Hi all, I have an 18 month old Model 3, put XPEL PPF Matte over the entire car right after I picked it up. Been happy with it, but just got a tiny (1 inch x 1/4") hole/tear in it on the back bumper. What are the best options to repair it? The shop that installed it wants to replace the entire bumper piece, which is going to be expensive. Any thoughts? And if so, any recommended shops in Northern California?
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Soul Surfer
Cancervivor, tech geek & musician
stopcrazypp
Well-Known Member
Doesn't XPEL have a warranty? Did you ask about that? I highly doubt any pro shop will do patching. It's essentially impossible to make the fix invisible once there is a hole, and the matte probably makes it even harder. If it was a scratch, it is possible to polish it out (at least for glossy PPF, not sure about matte) and reduce the appearance, but not possible with a hole due to the edge that is created.
If it was on the lower part instead (which has less surface area), a skilled installer might be able to cut out and replace the entire lower part of bumper along body line, leaving a seam on the existing body line. But it appears your hole is on the upper part which makes up a bulk of the bumper. It wouldn't necessarily save much money though given the labor is about the same (maybe even harder) and installer may not necessarily have a less expensive spare piece that can work (and not have to use a larger piece). The seam may also lift and collect dirt.
What you can do in the meantime to reduce its appearance is to clean out whatever gunk is in the hole.
joebruin77
Active Member
I have had Xpel PPF installed on my 2018 P3D since Dec 2018. Although Xpel has an excellent 10-year warranty, it only covers defects in the film. The damage you posted is clearly due to some sort of debris or rock hitting the PPF. If your windshield developed a crack because a rock landed on it, it would not be repaired under a warranty. Same situation with the PPF.
Have you actually gotten a quote from the PPF shop to repair the one damaged section of PPF? It may not be as expensive as you are assuming. I once had a front quarter panel damaged by someone opening a parked car door next to my car. To remove the damaged PPF and install a brand new piece in the same area, the total cost was $125.
I would get quotes from 2-3 different local manufacturer authorized installers / shops in your area. You may be able to find someone who can do it at a decent price that won't break the bank.
Good luck!
Joe
Have you actually gotten a quote from the PPF shop to repair the one damaged section of PPF? It may not be as expensive as you are assuming. I once had a front quarter panel damaged by someone opening a parked car door next to my car. To remove the damaged PPF and install a brand new piece in the same area, the total cost was $125.
I would get quotes from 2-3 different local manufacturer authorized installers / shops in your area. You may be able to find someone who can do it at a decent price that won't break the bank.
Good luck!
Joe
This is great advice, thanks @joebruin77 ! I am reaching out to some XPEL installers in Norcal right now. Appreciate it!!!
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