Book the right capability before the car arrives
Send the workshop the VIN, original market, powertrain and known concerns. Ask which diagnostics, charging and maintenance tasks it can support and which need referral. Use the overseas support guide rather than assuming a nearby brand sign means coverage. Agree a scope and realistic booking window without presenting an estimated ship arrival as a guaranteed appointment date. If the vehicle needs specialist handling, arrange that before collection instead of making the buyer discover the limitation at the port.
Preserve the transport-condition comparison
Compare the car, keys and accessories with departure photographs and the loading inventory. Record new damage or warning messages promptly under the carrier's reporting process. The shipping handover guide connects condition with custody. Do not erase faults or authorise cosmetic repair before relevant evidence is retained, except where immediate safety action is required. A discrepancy should be described objectively with date and location. If the car may be unsafe to move, obtain qualified handling advice rather than using the drive home as a diagnostic test.
Establish storage-related basics before normal use
Ask for suitable tyre, accessible brake, visible-leak and low-voltage checks. A single successful wake-up is not proof that storage caused no problem. Review the 12V assessment if electrical behaviour is intermittent. Follow the applicable handover instructions for any transport settings or equipment. Do not repeatedly boost the car without understanding the cause, and do not improvise battery disconnection. Record measured findings so a later complaint can be compared with a real arrival baseline rather than a broad statement that the car seemed fine.
Use different maintenance questions for PHEV and EV
Reconcile invoices with the correct version's schedule and identify what is due by time, distance or relevant conditions. The PHEV needs its engine and fuel-system history considered; the EV should not inherit unrelated combustion service items. Both need appropriate attention to the systems listed in their own maintenance information. Do not invent universal fluid grades or intervals. Ask the workshop to distinguish overdue routine work, investigation of a symptom and optional preventive work. That separation makes the estimate useful and prevents both neglect and indiscriminate replacement.
Verify charging without overstating battery conclusions
Use confirmed compatible equipment to demonstrate ordinary connection, charging and release, recording any messages. A receiving session is not a complete long-term battery-capacity test. If battery history or warnings justify deeper assessment, agree an appropriate specialist scope. The inlet and cable-lock review covers relevant physical observations. Coordinate a new home installation with the installer so property-side faults are not automatically attributed to the car. High-voltage work and suspected water or impact damage require qualified procedures, not an owner experiment.
Confirm the family and driving functions you will rely on
Check restraints, seating, ordinary climate controls and fitted convenience systems under safe conditions. Arrange a road assessment only after the vehicle is considered fit to drive. Use the brake and regeneration guide for symptoms that a stationary demonstration cannot settle. Classify unresolved issues by consequence: a minor trim fault is different from uncertain brake or restraint performance. Do not let a routine service stamp imply that every advertised feature or safety-related function has been independently verified.
Leave a clear next-service record
Retain inspection findings, completed work, part identifiers, date and odometer reading together with outstanding observations. Establish the next service point from the applicable schedule and work actually completed. During early normal use, record repeatable symptoms with their conditions instead of relying on memory. If access or connected services remain limited, keep those limitations in the ownership file. The receiving baseline should help a future technician understand the exact imported vehicle and the evidence already gathered, not replace qualified assessment with an optimistic general condition label.
Buyer checklist
- Arrange support for the exact imported powertrain.
- Record arrival discrepancies before preparation.
- Select maintenance from history and the correct schedule.
- Verify essential functions and retain outstanding observations.
Questions and answers
Does every Tai 7 need the same first service?
No. Powertrain, production version, prior maintenance and arrival findings determine the scope. A generic package can omit relevant work or include unnecessary items.
Does one successful charge establish battery health?
No. It establishes a limited operating observation under those conditions. Deeper battery questions require an appropriate method and qualified interpretation.
Reference information
Use the applicable market and year documentation for equipment and operating limits. The references have their own market and publication scope; they do not establish the condition, fitted equipment or destination approval of an individual vehicle.
Continue with the maintenance and parts plan, or send your vehicle requirements.