Adding a spoiler to a car can enhance its appearance, and it’s one of the most noticeable ways to customize a vehicle. Some vehicles come with spoilers directly from the factory, whether as a standard feature or an option on a performance-oriented trim level. A spoiler can be a practical or aesthetically pleasing addition to your car, but you shouldn’t do it with the expectation of upping your car’s value.

Custom car modifications

Custom car modifiers know that modifying cars is more of a passion or a hobby than it is a market. Sure, there are plenty of shops that will customize a car for you, and even turn it into the car of your dreams. But, if you build a car yourself, for what you personally like, it doesn’t typically increase the value of the car. This includes a lot of modifications like aftermarket paint, decals, wheels, and sometimes aftermarket headlights or taillights. While these things can make a car more marketable, you don’t typically see a return on the investment.

From the factory spoilers

Some cars come with a spoiler from the factory. Sometimes the decision is made to enhance the car’s looks, and sometimes they are added for performance. Many vehicles these days have some form of a spoiler even if it isn’t large and noticeable. Some spoilers are as simple as a small lip that comes off of the trunk or hatch of your car to make it look more aggressive.

Even on regular cars

Spoilers aren’t just common on sports cars, you can find them on standard sedans and even SUVs in some form or another. While they typically aren’t as crazy-looking as the aftermarket spoilers we see on custom cars, they can still give the car a sportier appearance. For passenger cars and SUVs, spoilers can be added to improve the car’s overall appearance. These vehicles don’t require the downforce produced by the spoiler, but the wing can sometimes enhance the car’s aerodynamics.

While many trim levels have upgrades to spoilers, they don’t typically enhance the value of a vehicle. For JDM cars and custom cars, they can be a nice, personalized touch, and some of them can get pretty expensive, but the value of the spoiler does not increase the car’s worth. When it comes down to it, spoilers can be useful, or they can be cosmetic — and, of course, they can be both, but only on extremely rare occasions would they affect a car’s value positively.