Undercoating worth it being in the midwest? Salt Hell

[veener79]

We just bought our 2017 today. The dealer did the sales pitch for paint protection, interior protection, and undercoating. Seemed like a bit of overkill. He stated that the Explorer has no under coating from the factory. Was kind of shocked because my wife's old Pontiac and my Subaru have at least some from the factory.

When I got home got under the Explorer when installing the Weathertech mudflaps. He was right there is nothing under it. Now I am rethinking maybe looking at undercoating. Or is the build construction a little different where it is not needed. We are looking to kept this guy for at least 10 years. Want to for it to look great in 10 years.

Thanks

 

[blwnsmoke]

Waste of money.. no undercoating but it is dipped in a protectant coating during the build process. I'm in the salt belt and no issues. Never had a rust issue with any of my Ford's and I have plowed with my last two trucks.

 

[JETZ]

I have the 'angelic catholic' coating, it's heavenly!

Waste of money.. no undercoating but it is dipped in a protestant coating during the build process. I'm in the salt belt and no issues. Never had a rust issue with any of my Ford's and I have plowed with my last two trucks.

 

[blwnsmoke]

I have the 'angelic catholic' coating, it's heavenly!

LMAO.. I had to stare at that for a moment to figure out what the hell you were talking about.

 

[thefranchise713]

For the 100 or so a year it costs, I'm taking a shot with mine.

I've had too many cars look like hell after only 3 years underneath. My last two cars were undercoated and were spotless, but I also didn't keep those for the 8-10 years where that rust would start to become a real issue either.

I'm not a believer, but taking a shot. Worst that can happen is it's snakeoil. Meh.

Wouldn't blame anyone who said they weren't willing to try the same experiment. Just take advantage of underside washes where available.

All of our cars go to the same place, regardless.

 

[veener79]

The dealer wanted to charge $999 for it! Thought that was very high.

 

[Sgt1411]

The dealer wanted to charge $999 for it! Thought that was very high.

As blwnsmoke said, thats a complete waste of money, undercoating a vehicle is ancient technology.......you can still buy a movie DVD too but everyone downloads or streams now.

Undercoating wont last 10 years, neither will the paint or fabric protection.

Honestly, just use the Car Wash with undercarriage rinse or do it yourself, wax a couple times a year, treat the leather with good quality products, and you will have no issues.

Undercoating adds weight too.

Extra treatment package sales pitch is their attempt to make some extra profit after the sale price is agreed upon.

 

[peterk9]

.........but everyone downloads or streams now.

Not everyone.

 

[Sgt1411]

I will help convert you Peter..........BlockBuster and Rogers Video Stores are closed now.......LOL!

Not everyone.

 

[JETZ]

The dealer doesn't do the rust proofing, they send it out to a shop that does it, and screws you on the mark up. You could take the car there yourself!

Interior 'protection', they just get a mobile shop to come in to the dealer to do it on site, and screw you some more.

The dealer wanted to charge $999 for it! Thought that was very high.

 

[JETZ]

'Undercoating' is 'ancient technology'!
That was when they used a tar, or wax type crap that was sprayed just 'under' the car (frame/chassis) hence the term 'UNDERcoating'. That stuff dried out/fell off, was never a good solution.
Modern 'rustproofing' is oil based. Is not just sprayed on 'under' the car, but to really protect it has to get into areas where no 'undercoating' is adaquette. Holes have to be drilled into the doors, rocker panels etc. to get the product where it will be able to the job.

I have used this product for the last 20 years on all my cars...except the Vette.

https://www.krown.com/mobile/

As blwnsmoke said, thats a complete waste of money, undercoating a vehicle is ancient technology.......you can still buy a movie DVD too but everyone downloads or streams now.

Undercoating wont last 10 years, neither will the paint or fabric protection.

Honestly, just use the Car Wash with undercarriage rinse or do it yourself, wax a couple times a year, treat the leather with good quality products, and you will have no issues.

Undercoating adds weight too.

Extra treatment package sales pitch is their attempt to make some extra profit after the sale price is agreed upon.

 

[bigdude2468]

FWIW it worth I just checked our 2014 Ex purchased in October 2013 so almost four years old. We live in WI except during the winter when we live in Salt Lake City. We ski all winter up little Cottonwood Canyon which averages 500"+ of snow. This vehicle is exposed to snow almost everyday from December through March. The road we take is the most avalanche prone road in NA and UDOT has to use copious amounts of salt and sand to keep the road passable. On inspection there was very little rust on the bottom of the frame rails, just a few small spots where rust was starting to form. I keep after it as best I can but it does not get washed as much as it should during the winter. Vehicles are so much better today, I don't see 10 year old cars falling apart like they did 30 years ago. I would pass on the undercoating. If I wanted fabric protection for cloth interior I would buy a couple of cans of Scotchgard and do it myself, works on carpets also. I see the undercoating as a waste of time.

 

[bbwb]

I am in the minority, but yes, get it rustproofed and undercoated. All of my new vehicles have had this done and they don't have rust after 10 years. My daughters two used cars were not rustproofed or undercoated and yes were rolling rust buckets. Each of them had rust forming on the structural bracing, and on the floor boards. One thing beyond the rusting of the body structure is the protection and prevention of rust on the brake lines. I had my '17 EX done in November and with the paint protection it ran about $800. I did not do the fabric/leather protection however.
To each their own, but I will never go without it.

bbwb

 

[Sgt1411]

'Undercoating' is 'ancient technology'!
That was when they used a tar, or wax type crap that was sprayed just 'under' the car (frame/chassis) hence the term 'UNDERcoating'. That stuff dried out/fell off, was never a good solution.
Modern 'rustproofing' is oil based. Is not just sprayed on 'under' the car, but to really protect it has to get into areas where no 'undercoating' is adaquette. Holes have to be drilled into the doors, rocker panels etc. to get the product where it will be able to the job.

I have used this product for the last 20 years on all my cars...except the Vette.

https://www.krown.com/mobile/

Your right the ancient tar spray was what I was referring too.

Krown looks similar to that the old Ziebart Rustproofing system?

http://www.ziebart.com/auto-care-services/vehicle-protection/rust-protection

 

[CDW6212R]

Undercoating is a great product to use, but, only if applied properly, and no dealer will be doing it right. The flat surfaces under a vehicle are not in major danger of rusting, but people in the prone areas know how long it takes to eat through normal surfaces. Look at rust eating through a car along the lower part of the body, rusting from the outside in. That is proof of what's happening with rust. The body surface is damaged by anything, a rock etc. Then the bare metal will rust there, which can take years from when the bare metal shows.

Under the car nobody looks at the body, it is covered with body seams, and many of them are not visible(or easily accessible) to spray anything on them. Body seams will grow rust faster than other flat surfaces. That's where twisting of the body panels will after a few years break the bond of the seam sealer along the inside, and the paint on the outside. Once rust begins in a body seam, it's diseased permanently and cannot be repaired(short of cutting apart the body there).

The only useful undercoating is that which covers all body seams, sealing out air/water with a thicker layer of flexible material. Check out my 99 Explorer underside, which I worked over when I cut/clipped the body, with the frame out from under it.

If it's done right, the vehicle can survive up North, but not many are, so that's why you hear of so many bad results.

 

[jonnoriega]

The dealer doesn't do the rust proofing, they send it out to a shop that does it, and screws you on the mark up. You could take the car there yourself!

Interior 'protection', they just get a mobile shop to come in to the dealer to do it on site, and screw you some more.

Well, I'm the jackass that bought the under-coating and interior package. FML

 

[CDW6212R]

I used to do paint and fabric treatments. It was a subcontracted job, and the products we used did help(more than other waxes and no fabric treatment). We also had done rust proofing and undercoating for one dealer, but that is a very messy job. The rust proofing is what required accessing the inside of body cavities, drilling a few holes as needed. I think that is over the top unless you will be submerging the floor area, or getting corrosion into the areas where the cavities have some holes(like jamb trim plates(which have holes that they snap into)). There are crappy service companies(I did that work in the late 80's), so I don't know how poor it might be now to have things like that done at dealers.

If I bought a new car, I'd find a place to get the undercoating done for me, and slowly get the best product to do it. Plus supervise the work, make sure they get to every body seam and seal them up.

 

[bigdude2468]

Consumer Reports advises against purchasing rust proofing, fabric protectors and paint sealers.

 

[CDW6212R]

Consumer Reports advises against purchasing rust proofing, fabric protectors and paint sealers.

I would agree with that, given that the conclusion is suggesting that installers are doing a poor job. I only pointed out the usefulness of the services, and didn't go too far suggesting all installers are bad. I don't know how they are now, I haven't worked around dealerships since 1990.

 

[Jack Daniel]

I have got the last 5 vehicles done at Krown Rustproofing . I just got the 2013 Explorer (I purchased last week) done . So yes I am a believer .