PPF and Tint recommendations

Personally I'm not putting $7-$8k into PPF for a sub 50k car, seems like a waste of money, it would be cheaper to have the entire thing repainted if it ever came to that. The window tint however is very much needed, it becomes a glass fishbowl in the summer, I only did 70% on the windshield so it is pretty light but it blocks a ton of heat.

Hi, I can only speak from experience regarding roof tint. I was told not to do it. I am the original owner of a 2020 M3 LR (which I love) and I am anxiously awaiting delivery of my new 2026 MY Premium AWD to replace my beloved M3 (but the HW4 and other features sold me). I watched some detailed videos highlighting the features and enhancements in my new MY (Jay Leno test drove one with Tesla engineer & designer in the car). The new glass roof includes an improved roof glass with metallic coating (dual layer silver) and a 25% tint from the factory which improves heat rejection.

Agree on the PPF. If OP sells it someday, the pristine body may add $500 to the value, if even that.

Yup I saw that too. Would you tint just the windows then? What about the PPF?

That makes sense! Thanks

PPF is a waste of money. It's very expensive, and doesn't add any value to the car when you trade it. If you're OCD about paint chips, remember that the PPF will be damaged and show imperfections just like the paint would. Unless you're willing to redo the PPF every time a rock hits your car, you will still have to live with cosmetic blemishes. As for tint, don't go through Tesla to have it done. Find a local shop and have them do it. I didn't tin the roof. Just had the front windows matched with the rear (20%) with a brow strip across the windshield. I put sunshades in the roof during the summer, and take them back out in the fall.

Agreed! Thanks.

There are diy of kits just for the front of the car that only cost 500 bucks. If anything, that is the most important part to protect.

Thanks

Thanks! Any reason not to go through Tesla app which assigns preferred local vendor for tint?

If you go through Tesla you're going to pay Tesla pricing. Go directly to a vendor of your choice and you will save a ton of money.

Don’t do PPF. If you really want to do something, just get a wrap of the color you like. PPF is a waste of money. I have 50k miles with no PPF and my car is just fine.

Thanks

Thanks

I didn’t tint the sunroof as the new Model Y has a tinted sunroof already with heat rejection (from what I’ve read, but I’m agreeing as I’ve noticed it being noticeably cooler) I did tint all other windows though including the front windshield. As for PPF, I skipped out on that and instead went with ceramic coating to make the red color pop more and make washing the car way easier.

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For my MY performance, I have Quick Silver paint that I paid extra for. I live in Utah and drive on many gravel roads and hills while traveling. Therefore I chose the PPF packaging for all vulnerable areas. This was roughly $2500 and did ceramic wax on all paint and wheels. I tinted front sides max legal. Didn’t bother with roof. (many responses to cracking the glass from this) who knows , but I use a sun visor if needed in summer. I did not do windshield yet.. possible but odds of chipping is very high and then I would have to re tint every time. I carry glass coverage thru Tesla along with wheel and tire coverage running 21” Uber’s. Find a quality local shop!

Thanks

The PPF is a hotly debated topic on Reddit. Most fall into two categories. The first category is characterized by the comment u/stadce071012 (i.e., PPF is a waste of money, a vehicle isn’t an investment, it’s a utilitarian asset). The second category is characterized by people who want to take really good care of their car because they care about how it looks, they plan on holding it for a long time, etc. These two categories are where the decision tree begins. IMHO, I think PPF is worth it if you plan on holding the car long term. Today’s quality PPF is self-healing so minor damage will disappear when exposed to heat, whether the sun or a heat gun. Ultimately, the decision is yours. I recommend Xpel XR Plus tint for your windows. You can purchase it through the Tesla app and it will include a replacement warranty subject to the limited Tesla warranty. My car is a 2021 M3P with Deep Blue Metallic and I got full frontal PPF and ceramic coating all the way around. Tesla paint is notoriously soft and is prone to scratches and swirl marks so the combination of PPF and ceramic coating has made it very easy to maintain my vehicle’s appearance. Good luck!

I am not sure I agree with stadce071012’s comment. I priced the tint through the Tesla App and a local installer, and the price was the same. The benefit of going through the Tesla app is that there is a tint warranty that is connected to the Tesla warranty. This is in Houston, Texas. I did 20% front, 5% rear and back, 55% for the roof. It gets very hot in SE Texas and

I have been looking into pricing quotes, and I agree with you. Similar pricing through the Tesla app

Thanks for this perspective

I know it’s a significant investment and hopefully you will get additional perspectives that help you decide.

Yup! I typically rely on automated carwashes and heard that it is not recommended with Tesla. I think PPF does provide some protection there.

Tesla's price was $225 for just the two front windows. My local guy that I have been using for the last decade only charged me $180 for the two windows and a brow strip across the windshield. Just speaking from my own first hand experience.

FWIW, I just sold my ‘21 MYLR with 80k miles and no PPF, and they couldn’t care less about the little chips in the paint. They didn’t even give it a good wash before quoting, and it definitely needed one.

Thanks for sharing!

Here’s the most common at our shop: Front end ppf and xpel xr plus on all glass. People that want their tesla long term add a ceramic coating because they know how thin that clear coat and paint is. Especially with yours being red, get that front end ppf’d asap before you get a rock chip