Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

I got my first rock chip :'(

What should I do?

  • Ruined, buy a new car.

    Votes: 32 32.7%
  • Ignore it, from now on your car will just be beautiful on the INSIDE.

    Votes: 15 15.3%
  • Go get the PPF everyone said to get 9999 times! How have you lasted 9 months??

    Votes: 7 7.1%
  • Try to fix the chip. Then get PPF dummy.

    Votes: 15 15.3%
  • Try to fix the chip. Too late for PPF dummy.

    Votes: 14 14.3%
  • I have tons of chips and they build character!

    Votes: 27 27.6%
  • I don't care about your paint, but polls are fun.

    Votes: 13 13.3%

  • Total voters
    98
This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
I’m surprised you made it 9 months without a chip.
Well then you would really be surprised by mine. Over 4 years now with 38,000 miles (a lot of interstate driving, and not a single chip. It helps not to drive so close to other cars. I just naturally stay farther back. Sure, it isn't going to prevent all chips from unusual circumstances. Even the car before this one, I think I had one chip in 40,000 miles. Now on the other hand, the wife drives really close to other cars and wonders why she has 8 chips on a car with only 10,000 miles.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Reborn
I did not get the PPF and for 19 months I have gotten small un noticeable chips but the biggest chip happen toward the back part of the hood which meant ithat I would have waisted money on Partial PPF unless I did the full front. which would have cost as much as a new paint job in 3 years if I want to go that rout or just wrap my car.
 
I did not get the PPF and for 19 months I have gotten small un noticeable chips but the biggest chip happen toward the back part of the hood which meant ithat I would have waisted money on Partial PPF unless I did the full front. which would have cost as much as a new paint job in 3 years if I want to go that rout or just wrap my car.

I assume you are exaggerating about a full front PPF costing as much as a new paint job? How much is repainting where you live?
 
No PPF for me. Not worth it. Every car I've owned over the last 20 years has gotten too beat up by my long I-15 commute. My G8 had to have the front bumper cover replaced twice, and patched/repainted 2 more times due to debris in the road being kicked up, a chunk of 2x4 falling off a truck and being thrown into my lane, etc... PPF would've helped with the light pepperings that occur, but not the big stuff.

I had a brand new 2006 Sonata that needed a new windshield on the first day of ownership. A rock (not a pebble), was kicked up by a car in front of me as I was going 45 MPH in the slow lane getting on the fwy and smashed my windshield. 2 weeks later a piece of 2x6 board fell off a truck in the lane next to me, and bounced up and landed on my hood. I always leave plenty of gap, but this stuff finds my car regardless.

Even my wife's Terrain ended up with a tennis-ball sized dent in the front when a truck backed into her car in a parking lot with the trailer ball sticking out.

With PPF being so expensive and the FACT that I'll need to replace my bumper or have something fixed at a body shop (or bumper repair place) long before the little chips accumulate enough to matter, I'm better off just taking my chances with a naked bumper. Those of you with short commutes not in a war-zone, enjoy your flawless PPF-protected front ends ;)
 
  • Love
  • Like
Reactions: Reborn and LionXng
I decided to do PPF on my 3 and don't regret it, at all (2 years in). It's already saved me from a number of rock chips, and it's also easier to clean off bugs and other stuff that usually hits the front of the car. As with anything, you're talking about a type of insurance-- that is, protection against the possibility of something happening. Some people are for it, others aren't, but there's always a smaller or larger piece of debris out there.

As to if a place will fix the damage, correct paint and apply the film? I'm sure they are out there, but I tend to have dedicated individuals for the job(s), mainly because I employ them for other isolated reasons, anyway. It really comes down to how much it bothers you and how much you're willing to spend. This wound is fresh, so it stings, but I'd give it some time, then revisit.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LionXng
Well then you would really be surprised by mine. Over 4 years now with 38,000 miles (a lot of interstate driving, and not a single chip. It helps not to drive so close to other cars. I just naturally stay farther back. Sure, it isn't going to prevent all chips from unusual circumstances. Even the car before this one, I think I had one chip in 40,000 miles. Now on the other hand, the wife drives really close to other cars and wonders why she has 8 chips on a car with only 10,000 miles.
My commute involves heavily trafficked multi lane traffic at 60+ mph. I never tailgate but trucks and big vehicles throw gravel all over, especially on windy days.
 
I haven't gotten a chip yet, in 4 months. I did get the PPF early on, along with the ceramic coating. It definitely helps with bugs. Sorry about the chip. I guess we'll all get them at some point. As others said, best thing is to enjoy the car and don't drive when anyone else is on the road. :D
 
I have a tiny rock chip just below my Tesla T in front. It might as well be 3 feet by 3 feet because I will never unsee it (even tho it is tiny). I got lucky for 9 months without any PPF but now I think this is the kick in the pants I needed to finally pony up. Will most places fix my chip(s), do the overall paint correction, and then install the PPF as one service? Or do I need to go to separate places? Has anyone gotten PPF late, after already taking a little bit of damage? If so, how did that work out for you?
View attachment 622103

i drive a lot of long distance through australia and I have tons of rockchips on my hood which i fix with some touchup paint. Doesnt look pefect, but good enough. Probably also get one on the windscreen every 10k km which i get professionally fixed. Waiting currently for a big one so insurance replaces my windscreen hehe.

If you dont want rockchips dont drive.

Just get some chipex and cover it up. if its just 1 chip you can spend a bit of time on it and itll almost be invisible unless you are closer than 30-40cm. I usually dont spend much time on it coz after every roadtrip I have to do like 1-2 big ones and 10 tiny ones....
 
Paying 10% of the value of the car for PPF seemed like too much; but less than $1000 to do a DIY partial seemed a fair tradeoff. Doors, rockers, ⅔ hood, ⅔ fender, full front bumper.

thats why my car isnt paint protected. I think I also drive way too much on rural highways so even the PPF will get damaged. Might as well just get a respray of the front after 5-10 years if you really want to. You can invest the money in the shares in the meantime.

Good shares should make at least 6% per year so after 8 years you have 8000 USD.
 
  • Love
  • Like
Reactions: LionXng and Reborn
Take a micron meter to the paint surface of a tesla. You'll find extremly low numbers unfortunetly. My cars in the process of a paint correction and ceramic. My guy hit it in many spots with a digital readout. Highest micro count was in the really low 100's. With the lowest bein 72 he found. You can look at this paint wrong and it will chip. Lol he said it was the second lowest micro reading hes seen. The other one was a tesla as well.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: LionXng