Some dealerships pre-install extras on their inventory, things like window tint, nitrogen-filled tires, wheel locks, VIN etching, paint and interior protection packages, and price them into the deal before you ever walk in. Unless you actually want those products, you can likely find a better deal at a different dealership. And if a store won't remove them from a car you do want, the add-ons themselves are negotiable, unlike taxes, title, registration, and the doc fee.
Pre-loaded add-ons became heavily prevalent during the inventory shortages, when cars were scarce and dealers could hold firm: take the car with the package or watch the next buyer take it. That era is over. Inventory levels have returned to normal, and a dealer insisting on a mandatory accessory package no longer has much to hold your feet to the fire with. The same model is usually sitting at another store without the extras.
There is also a quieter version of the play: some dealers send a proposal with a genuinely heavy discount on the vehicle, and the add-ons are how they make the money back. The discount is real; so is the package stacked behind it. Neither is dishonest, but the add-ons are optional, and it is entirely advisable to know exactly what is packed into the price or payment and what you can have taken out.
Yes. Unlike taxes, title, registration, and the doc fee, pre-installed add-ons are products with markup in them, and their price is negotiable, especially now that inventory levels are back to normal. If a store treats a package as mandatory, the same car usually exists elsewhere without it.
Window tint, nitrogen tire fills, wheel locks, VIN etching, door edge guards, mud flaps, roof racks, and paint, fabric, or ceramic protection packages are the usual suspects. They appear on a dealer addendum sticker next to the factory window sticker and inside the itemized breakdown.
Sometimes, which is why the out-the-door number is the only fair test. Add the discounted price and the package together and compare that total against other stores' totals for the same vehicle. If it wins with the add-ons included, take it; if it only wins without them, ask for them out.
Then they are simply products, and the questions become the normal ones: is the price fair, what exactly is covered or installed, and would you rather choose the product and installer yourself? Our guides on window tint, protection film, and extended coverage break down what each is worth.