Observation: Key areas of a new car are usually covered with protective films. If these films are intact, a detailed inspection may not be necessary. For unpainted sections without protective films, imported models often have customs wax applied, making scratches rare; focus should be on checking for body dents. For domestic models, the condition of the paint can be assessed by its reflectivity to determine if it's new. Check for dents and scratches, and observe for any color discrepancies. Nameplate: The most critical information about the vehicle is found on the nameplate. Many prospective owners are concerned about purchasing stock vehicles, which refer to cars that remain unsold a year after manufacture. Poor maintenance of such vehicles can lead to aging issues with certain components.
I recently encountered this situation when accompanying a friend to pick up his new car. He kept muttering about the seats not having plastic covers, suspecting it might be a demo car. In fact, the protective film on new car seats is always removed before delivery because dealerships need to perform vehicle preparation, including interior cleaning. We checked the odometer on the spot—only 7 kilometers—and the tire hairs were still intact, confirming it was a new car. The key is to check the manufacturing date label near the B-pillar; for new cars, it's usually no more than 3 months old. Later, we also noticed that the production dates on all the window glasses matched, which reassured us. The absence of plastic film actually indicates that the dealer performed proper pre-sale preparation.
Last time I changed my car, I paid special attention to this during the inspection. The sales manager explained to me that new cars have their seat plastic films removed upon arrival at the dealership to prevent odors from being trapped for too long. Nowadays, many manufacturers use environmentally friendly biodegradable materials that naturally decompose if stored for more than two weeks. To determine if a car is new, the key is to check the consistency of the accompanying documents: the customs clearance date, the certificate number, and the engine imprint code must all match perfectly. My car didn't have any plastic wrapping, but the VIN numbers under the windshield and inside the engine hood were identical, and the maintenance records were brand new. It's been a year now, and there haven't been any issues at all.
