I've paid the dealer for undercoating. Doing so qualified me for a better better interest rate so simply getting my money back or spending it on something else may be difficult. I figured the undercoating would also cut down on road noise. It also helped me negotiate a $400 lojack installation. I'm now wondering if undercoating would be just making a mess of a nice underside.

I looked under the car today and found the frame appears to already have undercoating on it. Much of the rest is plastic and parts that probably shouldn't be coated. The wheel wells had what felt like a fabric. I'm thinking the fabric would absorb the undercoating spray and might not be all that desireable.

Advice? I need to decide by tomorrow.

My car was undercoated - I noticed it right away. Apparently Mazda does it. I am not sure I would do it again.

Originally posted by plb
I've paid the dealer for undercoating. Doing so qualified me for a better better interest rate so simply getting my money back or spending it on something else may be difficult. I figured the undercoating would also cut down on road noise. It also helped me negotiate a $400 lojack installation. I'm now wondering if undercoating would be just making a mess of a nice underside.

I looked under the car today and found the frame appears to already have undercoating on it. Much of the rest is plastic and parts that probably shouldn't be coated. The wheel wells had what felt like a fabric. I'm thinking the fabric would absorb the undercoating spray and might not be all that desireable.

Advice? I need to decide by tomorrow.

I hate to say it, but I think your dealer may be jerking you around. There is no reason undercoating should affect your financing rate. Did you look at financing through PeopleFirst , or Capital One, or a credit union? Especially make them take it off if, like you say, there is already an undercoating on that Mazda did (I didn't check when I was messing around at my dealer's so I don't remember). That seems like just another way to pad the dealer's pockets.

Most cars these days are undercoated. That is the reason why they can give those nice warranties against rust and corrosion.

yeah i'd skip the undercoat too. It may have helped them offer you a better rate but in the end they still get their money. I believe they get some sort of kick back for getting you the loan but w/lower rates they make less loan kick back. They offset this by selling you stuff you don't need.

Thanks for the advice. I've cancelled the undercoating appointment but I still have to see if/what it will cost me. The interest rate I got through the dealer was 3.78% for a 66 month term--better than the quotes I got myself from e-loan and peoplefirst.

I understand why it would sound like the dealer talked me into something I didn't want, but there really was a financial incentive with a valid reason why it would only happen with something like an undercoating service--I was meeting special loan terms of the bank.

I just wasn't expecting to learn that I don't want the undercoating service even if it saves me money. I've verified that the service clearly is redundant on the car. It may reduce more road noise, but I'm not willing to take the chance they would make a mess under there. In only five days of ownership I've become obsessively protective of "her".

Hahaha, check out my thread in the Canada forum about the "Red GS" The dealer tried soooooo hard to sell me undercoating. Actually he told me the car is NOT undercoated... NON are!

But obviously some owners say they are I'm willing to bet with the owners. The guy went as far as to tell me the underside was painted RED!

What the hell kind of manufacturer would paint the underside of the car? COME ON!