Ceramic Coating Warranties - The REAL truth!

We pick 10 or so products and look in depth at what their heavily marketed warranties actually cover (or don't). You'll be surprised (or not?).
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[@blackrhinocarcare1087]

As a manufacturer, we can tell you there is a lot of shady marketing and useless warrantees out there. We simply guarantee that if you don't like our products we'll refund your money. When companies give claims of (X amount of) years of durability, those are under the best conditions possible. Most say you need to maintain with their soaps, toppers, and details sprays every month. Well, the paint on my house will last 100 years if I repaint it every year too. Also, don't put so much thought or faith into the whole 9h or 10H thing, it's mostly just marketing. For years the industry standard was to claim 9H and that's as hard as you could get....but now there's a 10H? Many companies have just started using a different test to get higher ratings. The difference in a 9H and a 10H isn't simply a 1 point difference, like you may think...it actually doubles with each point. A 10H coating would be TWICE AS HARD as a 9H coating. Do you really think all of these companies just suddenly figured out how to double the strength of their coatings?? Graphene is awesome.....but it's not THAT good! The H (pencil test), or hardness test only means it should protect your paint from a scratch cause by something no harder than a pencil lead. I can guarantee if you set a box on the hood of a dusty car and slide it off, it will scratch. And yes, it gives us chills thinking about people who actually do stuff like that on a car! Haha. So don't buy into all the hype, shady marketing or bogus warranty claims..... And Scott, we still have a couple coatings we'd love to throw into the mix for your testing. 👍

[@ScottHD]

Absolutely. And great points. Send them my way and I'd be glad to include them in future testing! Scott HD PO BOX 1500 Lindale TX 75771 [e-mail]

[@blackrhinocarcare1087]

@@ScottHD Will do. Actually getting ready to release a new ceramic spray sealant as well, as soon as the labels finish printing. Should be able to send that out next week. Blows coatings like Resist, Shine Armor and NexGen out of the water....but that doesn't take much. 🤣

[@kvn4]

They hate you but we love you. Thanks again Scott. again still staying with regular waxing ,don't need the other products on the market

[@I_know_what_im_talking_about]

That’s what it basically boils down too. Ceramics are technically designed for garage queens to stay locked away for YEARS and not have an organic wax degrade along the way. The synthetic ceramic coating will obviously last longer but that’s as far as the cookie crumbles. In the real world though, your paint will look better with a quick, fresh coat of wax by hand every 3-6 months vs a coating that’s a 1 years old, let alone one that is kept for the whole 3, 5, 7 years. 🤦🏻‍♂️ The fact that these coatings alone need a topper and help along the way to keep them happy just shows that they alone aren’t strong enough to be a “apply it and forget it” best paint protection possible that it’s claimed to be. I call BS on the entire thing.

[@ProCeramic]

Scott thanks for sharing such a through explanation of all the various coatings. You are 100% correct as the coatings are truly warrantied through the shops & installers at the end of the day. Customers will not ever know what the inner details of their particular brand until they file a claim and be let down from the "truth". I own a ceramic company in MD, Pro Ceramic - Best Auto Salon and we install IGL Coatings, Ceramic Pro, Pearl Nano & Feynlab but as you say there is a loop holes in all their warranties. The "real truth" about your video is that the shop of your choice is solely responsible for the program or coating package installed on a customer's vehicle. That is why I only install 3 to 5 year warranties backed by me solely keeping all the vendors out of it in case of a claim. Lifetime don't even exist with me using real numbers ! ! Thanks again.

[@BelLavoroAutoSpa]

So warranties are just marketing, as I always suspected. Any well kept car isn't going to oxidize or lose gloss. So they cover almost nothing and get more money from you for inspections so they can decon and top your car so there is no contamination for them to warranty.

[@ScottHD]

Precisely

[@afterhourscarcareandpressu5107]

These are fabricated lies. Although there may be some coatings that are inaccurate there are some that do like they say so before you go around tossing your accusations on everything might actually want to do your homework. It's one thing to not know how to install the product still try to do it anyway have a bad experience then try to burn everything under that name however when you properly know how to install that product and you truly do not skip steps like 98% do then the product works the way it's supposed to

[@reylafo]

Ceramic coatings video of the year. Congrats!

[@ScottHD]

Thank you!

[@Jeff_Seely]

Here here

[@neilwalker5041]

Thank you for talking about a subject no one talks about.

[@GetUndrdog]

Ceramic Warranty’s are total crap- nice job highlighting many examples

[@JordanWells]

Awesome video! Appreciate you taking the time

[@okchawk2k]

Thank you Scott. Hadn't seen anybody else do this before. I suppose the vagueness of these warranties is understandable. I suspect many people get a car coated and then continue using the tunnel washes which of course will eventually destroy any car's finish, coated or not.

[@ScottHD]

I agree. I mean you have to put yourself in their shoes. They definitely make sure they are protected first over the installer and consumer.

[@javigarcia3823]

Thanks Scott. I can’t say it enough.

[@esequielvasquezjr3505]

Great Great information I sure will tell my families and friends

[@ericgoodman9509]

Outstanding review.

[@tier1detailcompany]

Very good video! And it's true in a lot of cases warranties aren't worth much. But the Detailer you choose is very important because they are the ones performing the work and who will be taking care of you on the back end of there are issues. I install System X and Gyeon and I will say that they are 2 very stand up, people oriented companies that put out world class coatings. System X's newest flagship, MAX is the king of them all in my opinion. 🤙🍻

[@tom_schroeder]

Thought provoking and insightful. Thanks, Scott. It would seem then, as far as the aftermarket coating industry goes, that implied warranties of fitness of purpose that can't be overridden by warranty language is the primary protection that most consumers are left with. The strength of implied warranties varies from state to state.

[@ScottHD]

Absolutely!

[@nitpickinmobiledetailing1889]

Owners Pride has the best warranty. They follow the strict guidelines of the Federal Trade Commission and the Magnuson Moss Act! You should do a video about it! They actually have a filed warranty that literally covers everything their coating is made to protect. Period. 1. Weather induced fading 2. loss of gloss 4. Acid rain 5. Bird waste 6. Tree sap 7. Insect damage (including lovebugs) 8. Sun UV rays 9. Hard water spots 10. Brake dust 11. Paint overspray

[@DetailingBreakdown]

Excellent!!

[@rileyreed4244]

Ceramic coatings are supposed to prevent clear coat failure/oxidation. The "hydrophobic" effects are just a nice addition that helps with maintenance. THAT is why it's not included in any warranty.

[@mhlittleton6493]

Very interesting stuff, Scott. I think as a consumer, I'll just keep using my ceramic spray sealant, ceramic shampoo, and ceramic quick detailer and call it a day. As an enthusiast, I enjoy messing around with car anyway...

[@TomGreene]

Thanks!

[@FunktasticLucky]

@Scott HD My Detailer and I are having this exact problem with Feynlab right now. It's got nasty spotting that seems to resurface after it's polished. It's hand washed every week and I try to use their rinseless wash every day but sometimes only mid week. It's supposed to be a 7 year warranty on their self heal plus (paid 3000 after paint correction and install) and it's failed after 3 years. Feynlab is fighting the detailer on warranty now. The coating is super sticky and we can't get the hard water spots out of it. It's as if they expect you to keep the car in the garage after you coat it. The detailer said they are fighting with Feynlab and hope to get some money but he's probably gonna end up eating the cost to strip the car and swap it over to their new coating. Just curious if you've ever heard of Revivify at all? He said it's based out of Canada but I can't really find much about it.

[@esequielvasquezjr3505]

I would love to see these big detailed shops and mobile detailer‘s this video good information so they can stop selling ceramic coatings to the customers

[@simasm.9757]

very interesting video thanks

[@ScottHD]

You're very welcome.

[@simasm.9757]

@@ScottHD could you say what is that company that was very hard to get a claim form?

[@Drod0064]

Before I became a detailer I had my car coated with ceramic pro gold, the first 2 years it performed great. At about 3 31/2 years the coatings hydrophobics stopped completly. They tried telling me a spray of their spray coating wohkd bring it back,, at that time I was training to be a detailer and I'm like,, no your just adding a spray that's not as strong as the actual coating I want it reapplied I've taken care of it by the book.. Long story short, after few calls from my lawyer they agreed to send me enough material to recoat the car myself if I agreed to void the warranty, since they wouldn't pay the original installer the 2k to do it again. They sent me 2 10Ml bottles ( one of 9h and one of their topcoat) that's supposed to give me 5 coats on a Dodge Challenger. I decided not to and coated it with Cquartz UK instead.. Once I started detailing professionally I got "certified" with Glassparency, I buffed off the Cquartz even though it was going strong after 2 years and a few months ago put on their graphene coating. Glassparency offers a warranty and it's a little better then ceramic pro but I'm not going to count on it. I now offer my own in shop warranty specific to whichever coating the customer wants. And I cover hydrophobics as part of it. I do require a maintenance check with the frequency depending on the coating, and a few other stipulations (like no machine buffing and no drive through car washes) But definitely nothing like these jokes of a "warranty".

[@bendeco]

Ceramic Pro with their tiers offers packages with the asterisk being that you must return each year for a checkup and ANY rework/additional touch up is something YOU pay for. So I buy the silver and I wanted the gold 2 years later and it was the FULL PRICE plus labor. Bunch of crap. The best part was the paint correction, that's it. Store bought products did most of the work in stretching CP just to the 2 year mark.

[@mattheviewer]

Very enlightening and helpful. Should add Optimum Technologies' 4-layer $3000 coating, guaranteed for "life", also voids its warranty should its owner "swirl" that coating via a tunnel car wash, brush wash, etc. Side note; my Subaru dealer, who uses brush washing, is no longer allowed to wash my OptiCoat Pro+ vehicle as they may swirl the paint, voiding that coating's 7 year warranty.

[@ScottHD]

Wow!

[@777AndrewR]

Great video! What kinda name is owners pride?

[@urbanedgeautodetailing]

With Owners Pride if your vehicle is7 years old or older, they are currently working with the insurance company that backs the warranty to have a 7 year warranty across the board with no age restrictions.

[@ScottHD]

Good to know! I found the age of the vehicle restriction interesting. It appears that some others do it too.

[@urbanedgeautodetailing]

@@ScottHD The age of the vehicles restriction was put in place the the insurance company that backs OP. They did that as a precaution in the beginning. Now that time has passed and they have not been flooded with claims they are opening up to allowing the 7 year warranty across the board. I like OP for many reasons, but the number one thing that I like is the fact if there is an issue with the coating the customer can call the 800 number and file a claim. When the claim is approved I get paid by the insurance company for the work. With other companies I have worked with over the years if there is an issue they will send me a bottle of product and tell me to just eat the labor, or if I want to get paid then I need to charge my customer but I will most likely loose said customer. That BS just doesn't work for me.

[@CobraKaiNoMercy]

Oh boy... You know I can forgive some ceramic coating warranties, but I can't forgive car dealerships who peddle their coatings. Car dealership ceramic coatings make me chuckle, because they usually suck and are outrageously priced!

[@ScottHD]

Oh absolutely!

[@mattheviewer]

True story: my local OptiCoat detailer found my car dealer's "platinum coating" so poorly applied he called the dealer and suggested they refund my money for their coating. The car dealer called me and offered to "reapply" their coating, which was impossible as the Opticoat detailer was already polishing it away to apply OptiCoat. Lesson learned: avoid car dealer coatings like the plague !

[@joelshyra8346]

Agreed.

[@leogetzy]

This is awesome! I was just trying to look this stuff up myself about a week ago. Do you know how much they charge for an annual inspection? I heard somewhere around $200.00.

[@ScottHD]

Depends on the brand - some are supposed to be free for the owner.

[@luckypaco1148]

Also the warranties will only spot treat the areas affected not the entire car. It's easier to win American NInja than to qualify for these warranties.

[@ScottHD]

Also a great point!

[@Jeff_Seely]

Hey Scott, very informative video. Paint repairs can be astronomical and I guess these guys realize it and wont afford any ability for the customer to generate a claim. Your viewers rely on the honest durability testing that you showcase. I personally do because I have found only a small minority of products that are as good as the manufacturers claim they are. And if the manufacturer can get a KZbin detailing channel to BS the consumer, that's a very low cost to them and absolutely no liability for the channel's claims! WIN-WIN right? This really pisses me off and it makes me not want to try anything new, without reviews that I know I can trust. I'm pretty sick of companies doing it.

[@MrKennyanders]

Ceramic Pro sounds like they put more layers on and change the package name

[@majinsbo]

Pretty painful that Detailer’s also fall for this gimmick, get the shop compliant but the respective company isn’t even compliant, it’s just that you gotta choose whether to keep your customer or not

[@snail415]

Serious question Scott for someone who imagines being a ‘certified installer’: Should this discourage detailers from either presenting a warranty altogether, or how they frame the capability of the product? To me, I reconsider what the price and promise of the whole thing should be. And it isn’t because I saw these warranties; I’ve felt like this after a ton of my own tests. How do you promise people what people deserve? My current answer is “promise the truth and charge accordingly.” Might affect the bottom line, but I’d sleep better. Sincerely, Soft99 😂

[@ScottHD]

We don't sell or push a warranty to any of our clients, because we know the claims are nearly impossible to claim to be made whole. We tell them expect 2-3 years, sometimes more, sometimes less. We have a NSX in our shop right now that we did 6 years ago that the coating is just now starting to fail. It's not a daily driver. My daily driver I did about 3 years ago has completely failed in most areas.

[@johnketuroskey6293]

great informative vid.....one thing i disagree with scott....the statement of if a shop can get u in right away/next day....look elsewhere.....is inaccurate, assumptive, judgemental....every detailer had to start somewhere....u included..u didnt start your business being booked out months....not even days...we all started with open appt times. Even Jason of Chicago auto pros was able to get to my jaguar vdp..."the next day" back in 2014....when he did a full correction and coated it with opticoat pro. Now he is 6-8months out.....i am not bashing my friend.....that was imho an unfair statement.....a person must do their due diligence!!!!!!! absolutely. than u for this video as it is def enlightening!!!!! in the scheme of things the warranty fall on the shop - even tho it shouldnt....the only escape is if proper maintenance is not performed during the life of the coating.....which hopefully is explained at time of purchase....be well gnite

[@ericgoodman9509]

Amazing how the only thing that fails on the coatings are the hydrophobic’s which almost none cover it

[@ScottHD]

Precisely

[@nitpickinmobiledetailing1889]

losing hydrophobics on a coating just means it's clogged. It just needs to be properly cleaned to remove the whats on the surface of the coating. If that is done properly, the coating will again surface and the hydrophobics will still be there like magic. We do it all the time for customers who say the coating is gone or doesn't seem to be beading anymore.

[@FrankySilverFace]

Where these warranties written by PT Barnham?

[@DetailerPauloAssuncao]

Talk to Dann Williams. He cal help differentiate between warranties and compliant warranty.

[@skzion2]

Thanks, Scott. I had expected that a ceramic coating would at least protect against swirls from tunnel washes ... Why else should one care about the 9H/10H business? I thought the motivation was to protect a soft clear coat. I would not expect long term hydrophobic properties because detritus and chemicals sitting on a coating would certainly decrease sheeting/beading. However, I would expect a coating to be treatable to restore hydrophobic properties. I mean, APC and maybe iron remover along with a wash should do it. I wouldn't bother with these coatings anyway, as I don't think a twice-yearly decon and waxing, and a once yearly DA polishing, is that much trouble. All of my good products and chemicals, which will last the life of my car, cost less than one of these coatings.

[@ScottHD]

When you read closely at some of the durability claims (how they were tested) it is against micromarring that is equivalent to something like fine dust being blown on a surface. (IE insanely fine sandpaper)

[@skzion2]

@@ScottHD How scandalous.

[@angore3rd]

What a microphone

[@manasmakkar]

I don't sell warranty. Do ceramics last without maintenance

[@ScottHD]

That is why I do these other tests on my channel to find out!

[@lukoitautodetailingllc3124]

A little oversight by you IMO. You were reading P&S and OP 'protects against x' as the warranty claims. They were stating what a coating protects against, not what the warranty protects against.

[@ScottHD]

Noted!

[@lukoitautodetailingllc3124]

@@ScottHD great video btw.

[@ScottHD]

@@lukoitautodetailingllc3124 thank you!

[@stevemclean5787]

When the coating frenzy started I was skeptical. Then came all the longevity claims... 3 yr, 5 yr 8yr, and eventually 9 yr. Skeptical doesn't even begin to describe my feelings about them. How could a company make those kinds of claims when the coating hadn't been around half that time. What could they possibly be basing their performance claims on? Them there was the ludicrous requirements of the consumer for inspections, type and frequency of washes, etc. The coating bubble made a lot of detailers some quick cash based on the marketing hype and advertising promises made by the mfrs. Unfortunately, it was those very installers who are being left holding the bag and eating the costs with no support fr I'm the mfrs when their product doesn't and/or can't live up to the claims . It's been my experience that no ceramic coating retains the original gloss and hydrophobic properties longer than about a year. The whole ceramic coating bandwagon was/is bullshit Steve McLean Reflections Auto Detail Chandler, AZ

[@I_know_what_im_talking_about]

Very well said. I will go on record to say that these coatings are designed for garage queens that stand around for YEARS and barely get washed, since they’re not driven. An organic wax will surely degrade from just age, past the 3-6 month mark but a synthetic coating will surely last 2, 3 or heck even the 5-9 years because it’s synthetic crap that doesn’t naturally degrade. In the REAL WORLD… I’d rather apply a quick wax every few months for that INCREDIBLE, just waxed look and hydrophobic slickness vs looking at an aging coating that’s older then a year. 😒🤦🏻‍♂️

[@dustin3700]

I never file a warranty to the manufacturer not even worth the time, I cover all my work as long as it's serviced every 4 months and I apply a good topper. Never had an issue.

[@ScottHD]

I hope I don't have to deal with a warranty claim again - they make it so hard to actually get a claim paid.

[@davidnguyen4888]

I never liked the years they put on a ceramic coating, its so misleading. btw, i think the gtechniq warranty info you pulled was for UK. i dont remember seeing that on the US warranty. also which company are you speaking of that did not want to pay you for a warranty job? most would probably like to know so we can stay away from that company

[@michaelsimonette8943]

System X is expensive and honestly isn’t that special. I tried because they had “a warranty”. Not worth it. Thanks for sharing this

[@functionaldoc5054]

Pro coatings warranty are used to have detailers customers come back at least yearly for maintenance and checkup. Must warranties today on any product has so many exclusions that it is not worth the paper it is printed on if is printed. The whole Pro coatings a re about controlling access to the companies best product. I amazed that people will pay1-2K for coating all the car and the customers takes through swirl tunnel and how poor the detailer does on explain how to maintain there car to preserve the coating and the paint.

[@chavez885]

Not a surprise here, crazy how much money these guys are making off ceramic stuff. Find a good trustworthy installer basically. Thanks Scott!

[@fscottgray9784]

I have never put any faith in paint coating warranties. I am old enough to remember when dealers were selling the MING finish on paint. Just a total scam.

[@jorgebarrantes1386]

I had a dealer installed Simoniz coating, wear off after 6-months, I thought about taking it back to the dealer, but the coating made my paint look so dull, that I decided that I was better off without it, that's $1k that was spent towards my education of stop being stupid.

[@snail415]

If it makes you feel any better, 2020 was the year I decided to take a real interest in gun ownership. It happens to the best of us. 😂

[@naifalsaeedan5413]

What about ppf ?

[@ScottHD]

I can dive into those for sure

[@a111z]

I have Xpel on my car, a number of rock chips have made it through the film and it’s difficult to rectify any swirls in the PPF. I don’t think I would pay for it again.

[@ScottHD]

@@a111z good to know! I'm starting to see mildew on some PPF here in Texas too.

[@Flawlesscad]

Willing to bet you didn't love green much after that warranty claim.

[@ScottHD]

LOL

[@agoodmobiledetailing]

LOL. Lifetime warranty but you have to come back next year and spend $200 is the only way to keep that warranty.

[@davidkevin03]

Sometimes I feel as tho detailing business can be shady asf

[@ScottHD]

Definitely some!

[@derek723]

CeramicPro is such a terrible product with great marketing. Hilariously bad warranty

[@ScottHD]

Read through the warranty. I'm genuinely hoping someone sees something I didn't about what is actually covered because I don't see it.

[@yftinthyn007]

Scott, watch out you’ve probably earned yourself a few haters via telling the truth. Many installers, for whatever reason, act like you’re personally insulting them when you call out the fact that 10 year coatings don’t last 10 years, don’t protect from scratches and can’t last past 6 months unless you wash it everyday and store your car in a garage. I see you already have coating company fanboys saying things like this. Likely a lot of these fanboy accounts are troll accounts made by the coating companies.