Toyota dealer wants me to consider these extras for the 07 Highlander Hybrid I’m buying:
Rustproofing (about $400)
Paint/fabric protection (about $400)
7-year extended warranty (about $1500)
Do any of them make sense?
They are just additional dealer profit. All new cars come rustproofed very well from the factory, and the aftermarket stuff may cause accelerated rust-out. The paint/fabric protection is just a coat of wax and scotch-guard, both of which you can do yourself for virtually nothing. And the extended warranty will likely not cover things that regularly break anyway, so it’s a waste of money. You’d be better off putting the cost of these ADP devices into a retirement savings plan.
Those are just boat payments for the head cheeze.
I wouldn’t buy any of them.
The factory undercoats the vehicles when built.
After the original warranty expires, go to Krown rust-proofing and have it done for $100 or so. (If you feel the need to do so)
I have a 2000 Olds Silhouette that has never been rust-proofed since it left the factory and there is NO rust.
Extended warrantys (unless supplied and honored by the dealer) are not worth more than the paper it’s printed on.
The other stuff you can buy at any automotive store and do yourself, nothing special.
NO, you should not pay for any of this stuff. It’s nothing more than additional dealer profit, and you don’t need any of it. The vehicle was rustproofed at the factory, using state-of-the-art materials, and nothing more is needed, regardless of what the salesperson tells you.
Paint treatments, fabric treatments, etc., are nothing more than wax and ScotchGard, which you can purchase for a tiny fraction of the dealer charge.
Extended warranties are almost totally worthless. Save your money and skip all of these things.
No, no and no.
Unless you were planning to add the $2,300 cost to a car loan, put that amount of cash into a money market account instead of the dealer’s pocket. It will serve as an emergency fund for any unusual repairs or a down payment on your next car.
I have nothing new to add. You got the right answers from others.
Do NOT agree to any of the offers.
For 1 and 2 NO. For 3, nothing beats money in the bank. If you have a financial emergency and have to sell the car, the $1500 just puts you further in debt. Additional warranties always have fine print (exclusions).
This is very helpful…especially with everyone agreeing! The only thing that attracted me a little was that the rustproofing, paint, and fabric treatments extend the coverage. But it sounds like it’s not that things go bad so quickly otherwise, but because the extended coverage is a marketing tool to sell the treatments.
NO!
It’s curious that almost everyone seems to know this but dealers continue to try to sell these money wasters. I agree with NO by the way.
Simple explanation: I’d read bad things about stuff like rustproofing, but the dealer said their process is much more advanced than before. Sales talk, huh?
Some rust warranties are even void if aftermarket “rust proofing” is applied. Read your warranty carefully. They will probably argue that dealer applied rust proofing is an exception, but don’t buy it. What was the last car you saw that had rust-perforated fenders, and how old was it?
Most extended warranties are insurance policies. They also have significant exclusions that omit most common repairs. For $1,500 you can afford to self-insure IF you take good care of your car. Also, do you know that you will keep the car beyone the factory warranty mileage? How many people “get tired” of the old dog and want new wheels before they use the warranty? In general, warranties are overpriced to make money for the dealership, and the warranty (insurance) companies. Like the lottery, the chances of winning are less than even or they wouldn’t sell them. Major exclusions often seen are seals and gaskets (the main failures – water pump, transmission, engine valve covers and main seals, CV joints, etc. are almost always seal/gasket failures) and electrical. Warranties that cover these are very expensive and (as usual) not worth the investment.