Just purchased a new2025 RX 350 and the dealer said I should get the sealer for the exterior and interior. Is this expense necessary? Any thoughts?

 

Your dealer is a con man. I bet he tried to sell you an extended warranty also...and a wheel/tire warranty.....etc..etc. Greed infests Dealerships. (Most of them)
FYI...if you read up on the Lexus, it has :self healing" clearcoat the diminishes any light scratches. Sounds high tech, huh? Well, the entire RX350 is "high Tech".
Add-ons for a new Lexus are the Salesman's "Bread and butter" Learn to say "No thank you". Have a great day!!!

 

I agree. Save your money. What they are selling is snake oil and pure profit for the dealer.

If you want make your new vehicle look more shiny and protect the paint a bit, invest $25 in this inexpensive spray on ceramic spray coating and some microfiber towels. On a clean car, simply spray it on and wipe it off with a microfiber towel (after shaking the bottle) you will get a nice reflective finish that lasts for months. It only takes about 15 minutes to cover the whole vehicle.

Turtle Wax 53409 Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating

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On the interior you can use 303 Aerospace Protectant, and again just spray and wipe.
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That's Conny

 

Please name the dealer so we can avoid them in future.

 

I had ceramic coating applied at the dealer and it works, the price for the entire "coating" package wasn't too bad. I did ask the dealer exactly which brand/product the installer would use and they gave me the spec sheet on it and I researched online as to its efficacy. Going on 2 years old now, car is parked outside in the elements, ceramic finish still like new. You aren't going to get anywhere near 2 years out of a $25 turtle wax ceramic spray.

 

There are many ceramic coatings for cars, on Amazon!

 

I concur. 303 products appear to work well and I use their 303 Nano Graphene spray on both of my car's exteriors, as well. It holds up well and lasts far longer than any car wax that I used many years ago. This stuff is easy to use.

 

I would be VERY careful using anything on the dash and glove box (not the uppermost part under the glass) as it is made of butterfly wings.

 

Interesting. At least you get a choice to have it or not. Where I purchased my 2024 RX 350 a few months back, there was no choice. They apply the exterior and interior protection to every car they sell, applied as soon as they take delivery from the shipper. And of course that cost is applied on the window sticker and lastly to you, the customer. I did not want it, but they would not budge on removing the cost. But I also got an excellent price on my premium plus. Oh, the dealership? Tustin Lexus, Tustin, CA.

 

I might add, in a recent meeting at my employment, we are not affiliated with cars (roughly 100 people in the meeting), the speaker brought up the subject of paint and interior protection package plans and its cost and how many people have/had this on their automobiles. A show of hands was probably 90%. Next question was how many people have ever filed a claim for paint or interior damage. Not one person in that meeting had ever filed a claim. So in essence, those packaged protection plans are pure mark up for the dealerships as it is extremely rare that anyone truly ever files a claim for paint/interior issues.

 

The shop that did my PPF sealed the car and did the glass for free.

 

Everything is negotiable! I agree that it is somewhat a scam but I negotiated the price to a significantly less number. It included a 7 year warranty which included repainting the car if necessary. Well, a few months into ownership, I must have driven through a construction area and what looked like mud that had sprayed up on my rear quarter panel and door turned out to be paint. I could not get it off. The dealership was able to buff it out and reapply the coating. It paid for itself in a short time. I would try to negotiate.

 

DIY products are not the same as what professionals use when it comes to ceramic. They are different formulas if you research it. Professional ceramic jobs are labor intensive, and you pay for that. Even the professional ceramic product itself is not super costly, a few hundred bucks for a vehicle. Then a grand or more in labor, I had my 24 RX done in Opti-Coat Pro+. The claim (and warranty) is no waxing needed for 7 years. And more importantly I have friends who had it last that long. Also makes washing much easier. It is pricy and not for everyone. Mostly high end cars - my RX was the least expensive car in their shop.

 

Mind sharing which brand/product it was ?