Zaktek Sealant

[matty]

So my 2016 F150 came with a coating of Zaktek on it from the dealership, or so they say.  I am supposed to go in every 6 months and get the coating reapplied.  It's completely free of charge, no skin off of my back except for the 4 hours it takes them to apply it.  As long as I keep going in every six months and getting the Zaktek reapplied my paint will be covered under warranty according to the dealer.

 

so I'm just curious if anyone here has any knowledge on this product.  Like I said it's a four hour process for them to put the sealant on so I don't know what steps are involved in the proces ( i.e. strip washing, claying, etc...) prior to the Zaktek application.  I don't know how this could be any type of scam as it's completely free of charge but then again that seems to good to be true.  I am due for my first application next month.  

 

So any thoughts or comment son this would be greatly appreciated.  I would assume it's still ok for me to wash, wax, clay bar, seal, etc...my truck myself with Adams products in between Zaktek applications but I'm not sure as I know absolutely nothing about it.

[Beemer]

I'm as in the dark as you but if it was me I'd ask to watch the application process. If it's some kind of "trade secret" I'd pass.

 

My bet is they run it through the car wash and wipe this magic elixure on the paint.  It takes 4 hours because most of the time it's waiting....

 

I can't believe they do a strip wash, clay, polish, sealant application for free.

[Dan@Adams]

From the quick googling I just did, it looks to be a polymer sealant that would be similar to the application, properties, and behavior of our Liquid Paint Sealant. Most 'coatings' on the market are ceramic-based and can last upwards of 2-5 years with one application. I have no experience with this product, so I cannot comment on its' longevity per application.

 

Ford should have a standard rust-through manufacturers warranty for exterior paint, usually 10 years. The dealership would be required to honor that type of warranty work whether you have this product on the vehicle or not. I know you said this was free of charge, but most dealerships will charge $500 or more for this type of service, and will work it into your monthly bill at around $3-$4 extra per month. They should be up front about this charge and it should be listed in the paperwork if there was a charge for it. If they gave it to you for free, it was probably a sweetener that they would absorb the cost to help with the sale.

 

When I purchased my GTO back in 2006, I purchased a similar type of package with the car, but it was a different brand and also included 3 years of dent protection and interior protection. They did do a clay bar on the car as they showed me that when I came to pick it up and sign the papers the next day, but I don't believe they polished it because it did still have swirls in it. I left their protectant on for maybe a month because I didn't have much free time back then, then I stripped their sealant off, polished the whole car with my PC 7424 and Adam's Swirl & Haze Remover at the time, and used only Americana and Patriot since. The package did pay for itself though, as I used their dent doctor 4 times to repair 2 door dings, one in the hood, and one in the roof, as well as a replacement floor mat.

 

I did not like the interior protection they used that came with the package, as it had a very strong cherry scent to it and left the plastics a bit too shiny...Adam's Leather & Interior Cleaner took care of that too and got it looking factory matte again on the dash and door panels. So to sum it all up, after the initial applications they never reapplied anything back to the car for the next 6 years and I never let them wash the car either when it was in for service. The only reason I paid the extra money for it was to have the dent protection

[Ricky Bobby]

ITS NOT A COATING IF IT NEEDS TO BE REAPPLIED EVERY 6 MONTHS

 

Sorry about the caps but it seems like once a week people are duped into these dealer POS (point of sale) mystery sealants that are obscure names with no literature -

 

You paid for a paint sealant no different (and most likely inferior to) something like Adam's Paint Sealant.

 

Maintain it how you want but if you clay bar and do an IPA wipe on your car you will be back to a bare surface. That is not a true nano ceramic coating.

 

And it's not free of charge trust me. You paid for it somehow built into the purchase of your vehicle. A lot of dealerships pull this scam by saying its "totally free" or "included" but it's built in the price.

Edited September 16, 2016 by Ricky Bobby

[marquez93]

I assume the dealer is banking on the fact that you're not going to remember to bring it in every 6 months and you'll lose the warranty. But most people don't file warranty claims anyway, so that doesn't make much sense either.

 

I think it's a dumb plan by the dealer to have all these cars coming back in every 6 months and tying them up when they could just do what most dealers do and sell you something that doesn't get reapplied. Even if the product is nothing special, it's good for the cars to get it reapplied, but not great business sense for them compared to other options.

[Rich]

Sealants contain "waxy" ingredients and are intended to protect the paint and/or add beauty to the paint. These will wear off during normal wear and tear, washings, and exposure to the elements.

 

Coatings contain man made or synthetic ingredients that bond to the paint and are meant to be permanent. They'll give you a barrier between your paint and washings, elements, and wear and tear. Coatings can't (shouldn't) be removed unless you remove them yourself.  

 

So if your dealership is calling this stuff a coating that has to be reapplied, then it's not a coating. It's a sealant. You might as well use the Adam's sealant and do it yourself and know it's been done right by you. 

[matty]

thanks for all of the replies guys.  Yeah the dealership refers to it as a sealant, not a coating, and I'm sure the cost is figured into my payment somehow.  

 

Thanks again.  I think I will just keep doing it my way with Adams products.  

[ocdrifter]

Matty, nothing in life is for free, that cost was add to your bill of sale and at a pretty penny. Look at the fine print on your sales contract, I'm sure you'll see it hiding there somewhere. Most paint lasts 10 years if you don't take care of them and not washing in direct sunlight, so the dealer is banking on the fact most people won't keep up with the sealant and or sell the vehicle within five or six years.

 

So my 2016 F150 came with a coating of Zaktek on it from the dealership, or so they say. I am supposed to go in every 6 months and get the coating reapplied. It's completely free of charge, no skin off of my back except for the 4 hours it takes them to apply it. As long as I keep going in every six months and getting the Zaktek reapplied my paint will be covered under warranty according to the dealer.

 

so I'm just curious if anyone here has any knowledge on this product. Like I said it's a four hour process for them to put the sealant on so I don't know what steps are involved in the proces ( i.e. strip washing, claying, etc...) prior to the Zaktek application. I don't know how this could be any type of scam as it's completely free of charge but then again that seems to good to be true. I am due for my first application next month.

 

So any thoughts or comment son this would be greatly appreciated. I would assume it's still ok for me to wash, wax, clay bar, seal, etc...my truck myself with Adams products in between Zaktek applications but I'm not sure as I know absolutely nothing about it.

Edited March 16, 2017 by ocdrifter

[Adam]

Here is the rule of thumb on categorizing dealer-applied protection: "Added Dealer Markup!"  Still, if you paid for it, and you don't get therapy polishing and sealing or waxing your truck, go for it!

[BettyS]

Just to let you know, I don’t think this treatment is free. When we bought the Chevrolet Colorado, we had to pay for it then. They told us it was not optional; so we had to pay $400. You might want to check your paperwork and see what your dealerships policy was. I just had it done for the first time today and my truck looks great. Over time I will have to see if it really protects the paint.

[Eswear]

When we bought my wife's Honda Pilot (used) the finance guy insisted on us having it and I told him absolutely not. He asked why I didn't want it and I told him I detail cars as a side business. He didn't bring it up after that lol. Like Adam said on this post, detailing a car is like therapy for me so I wouldn't want to rob that from myself.

[JonT]

This was applied to my '18 Tacoma - if you read closely, you paid around $500 in your initial contract, it's often under "dealer's add-ons" or "fees".

 

You cannot opt out because it's already been done. Reapplication is a great way to get you in the door... You'll either buy some maintenance service or another vehicle from them is their bet. Either way, you paid for something they re-do for free and they get to try to build a relationship with you once every 6 months. Maybe out of 10 cars it actually costs them a paint job, but the chance to build a loyal customer base is much more meaningful. 

 

Anyone care to add their "over time" experience? 

 

Jon

[JavaMan]

Bell Honda charged us $499 for the Zaktek. We tried to get out of it, but they gave us some line about being in Arizona there's a lot of sun, so they can't sell any car without it.

[Lenz]

Bell Honda in Phoenix also hustled on this.  It's a point of exhaustion trying to leave a stealership. My husband once detailed cars for a dealer in Flagstaff, so he knows the tricks. 

 

I have gone in now twice for this ZakTek for my Audi Q5. It's a 30 minute process. Both times they say it's a 2-3 hour wait and do I need a ride somewhere. I say nope, and my car is back in 30 minutes. 

 

It's a carwash and spray on wax. Nothing more.

 

It was a $500 add on, but I asked for another 1k on my trade in. I loved the Q5 and just wanted to be out.  They have not tried to upsell me on anything each time.  I just want my carwash. 😁 

[JRS]

I had my doubts about Zaktec when I bought my new Jeep in Scottsdale last year, but it had already been applied to the exterior.  I knew enough about the car-buying process that it’s a terrible idea to accept all add-ons such as sealants, coatings, interior applications, etc., but I obviously could not negotiate the “removal” of an exterior sealant that had already been applied.

 

As part of the “deal,” you get to take it back in every 6 months for a refresh.  What a waste of time.  Although it’s free to refresh, I deliberately applied some inconspicuous dirt on my car after having it washed before dropping it off at the dealer.  Guess what?  The inconspicuous dirt was still on the Jeep when I picked it up.  
 

Next time I take it in (in 6 months,) I’m going to leave my dash cam on so I can watch what they [don’t] do….