Thank you for confirming what most people seem to think. It has been interesting to read everyone’s experiences, both good and bad. Since we are not all that car proud (!) we decided not to purchase these add-ons.
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You’ll find lots of posts in other Forums. One of the companies(mentioned in a Post ) under its parent South African company and an affiliate company was prosecuted in WA by Consumer Protection in an Australia wide action for selling bogus electronic rust protection, a couple of years ago. Fact: So called ceramic coatings are commonly applied by professional detailers - they’re OK per se and last longer than waxes etc. Respectable detailers advise the coatings will only last a year or two at best - not a lifetime as the dealerships try to tell you. On a new car, at the most for a $30 bottle of coating plus half a day of wipe on, wipe off you should pay $500. Not $2000, or more as is commonly asked. But you’ll need to re-apply every year or two. The dealerships will never give you the “Limited” warranty wording until you’ve signed the contract and collected the car. If they did and you read it, you would never sign up. The warranty is not worth the paper that it is written on, which is fine, as long as its openly presented to you - but its not. Commercial lawyers have constructed the warranties in such a way as to provide every “out” possible at their disposal.For example, one warranty excludes failure of the ‘clear top coat’ which is precisely what the coating is meant to protect. Top coat IS part of the paint system on your car and IS what will fail first under for example solar radiation. The same warranty will allow only spot damage caused by for example bird or bat droppings - not UV radiation. You have to prove that you’ve washed the car in accordance with their maintenance schedule - which is impossible to do. You have to register a claim within 30 days of its appearance - The product manufacturer makes it near impossible to claim but they might only get a couple hundred dollars per application for the “rights” to supply the product to the dealership. The dealership might get a couple thousand dollars off you, for a $500 treatment, but there’s no comeback on them as the warranty is with the product supplier. And here’s a sting. If you believe the sales blurb of ‘lifetime’ protection(note, if you sell the new car, the warranty ceases anyway), and you don’t then wax(seasonally) or apply other protection periodically, you risk harmful weathering of your car paint after a few years- commonly happens after three to five years. For some reason the dealership misrepresentations haven’t been able to be nailed or exposed by the consumer authorities - its legal - just. If anyone out there is about to buy paint treatment from a dealer, call the sales manager in and ask him/her to give you a copy of the limited warranty and explain its limitations. No sense though walking out and going to another dealer - most of them are in on it. They get $1k to $2k extra margin out of a sale.
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Thank you for providing such a clear explanation which neatly encapsulates our hunch as to what we felt about the hard sell. We are glad we didn’t succumb to the jargon, and hope other potential ‘victims’ benefit from your knowledge.
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I’m a big advocate for the right paint and fabric/leather protection after doing the research on the various types and products that are right for you. I wouldn’t pay for it through the dealership as all you are doing is introducing the “middle man” - the dealership who is making money for basically an introduction.
You should be able to save several hundred dollars on what the dealership is quoting you by going direct. Most reputable applicators are mobile and will come to you.
The last three new cars I have bought have all had a new product called "Ceramic Pro"applied to the paintwork, carpets, leather interior and wheels. A basic application cost around $700-900 for the package (paint/interior/wheels) however you can pay extra and get extra layers of the product put on the paint which I have in all three instances with unbelievable results. The extra layers give the paint an almost gloss glass appearance which given two cars were black just looks amazing. Two extra layers (so 3 in total) cost me $1300 all up which I was happy with and saved at least $700 than doing it through the Mercedes dealer.
The benefit of ceramic protection I have found is just find yourself a good brushless car wash and drive through and then just wipe off the small water residue with a micro cloth. A bit cheaper than a proper hand carwash and its only 5-10 minutes and you’re done.
The product definitely protects the paint against bird/bat droppings as these tend to eat into paint and are difficult to remove if left on for an amount of time.
The way I see it, is you’ve spent many thousands on a new car, an extra $1000 over the life of it is good value for the result. I would definitely do it again and receommend it-but do your research and read lots of reviews.
Same deal with window tinting- deal direct with the company/applicator and save at least $200+.
Hope it helps!!
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Nice story!! I’m in your camp…couldn’t be happier with the latest “Nano-ceramic type coatings”…big sounding technical words but the stuff is brilliant especially on black cars (which I swore I’d never buy) but since having this product applied I now have 3 x black cars!! I think I have problem now with black cars…
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My experience in some other forums on the same subject are that there are a lot of very honest hard working detailers out there who will tell you exactly what to expect from these coating systems. I guess there may be a few not so skilled and honest as well. Conversations such as these really worry the hell out of the professional detailers. And I can understand why, and some get very defensive.
A fact often not discussed, is that if you only intend to keep your new car for 5 years, why would you bother with any treatment at all, even old fashioned waxes. Modern top coats will generally last 5 years. OK, that doesn’t sound very nice for the used car buyer of your vehicle(I’ve had 4 second hand cars where the paintwork packed up a year or two after I bought them, probably for lack of maintenance) but the economic/commercial reality is once you’ve sold your car, its not your problem anymore.If you’re going to keep your new car for more than 5 years its a very different story – but applying some carnauba 3 or 4 times a year will probably keep your paint pretty good ???
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Thank you for your reply. There’s lots of useful information which may reassure some who are more car-proud than my partner and me!
Our lovely new car will get a lick and a promise from time to time but we decided not to go with the extra protection. I already inflict my OCD tendencies about the home on my poor long suffering partner and am going to be more relaxed about our car!
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@PhilT : Thank you for your offer of a product from an auto-shop. Certainly sounds like great value. Apologies that I have been offline since your kind reply. Too late now of course as we have paid out long ago.
@All4GoodService : Thanks for your nice response. Enjoy your almost perpetually shiny black cars. Ours are always red – a colour which the sun appears to fade quickly into a dull and awful-looking matte colour; and this duco protection has always prevented that from occurring, so we are very happy with the products. Perhaps we have just been lucky on each occasion.
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HI All
I know its a very old feed but I felt it important to add my 10c.
I am car proud and I was very sceptical about paint protection, however, I am a convert, my car always looks clean even after it rains, and maintains that shine for quite some time. I have owned the car for two years from new and never had to polish it and the water still flows off the car when I wash it, as per all the adverts. With respect to the protection piece cant really comment but to say my car looks as good as the day I purchased it.
So whether you are a car proud person or not, you will benefit and for the sake of $2-3K then do it.
Cheers
Welcome to the Community @julesmeister
Likewise, 2 years will tick over on 31 Dec. I wash mine about every 2 or 3 months, don’t do anything additional, and it looks pretty good to me. A run through a wash with the spray on wax and protectorants was all it takes. The water beads fine and runs off.
YMMV 
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Our MY2015 Honda CR-V is 7 years old this month and we paid for the protection package when we bought it new in 2014, which from memory was around $1,400 for the package.
The white pearl paint does not show the dirt and it has never been polished, let alone professionally detailed, like our previous vehicles were, and my wife and I are no longer up to washing it, especially the high roof, so it generally just gets a complimentary exterior wash at the Honda dealer when it gets its annual service, whether it needs either of them or not, althought I did take it through an automatic car wash this year.
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Our Toyota Kluger is 18 years old, and has spent half of those years on coastal North Qld. It’s now in the south east.
Aside from a couple of washes each year with a regular car product it has had zero extra TLC. It has been parked in a garage or under cover (carport). Until recently the rain would still bead after a good wash. It received no special dealer add on treatments.
Is there a problem here with memories of older models and cut price finishing?
I could suggest the Ford Ute of similar vintage that has lived outdoors from Cairns to Alice and beyond may have benefitted from some extra investment pre-delivery. But being a Ford and still going, it’s not evident a more shiny outlook would compensate for all the other defects the paint cannot disguise. 
Perhaps all vehicles are not created equal. Whether spending extra on a protection package is worth the cost? YMMV.
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To revisit, the dealer packs have guarantees that usually require a reapplication every year or two, at the consumers cost. Not so different from an annual wax, except for costs.
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So many differing ideas as to what these new Ceramic/SiO2/Graphene coatings actually do.
Do they work, are they worth the money? And will it protect your paint, seats, et cetera and possibly increase or hold value better?
Well here’s my experience of this whole industry. I started vigilantly detailing my parents cars in the late 1990s; was driving alone at 16 in 1997. I got some satisfaction from seeing the sheen, water beading and leather as soft as can be. Back then we had polish, wax, cleaners and a few other “miracle workers” that truly did all the same things.
The rage today is these ceramic/SiO2/Graphene coatings that can be backed with lifetime warranties (nothing but bait for the consumer)! All of these extras are there to protect the paint (supposedly better than the clear coat can from the factory), give that oh so coveted “beading” effect, and the promise that washing and keeping your car clean and prone to less scratches is something we all want, and can pay handsomely for the privilege.
All of these products provide a “temporary” layer on top of the original paint and clear coat, that enhances water beading and covers in marks and swirls and other very, very superficial marks at that. It makes sense right, you apply something that fills in these light marks and you can no longer really see the marks, magic you say!! Naw, just a physical barrier that adheres to the paint, given the temporary look that makes us all think, “wow”!. These coating DO NOT last forever, regardless of what you are told. Just like any high quality wax, with sporadic washings using gentle detergents, you may get up to a year of some protection.
They are akin to sunblock. They block some of the harmful rays that hits our skin, but cannot give us 100% protection. Eventually we will need to slap and slather some more SPF 50+ on in a few hours, or more frequently if we’ve gotten wet (car washes).
The special ceramic coatings that come in tiny little glass vials ( to impress the consumer, you) are nothing different that a synthetic wax that lasts a bit longer than the real wax that has been around for thousands of years.
A great wax like say Zymol, Swissvax Dodo Juice, are almost all natural, smells amazing, you can apply it to your car paint with your hands, without worrying what’s inside the wax that could harm you. But there are others that have lengthy warning labels on the box, on the tube or jar, and all over their websites. Choose at your own risks for all. I’d recommend AutoGlym as well, great products, but many many warning about some chemicals being used in their products. I still will use them, but wear gloves, long sleeve shirt et cetera just in case.
The best, most economically sound, and simplest method is to wash your car with a neutral detergent made for cars (you don’t need another gimmick, “snow foam” guns attached to pressure cleaners).
Wash with two buckets, one for the paint of the car, glass et cetera one for the wheels, nasty brake dust scratches badly. Wet the car, wash with a nice fluffy sheepskin or synthetic offering, glove, rinse and repeat (if needed). Then buy a high quality “polish”. Polish and Wax are NOT the same thing. A Polish often contain mild to severe abrasives, to remove the top most layer of paintwork where the ugly oxidation, swirl marks, and superficial to slightly deeper scratches. Use the least abrasive you can get away with. No sense in taking off more paint and coating than needed. And follow the instructions on said polish.
Once this step is complete, I myself prefer another gentle quick rinse/wash, to remove the remaining polish and other contaminants that were present (this is obviously directions under the assumption that you didn’t need to use a clay bar. If you do need to use one, let me know me I’ll add said step in. Clay bars with a proper liquid for lubricant are like erasers to remove marks, contaminants and other yuckys that have adhered to your paint). Dry with either a REAL chamois or even invest in a small handheld “blower” that blows the water off like at those auto carwashes at servos. Once this is complete, we can now wax your pride and joy. You apply the wax to clean panels and paint, in a thin layer and allow to dry, according to directions. I prefer a more natural wax here, as wax is not polish and vice versa. Let the wax dry maybe an hour or so, and come back and buff it all to a brilliant shine. Be sure to do everything in the shade and the polishing and waxing bits away from wind and flying contaminants. Once this is complete, I’d go for a second coat of wax, and repeat the steps to get a deep, alluring shine that can only bring a smile to your face, and that satisfaction you feel for making your pride and joy look like it did the day you bought her. But there’s a caveat. Wax will offer some protections, like sunblock for us. It will protect from fading, superficial marks and swirls, and produce the awe inspiring beading effect. But it will wear off and you must repeat the whole waxing bit every 6 or so months, me the whole polishing ever other year, maybe ever 3 to 4 years of you keep care of it, garage it, and don’t let it stay with dirt, grit and grime sitting on it for any length of time.
Polish removes actual paint; wax adds microscopic layers of protection from the damaging effects of the sun, acid rain, bird poo, and general contaminants that love to attack our cars.
If all this is just too much, and you have bought that car that you’ve always wanted, think about PPF as it’s called (Paint Protection Film). And it’s most likely what you can imagine. An extremely thin layer of film, somewhat like window tinting film, but thinner, and treated with UV protection, is applied to various panels on your car. As wax or ceramic coating will not prevent a rock flying up and scratching/denting a panel on your car. The most popular places are the front bumper, bottom half of the bonnet, from wings, or mirror covers. And from there, you can actually do a whole car, encompassing every single panel. You can choose clear, where it’s virtually undetectable, or a “wrap” to make that new Honda Jazz into a good chrome monster. Either way, the panels are protected from everything save say, a hammer from a jealous partner, another car colliding with yours (it’s not armour folks), and any other physical damage.
Now are any worth it? I say the old fashioned polish and wax is the cheapest, easiest and best overall protection for the cost. Picking up a high end wax could set you back say $125, which should last your 3-4 applications. But then we jump to the ceramic/SiO2/Graphene coatings which if you buy them yourself, a small bottle that could cover two whole cars would run you about $200, which includes all the products needed to prep the paints surface. Some brands offer lifetime warranty if applied through one of their “preferred specialists or dealers”. Which in layman’s terms, it’s the exact same bottle I can buy at an auto care shop, or online, except they charge many, many, many times more for it.
I was not educated enough in 2018 when we bought a great Renault Megane RS, brand new, and fell for the ceramic coating for the car and the interior coatings by the same company (I won’t use the name as to not interfere with their ability to promote their own product however they like).
Below is the exact excerpt from an email from the dealership in 2018:
• Delivery Services: Outlines your options for vehicle detailing. I highly recommend the Paint Protection ($995) & Fabric Protection ($595) Also… tint, below;
• Premium Security Window Tint ($495): Designed specifically for Renaults. The window tint is a security film offering 99% UV protection, reduces heat and glare up to 68%, is a bonding agent that prevents glass shattering inside the compartment in the event of an accidents, designed to prevents theft as the film toughens the class.
Renault are currently doing a package deal this month - paint protection, fabric protection & front tinted windows for $1,295 inclusive of ALL taxes. That represents a saving in excess of 35%. All products come with a lifetime ownership warranty.
We paid $1295 three years ago.
Recently we traded that Megane in on a smaller car, an Abarth 595 Competizione. This was the email sent to us this time:
""Congratulations on the purchase of your new vehicle. Please see attached our premium pre- delivery options for your perusal.
XXXXXX - Total Surface Protection
The XXXXXX program is a revolutionary, technologically advanced product range that has been scientifically developed and designed specifically for Prestige vehicles. These coatings have been designed to warrant and protect your vehicle against damages caused by environmental factors and contaminants, whilst reducing the maintenance required to keep your vehicle clean (Same brand, same product, same bottle and size as last time, maybe Covid Tax???!).
XXXXXX Ceramic Exterior Surface Coating - $1,495
Protects against environmental damages caused by bird and bat droppings, tree sap, insect etching, salt spray , UV exposure , fading, loss of gloss. Makes maintenance regimes easy with only the need to wash and chamois your vehicle, eliminating the need to wax and polish. One off treatment with no reapplication or inspections necessary. Warranted for the Lifetime of your ownership.
XXXXXX Interior Coatings - $1,195
Protects all fabric, carpet, vinyl and leather surfaces of the vehicle against staining and marking. reduces scuff marks and prevents cracking, fading and discoloration caused by UV. Cointains BioCote, an antibacterial agent, assisting in preventing odours and bacteria from developing. Also eliminates the need to use any interior maintenance products, only a damp cloth is required to clean and maintain the interior surfaces.
For further information on these coatings, please see the attached brochure, or got to XXXXXXXXXXXXCXXXXXXX
XXXXXX Exterior and Interior Coating Package - $2,495
Plus, Premium Tint $595""
Which came to $3090, some $1795 MORE, in just 3 years!! Insanity.On a car that’s much smaller, which would equate to less labour putting a simple coating on, and less tinting do to less windows and smaller windows overall.
So you can see how much dealers make on these “Coatings”.
I priced the exact coating and same brand, for interior, exterior and tint, and it came to a total of $435.76!!! That’s a markup.
Please go ahead and choose whichever, if any, option you feel best with, but over three years with the first car protected by the exact same brand, and it never lasted. Water didn’t continue to bead, it was just as much work to wash the car and keep it clean as it would have been without it. So I’d absolutely choose to polish, wax, and maintain it myself, and grab a can or two of “waterproofer” for $25 at BCF to cover the leather and Alcantara interior on the Megane.
Don’t waste your $3k or more on these liquid coatings.
If I absolutely wanted ultimate protection with little to no effort, I’d choose a whole car PPF, which for the Abarth ran approx $4850 from a very reputable PPF dealer.
If this helps even one person, my job is done.
Thanks all.
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Thanks for the overview, hopefully helpful to more than ‘one person’. But would you comment on the difference between the ‘dealer packs’ you commented on and
Considering the cost of a vehicle it seems beyond just outrageous and ‘for the Abarth ran approx’ suggests you bought it. If so, how does it compare with the ‘dealer packs’ and do you expect it to last the life of the car, or provide extra value to it when you sell or trade it? If it was just a comparative comment about a quote, understood.
Hi PhilT,
So “Dealer Packs” are extras that a (St)dealer makes about 800% profit in this circumstance!!! They make more money on dealer added “options” than they do selling the car.
In this instance I did not take the extra PPF, as the dealer did not offer it. The PPF is very difficult to work with and you would have to go to a specialist that deals with this type of protection. PPF is on the very, very high end of the spectrum, and while labour adds some to the cost, the actual cost of the film for my little Abarth 5959 Comp (a Fiat 500 underneath) is about $500 in material alone, and id say approx $500 in Labour. so costing $5000 AUD, this is a markup of over 500%!! Still truly ridiculous.
Dealer packs they try and sell to the unsuspecting consumer are sold with the idea that having a dirty car is a thing of the past, and that with a coating, you basically just need to rinse the car and dry and it should be shiny, water should still bead, for the Lifetime of your ownership. Which could not be further from reality. They maybe last a year if that. And as for the interior “packs” to protect your fabric, leather, plastics, carpets, alcantara and other bits and pieces in the interior, its just a can of “waterproofing” spray that you can pick up virtually anywhere. I often see the over priced cans at shops that sell sneakers and other shoes. While very over priced, they do tend to keep your shoes somewhat water resistant, but it does not make the sneakers invincible by any means.
I learned from a young age the art of haggling new cars with dealers and salespeople. My Dad taught me a life skill that I still use today. I have never once before taken any of these extras, other than usually tinted windows, as it saves the time having to drop off a new car to get tinted after you buy it, and you are without the car for a period of time. All these extra “packs” are not worth even a tenth of what they are charging, and they do not protect the car “for life” as they advertise and just by throwing a “lifetime warranty” on the coatings, it seems to give some assurance to people that they have made the right decision. How wrong they are.
Now PPF is installed at several specialist shops around Sydney and Australia. While it actually does do what they say, the pricing is just bonkers and paying $5000 on top of a $40k car is even crazier. The difference is that I cannot install the protective films without some training or hands on knowledge, and because only certain people can actually install it so good you can barely even tell its on the car.
If you are keeping your car forever, and its the type of car that might one day be a classic or you want to pass it on to your children, PPF would be the only way to go. But as current prices dictate, its not worth it in any way. Getting a good quality wax, polish and such, and putting in the man hours on your own, you will fare much much better, and it will absolutely protect your car just as much as PPF. If the prices came down to a quarter if what they are today, I would have probably gotten it on the Abarth, but when you know that the film used is only a fraction of the cost they are charging, its an absolute shonky deal. There shoul dbe more regulation with dealers who take advantage of so many consumers in the area.
We did get the “special pack” when we bought our Megane in 2018, as it was my partners first new car and the choice was made as he has never had this coating before and wanted to see how it would. And I hadnt been offered it in the many years i have been buying cars, so we gave it a whirl. Would have been easier to just burn the money that to hand it over. It did nothing to protect the paint, and I could not imagine what the paint would be like in 25 years had we kept it. As we are told not to wax, polish or do anything else to the paint because these coatings should be all that anyone would need.
What a farce. Should be a Shonky award of the year. Dealers are getting more and more sneaky and many bend the truth so far, that its paramount to lying honestly.
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On the basis of the product alone? There is still a labour cost involved in delivering the service and an overhead of the shop space and business for the time and space. The excessiveness in providing is likely far more modest than 10 fold.
Considering,
How many hours might this all require, and at what cost for some of the extras such as polishing buffs, cloths etc? It’s worth considering not all of us are as adept at some of these physical tasks. We might take more time than someone more confident or experienced. For some of us age or other personal outcomes limit just how much we can do. It may not be an option to DIY.
Some rely on the ‘free’ wash and vacuum with the annual service offers. Others might use the valet car wash option at the local shopping centre.
I wonder what the relative value might be in simply paying for the basics described? Or whether in 10 years time the money spent will be recovered as a trade with 100,000+km on the clock?
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