Certain DIY folks will say that they can do this or that at home for cheaper. Mud flaps? Not a problem. Tinted windows? Get the spray bottle. LED under glow? Just grab some tape. However, for things that stray away from physical appearance like LED lights and tinted windows, should you really pay the dealer all that money to protect your car from rust in the future?

Unless it’s a vinyl wrap, you don’t really see new cars with surface rust underneath the paint. At most maybe you’ll see rust on places like brake rotors or maybe a rock chipped the paint, and you get some bubbles. However, you are spending all that money on a new car, should you not think about that car’s long-term reliance? Maybe some money spent today will prevent you spending a fortune in the next decade or so.

If you are like me, you probably plan on driving the car until the wheels fall off. Fortunately, if you buy a Toyota, you will be driving for a long time. However, if it isn’t a mechanical problem that causes you to get a new car, it definitely is rust. On Facebook’s Toyota RAV4 Hybrid page, user Amal Anand asked if the extra $7000 of dealer add-ons like rust protection and extended warranties were worth it?

Right off the bat I can say that you would want to put on some rust protection after about a few days of driving because those parts need some miles on them to really break free. If you add rust protection from the dealer, it tends to chip and fall off. A lot of forum writers have shared this experience. However, if you plan to splurge a bit on early rust protection, owners suggest you get it done elsewhere so you won’t be charged with the insane price’s dealers are charging.

Mike Lee wrote, “As far as rust protection I’d probably go to a vendor that specializes in it as opposed to the dealer. It’s probably cheaper.” Now depending on where you live, a lot of major mid-sized towns have access to local paint and body shops. The average cost to spray your undercarriage and body with rust protection would not go more than a few hundred bucks. Maybe even cheaper. The dealer needs to pay all those mechanic’s salaries, health insurance, 401k’s, etc. It’s no doubt that they are going to charge you at most a grand in exchange for rust protection.

However, Michael Butkus said, “Way overpriced. Mid-West Auto for a Toyota warranty. You don't need rust protection. Most of the undercarriage is plastic.” Now this is also depending on your car. If your 2022 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is right off the assembly line, which in this case most of them are, then you would probably only want the parts that are metal to be sprayed and not the random bits of plastic.

Also be sure to check out our latest article on the new Toyota Crown.

What do you think? Would you get any dealer add-ons? Let us know in the comments below.

Harutiun Hareyan is reporting Toyota news at Torque News. His automotive interests and vast experience test-riding new cars give his stories a sense of authenticity and unique insights. Follow Harutiun on Twitter at @HareyanHarutiun for daily Toyota news.