[viXit]

Originally Posted by audioholic

I believe this was 3M vinyl ppf and not their Urethane PPF which came much later.

+1

Originally Posted by motoholic31

Hi All,

I had a horrible experience with 3M PPF which I had got done 5 years ago in 3M Thane. .............

I have learnt a lesson and I'm never going to opt for PPF for any of my cars in future.

I suspect some foul play here by the dealer.
Like BHPian Audioholic mentioned, I think this is another inferior variant.

May be ceramic coating is a better bet than PPF after having such a horrible experience.

Scratches, scrapes and rock chips can easily plow through the thickest of ceramic coatings. PPF is indestructible.

I remember my 3M dealer giving me a piece of PPF and challenging me to tear/ puncture it. Not even a screwdriver could pierce it. Only a scissor or blade could cut through.

-----------------------

I have PPF on my Safari wherever I have the explorer edition Decals. That is, the Hood and rear quarter panels. It's been on my car for about the same period as yours. It has become slightly yellow but is still very much glossy.

It was installed at the 3M Store in Hyderabad.

If I have the money, I'd PPF my car again, only issue is the yellowing, But good brands like Stek and LLumar have yellowing warranties for upto 8 odd years.

Here are the pictures of my car, You can see the yellowing but no matte finish or breaking down of the PPF anywhere.

And my car doesn't even have the best of parkings . It's always in the sun during summers thanks to the farming work and was never pampered all too much.

Very much glossy even today

reflections on the PPF


If you open the pic and zoom in on the hood, you can see some orange peel characteristic of the PPF, but the reflections being just as you'd expect.
[center]

another one


You can see the yellowing on the PPF on the compass sticker. This is the only problem.



The water beading isn't as good as it was when new, but this was expected.

I have a lot of highway driving and rock chips on my hood hurt my soul. Thanks to the PPF I don't have any since the last 5 years.

I am sure a lot of people are going to shy away from PPF on their new cars after seeing these posts. But I'd like to reiterate that this is a one off unlucky experience. I know many people who've had ppf on their cars for a good amount of time.

[susheel_kainat]

Its definitely a horrible experience. I too have gone with 3M PPF and got it done from 3M outlet and its been 5 years and so far have not faced similar fading issue. I have parked my vehicle in hot sun covered, uncovered, drenched in rain, dust etc.

Now if you have decided to remove it, was it taken to 3M outlet to do it?
Sorry if I missed that part in your earlier posts, but ideally you should have gone to them to get it removed and hence could have had them accountable for this. Also from my understanding the removing procedure is not as simple as just pulling it out with bare hands, so its always better to get it done from the same experts, who had applied it, even if the cost involved is high.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by rd18

Please elaborate more on “detialing twice a year”. What we need to ask the detailer to do here? Some kind of polish etc. / foam wash ?

A detail session typically includes a full exterior deep cleaning and a few coats of polish. Unlike a polish however, the detail costs much more because, well it's all about the detailing!
There are detailers who will bring flood lights, masking tape, etc. to make sure the car is swirl free with proper gloss. They will remove the dirt and all around the logo, alloys, etc. - a full day team effort for one car v/s a polish who will do a pressure wash and apply a coat of polish on the car in under 2 hours.

Check out the level of detail some of them go into here (Car Detailing : The Detailing Studio, Mumbai) : I don't have much pics but this one detailer did keep me apprised - down to removing the hub cap from the alloys, doing a color restore treatment, etc. to make sure the car looked better than new.

Originally Posted by Rhik94

I have a VW Polo 1.0 TSi Highline Plus MT and it has done about 14000 kms in my 1 year of ownership. Do you have any issues with flying stone chips on the highway causing paint chips? I already have 2 chips on each of my front doors. Any suggestions as to what to do about it? Since it happens due to no fault of mine it hurts worse!

Honestly, these are unavoidable. Our pre-owned ES came with PPF & I am seeing little bits of the PPF chipped away due to these flying stones.

There are tricks to learn such as keep away from vehicles with massive rear tyres - trucks, supercars, etc. - they kick up rubble like no-one's business so one doesn't want to get too close to them - best to overtake them safely with a little margin from the rear. Plus side - makes a safer and more comfortable drive too!

And some unfortunately are just unavoidable - PPF may protect the paint, but even scratched up PPF looks equally horrible.

Originally Posted by motoholic31

Here is the post by AJ56 who has the similar observation.

Cheers

Really sad to see the state of your i20.
I've always avoided PPF : preferring to get the bumpers or so touched up every few years if needed. However, our pre-owned ES unfortunately came with PPF, and the post by AJ56 as quoted by you makes it clear that I need to remove it before the car turns 3 to keep it simple!
It already has a few chips, and has protected the paint well - but as pointed out in my last detail session, the quality and maintenance by previous owner wasn't up to par and it's already turning yellowish. Plus, in some places where it's coming undone - there was mold growing during the monsoons - like on the bumper - edges that were covered by the bootlid. Just waiting for the driver to get the hang of the car entirely & hopefully have my parking sorted so I can remove it and get the car detailed ASAP.

[JReacher13]

Originally Posted by motoholic31

Hi All,

I had a horrible experience with 3M PPF which I had got done 5 years ago in 3M Thane.

Thank you for sharing. That's really disappointing experience.

I think the experience with 3M boils down to franchise skill level and their attitude towards customers. My personal experience with 3M in Hyderabad is nothing special. I went for anti-rodent treatment and car cleaning a couple of times. They didn't even close the bonnet and latch the steering properly, both times. For what they charge I didn't find them any better than others. Better to buy 3M products (for car care; PPF and Wraps may not be easy for DIY) and use them on our own.

[ASHUJNMC]

Originally Posted by WorkingGuru

I don't trust this PPF bogey. Simply not believable to me that some "superior plastic" can cost a whopping ₹550/sqft. At that rate, one can get their car repainted thrice over!

We too were quite tempted for PPF looking at how many scratches cars can catch specially at bumpers on the 4 corners.
But backed off seeing the cost involved vs. cost of painting the whole car.
Just installed their ceramic heat cutting film on all glasses, and 4 years later got fined in Bangalore and got it removed by paying a local shop and it left adhesives which needed removing .

Learnt a lesson not to take chance with these things.

[V.Narayan]

Very sorry to learn of the OP's horrid experience with 3M PPF. My sympathies with him. It is enough to make one livid.

While i am not here to hold a candle for 3M, my experience with PPF over 7 years {Volvo XC60} and 5 years {Lexus ES300h} has been very favourable and touchwood no problems thus far. I hope tomorrow doesn't bring some sad experience. Photos from 2021 below of both cars. Why has my experience been different - I do not know. Will my cars suffer the same fate eventually - well I do not know that either. Is it working well 7 years down - yes it is.

[Deepesh Goel]

Originally Posted by motoholic31

Hi All,

I had a horrible experience with 3M PPF which I had got done 5 years ago in 3M Thane. Over the period of time, PPF had become brittle and got converted from glossy to matt as you can see below...

Sad to see such thing. Did you try to contact to 3M people and what was your warranty period.?

[KL01toKA03]

Seeing the damage makes me wonder how 3M deal with warranty claims. How do they remove the film without damaging paint? Is their warranty limited to the film, or does it cover any damages to the paint that happen while the film is removed? If the paint is not covered, it might be easier and cheaper to repaint the entire car once in a few years instead of opting for PPF.

[GeeTee TSI]

Slightly
I understand the thought process behind a PPF is to absorb some light impact and scratches, rather than take the brunt on the top coat

Wonder why not consider a set of OEM touch up kit as per the paint code of the car. This should take care of deep scratches or chips and detailing should take care of swirls and minor scratches.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by GeeTee TSI

Wonder why not consider a set of OEM touch up kit as per the paint code of the car. This should take care of deep scratches or chips and detailing should take care of swirls and minor scratches.

Sorry I do not understand how you can compare a touch up kit to PPF. Over the last two years that I have had full PPF on my Innova, it has saved me from painting the front bumper twice due to scuffs with pillar, rear quarter panel from a scuff while reversing in parking, bonnet from vandalism and rear bumper and brake light from a drunk biker. If the PPF werent there, I would have had to repaint so many panels and still not get the factory finish in spite of spending money. Hence, the main advantage of PPF is it keeps the factory paint intact which is the most important purpose for me.

Originally Posted by KL01toKA03

Seeing the damage makes me wonder how 3M deal with warranty claims. How do they remove the film without damaging paint? Is their warranty limited to the film, or does it cover any damages to the paint that happen while the film is removed? If the paint is not covered, it might be easier and cheaper to repaint the entire car once in a few years instead of opting for PPF.

This is an interesting aspect. PPFs whether 3M or any other brand have become quite popular in the recent years only. Very few people have had them for more than five years. Even the earliest PPF I have as of now is on my bike which is close to four years old. Hence, those who have offered 5 or even 7 year warranty would have not even come to a stage where their customers would want it to be removed. Hence the long term experience would only be comparable in a few years from now.

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by rd18

Please elaborate more on “detialing twice a year”. What we need to ask the detailer to do here? Some kind of polish etc. / foam wash ?

Detailing can mean a lot of different things, but with respect to the paintwork you’d ideally want the detailer to perform a chemical decon with tar and iron removers after washing say every 6-8 months.

Now if the car is ceramic coated, this is where we normally finish (if water beading needs a boost you can request for a silica spray sealant like Gyeon Can Coat/Carpro Reload for eg.) On an uncoated vehicle you may choose to have some paint correction done (1 step or multi step machine polishing will depend on the budget and paint condition).

The key to glossy, swirl free paint in the long run is quite simple, take care to wash it properly and safely, and keep it protected from the elements by using a high quality coating/sealant. Cheers.

[Sebring]

I had 3M self healing PPF film for few years, installed at their outlet. Had no issues till there was some hard knock and it took the hit beautifully. Replaced those portions just to try another brand (For curiosity's sake). I'm shocked seeing your pictures and am certain they have plastered some old stuff. Please contact 3M HQ as they react swiftly (as per my experience). The outlet could lose their license

[goenkakushal]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Is it working well 7 years down - yes it is.

Good to know that your PPF served you well..
Which brand was it?

Originally Posted by Sebring

I had 3M self healing PPF film for few years, installed at their outlet. Had no issues till there was some hard knock and it took the hit beautifully.

How many years did you have it for? Is 3M still there on other panels?

[Mortis]

3M PPF that I had used to seal a vandal's stab hole in my reverse light also became cracked and crispy over a few years and I had to scrape it off last year and replace it.

[EV NXT]

BEWARE - the next in line to hit car owners would be Ceramic Coating.

Detailers and some unscrupulous paint companies have discovered a huge automotive pre-refinish market waiting to be tapped into. Earlier the max they could tap this market was waxes, cleaners and polishes but with PPF and Ceramic coating they can tap into owners bank accounts like never before because anyone buying a new car usually wants to spend money making it look good.

If you ever visit a car factory they allow you to view every area EXCEPT THE PAINTING SECTION because they do not like to make known the processes they follow. Most paints are applied with the body shell being heated so that the paint enters the steel molecules - this gives it a finish and protection hard to replicate. Given this level of OE production quality anything applied over the original coat can never hope to protect, guard or enhance the looks except temporarily.

The analogy I use when friends ask me is to compare buying 22 Carat gold and covering it with false gold because false gold shines better. Yes, it would. Temporarily.