dealer add-ons: good or bad idea?

Those types of add-ons are generally meant to earn the dealership more profit from the sale. Do a search of the products on the internet to determine what exactly they provide, if you really even need them, and if they are available through a distributor other than the dealer. Check prices and determine if the dealership is giving you a good deal.

You normally have three days to change your mind on these type of add-ons and get a full refund. We were talked into the extended warranty and ended up finding one here cheaper, so I cancelled the one I purchased through the dealer and was given a full refund.

 

Good Idea?
Bad Idea?
Your Idea!

People can tell you ALL dealer add ons are rip offs, you could get them cheaper, they don't really work,...whatever.

My opinion is if they offer you a better peace of mind? Then they might be worth it to you.

My Honda dealer when I bought my Honda offered Diamond Fusion as an optional add on. Honda Fits, like Prius have huge sloping aerodynamic windshields. I opted to NOT get the Diamond Shield, but not for any particularly good reason.

My logic was the direct supposed benefits of the product itself were pretty duplicatable by using products like Aquapel or Rain-X. If I felt this was something I wanted I could get short term similar results.

Now I don't know if it's the same but the dealer tried to sell me on the Diamond Shield with the promise of an attached windshield guarantee. IE: After applied, they would replace/repair any damage to the windshield. ....this seemed like potentially a good deal and made it something I paused to consider. Again in the end I opted out, deciding that the potential "pain" of dealing with warranty support from the dealer, and hoping they would honor it, vs. dealing with chips, dings or total windshield failure as they may or may not occur, it just seemed to me better to roll the dice and hope I had no problems.

So anyway, I don't know if Diamond Shield is a good product or not, but for me I only considered it for the supposed attached warranty, and then ultimately decided against it because I more or less wanted the freedom to NOT deal with the dealership if I had a windshield problem.

I'm not against windshield treatments...I sometimes use Rain-X, but I kind of like the freedom to apply when I want and also like the idea of non-permanence...even though re-application can be a pain, I like the idea that I haven't done anything to my windshield that won't be gone in 3 weeks or less.

 

As for the windshield replacement, most insurance policies have a zero deductible if you get a chip in your windshield due to a flying rock, and window replacement is definitely covered (although you'd pay the deductible on that).

There was another thread on here not too long ago talking about another product like Rain-X that lasted much longer between applications, I just don't remember what it's called.

If the Magna Shield is the clear plastic they apply over the paint, (i.e. Clear Bra), I would not recommend it. We have a similar product on the front of our motor home, and it has been struck by flying stones. Granted, it didn't chip the paint, but we have a bubble in the film everywhere there was a rock strike, and it's already starting to peel at some of the edges! It also does not shine like a freshly waxed painted surface does, it has a somewhat dull look to it. It's okay on the huge front end of the RV, but I wouldn't want it on a car!

 

These types of products are modern day snake oil. Get your money back.

 

Have them throw it in for free. My car came with some "zaktek" paint protection package which yielded nothing searchable on google. MSRP is was $600 extra. But i told them to eat that cost if they wanted me to buy the car, and they did, so i negotiated fro the $23,900 Toyota MSRP, not the $25,100 dealer MSRP.

 

When I bought my Tacoma the dealer offered the same type of paint protection for $750. They told me that I have to go back to the dealer for reapplication once a year but at no cost. The paint protection was for 5 years unlimited miles. It only guarantees show room shine but no protection against rock chips. I went to the local car wash place to wash the car for the first time. They offer similar paint protection as the dealer except it's $99.99 for the initial application and $29.99 annual reapplication for as long as you own your car.
As for the Diamond fusion use Rain-X or similar products until the windshield's broke. Then replace it with a Prius V windshield. It is pre-treated with rain repellent.

 

when i bought my prius, the paint protection package was already applied to every car they had on the lot. So there was no choice there. I hate when dealers do those stupid add-ons to push the price up. One Toyota dealer i went to had nitrogen in all the tires and marked up the cars by $80.....Wth.

 

I think it's Aquapel.

I've never used it, but it supposedly offers the benefits of Rain-X with months of results instead of days or weeks. It also is supposedly more difficult to apply. I think you can do it yourself but it used to be a dealer/seller applied treatment.

 

Yep, my dealer tried to pull the same thing, MSRP was $26,850, Dealer MSRP was $27,XXX (don't remember exactly) because of the paint protection, nitrogen, and some other add on. I think those Dealer MSRP Stickers are for the suckers, I never pay attention to them! I look at it as I'm buying the car, not their add-ons, I didn't ask for them, so I'm not paying for them!

 

There's no evidence that nitrogen-filled tires make ANY difference at all, to wear or mileage. These dealer add-ons are for profit only. If some of them have advantages, they are vastly outweighed by their cost and simply not worth it.

 

All ripoffs...wallet flushes.