Are Maaco Paint Jobs Good? (Detailed Answer) (2024)

When it comes to painting jobs, you get exactly what you pay for. Maaco is well-known for providing car owners with affordable paint job packages.

Some of the special offers they have, you won’t find them anywhere no matter how hard you look.

However, Maaco paint jobs are good only if you prep the vehicle by yourself. You can also be assured of an excellent paint job if you choose the maximum package.

So, Are Maaco Paint Jobs Good?

If you look at all Maaco reviews, you will realize that there are two types of comments. With the positive reviews, most clients will say how much they put a lot of effort into the prep work and only delivered the car at Maaco for a layer of paint.

Those who had a horrible experience were lured by the affordable price, didn’t do any prep work, and just went straight into one of their Shops.

Back to what we stated earlier, the quality of a paint job is heavily determined by the price. The less you pay, the lower the quality of the service gets.

After all, Maaco is a company whose main goal is to make profits. And you can’t expect them to go out of their way to offer a quality service that costs more than what you have paid for.

Maaco paint jobs can make your car look great. But there are certain conditions.

The first condition is that you pay more for the maximum package. This will ensure your car gets special attention and the prep work, as well as paint application, will be done to perfection.

The other option is to do the prep work yourself and pick one of the affordable packages that focuses more on the painting than the prep work.

That aside, the detailers who work at Maaco shops are very skilled and friendly. Their prices are great.

However, if it’s a good paint job that you are interested in getting from Maaco, you will need to follow the tips we have shared above.

Does Maaco Do Good Body Work?

If you know a thing or two about car paint, then you can testify about the importance of proper bodywork. Overall, Maaco paint jobs are affordable and look great.

However, their bodywork isn’t that good. When you pay $300 for a paint job at Maaco, with that money you can get a decent paint job. However, your money won’t be enough to cover the prep work.

Preparing a car for painting is tiresome and takes up a lot of time. Because the guys at Maaco don’t have the time to do something they haven’t been paid to do, the bodywork done is usually very poor.

This is why everyone who knows how Maaco operates and wants to benefit from the cheap packages, always does the prep work at home.

And then bring the car for painting. Or, you will have to part with more money if you want them to do a proper job on your bodywork.

There have also been complaints that Maaco doesn’t hire trained personnel. You may want to have a chat with the owner and share with them the expectations you have for your vehicle. So that your vehicle is handed over to an inexperienced detailer.

Does Maaco Wrap Cars?

On their official website, Maaco doesn’t list car wrapping as one of their services. However, you can visit the nearest Maaco shop near you and confirm whether this service is available.

A full car wrap can cost between $2500 to $5000, depending on the size of the vehicle and other customizable features. However, if you are interested in wrapping only certain parts, the price goes down to $300 to $500.

Compared to the cost of an affordable paint job package such as the one offered by Maaco, car wraps can be very expensive.

Not unless you want to wrap certain parts of your car such as the hood. If you are on a budget, getting a Maaco paint job can cost significantly less than a full wrap.

How Much Does Maaco Charge for A Paint Job?

The thought of repainting a car often gives many car owners nightmares, especially when they think about the cost. However, Maaco has been offering car owners affordable car paint packages for the past four decades.

With over 500 centers in the US, Maaco has helped millions of car owners by restoring the looks of their cars with fresh paint.

If you want a decent paint job and you are interested in having Maaco repaint the car for you, please note that Maaco does not give estimates via phone.

You have to visit them in person to get a quote. Their estimates are free so you don’t have to worry about paying anything beforehand.

That being how they do business, below we have researched for you and discovered the average fees Maaco can charge you for a paint job.

Depending on a couple of factors that we are going to list below, Maaco can charge you $300 to $700 for a paint job.

What most people love about Maaco is that they always inspect the vehicles first and then give a quote. So there are no hidden fees at the end of the job.

There are a couple of factors that affect the cost Maaco is going to charge you for a paint job. The first and most important factor is the condition of the vehicle.

Bodywork is crucial in ensuring the paint bonds perfectly on the car’s surface and looks better.

Maaco gives their clients the option to avoid bodywork and get a fresh coat of paint. This is cheaper. It however doesn’t have a warranty.

There are also three packages offered by Maaco and each has its benefits. The first is the basic service where your car gets a single-stage paint that refreshes the look of the car.

This has a one-year warranty. There is the preferred service that features urethane-based paint that is durable and scratch-resistant. This has a three-year warranty.

Finally, we have the premium service where you get a two-stage paint job comprising of a clear coat and base coat. With the premium service, you are assured of a glossier finish. It comes with a 5-year warranty.

Other services that you may get from Maaco Paint include color changes and specialty painting. These have no fixed price and you will have to visit the guys at your nearest showroom for a quote.

What Colors Does Maaco Offer?

At Maaco, car owners can choose from more than 45 different car paint colors. All the common colors which include white, gray, black, red, and blue are available.

Also available are the various shades of these colors. All these colors are available in the basic, preferred, and premium packages.

You can get a color change as well from a Maaco shop near you. To ensure you get the right color, have the experts at Maaco look at the VIN.

What Kind of Paint Does Maaco Use?

Different packages use varying types of paint. Be as it may, Maaco does use various brands of car paint depending on the vehicle being repainted. Maaco claims to use a urethane upgrade that is stronger and more hardened.

However, with Maaco paint, it is either a hit or miss. And it’s this inconsistency that most people don’t like. In some cars, they do use quality paint that lasts long, and in others, it’s the exact opposite.

If you want to get good results from a Maaco paint job, you should be actively involved with the painting process.

Even though you may feel like you are being a nuisance, it’s better to be part of the painting process as you can monitor the level of bodywork done on a car as well as the types of paint used.

Maaco claims to use its brand of paint. This is not the standard brand that is used by all car manufacturers. As a result, the Maaco paint is ideal only when getting a full repaint.

However, if you are painting certain parts, there is a big chance that the colors won’t match.

Does Maaco Sand Your Car?

According to their website, Maaco claims to sand the surfaces of cars before any paint job. That we have no doubt. However, how thoroughly do they sand the cars?

Sanding is a key step when painting as it ensures the paint bonds properly with paint. If a car surface is poorly sanded then the paint peels off sooner than expected.

The level of sanding done on a car depends on the package paid for at Maaco.

This means that if you go with the cheaper packages, the sanding may not be done to perfection.

To ensure your new paint job doesn’t peel after a couple of months, get the necessary tools and sand the car by yourself.

This will ensure that even if you go with the basic package that entails little work done on the body, the surfaces will be well-sanded and will bond strongly with car paint.

Should you decide to do the sanding by yourself, you need to set aside an entire afternoon for this activity.

As mentioned earlier, sanding is a tiring process that can take hours, especially if there are dents and rust on the car.

But because you crave an excellent paint job, you shouldn’t be worried about taking time to properly sand the surface.

Does Maaco Paint Rims?

Another advantage of choosing Maaco is that they will do anything you want, provided it is related to paint. So, yes they will paint rims for you.

The cost of painting rims is around $25. For the entire set, expect to pay at least $100 for all the wheels in your car. Some Maaco shops may ask you to pay for the tire to be removed and aligned.

Considering how important wheel alignment is, this is something you shouldn’t decline to pay for if offered by Maaco.

To get a longer-lasting finish on the wheels, you may consider powder-coating them instead of having them painted by Maaco.

Powder-coating costs a little more, ranging from $50 to $70. However it lasts longer, it’s aesthetically pleasing, and is more resistant to damage thanks to the thick coating.

Regarding painting rims, Maaco isn’t often the go-to option, but certain shops do an excellent job.

If there is more than one Maaco shop in your area, do some digging and look up reviews on how good they are at painting rims.

This can give you a better clue on which direction you should take with improving the aesthetics of your rims.

Does Maaco Have Any Paint Specials?

Yes, they do. This is one of the many attributes that make Maaco an ideal center to have your car repainted. Paint specials offered by Maaco always differ depending on the season and location.

On their website, for you to find paint specials, you will key in your city, zip, or state and Maaco will present offers in your nearest shop.

In the past, the Maaco $299 paint special has been the most popular offer provided by this company. Unless you are in a hurry to repaint your car, the Maaco $299 special is worth waiting for.

You can also get a certain amount off using Maaco discount coupons. Most of these deals are posted on social media sites or through affiliate companies.

The more regularly you look for Maaco offers, the sooner you can land paint specials and save more money on paint jobs.

If your car is in terrible condition or you plan on selling it, waiting for Maaco paint specials may not be the most reasonable thing to do.

Their prices are usually very low so no matter how strict your budget is, you can be assured of getting a favorable deal.

How Long Does Maaco Take to Paint A Car?

More than three-quarters of the cars brought in at Maaco paint shops are usually ready after two or three business days.

The number of days can extend to 5 if a car needs a lot of bodywork. However, irrespective of the condition of your car, it should be ready in a week.

Compared to its competitors, Maaco takes the least time when painting cars. There are auto body shops that will ask you to come back after two weeks.

With such, however, you are usually getting a thorough paint job that entails lots of bodywork and the application of several coats of paint.

The guys at Maaco always take the least time working on a car because they don’t do a lot of bodywork. Most of the time, they jump straight to painting and that’s why your car is done in a day or two.

With matters related to painting cars, never be in too much of a hurry to get your car painted because you may not get a quality service.

To get aesthetically pleasing results, always give the detailer time to prep, sand, and paint the car.

How Long Does Maaco Paint Last?

It takes a day or two for Maaco to paint your car, but how long will that paint last? This will depend on several factors such as the conditions your vehicle is exposed to and how you care for it.

A good paint job can last for 10 years. By good, we mean a car that has been thoroughly prepped, primed, painted, and a clear coat applied on top of it.

However, because Maaco loves using shortcuts, their paint job isn’t going to last for seven or 10 years.

As a smart consumer, you shouldn’t expect a full paint job worth $300 to last for many years.

With time, it is going to either fade or start peeling. Maaco paint jobs, even though they can be good at times, they often don’t last very long.

This is because they don’t do thorough preparation and neither do they use quality paint. The only way you can be assured of long-lasting paint is by buying the premium package.

If you are looking at short-term value, paying for Maaco paint is a great idea.

Does Maaco Do Rust Repair?

Maaco also specializes in rust repair. Quite often, most car owners ignore minor rust damage. The downside of doing so is that the extent of the damage often escalates if not repaired as soon as possible.

And the more rust you get on your car, the more expensive the repairs are. Rust is not a problem to be neglected as it may affect your safety on the road. Plus, it lowers the resale value of your car.

Because of these reasons, Maaco offers rust repair services. There is no exact figure on how much they charge for rust repairs.

But the extent of the rust damage should give you an idea of the range of repair fees.

Minor rust damage requires the use of some sandpaper and touch-up paint to fix. However, complex rust repairs can cost several hundreds or thousands of dollars.

As important as repairing rust damage is, you need to learn ways to avoid it. Rust repairs, as mentioned above can be very expensive.

Always be on the lookout for scratch marks as this is where rust is most likely to develop. By waxing and washing the car regularly, you can also avoid the formation of rust.

It can develop anywhere, check the doors, undercarriage, wheel wells, and even the metal surrounding the sunroof. Fix rust as soon as you see it to prevent it from spreading to other parts.

How to Get a Good Maaco Paint Job?

The only way for you to get a decent paint job at Maaco is by doing the prep work yourself. There is no other way you can go around it. Here is the laydown.

Every car owner interested in a paint job hopes to get the perfect finish. However, are you willing to part with $2000? If the answer is no, then you will have to endure the much Maaco can offer you.

It is impossible to get a decent paint job for less than $1000 in any auto body shop, not unless it’s owned by your cousin.

So, if Maaco can repaint your car for $500, this is a great deal.

The problem is that they don’t pay much attention to prepping the surface. If you can make the effort of doing the prep work at home and delivering it to Maaco for a paint job, then your car will come out looking fresh and stunning.

Even if Maaco receives a bad rap on the regular, their rates are what keeps them in business and many steps ahead of their competitors.

The bottom line is if you want a good paint job from Maaco. Do the prep work by yourself, or, pay for the premium package.

What Else Does Maaco Paint?

Maaco can paint pretty much anything. Be it a motorcycle, a boat, a tractor, or any other type of vehicle. Irrespective of whatever type of vehicle you want to be painted, Maaco can paint it for you.

You will have to take it to the shop near you for a free quote. Then you can choose the ideal package for your vehicle.

Everything else remains the same. Whether it’s a boat or motorcycle, if you want an excellent paint job, prep the bike or boat at home and take it to the shop.

Regarding bikes, you can rest assured that Maaco won’t disassemble the bike so that they can paint even those hard-to-reach areas. You just have to do it yourself.

If you have been following up keenly on this article then you may be wondering, why do I have to do most of the work by myself?

Can’t Maaco do it? Well, that’s what you get for paying such low rates for a paint job. Professional car painters charge thousands of dollars and it takes them two weeks to work on one car.

This shows you how much time and effort is put into properly painting a car.

Why is Maaco So Cheap?

This is a question that you already have an answer to. The first reason is; that Maaco doesn’t use quality paints. Their paint brand comprises average-quality paint that can’t be compared to the ones used in high-end auto paint shops.

Secondly, they don’t prep the car thoroughly. They go for shortcuts and that’s why their labor fees are very low. To conclude, Maaco doesn’t always have qualified staff in its paint shops.

Maaco Complaints

On consumer affairs, Maaco has a rating of 3.9 stars. That’s not pretty bad especially when you consider the many negative comments people post on car forums.

Anyway, here are some of the common complaints this chain store receives;

• Paint overspray on headlights, plastic, side mirrors, and other parts of the car that don’t need to be painted. This is the most common complaint that Maaco has received over the years. It may seem like some of their staff have no idea how to paint cars at all.

• Even though Maaco claims to be fast, some of their chain stores are known to take longer than usual when repainting cars. Even though the reasons for this are unclear, it’s advisable to inquire from your Maaco shop how long it will take for your car to be painted.

• There have also been many complaints regarding Maaco’s inability to perform adequate prep work before applying paint.

• At times, they don’t charge the rates they advertise.

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