Will Dealers Remove Accessories to Lower the Car Price?

Quick Facts About Dealer Accessories

• Factory-installed options are added during assembly and have warranty coverage. Port-installed options are installed before the vehicle arrives at the dealership and may or may not be covered.
• The manufacturer’s warranty does not always cover dealer-installed accessories.
• During negotiations, request removing certain features to lower the final price.

When buying a new car, the price often limits our choices. For most of us, there is only so much wiggle room in a household budget. So, we search the dealer’s inventory to find the best compromise between what we can afford and what we dream of driving. If lucky, we will drive off the lot in a car we like rather than one we settled for.

Negotiating a great deal on a new car requires patience, commitment, and creativity. It’s in the dealership’s best interest to sell every vehicle quickly because it costs money each day it sits on the lot. The dealership wants you to buy a car and will usually move heaven and earth to make it happen. However, some things are simply beyond the dealer’s scope.

When you’ve explored every traditional avenue to lower a car’s purchase price, and it’s still beyond your means, it’s time to get creative. At this point, ask the dealer to remove certain features you don’t care about to lower the transaction price. This is more of a “can or cannot” question than a “will or will not” question.

Read on for answers to questions about installed accessories for cars. We’ll also explain the differences between factory, port, and dealer-installed options.

TIP: Use our affordability calculator to help determine how much car you can afford.

• Factory-Installed Options vs. Dealer-Installed Options
• What are Dealer Options?
• What Can’t the Dealer Remove?
• Will the Dealer Remove Anything to Lower a Car Price?
• Aftermarket Options

Factory-Installed Options vs. Dealer-Installed Options

Factory-installed options are features or upgrades added to a vehicle during its initial assembly on the production line. The manufacturer’s warranty covers these options and can positively impact the car’s resale value. Examples include enhanced navigation systems, adaptive cruise control, and heated seats.

Alternatively, dealer-installed options are added to a vehicle after it arrives at the dealership. They do not necessarily require the automaker’s approval and are not usually covered under the manufacturer’s warranty. These options typically have no impact on the car’s resale value. Examples include upholstery protection, cosmetic enhancements, rustproofing, and other exterior finishes.

Much of the answer to the feature-removal question lies in the difference between factory-installed options and those installed by the car dealership. Yes, both are added-cost features above and beyond the base price of the vehicle you are considering. But that’s where the similarity ends.

What Is a Factory Option?

A factory option is added to a car during its factory assembly. It’s included on the government-mandated Monroney Label window sticker, along with the MSRP, estimated mileage numbers, and other required information. Factory options are covered under the manufacturer’s new car warranty. These options usually will influence the value of your car when you sell it or trade it in.

What Are Some Popular Factory Options?

• Power moonroof/sunroof
• Surround-view cameras
• Heated seats
• Adaptive cruise control
• Navigation system
• All-wheel drive

What Are Dealer Options?

A dealer-installed accessory is a feature added to the car at the dealership. It can be an actual component, such as a roof rack. It can also be something less tangible, such as rustproofing.

Depending on the car brand, there may also be port-installed accessories or those installed on imported cars after arriving in a United States port of entry. Although relatively rare today, in the case of a third-party distributor brokering a brand’s vehicles to its dealers, it may also add accessories. Any dealer or port-installed accessory will be displayed on a separate window sticker near the Monroney Label.

With some exceptions, the manufacturer’s new car warranty does not cover accessories not installed by them. Exceptions may include official factory accessories. For instance, Mazda says, “Genuine Mazda Accessories sold and installed by a Mazda Dealer are covered for the duration of the New Vehicle 36-month/36,000-mile Limited Warranty.”

For the most part, you can add an accessory in the aftermarket for less than you will pay a car dealer. The advantages of paying for it at the dealership are convenience and folding the accessory cost into the loan or lease.

What Are Some Common Dealer-Installed Accessories?

• Rustproofing
• Upholstery protection (such as Scotchguard)
• Wheel locks
• Anti-theft devices (LoJack or other tracking systems)
• Alarm systems
• Nitrogen tire fill (Filling the tires with nitrogen rather than regular air)
• Luggage rack
• All-weather floor mats

What Can’t the Dealer Remove?

Remember the “can or cannot” mentioned above? We’ll tell you what’s possible.

You Can’t Remove Options

If it’s a factory-installed option you want to remove, you might as well forget about it. This rarely happens.

Think about it this way. You are trying to buy a car with a rear-seat-entertainment option package. You target that option as one to delete to bring the price down. The dealer pulls it all out, and then what? The sales team can neither sell nor reinstall it in another car. The car also can’t be returned to the factory.

Then There Are Option Packages

Moreover, option packages bundle more than one feature. The rear-seat-entertainment system might be bundled with the power moonroof and surround-view camera. Even if the dealer could remove it, there is no process for crediting back part of that package.

This is the can or cannot question, and the answer is, cannot.

In your negotiations, it doesn’t hurt to mention that you don’t want a particular factory-installed option to help motivate the dealer to knock a little more off the price of the car. Whether this tactic is successful depends on how desperately the dealer wants to make the sale.

TIP: Before you talk with any car salesperson, do your homework and research car prices.

Will Dealers Remove Anything to Lower a Car Price?

The accessories listed on that separate window sticker are typically fair game. The dealer installed them (or had them installed) and often can remove them, but you’ll need to negotiate this when you’re working out the final price with your salesperson.

However, not all these types of accessories are removable. How, for example, does a dealer remove rustproofing? Your best strategy for these add-ons is to stand firm on refusing to pay for them, hoping the dealer will eat their cost. You can often negotiate a price reduction.

Other accessories may not be permanent, but they are difficult to remove. For instance, if it’s a 4-wheel drive vehicle, dealer-installed accessories might include additional skid plates, a front brush guard, etc. Such add-ons may be tough to negotiate away. Go for a price reduction.

Any port-installed accessories may also prove difficult to negotiate away. Here again, go for lowering the posted cost.

Ultimately, you want to buy a car, and the salesperson wants to sell you a car. Keep your eye on the ball, negotiate in good faith, and get the deal done.

But if you can’t come to a compromise, you can always head for the door. Somewhere out there, a dealership is willing to do the deal.

Aftermarket Options

While it’s true that many aftermarket options can inflate the final price of a car, the aftermarket can offer a more budget-friendly solution for some add-ons and upgrades. You’ll often have more control over the level of customization, and the costs for parts are lower than those offered by the dealer. Popular aftermarket accessories and modifications include sound systems, window tinting, navigation units, and anti-theft tracking devices. Always research and source parts from reputable manufacturers or mechanics before upgrading your car with these features.