Short answer: before driving a rental car, walk around it while recording a timestamped video, check all four tyres and the spare, test the lights, AC, wipers and horn, photograph the fuel gauge and odometer with the engine on, and confirm the RC, insurance, PUC certificate and FASTag are present. Get any existing damage noted in writing before you leave. It takes about ten minutes and is the best protection your deposit has.
Start with the video
Before you touch anything, start recording on your phone. One continuous video is harder to dispute than a handful of photos, because it shows the whole car in one take with your phone's timestamp. Walk slowly around the car, starting at the driver's door, and say what you see out loud: "small scratch on the rear bumper, left side". Then take close-up photos of each mark.
Do this in good light. If the car is handed over at night or in a dim basement, move it somewhere well lit or use your phone torch for close-ups. Send the video or photos to the delivery executive on WhatsApp straight away, so both of you have a dated copy.
Exterior checklist
- Panels: doors, bonnet, boot lid, roof edges and both bumpers. Crouch down and look along the sides, as dents show up better at an angle.
- Glass: windscreen chips and cracks, especially in the driver's line of sight, plus the side and rear windows.
- Mirrors: both side mirrors intact, adjustable and folding properly if they are powered.
- Wheels: scuffs on alloys or missing wheel covers.
- Under the bumpers: scrapes from speed breakers are common and easy to miss.
- Number plates: black with yellow characters, the standard for self-drive rental cars, and fixed securely.
Tyres, including the spare
Tyres matter more for your safety than any scratch does. Check:
- Tread on all four tyres. Worn, smooth tyres are dangerous in rain and on hill roads.
- Sidewalls for cuts, bulges or exposed threads. A bulge means the tyre could fail.
- Pressure. A tyre that looks low needs checking before you set off. The recommended pressures are usually on a sticker inside the driver's door frame.
- The spare. Open the boot and lift the floor. Confirm the spare is there, inflated and in usable condition.
- Jack, wheel spanner and toolkit. Without them, the spare is useless.
Inside the car
- Start the engine and watch the dashboard. Warning lights should go out within a few seconds. A check-engine, airbag or brake warning that stays on is a reason to ask for another car.
- Fuel gauge and odometer: photograph both with the engine running. Your fuel and km charges will be based on these numbers.
- AC: it should blow cold within a couple of minutes. A weak AC on a May afternoon in Delhi is miserable.
- Lights: headlights on low and high beam, indicators, hazard lights, brake lights and reversing lights. Ask the executive to stand behind the car while you press the brake.
- Wipers and washer, horn, power windows and central locking.
- Seatbelts: every belt, front and rear, should pull out smoothly and latch. They are compulsory for all occupants.
- Upholstery: stains, burns or tears on seats and the roof lining.
- Extras: USB ports, Bluetooth and the reversing camera if fitted.
For an EV like the Tata Nexon EV, also note the battery percentage and estimated range, and check that the charging cable is in the boot.
Papers and FASTag
Look in the glovebox or ask for digital copies of the registration certificate, insurance, PUC certificate and permit papers. Photograph each one and check that the insurance and PUC dates cover your trip. Our documents guide explains what each paper is for.
FASTag is mandatory at national highway toll plazas, so confirm the tag is stuck on the windscreen and ask how toll charges are handled. If you are heading straight onto a highway, sort out any balance question before you leave the city.
A short test drive
Drive a few hundred metres before you sign off. The brakes should feel firm and stop the car in a straight line, the steering shouldn't pull to one side, gears should engage smoothly (and in a manual, the clutch shouldn't slip), and there should be no grinding, knocking or squealing noises.
What to do if you find damage
- Point it out before you drive away, not an hour later from a highway dhaba.
- Get it written down on the handover sheet or in the app, with the executive's acknowledgement.
- Photograph it together, with the executive in frame if possible, and keep everything until your deposit is refunded.
- For cosmetic damage, a written note is usually enough. You are not responsible for marks that were there before you.
- For anything safety-related, such as bald or bulging tyres, a missing spare, brake problems or warning lights, ask for a replacement car. Don't accept a car you are not comfortable driving.
If something goes wrong after you leave, call +91 88264 63491 straight away rather than arranging repairs yourself. The same routine applies when you return the car: a second walkaround video, photos of the fuel gauge and odometer, and the executive's sign-off. Our deposit and fuel guide explains how the return inspection affects your refund, and the FAQ answers common handover questions.