Our Fit is FINALLY arriving on Thursday & the dealer wants to know if we want the "Protection Package", it includes an undercoating, a paint sealant and a fabric guard, an extra expense of nearly $800. I have done a bit of research & it seems like it may be a waste of money. Has anyone here purchased this protection package & what do you think?

 

Save yourself the money and don't get these "dealer pack" items. Dealers use them to pack more profit into the sale. They are either of no value or could be easily done yourself for much less money.

 

paint sealant is a fancy word for a wax job.... dont get it, not worth it

 

fabric protector=1 can of scotchguard... Do yourself a favor n buy a can at the local autoparts store....

 

$30 worth of chemicals and $50 worth of labor= $700 worth of profit!

 

Want to know why they do this? Watch the movie "Fargo"

http://www.godamongdirectors.com/scripts/fargo.shtml

Search under "TruCoat"

 

One Honda dealer in my area would not sell me the car without their 'Protection Package' (which is basicly a $500. wax job).

After i questioned the deal, the sales person was confronted by the management.

Needless to say, I went to another dealer in my area.

It's a con-job. Don't fall for it.




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The dealership might as well ask for $800 more profit.

In my area they don't even bother with a protection package.

The requirement is plainly $3000 over MSRP. Maybe someday they will budge from that but it's not going to be soon with people lined up for 6 months to buy at that price.

So that $800 is much better spent on gas and just pass on that dealership.

 

One of the popular protection packs they sell here in Australia is made by a crowd called Ming. If you buy a protection pack you've been 'Minged'.

The dealer wheels out a bimbo after the deal for the car itself has pretty much been done to try and Ming you. Pure creamy profit for the dealer. They even try to still sell rust protection on galavanised and all alloy cars.

For fabric protection pick up a can of 3M scotch guard at the supermarket. For the cost of the paint protection have a professional detailer wax your car every 6 months for the next 5 years and your still financially ahead.

 

The protection package is a total waste of your money! After a couple of months, to allow the paint to set, go to any good detail shop and have them wax and detail the car for about $50. Go to any automobile supply store and buy a couple of cans of "Scotch Guard" fabric protection spray. This will do the same thing for about $20 and a few minutes of your time. The car does not need any under coating. The Honda factory already has already provided all the protection your car requires. If you live in an area where they use salt to de-ice the roads, just take the car to a good car wash after each ice event. After market undercoating may even be harmful. If not done properly the drain holes under the body may get clogged and allow water to be trapped inside the body and actually promote rust.

 

Yep, it's garbage.
I'm a detailer. A while ago I detailed a 2003 Honda Pilot with this protection package. Because the dealership told my customer that they would never need to wax their car, they never did. When I got to the roof of the car, i found some small rust spots. Nuff said.

tre

 

Looks like I'm the only fool on the board!

This was my first time buying a new car (rust-bucket kid!), and I really should have brought a car friend with to somewhat think for me. I was too obsessed with whether or not I would be approved for the loan, with my perfect credit, that & I really wanted my Fit NOW! Didn't ask to many questions other than, can I have the keys now?

The Honda dealer had laid out on his desk this paint protection thingy that I read while waiting. It seemed allright but not anything I was really interested in. Something about the coating "bonding" with the paint to make it easier to clean and more resistant to weather damage and bird poop. Also they had the interior protection. I must admit that the pitch was smooth, he told me outright that if I get bored one day and decide to dump bleach all over my interior, they will re-apolster (spelling?) it for free (free meaning use the money I already gave them). As well if the paint goes to $#!T in the next 10 years they will repaint it at no cost. This is added onto my monthly payments and if I ever use it in the next 10 years, they will add another 3 years on for free. (yes I am teh $uck3r).

They never told me not to wax it, and I will when the time is right. I got my Fit in late May, and wash it weekly. I go to the power wash stations where you get the super hose, wash it yourself and get soaked in the process!
Though the "spotfree rinse" is BS at all the ones I have tried.

I have noticed that it is not nearly as rain-effected as my last p.o.s. car (the water just beads up much like what a nice wax would do), I have not spilled anything on the interior, so who knows about that.

The winshield seems to simply have rainx on it. Don't know, maybe I got hosed maybe not???

Either way, it's money in the past and not much I can do about it now. Just need to be more prepaired next time I buy a car.

All in all, my dealler ended up being really really good to me, and I'll continue going back to them as long as I live here.

 

OK, we got dinged for the paint protection package; here in Phoenix, AZ, the brand is 'Zaktek' . Anyway, we've had our Fit (VBP Sport AT) since June - we love it! - and we just got a card from the dealer that it's time for our "periodic Zaktek premium protection coating reapplication". Since it sounds like this is a big waste of time, is there any value to heading over to the dealership and getting this done? Also, I assume that this 'extra' package is in no way tied to the warranty - does that sound correct?

Thanks in advance,
Dr.T

 

If it is "free" and you get your car all cleaned up, I'd do it!

If they try to get more $$$ out of your for something, I'd pass.

 

The package was installed already on the Fit when I saw it at the dealership and I think they knew they could sell it no matter with that stuff on it.

A non-negotiable car with a $600 protection package already + the $400 sport fog lights + $200 mudflaps = markup. I definitly like the fogs though.

I don't mind the undcoating, can't hurt (hit all drain holes and well areas as well as underbody)

I don't know about the wax thing. I have noticed some weird water lines that dry on the surface everytime I drive in rain. It looks like some protection crap running off the surface, but it still beads water after 8 months.

The interior protection seemed to work for a while at the beginning from some spilling but I got expanding foam on a little of the rear seat-that will not come off! I was thinking of taking it in to see it removed under the coverage, then it might be worth that part.

Knowing about these packages now and the waste they are will save me in the future when buying a car.

 

I sold cars many years back. At that time we offered a "Protection Package" of rustproofing, undercoating, fabric protection, and paint protection. It was on the dealer sticker at $695. The company that did it charged the dealer $75 per vehicle.


That being said - times have changed some, and I'm sure it costs more to do it today.

Yeah, they added markup but what can/could you do.

However, as I stated earlier, if they'll do a touch-up, and clean the car up for you at no additional charge (if they tried to charge you, I think I would go into a tirade like I never have before!!!) then let them clean it up and make it look just like new again!!

The packages are not a total waste - they are just not worth what the dealer wants for them!!!