MAACO?!, Is it really that bad? Options

[gnetik]

I've read the horror stories of maaco, and I'm just wondering of what level paint job or service the maaco victims requested. I'm planning on getting my car painted there in the near future. I tend to buy their premium deal which includes prep work, choice of paint, an extra layer of high gloss and uv ray protectant coat, and a 5 year warranty for a total of little over 1,000 dollars. The problem though, is that if you do the prep work yourself, you are not eligible for that 5 year warranty..... that's weird in my opinion. But all in all, it sounds like a good deal hopefully. What do you guys think? I'd like to also hear from people who actually had the premium paint job at maaco.

[Mike431635]

I got my car painted at Maaco back in June. I sanded my car myself, did all the bondo work I needed done myself (had a couple dents and dings), and took it to them for the spray. I got them to do the job with the integrated clear coat (not the bottom quality one, but not the best one) and had them put 3 layers of clear on top of that. They fixed the very common bend/dog-ear on the driver's side of the drunk where my hinge broke (common 5th gen problem) for free, too, since I did all my prep.

The work they did was great. I showed up to get it and found some overspray (muffler and a little on the windows), and they took some heavy paint thinner and got it all off for me.

I paid $590 and got a 2-year full warranty. Very worth it. Just do the prep yourself. I haven't had ANY problems with mine (chipping, orange peel, etc).