Is rust proofing needed on a new car? I have heard pro’s and con’s and am about to take possesion of a new auto. The dealer of course is trying to steer me toward that additional expense. Any ideas?
Save your money.
The dealer will try to sell all sorts of needless “upgrades”, such as a special coating for the paint (actually just wax at a premium price), upholstery protectant (Scotchgard at a premium price), and rustproofing (which may actually do more harm than good).
Modern cars are very well protected against rust with various treatments that they receive at the factory. Not only is aftermarket rustproofing not necessary, but it is possible for a badly-done aftermarket job to clog existing drain holes in the doors and fenders, thus actually leading to a greater chance of rust.
Every new car now comes with a no-cost Rust-Through Warranty that typically covers perforation of any body panel by rust for…something on the order of 6 years. Whatever the dealer is peddling will not provide better protection than the warranty that comes with the car.
I don’t know if aftermarket rust proofing was ever a good investment. For sure, it isn’t on a new car. If the rust proofing plugs up drain holes, it may even promote rust.
All of these aftermarket items – rust proofing, paint and interior protection, nose bras, extended warranties – are just ways for the dealer to make more money out of the sale. Paint protection is a wax job. Interior protection is Scotch Guard or a leather treatment. You can do these yourself or, for much less than the dealer will charge, take the car to a detailer.
One thing you might consider is a “clear bra” to keep flying debris from chipping the paint across the front end. But, again, get this done at an experienced detail shop, not through the dealer.
I agree, it is absolutely not needed, a bad idea, actually. Since your dealer’s pushing it, I would avoid ALL other add ons they’re also pushing.
Rust warranties started around 1977, when the government required them om all cars. It has been improved over the years.
In the early 70s it was a good idea to buy after market rustproofing; now it is totally unnecessary!! Don’t waste your money ; just keep the car clean.
You could easily cause more problems than good as it can interfere with the OEM rust systems on the car.
If they keep pushing for you to get it, and any other items mentioned already, tell them this:
"If this vehicle is bad enough to need (extended warranty, rust proofing, paint/fabric protection), I’m not gonna buy it. I’ll go to some other company(you didn’t say which brand you were buying) where I KNOW they have GOOD cars."
After that, turn and walk away, then listen as they fumble over themselves.
Rustproofing services were widespread in the 70s. On these cars that were “rust proofed”, rust tended to first appear around the access holes that the rustproof techs drilled into the car.
As others have noted, save your money - you don’t need it.
I remember from my days in a dealership, dealers make a lot of profit on this (when their expenses are primarily a can of Scotch Guard, a can of wax, $10 worth of tar-based sealer material, and an 1-2 hours of a tech’s labor).