Is Dealer Rustproofing Worth It?

It is a coating the dealer sprays on the car before you take it home. It often comes with its own rust warranty. Dealers sell it as an add-on in the finance office.

Some dealers put it on every car in stock. Then they say it is already on and cannot come off.

Dealer rustproofing is also called rust protection or undercoating. The name changes by dealer.

OMVIC lists rustproofing as an optional extra. You do not have to buy it. If it is already on the car you can try to negotiate it out or walk away.

Most new cars come with a corrosion warranty. It covers rust that eats a hole through the body. Global News reported that Mazda covers this for 12 years with no kilometre limit.

Other brands cover fewer years. Check the warranty booklet for your model.

The factory warranty does not cover surface rust. That is the brown spotting on bolts and under the car. A yearly spray helps slow that down.

Ask the dealer to show you the corrosion warranty for your exact model. Get the years in writing. Compare that with what the dealer rustproofing plan adds.

The price varies by dealer. Global News reported a buyer who paid $895 for a dealer rust package. When rust showed up the dealer first refused to fix it.

A yearly oil spray from a rust shop cost about $150 in the same report. It takes about an hour. You can redo it each fall before the salt hits the roads.

Ask for the dealer price in writing with the plan name. Then compare it with a few years of yearly sprays.

That is about six years of yearly sprays for the price of one dealer package. The dealer rustproofing price is also part of the deal you can push on.

Read the rust warranty before you pay. Some plans need you to bring the car in each year for a check. Miss one visit and the cover can end.

Some plans only pay if rust goes all the way through the metal. That is what the factory warranty covers already.

Some plans also make you use their shop for any repair. That can mean a long drive.

Ask if the warranty moves to the next owner when you sell the car. Ask who pays the claim. Is it the dealer or a separate company?

Wash the car often in winter. Rinse the underside to clear the salt.

Book a yearly oil spray at a rust shop. Do it in the fall. Keep your receipts in case you ever need to make a claim.

Check under the car each spring for new rust spots. Small spots cost less to fix than big ones.

Say no to the dealer rustproofing package if you do not want it. A dealer that puts it on every car should still take it off the price. A free dealer referral matches you with a vetted dealer who gives you a clean price with no surprise add-ons.