Any CONS to getting Paint Protective Films?(Xpel, 3m or Suntek)

[BajanM3]

I'm considering getting paint protective film on my M3. This is my first M3 and first BMW that I've actually owned and plan on keeping.

(I had a 335xi a few years back..but it was a lease that got turned in)

I've been hearing a TON about the PROs for it. Things like
1. it protects the paint from chips
2. keeps the car looking new years later
3. peace of mind
etc..

but I haven't heard or seen any CONS to getting it.

There are always CONS to every product.

So I'm wondering ..from you more experienced, knowledgeable owners that either HAVE or HAVE NOT installed it.....what CONS would you say there are for getting paint protective film installed?

I'd love to hear your input because I think it's important to see both sides in order to make a well informed decision (and I'm now beginning to learn about this stuff)

Thanks in advance for all the help!

[XsltAnalyst]

Cons:

Cost ($1K+)
Time spent to finding the right installer
Hope you get it done right the first time without getting your paint cut
Downtime while getting it installed
Paint won't shine as bright
Needs care when using power washers around the edges
Won't last forever, after 5-6 years it'll need to be removed/replaced (even the best ones)
Can damage paint if proper care is not used when removing

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by XsltAnalyst

Cons:

Cost ($1K+)
Time spent to finding the right installer
Hope you get it done right the first time without getting your paint cut
Downtime while getting it installed
Paint won't shine as bright
Needs care when using power washers around the edges
Won't last forever, after 5-6 years it'll need to be removed/replaced (even the best ones)
Can damage paint if proper care is not used when removing

Agree on some of those points but disagree on paint not shining as bright and lasting only 5-6 years (Xpel warranties 10 years and others 5). Also if installed properly power washers shouldn't be an issue unless so close they would damage the paint in the absence of PPF anyway.

I would add:
* If car is white, better chance the film may show yellowing from contaminants (even slight yellowing is far more noticeable on a white car)
* PPF itself needs care. It should be well cleaned and periodically sealed to keep contaminants to a minimum, particularly on a white car - time and money.
* No real way to repair damage without replacing so a major rock scrape into the film will likely require either living with it or replacing a section of film

All that said, after having it on 5 cars, I think the pros outweigh the cons.

[BajanM3]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

Agree on some of those points but disagree on paint not shining as bright and lasting only 5-6 years (Xpel warranties 10 years and others 5). Also if installed properly power washers shouldn't be an issue unless so close they would damage the paint in the absence of PPF anyway.

I would add:
* If car is white, better chance the film may show yellowing from contaminants (even slight yellowing is far more noticeable on a white car)
* PPF itself needs care. It should be well cleaned and periodically sealed to keep contaminants to a minimum, particularly on a white car - time and money.
* No real way to repair damage without replacing so a major rock scrape into the film will likely require either living with it or replacing a section of film



All that said, after having it on 5 cars, I think the pros outweigh the cons.

Thanks for the info! This is great stuff to consider.

"Paint not shining as bright" - That is one concern I had. I saw a BMW today that had on Xpel. It was a few years old. I think around 3 years. And the paint looked frikken brand new still. Everywhere! The Xpel was on the front bumper, half the hood, and side mirrors. Great job on the installation. No chips anywhere.
I know this is a very small sample size...but the paint on this car still looked great. It was Sakhir Orange.

" If car is white, better chance the film may show yellowing from contaminants (even slight yellowing is far more noticeable on a white car)"

Daaamn it! My car is white. And it has 300kms on it. And i've already started to notice around the area where they installed the protective film infront of the rear tires...that it's slightly changing colour already. Just from dirt and water. But I'm wondering if that's because they used crappy stuff.

Everyone recommends ripping that off anyways and putting a larger piece. (which is what I was going to do)

Question though:
How likely is it that the paint peels off when you are removing the Xpel protective film?

[KevinM]

Good points above. I'll add that if you get a tear or hole in the paint protection film, it's generally not repairable - you have to live with it or replace the whole piece. On some angles you can see the line where the PPF ends unless you cover the whole car. My experience is that the shine is similar to the paint if you treat it the same way (sealant, etc.) and the installation is good. How long it holds up can vary as well. The PPF on my E39 M5 is 12 years old and still looks new. Of course the car has always been garaged, both at home and work when it was my DD. Overall, for a DD, the benefits outweigh the negatives and the peace of mind is also nice. Even if you decide not to do the front, for the LOVE OF (insert your deity or belief system here), replace those worthless OE factory strips in front of the rear wheels with a larger piece of PPF. You will definitely regret it if you don't.

Removal will not peel the OE paint. In fact, if a repaint is cured properly before the PPF is applied, it shouldn't peel that either.

GL

[Eric S]

Pros - vastly well known
Cons, if can call it that, would be the price, but the value it adds makes up for the cost.

Just under 2k for a full front, but a full front repaint will cost ~ 4k.
A repaint will NEVER match completely
A repainted car sells for less
Rock chips suck to look at

White cars tend to show a tad yellow not due to the contaminants, but rather from the adhesive of the film. Its a 5% shade off, and its across all films.

Suntek looks better than Xpel side by side.
Xpel has a longer warranty, but in 10 years you probably wont have the car, or be cashing in on the warranty anyway.

But choose the installer you want to use, and find out what they use and ask why, ask to see samples. its your car, its your choice in the end.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by Eric S

Pros - vastly well known
Cons, if can call it that, would be the price, but the value it adds makes up for the cost.

Just under 2k for a full front, but a full front repaint will cost ~ 4k.
A repaint will NEVER match completely
A repainted car sells for less
Rock chips suck to look at

White cars tend to show a tad yellow not due to the contaminants, but rather from the adhesive of the film. Its a 5% shade off, and its across all films.

Suntek looks better than Xpel side by side.
Xpel has a longer warranty, but in 10 years you probably wont have the car, or be cashing in on the warranty anyway.

But choose the installer you want to use, and find out what they use and ask why, ask to see samples. its your car, its your choice in the end.

I understand the adhesives have improved significant since the early days of PPF and should not cause yellowing unless there is a defect. However, the film is porous so contaminants on the surface can cause it to yellow, primarily on a white car. It should be reversible with a thorough cleaning and protected with a sealant.

I had a white Audi S4 with Xpel where the film yellowed after about a year. Neither I nor the installer could reverse it. It was replaced under warranty. I had the replacement PPF for a year+. When necessary, I was able to clean it up using Xpel's cleaner and a fender brush and keep it sealed with Xpel sealant. But while that stuff isn't necessarily expensive it isn't cheap either and it fair amount of work to stay on top of it. That is the only car I've seen yellowing on (3M on Black A6, silver Q5 and black Q5, SunTek on M4). You do need to be careful what you use to clean the film - for example Xpel told me nothing with petroleum distillates.

That white car is the only time I've had an issue. My wife's black Q5 will be 6 years old this year and haven't had issues. My M4 will be 2 years old this year and so far so good. Those just get washed like the rest of the car - no special handling like on a white car.

[elmerzasty]

In my experience there are greater chances of experiencing more severe damage (risk of parkings dents, accidents etc.) on a daily driver, against which the film will not protect you. If at all, I would consider putting film on the frontend only, to protect it from small chips, especially if the car is tracked.

[Bruce_SC]

Originally Posted by Eric S

Pros - vastly well known
Cons, if can call it that, would be the price, but the value it adds makes up for the cost.

Just under 2k for a full front, but a full front repaint will cost ~ 4k.
A repaint will NEVER match completely
A repainted car sells for less
Rock chips suck to look at

White cars tend to show a tad yellow not due to the contaminants, but rather from the adhesive of the film. Its a 5% shade off, and its across all films.

Suntek looks better than Xpel side by side.
Xpel has a longer warranty, but in 10 years you probably wont have the car, or be cashing in on the warranty anyway.

But choose the installer you want to use, and find out what they use and ask why, ask to see samples. its your car, its your choice in the end.

Great points.

What part of Canada are you in? We may could recommend a great installer for you.