What should I do?! Need new car advice!

Run from the dealer's offer. If you read the warranty you will probably see that regular "maintenance" by the dealer is required to keep the warranty in effect. This usually translates into more $$$ for the "maintenance." You are not far from Louisville, KY. From this site, see if you can find additional pro detailers in the Louisville metro area.

Oh, welcome to AutoGeek and congrats on the new car. Hope you enjoy both.
 
newcar17 said:
Hi everyone, first post. Glad to be here!

My wife and I bought our first new car last week.

We are loving the car but we were offered a product when we signed the papers called Simoniz glasscoat. It is a paint protector type product that protects against bird droppings, tree sap, UV rays etc etc.

We didn't buy it yet but they have come down from $500 initially to $399. This comes with a lifetime warranty that supposedly says anything that happens to the exterior or interior will be repaired, painted etc.

I talked to the person that would be applying it and they would be washing the car, then using a claybar rag to get any contaminants off, then applying the glasscoat. They apply it in a separate building where all the dealer does is clean up work, so it's not applied by a mechanic in the shop. Sounds legit but they said I couldn't watch them apply it due to Insurance reasons (customers can't be in there because floors are wet). He said it takes about 2 hours to apply to the exterior and interior.

I know you are basically paying for the "warranty". I know no product can last forever.

As another option I've found a reputable local detailer that does detail work for allot of the high end dealers in the city. He looked at the car and said if it were his car he would clay bar it and apply meguiars mirror glaze synthetic sealant. The full exterior detail job would be $275. He recommended repeating this process twice a year. This car will be mostly garaged. He said since it will not be out in the elements too much I could probably stretch it to repeating the process once per year.

Something he does for his customers is he also gives you the products needed to take care of the car between detail jobs. The meguiars car wash product, good towels, good micro fiber mit etc, no charge.

So, I am needing advice as to what to do?

I had never heard of a paint protectant or sealer until last week since I'd always bought used cars. I've never been the best about washing, waxing etc.

Would you go with the reputable dealer simoniz product for $400 with lifetime warranty or with reputable local detailer for $275 and free supplies?

Also, should I even mess with doing this during the winter months or should I wait until early spring to do it?

Thanks everyone
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if you aren't going to want to wash and wax the car yourself then i would go with the lifetime warranty, but what does that mean exactly? will the dealer repair swirls and scratches?
 
DetailKitty said:
Personally, I wouldn't get it. Most people I know who opted for whatever manufacturer's "paint seal" (names differ) notice within a year that it's gone and they have zero protection on their car.
My advice is look around on here at your different options of paint cleaning and protection and keep up with it yourself.

And congrats on the new car!
Pics are always good :)
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what about the lifetime warranty though?
 
newcar17 said:
Thanks again everyone, you all are giving me confidence! I would enjoy doing this myself and learning. If I can save the $275 to the detailer I would rather do that. I'm in Kentucky, pretty close to Lagrange.
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ill be honest with you, if you start doing this thing yourself you can end up spending a lot of money on it, im like three grand in the hole since i bought my car last year but now i know how to do everything
 
If you really are going to wash the car yourself might as well just buy Carpro Hydro2 lite some soap and a mitt or bucket and a couple good drying towels. Just deal with the stuff yourself

Many average car owners are gun ho about washing there new car and it fades really quick.




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Welcome to the forum! As several have said skip the dealer offer. I would go with the pro Detailer for the first time if you are wanting some quick protection while you are learning to care for your car. You can also find out if your chosen detailer is a member of the IDA. Not all detailers are members and you don't have to be, but this does add credibility if they have the certifications.
 
Thanks again everybody, awesome forum. I've done a little more digging on the simoniz glasscoat product. Does this sound right?

I was told by Simoniz (not the dealer) that the glasscoat is a ceramic based product, not a wax, and that it would never wear off, so that's why they have a lifetime warranty. The requirements for the lifetime warranty are that you should wash your car regularly and wax it 2-3 times per year, but they can never prove whether or not you've actually done any of those things (although they should be able to tell based on how the car looks)

They actually told me that you'd have to wet sand (I think that's what she called it) the car to get the glasscoat off. She said it's like putting another layer of clear coat on the car.

So, if what she said is accurate, would that be a good thing or a bad thing? I guess good if it was applied correctly, and very bad if it was applied incorrectly since you may never get it off the car.

I think I'm still leaning toward just going with the local detailer (doesn't look like they are a member of the IDA-but there aren't any IDA members near where I live), and paying the $275 and have him show me some stuff, and learn from this website.

I've never been good about taking the time to wash/wax my vehicles, but then again I've always driven older used cars. I'm almost afraid if I did something like Glasscoat that I might end up putting off washing or waxing because I've got another layer of protection on there, or at least that's what I'd tell myself if I didn't want to go outside to wash/wax it!
 
It is a ceramic coating, but again, it's all about the prep! I would not allow the dealer to touch the car! There are plenty of other Ceramic coatings you can buy and apply yourself that will perform equal too or better and that way you can ensure the paint is properly prepped. I would still highly suggest you read the fine print of the warranty yourself.
 
newcar17 said:
Thanks again everybody, awesome forum. I've done a little more digging on the simoniz glasscoat product. Does this sound right?

I was told by Simoniz (not the dealer) that the glasscoat is a ceramic based product, not a wax, and that it would never wear off, so that's why they have a lifetime warranty. The requirements for the lifetime warranty are that you should wash your car regularly and wax it 2-3 times per year, but they can never prove whether or not you've actually done any of those things (although they should be able to tell based on how the car looks)

They actually told me that you'd have to wet sand (I think that's what she called it) the car to get the glasscoat off. She said it's like putting another layer of clear coat on the car.

So, if what she said is accurate, would that be a good thing or a bad thing? I guess good if it was applied correctly, and very bad if it was applied incorrectly since you may never get it off the car.

I think I'm still leaning toward just going with the local detailer (doesn't look like they are a member of the IDA-but there aren't any IDA members near where I live), and paying the $275 and have him show me some stuff, and learn from this website.

I've never been good about taking the time to wash/wax my vehicles, but then again I've always driven older used cars. I'm almost afraid if I did something like Glasscoat that I might end up putting off washing or waxing because I've got another layer of protection on there, or at least that's what I'd tell myself if I didn't want to go outside to wash/wax it!
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No coating will last for ever. Maximum maybe 6 years if its garaged. I call poop on that idea from her.
 
Welcome OP!

I would take the $400 and spend it here without a doubt, you'll get a better product and great way to bond with the new ride!!
 
It as been my experience with car dealerships that they are only going to sell you something that will make them money. I am sure that they will apply some type of coating that is likely pretty decent but as others have stated nothing lasts forever without maintenance. I just sold a 12-year-old truck with 250,000 miles on which the paint looked virtually new and had absolutely no clear coat failure. It looked that way because I washed it carefully, regularly applied some type of paint protection, and did not abuse the paint (like sitting on the hood, allowing someone to put a purse on the roof, or dragging keys on the side).
The dealership is essentially selling you an insurance policy. They are betting that you will regularly come see them for the maintenance (and pay for said maintenance) and the paint will hold up or you will not follow the recommended maintenance and the paint will hold up or you will not follow the recommended maintenance, the paint will fail, and they can deny the claim because you did not follow the recommended maintenance. The only way the dealership loses is if you do everything correctly and the paint fails. To be honest, that likely will not happen because if it was a regular occurrence, they would not be selling the protection (because they would not be making money). As an aside, the dealership is most likely just the seller of the service like they are with most extended warranties.
If you think about it, a sales person spends hours telling you how great the vehicle is, the company's satisfaction rating, and all the reasons that you should buy their vehicle to then, once you have agreed to buy their car, tell you that you need to buy an extended warranty, paint protection, upholstery protection, and a road hazard policy against damaged tires and wheels.
In my opinion, I think it would be a good idea to have a reputable company detail the car (including some type of paint protection) and then you give it a year of you performing the regular maintenance (washes, etc). A couple of buckets, grit guards, a decent car wash soap, a mitt or two, and a couple of waffle weave drying towels from AG is less than $100. Who knows, you might come to love it and can invest further.


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As most of the others have said, skip the dealer and find yourself a local detailer to prep and coat your new baby. Check out the detailers work and ask him simple questions about coating your car. If he is offering a warranty he is full of it too. Welcome you are at the right place to start. Taking care of your car should be fun and not a chore. Enjoy the new ride!
 
^I thought some of the pro coatings coatings come with a warranty.

But same deal...blah, blah, must be periodically maintained by the detailer and other conditions.
 
We had a dealer installed coating that was on our Chevy Volt ( it was on the car when we purchased it). We wouldn't have bought it if it hadn't already been on the car. BUT that being said, when the paint started flaking off a few small sections on the roof Chevrolet denied coverage saying the paint was caused by acid rain. The Volt was still covered by the three year 36,000 mile warranty but Chevrolet refused to pay to repaint the roof. I happened to think about the paint sealant that was on the car and the sealant company did cover the repainting of the roof. So in our case, it was worth it!
Still upset at Chevrolet denying coverage because they couldn't answer why acid rain would have affected the paint on only the 2011 Volt, as our other five vehicles paint were all fine and the model years ranged from 1982 thru 2014. They looked for a way to get out of paying by saying since we live where refineries are located, the paint problem had to have been caused by acid rain.
 
Welcome to AGO!!

I am with the masses, I suggest staying away from the dealer. Remember that dealers are "high turn" shops, meaning they are trying to get things done fast, not right. Although there are some good detailers at dealerships generally speaking detailers at dealers are not paid well therefore they go through detailers rather rapidly. You are basically letting an intern put a "permanent" coating on your vehicle, and if the MFG of the coating says the only way to get it off is to wet sand? I would stay away from that product period.
 
Soooo glad I found this forum!

Yeah, I've decided not to do the coating from the dealer. I got to thinking about it and if I'm going to be removing anything that gets on the car immediately, then any good quality paint protection will work and I'm never going to use the warranty! I'm going to do the $275 for the exterior detail job from the local detailer. He's an honest guy and he told me that nothing lasts forever. He seems like a pretty straight shooter. I'll post a pic after she's done :). I'm guessing the meguiars mirror glaze sealant is a solid product to use?
 
Good. Very glad to hear this. It's for me, never about the products they use just how they apply them.
It's like these tent auto spray people. They came out and did my door as some idiot bashed it. They apply the paint ok however you will be claying off the overspray. Also correcting the buffer marks they leave. ����
 
AttyVette said:
Chevrolet denied coverage saying the paint was caused by acid rain. The Volt was still covered by the three year 36,000 mile warranty but Chevrolet refused to pay to repaint the roof.
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General Motors gets a billion dollar government bailout...
Nickel & dimes it's own American customers and can't even stand behind their own warranty... Smh.



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Eldorado2k said:
General Motors gets a billion dollar government bailout...
Nickel & dimes it's own American customers and can't even stand behind their own warranty... Smh.



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I agree..ridiculous and even service department employees at our local Chevy dealership told us they were sorry that GM denied the claim, as they didn't see the paint flaking as being caused by acid rain! GM looks for excuses to get out of paying legitimate claims IMO!
 
newcar17 said:
Soooo glad I found this forum!

Yeah, I've decided not to do the coating from the dealer. I got to thinking about it and if I'm going to be removing anything that gets on the car immediately, then any good quality paint protection will work and I'm never going to use the warranty! I'm going to do the $275 for the exterior detail job from the local detailer. He's an honest guy and he told me that nothing lasts forever. He seems like a pretty straight shooter. I'll post a pic after she's done :). I'm guessing the meguiars mirror glaze sealant is a solid product to use?
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Glad to hear it. You made the right choice, IMO.

And yes, Meg's is very solid company with an outstanding reputation. Any product they offer can be found here on AG because they sell good quality products.

That being said, as you start to read up on here, and try new things, you might find product(s) you like better (whether it be longevity, ease of application, personal preference, etc.)

A whole world of detailing is awaiting you!! :buffing:
 
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