There is no quick, cheap, and easy single solution to preserving your paint.  This is the biggest disconnect from people who genuinely are into detailing versus people only curious about what it can offer.  People genuinely interested in detailing understand the most fundamental thing you can do to preserve your paint is to appropriately and carefully wash your car.  They see all the other things in vogue with detailing as complimentary versus a means to irresponsibly avoid this situation.  You pay for what you get.  One of the oldest and simplest proverbs, that people know but look for exceptions to this.  Most people that push back on this in the detailing industry fail in either or both of these two categories.  Often both categories!  Their idea of paying a premium price in a detailing business is often still not nearly enough of a premium price to match their unrealistic expectations.  The other issue being they are not putting enough effort into researching and communicating with select providers in automotive care.  By effort I mean do much more than asking, ‘how much for a detail.’  By poor expectation of price for level quality, that includes general detailing, ceramic protection add-ons, and (especially) Paint Protection Film.  These issues extend to finding a body shop.

Some people say ‘you can get a repaint for (insert unrealistic price)’ etc., versus paying the PROPER premium price for paint correction and ceramic coating services.  Keep in mind the people who are INTO DETAILING that do pay the proper price of auto-body repaints, also would still desire some light paint correction and protection.  But quotes of $4,000, $3,000, $1,000 are at best outdated in 2025, inaccurate, and or also representative of the work from a shop most people who care about their car would never go to.  It’s not simply, for those that push back, a case of affordability.  When you are cheap upfront, the consequences are more expensive with at best marginal benefits.  The consequences escalate in an uphill loop.  Around 2022 to 2023 a respected auto body shop gave me a hypothetical quote for my Nissan Altima.  The number was $7,000.  The manager at the time showed me a nice truck that was a $12,000 invoice.  He told me it was worth it to the owner, because the current model truck cost over $80,000 new.  I do not think I need to brief you on current events to remind everyone that things have become more expensive in the past 2 years.

Listening to a brief overview of the painting process, it did not take a rocket scientist to see why it can be so expensive.  It also left clues as to the problems people would have if they went to a cheaper place.  I have experienced some first-hand examples of people I know and clients who have faced the consequences of the cheaper alternative.  This client of mine did not know about this issue until I explained the cause after some research.  Before purchasing this used car from the dealership, there was a prior repainted.  The manager of the dealership either did not care to question or more likely intentionally did not inform him.  This would not be as much of an issue if it wasn’t obvious this was a cheap repaint.  This paint on the rear panel 2 to 3 years new is failing before the original paint.  You can see a picture below of the paint bubbling.

This is also another issue to be mindful of when purchasing used cars.

I have been told and seen some of these cheaper repaint options have de-laminating within one year.  I have original paint on most of my Nissan Altima 2014 and a couple of areas, due to a collision, that were repainted by a reputable shop 10 years ago.  This picture was taken in 2025.

One of my clients once told me that when deciding on the detailer, she wanted to help protect her car and she was raised with the motto to cry once.