I recently bought a new 2010 Prius. After I made a decision, the salesman sent over their accessories guy to sell me a bunch of other stuff. This included a exterior paint coating system and interior fabric sealant, as well as rust proofing and undercoating. I live in MD, so I understand the importance of the undercoating. But he said regulations have changed on the paints used since 2008 and the new vehicle paints are less resistant to tree sap, dead bug guts, salt, etc. Anyone know if this is true or if he was just giving me a sales message?
Bovine droppings.
All of that stuff is DAP, Dealer Added Profit.
Completely false. He may be referring to new waterborne finishes, but even those are still clearcoated and just as durable as they ever were. Your response should be “I guess I’ll have to shop around for a car that still uses quality paint on it then.” Wonder what his response would be??
Good to know. I think I’ve been scammed! So disappointing. Since my car hasn’t been delivered yet, I guess I need to see if I can get reimbursed for that stuff!
I assume you signed a contract of some kind to order the car, but that you have not signed a final financing agreement etc. because you haven’t taken delivery. So you can walk away from the deal if the manager won’t cut you a break. Did you put down a deposit?
check your paper work…there might be a 24-48 period of time in which you can cancel the contract…
You’re misinformed on the undercoating. Manufacturers have that figured out pretty well by now. Anything added after the fact is likely to make things worse by blocking drain holes and sealing in contaminants.
Bogus with a capital B.
Yup!
Everything on that list is–at a minimum–unnecessary and grossly overpriced.
Additionally, as lion9car stated, undercoating is NOT necessary and, in fact, can accelerate rust and corrosion if it is not applied very expertly.
Here’s the general rule: everything (absolutely everything) a dealer tries to sell you after you think the deal is made is either unneeded, overpriced, or (most likely) both. This includes paint, interior, and undercoating treatments, extended warranties, accessories, and everthing else that suddenly shows up as a ‘must have’ at the closing. Say no, firmly!
I live in MD, too. I’ve never had undercoating and never had a problem. Paints are better than ever, and include a clear coat over the colored paint to protect it. The paint protection may just be a wax job. I think I’d pass on all of them if you still can.
One more thing: If they refuse, tell them that they lost you as a customer forever. No oil changes, no service visits ever.
Yes, absolutely, the quality of paint has changed in recent years. It is better than ever! Have you seen a car made in the late '80s or early '90s recently? It probably only has about 60% of it’s paint left. The rest fell off over the years. As stated by others, if you are buying a new car, the only thing you need is the car. All the add-ons are simply profit generators. To protect your paint, wash the car on a regular basis and wax it a couple times a year. To protect the interior, wipe up spills immediately and vacuum/shampoo the carpet as needed. If fade concerns you, use a sunshade in the windshield and consider tinting the back windows. The car came from the factory with all the undercoating it needs. As far as rustproofing is concerned, it came from the factory with that, too. It is commonly referred to as paint.
Sales message. Look them straight in the eye and tell them if the paint quality is so crappy, you refuse to take delivery on such a substandard vehicle.
I haven’t had any car rust-proofed or undercoated in 20 years…And living in NH…little to no rust even after 10yrs/300k miles.
As Mark said, paints today are better than they’ve ever been. And as to rustproofing, I recommend NOT doing it. Manufacturers today design drainage and venting into the vehicle, coat the body using high-tech electrostactic techniques, weld using robotic controls, use special alloys, galvanize metals, seal and bond with space-age materials and techniques. Enormous effeort is made to make the car virtually rust proof. The application of additional rustproofing generally includes drilling holes to insert the application wand…and that can becpme a source of rust.
The absolute best thing you can do for the paint job and the interior is a good coat of any brand name car wax and a can of Scotchgard. Total: about $15 at any parts store or Walmart.
Trust me on this. I’ve kept my vehicles looking great for over 40 years with just car wax and occasional cleaning. And that’s in NH, wher eroad salt is a way of life, and commuting next to a major river, where I get so many dead bugs on the front of the car in the fall that I have to wash the windshield every single evening when I get home (true story).
The salesman is full of bovine droppings.