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Paint Protection/Scratch Resistance

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Much to my disappointment and chagrin, I noticed a scratch on the trunk/hatchback lid of my 3 month old Model S. Couldn’t buff it out, which means it went through the paint. Which leads to me wonder how many layers of paint Tesla uses and if there’s any clear coat protection. Obviously disappointed and I’m sure this won’t be the last scratch or ding, but wondering what other owners think of the paint protection or have any suggestions as to proceed. Has anyone added any protective finishes to their Tesla?

Thanks,
Ron
 
Much to my disappointment and chagrin, I noticed a scratch on the trunk/hatchback lid of my 3 month old Model S. Couldn’t buff it out, which means it went through the paint. Which leads to me wonder how many layers of paint Tesla uses and if there’s any clear coat protection. Obviously disappointed and I’m sure this won’t be the last scratch or ding, but wondering what other owners think of the paint protection or have any suggestions as to proceed. Has anyone added any protective finishes to their Tesla?

Sorry to hear about the scratch on your Tesla. Prior to Tesla ownership, I only had the front end of my cars covered in ppf (9 previous cars). For the Tesla, I decided to get a full exterior ppf wrap with Xpel Ultimate Plus. I know the cost of ppf is expensive and it's definitely not for everyone. However, I'm OCD when it comes to the appearance of my cars and I'm happy with the full exterior protection.

@Premiertint in El Dorado Hills, CA did my full exterior ppf wrap and they did awesome work - I can't see a seam or exposed edge anywhere. Anyway, Premiertint noticed some scratches underneath the trunk "T" badge upon removal. They used the Tesla Paint Repair Kit, followed by Xpel and now I can't even tell where the scratch was. Protecting the car with ppf is worth considering if you think seeing swirls and scratches will bother you. Good Luck !
 
Much to my disappointment and chagrin, I noticed a scratch on the trunk/hatchback lid of my 3 month old Model S. Couldn’t buff it out, which means it went through the paint. Which leads to me wonder how many layers of paint Tesla uses and if there’s any clear coat protection. Obviously disappointed and I’m sure this won’t be the last scratch or ding, but wondering what other owners think of the paint protection or have any suggestions as to proceed. Has anyone added any protective finishes to their Tesla?

Thanks,
Ron

Hi Ron,

I hate to hear you already have a blemish in your brand new Model S. We are a manufacturer of Paint Protection Film (located in Martinsville VA), and we have dealers/installers all over the country. I'd be happy to get you the names of some of our dealers in Sarasota.

The great thing about Paint Protection Film is that it can be applied virtually anywhere you'd like to protect your vehicles paint. Door edges, door cups, front end, rocker panels, the rear bumper deck,etc are all popular application areas.

Our PPF is self healing for surface scratches, resistant to harmful solvents, and our 10 year warranty Ultra has remarkable stain resistance.

If you have any questions about PPF please let me know I'm happy to answer what I can.
 
Which leads to me wonder how many layers of paint Tesla uses and if there’s any clear coat protection. Obviously disappointed and I’m sure this won’t be the last scratch or ding, but wondering what other owners think of the paint protection or have any suggestions as to proceed. Has anyone added any protective finishes to their Tesla?

Tesla's paint has clear coat just like anyone else's, but my understanding based on conversations with some high-end detailers is that Tesla paint is of a "lesser quality" and likely due to from laws requiring lower levels of VOC (at least in California).

I had PPF applied pretty much the moment after taking delivery. For me long-term protection is important (not necessarily for resale value) so this has been very worth it since I had it installed almost 5 years ago. That said, I'm also under the impression that PPF is typically replaced every 5 - 7 years (otherwise it might get more brittle(?), more difficult to remove, and thus increasing the risk of peeling the paint right off with the PPF over time). I'm due for a PPF replacement in the coming years if so.
 
I know the owner of a high end body shop and he said in California, they were forced to go to a water based paint a few years ago due to the environmental laws. He also said this was a reason it's more difficult for them to color match when doing repairs...especially on the older cars.
 
Thanks all for your responses. I did hook up with a local dealer, highly recommended, in fact I personally know of an owner of many high end vehicles (Tesla included) who has all his expensive cars worked on at the recommended dealer. Furthermore, in reading the forums, I see where some FL Tesla owners have driven across the state to have their vehicle applied with PPF at the recommended dealer. I did visit him today, and once I have the scratch repaired (repainted at a recommended body shop), I'll have my Tesla applied with PPF, partial or total. It was recommended that the PPF application be done about 30 days after the paint repair, so given my appointment for the repair work is not until mid May, I'm looking at the PPF application to be done in June. BTW, this shop owner personally owns two Teslas.
 
Thanks all for your responses. I did hook up with a local dealer, highly recommended, in fact I personally know of an owner of many high end vehicles (Tesla included) who has all his expensive cars worked on at the recommended dealer. Furthermore, in reading the forums, I see where some FL Tesla owners have driven across the state to have their vehicle applied with PPF at the recommended dealer. I did visit him today, and once I have the scratch repaired (repainted at a recommended body shop), I'll have my Tesla applied with PPF, partial or total. It was recommended that the PPF application be done about 30 days after the paint repair, so given my appointment for the repair work is not until mid May, I'm looking at the PPF application to be done in June. BTW, this shop owner personally owns two Teslas.

Nice! I'm glad to hear the process is going well for you.