Cosworth2000

I have always kept my cars in great condition. I have always had black cars WAY before Ceramic Coating was even a conversation. Watching all those infomercials late at night and seeing products like Duralube and others that claimed to protect your paint from acid, fire and fading but also claimed to rejuvenate your paint; I had to try them. It's almost 15-20 years since this product came out and they are still around. I have used it before plus another "Seen on TV product" with great luck and can say, they seem to do the trick but nothing worked better to protect your black paint than buffing, claying and taking care of the paint by the way you washed it.

I originally got ceramic coating on my car because of the claim that it would bind and protect my paint from some scratches while also protecting your paint from fading (I remind you that this can and will take a very long time to happen and you have to really neglect your paint), bird droppings and sap. However let me also remind you that Ceramic Coating companies write their warranties in a very particular way. More on that later.

Let me first add that paint has come a long way since the 70's, 80's and 90's. Manufactures make their paints harder, there' clear coats harder and add all kinds of metallic options to the paint. Unlike when auto manufactures would add 1 coat of clear, they now clear coat multiple thick coats on there’ cars because of the robotic arms painting them with large blast of clear.

Ceramic Coating is the newer talk of the town with its claim to protect like no other product on the plant. (Getting ready for those that sell it).

Many people will get their cars Ceramic Coated right when they’re new. Others will have to get their paint corrected and then pay to have the coating applied. Ceramic coating is sold as a replacement to buffing and polishing your paint while protecting the shine without waxing.

Digging deeper into these claims: You will find that they only claim to help remove contaminates from the clear coat while also claiming that they help protect the clear coat and possibility the paint below.

The problem that has come to light is that when you do get ceramic coating on your car, it also depends on the layers of coating that’s applied to your car. Now let's add injury to this, it also depends on how the product was applied and if it was correctly applied.

If you purchase any ceramic coating and expect it to protect your paint from scratches, swirling or any other damage to your clear coat. Think again as I got a response from one of the largest Ceramic Coating companies who quoted the following to me,”No Ceramic Coating on the market protects or prevents scratches or swirls. Any video or shop that tells you this is lying or does not know the true properties of ceramic coating"

So why are you paying big money for Ceramic coating when Waxing can also protect your paint? Are there cheaper options on the market that you can purchase at your local auto store? If you look at the wording "Ceramic" you will find that ceramic coatings have been used in engines, specifically aircraft engines to help protect the cylinders and reduce wear and tear on internal parts. This leads you to believe that ceramic coatings are hard and sleek. "This is when you see sellers of ceramic coatings pouring water on cars".

So Ceramic coatings are sleek and help you to wash your car, faster. I would have to agree with this however automotive paint ceramic lacks the properties to protect your clear coat. Simple because they do not get hard enough to prevent swirls on your clear coat.

So is paying for Ceramic coating worth it? That is the question to answer. Since its claims is to leave a layer of protection on the clear coat or bind to the clear coat, does it actually work better than over the counter products that use poly connection paint protection properties?

For me, I don't believe that Ceramic Coating is worth the high cost to apply it simple because it can only help protect the paint but does not prevent damage to the paint. So in the end, sap can damage the coating, dirty rain can damage the coating, fallout can damage the coating, and bird droppings can damage the coating if you leave it on any longer than you would if you didn't have the coating on.

Also, the warranties these coating companies offer would expect you to take care of your paint like you a detailing shop.

For the everyday consumer, it is not possible to spend 5+ hours cleaning the paint on your car every time it gets dirty.

What is your experience with Ceramic Costing from any company and product?

benzw205

Coating is clearly useless except (maybe) to clean the car easily. We do it when car is new because we feel guilty, but then we do not care anymore.
I won't coat the car again but will wrap it when paint will be old.

obz

I think a ceramic coating is worth applying if you do it yourself. Paying a detail shop upwards of $2K to do it is ridiculous. I take as good/better care than any detail shop of my cars including paint correction, wax, etc. Paying $100 for the solution is palatable (you pay that for a good synthetic wax) but paying thousands? No thanks.

vanondemand

Yes I had my car corrected and ceramic coated. 1000% worth it. It shouldn't cost you more than $1000 to do it, the key is the preparation before applying the coating. This will entail a day or two of just polishing and getting the surface clean before applying.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nJ3...ew?usp=sharing

dwpc

I'd only consider it for a black or very dark color that's prone to show swirls over time, and if you always keep the car clean and polished so it shows. German paint/coatings are usually tougher than US and Asian auto paint (my 06 black Cayenne still looks like new paint) so the value of extra protection from a ceramic coating is questionable. It does have a downside when it eventually breaks down and must be polished off with a machine. Pretty much a vanity call.

Cosworth2000

Unfortunately it does not protect from swirls either.
You still have to wash your car and take care of the paint like if there is no ceramic protection.

dwpc

If that's the case, why bother.

Adi-Benz

Just get an xpel clear coat which protects from everything

Boom problem solved

2020

Yes, I pretty much agree. I had my first car ceramic coated. Verdict: the only thing worth it was the paint correction. It is a black car that had quite a bit of swirls in it. I could not remove them with simple polishing. They did an amazing job getting the paint to "pop". They advertise or imply that ceramic coating protects the paint from swirls and water will literally bead off of it. Both claims are completely false. The first rain I noticed nice beading of the water droplets (no problem with that), however when the sun came out and the water dried up there were water stains all over the paint. These really stuck out, I don't know if it was because the paint was so pristine and you could notice any blemishes or I was very observant of any changes. When you read into it or really question these detail guys they will tell you that you have to be very careful with the paint since it can swirl up again. They don't tell you that when they are trying to sell you the product. So, for me the extra cost of the ceramic coating was totally not worth it. I am still detailing the car as always, otherwise I was hoping just to rinse the car with water to remove any dirt as promised. By the way I had them do my wheels also- still get brake dust all over the place.