2007 Camry SE Question

[skippy126]

Hi everyone,

I’m about to purchase a 2007 Camry SE, but I wanted to get other people’s opinions/experiences before I make the final purchase. I was wondering what your opinion was about getting the dealer offered rust proofing/paint sealant/fabric protection (scotch guard)? I’ve read some places and heard from some people that getting that stuff done at the dealer is a waste of money for the following reasons:

1. The factory already “rust proofs” the vehicles before they are shipped to the dealers.
2. The paint sealant is a waste of money since you can buy sealant at an auto parts store and do it yourself (same goes for the fabric protection).

Is this true? What would you all recommend? Do you think these “protections” are worth the extra money or do you think I should just “protect” my car myself? I live in Wisconsin and we have some pretty rough winters…and I’ve heard that people get rust proofing done (although they purchased cars many years ago)

My other question is about the extended warranty. When my girlfriend bought her 06 Camry, she got the extended warranty thinking it would provide her with extra protection. Since she got her car, I’ve read that it really isn’t necessary since the “standard” warranties are usually good enough. The other argument I’ve heard is that if you buy a Toyota (or Honda), you really won’t need the extended warranty since they are made so well. What are your opinions about the extended warranty? Do you think its something I should probably get or forget about?

Thanks for all your help and recommendations!

[s_ajanthan]

Regarding, reliability, for the price range nothing has the long term reliability of a properly maintained Camry. In the retail industry, adding an extended warranty is nothing more than a money grab. Aside from providing you with peace of mind I believe its utterly pointless. Sales of extended warranties add a nice bonus for a car dealer. It would be cheaper to save the money that would be spend on an extended warranty and save that for the day your Camry has issues.

As for rustproofing, get it done if you intended to keep the car past warranty. Few manufacturers provided galvanized body panels so rustproofing is a necessity if you live in a cold climate where salting or sanding roads is done often. Just because a manufacturer gives you a 5 year warranty on rust doesn't mean you don't have to get the car rustproofed. Honda had serious rust issues until recently and I know many owners of mid90s accords who've had expensive body work done. Just because you have a 5year warranty on your drivetrain doesn't mean you don't have to change ur engine oil!

My dad worked for a Toyota dealership and as far as I know he never mentioned cars being rustproofed at the factory. (He wasn't a salesperson). Rustproofing was a dealership available option from what I recall.

[rsjyss]

I used to live in Toronto but now in Seattle. But from my experience with rough winters, salty roads etc. I would do the following:

Undercoat (Ziebart) the car at a minimum. Helps seal all bare metal underneath and also keeps the road noise down as well! Dealers don't usually do it themself, they contract it out to someone else. So you can save 30-50% if you do it elsewhere. A friend of mine owned a Ziebart in Toronto and the local Toyota, Hyundai etc. dealers sent cars to him. Approx. cost shouldn't be more than about 100-125 bucks. My friend at Ziebart charges approx. 125-150 Canadian and the dealer marked it up to 299 if not more.

I would probably RUST CHECK (oil type) my brand new car if it's going to stay in a rough winter type climates. It's messy yes... but in the long run the rust from the inside out is prevented. We used to go to a place call Crown in Toronto. Paying cash they charged us about $90 Canadian. So if you can get it for 75 you are doing good.

Fabric Protection you can probably get a good can of this stuff at a local auto parts store and soak it yourself. You'll be surprised how little work they do for the $$$ they charge you.

Paint Sealant no opinion on it... after the paint has fully cured, nothing that regular good wax can't protect.

Extended Warranty.... keep in mind insurance companies make $$$ off of these programs. But there's that X factor, what if you get a troublesome one? Normally I never buy extended warranties but since this being a first year car, new motor, tranny, mine has navi etc. for the 1500 bucks I paid, I figured between 36k and 100k or year 3 to year 7, I probably was going to spend 800-1000 bucks fixing it anyhow. So I'm buying piece of mind and plus the cost is marginal over my finance term. BTW I've read here people purchasing the same Toyota Platinum 7 yr/100k warranty for as little as $1000.00.

Hope this helps.

[TOYOTALIFER]

Just my $.02....yes, you can purchase the paint sealer and fabric protection at your local auto parts store. But, what you are really paying for if the dealer does this for you, is the warranty. If you fabric guard your own car, and you still stain the material, who is going to cover the cleaning or replacement? There is value in the dealer installed option if it guarantees cleaning, fixing, or replacing the stained fabric, faded paint, or rusted panel.

[skippy126]

What do you all think of a price of $23,000 for a 2007 Camry SE (4 cylinder) including the following options: JBL AM/FM/ 6-disc CD Changer w/Bluetooth, Rear Spoiler, Sunroof, Floormats, Alloy Wheels, XM Satellite Radio, and Body Side Moldings. $23,000 BEFORE my trade in (which blue book lists as being worth around $3000). Do you think that’s a good deal/price? Thanks!

[Streaker]

Sounds O.K. If they give you next to nothing for your trade then you know you've probably made a good deal on the selling price!

[zaku178]

Knowing dealers they can make the price act like a BALANCE between your trade in and the price they'll see the SE to you. If you ask for a lower price on the SE they'll give you a smaller trade in value. Otherwise the price is O.K. The Avg price many people report on forums is about $22,200 with the Sunroof + JBL + Lip Spoiler options

[skippy126]

Well, I told the dealer that I would buy the car (i.e. come in and sign on the dotted line today) if they give me the car (with all the options listed above) for $23,000, and a guaranteed trade in of $3000. I'm waiting to hear back from them...I left a voicemail for the salesman...he has today off, so I should hear back something tomorrow. IF they accept my offer and meet those conditions, I'll essentially have the car for $20000, and then minus the down payment (probably bring the price of the car down to around $17000 or so that I would need to finance). Sound like a pretty good deal if it all goes as planned?