I’m a Car Expert: 5 Add-Ons You Should Never Buy
When you buy a car, you should expect the dealer to try to upsell you with add-ons and extras. Some can be a good buy that adds value, but others are almost always a waste of money.
To separate the good add-ons from the bad, MoneyLion spoke with Ray Shefska, the elder half of the father-son duo that founded the vehicle research platform CarEdge.
After more than four decades of dealership experience, Shefska has zeroed in on the following five optional extras that boost dealer profits without benefiting the driver.
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Nitrogen Tire Filling
Dealers can tack on hundreds of dollars for filling a car’s tires with nitrogen instead of standard air, and they’ll tell you it’s because the gas is less susceptible to temperature-driven pressure changes — but it doesn’t deliver nearly enough bang for the buck.
“Nitrogen already makes up 78% of air, so replacing the air in your tires with 100% nitrogen offers very little benefit for the average driver, and the cost to do so is usually exorbitant,” said Shefska. “The value proposition weighs heavily in favor of the dealer, not the customer.”
If you really want the service, Carfax reports that you can do your own nitrogen filling for $5 to $10 per tire.
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VIN Window Etching
One of the most common add-ons is etching your vehicle identification number (VIN) into your car's windows, which can offer more practical value than nitrogen-filled tires. Many insurers offer discounts for etched vehicles because they believe it’s an effective theft deterrent. However, dealers can charge $200 to $400 or more for the service.
“It’s an overpriced dealer-installed product that can be purchased for a fraction of the price,” said Shefska.
A quick Google Shopping search confirmed Shefska’s assessment that highly rated DIY kits are available online “for approximately $15.”
Dealer-Installed Protection Packages
Many dealers offer treatments that purportedly protect vehicles from environmental hazards like tree sap, insect damage, fading, UV rays and acid rain. They’re advertised under various names and can often cost thousands “without explaining the included components for any of them,” he said.
Doc Fees
Dealer documentation fees, or doc fees, can be harder to refuse than optional add-ons, as many dealers bake them into the vehicle price, ostensibly to recoup the costs of completing the paperwork required for the purchase.
However, you’ll see them on an itemized sales contract, and you should challenge them to be removed from the sales price, particularly if they’re exorbitant, which they typically are.
“These fees can range anywhere from $85 to $1,500 and are pure profit for the dealership,” said Shefska.
Pre-Delivery Inspection
In a thread on Shefska’s own CarEdge platform, readers lamented the inclusion of add-on costs for new car preparation or pre-delivery inspection fees. These are the costs associated with prepping the car for sale from the factory — but the dealer doesn’t pay these fees and, therefore, you shouldn’t either.
“The pre-delivery inspection is paid for by the manufacturer and should not be charged to the customer,” said Shefska.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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