Dear Drive Guys;
In June 2008 I purchased a new Honda Civic. At the time of purchase I declined all of the dealer add-ons they were trying to sell me including the undercoating. Now I’m thinking that maybe I should have gotten the undercoating.
Do you recommend this option?
Thanks for the help.
— Brian P
Ed:
It used to be that the undercoating you purchased at time of sale was the only weather protection the underside had. Many manufacturers now treat the metal on the undersides and dip the whole car when building the body.
I am unsure if your Honda is built that way, but I would have to guess that it is.
Depending on the amount of rust, if any, that is on the underside of your car now the undercoating might actually be a bad idea.
Your local or AAA Approved repair shop can look at the underside and give you a better suggestion if it should be done.
Jeff:
As Ed stated, this may not be an issue if the car has never been damaged or had the undercarriage scraped. I would not consider undercoating the car now as it has already been subject to the elements during normal driving.
As long as you do not subject this car to abnormal amounts of salt, sand or chemicals used on the road you should have no worries.
I would suggest that during the winter and spring months you drive through a car wash that has an undercarriage wash system. This is a good idea whether the undercoating is applied or not.
Hondas do not tend to rust out the way they used to since the manufacturer is using higher grade steel at this time. The Honda Civic is a good reliable vehicle with a proven history, not to mention good fuel economy. You made a good choice in a car to drive.
Drive Guys Ed Kriston and Jeffrey Boone are automotive repair specialists based in the Towson office of AAA Mid-Atlantic.
