A friend of mine is working on a purchase of a new vehicle. She called me in terror the other day and said "they told me I should get paint protection, and rust proofing, and an extended warranty, and I wasn't sure so I said 'ok' let me think about it". I told her to call the salesman back and cancel all of it.
- You don't need rust proofing. Cars today are designed to survive 150,000 miles or more, including salty road winters. Just make sure to wash your undercarriage once in a while, you'll be fine.
- You don't need paint sealant. The car is clearcoated at the factory. If you park it outside a lot, put on some Rain-X or Turtle wax, that will do the trick.
- You don't need an extended warranty. Today's cars are as reliable as ever. These are really just insurance policies, which means that mathematically, you will on average save money by self insuring. That's because the cost of the policy is the average pay-out per customer + profit margin.
- You don't need a pre-paid service contract. Your car won't need much more than oil and tire rotations for the first 30,000 miles, and after that, you should be taking it to your neighborhood service shop (I like my local Midas,myself, and Firestone has been good to me also). Dealer service rates are substantially higher, on average, than independent shops.
The one item I told her to consider, if it would maker he sleep better, was the road hazard warranty,which is insurance against wheel damage. At $350, it was cheap compared to the price of a new wheel/tire, and Michigan's pothole roads are wheel destroyers. I myself have trashed 2 wheels in the last 3 years.
Tell the dealer to keep the locking wheel nuts, the scotch guard, and everything else that didn't come from the factory (unless you like overpaying). Learn the phrase, "No thanks, I want just the car".
