Tesla model 3 tint issues

[haohaozh]

Last week I went to a local store in Mesa AZ to have my brand new Tesla model 3 tinted with ceramic tint. Got some pretty spotty areas with bubbles that seem never disappear (even after putting my car under hot AZ summer sunshine for a few days). Also got some wrinkles at the edge of the front windshield. What's even more, the rear glass near the top of the roof has 2 pockets (probably 0.5 inch in diamater) that are not even attached to the glass. I am going to go back to the store tomorrow to ask them to fix all of these issues. Not sure why they did such a sloppy job, even though they are highly rated in Google. Just wondering, is it normal sometimes to see this kind of spotty area? Can this be patched or have to be replaced entirely? I am also worried about the rear window tint, since it has defroster lines. Not sure if replacing the window tint on rear window could damange those defroster lines?
Pic 1. Frond Door Driver Side (Only a few spotty area)

Pic 2. Rear door small window (very spotty)

Pic 3. Front windshield corner with wrinkles and spots

Pic 4. Rear glass near top of the roof with 2 pockets (look from inside)

Pic 5. Rear glass with some spotty area.

 

[jjrandorin]

You said "putting under sun for a few days". Unless you got the tint done like 2 weeks ago, the shop will likely tell you to wait. Just... wait. it can take up to a couple weeks or so for all the moisture to evaporate out. If you still have issues after like 15+ days, then take it back, the shop should help you.

I have been getting window tint on vehicles for more than 30 years, so I guess I am surprised at all the people who seem to stress out with this stuff after "a few days'.

If you said " a few weeks" then, you have an issue.

 

[haohaozh]

You said "putting under sun for a few days". Unless you got the tint done like 2 weeks ago, the shop will likely tell you to wait. Just... wait. it can take up to a couple weeks or so for all the moisture to evaporate out. If you still have issues after like 15+ days, then take it back, the shop should help you.

I have been getting window tint on vehicles for more than 30 years, so I guess I am surprised at all the people who seem to stress out with this stuff after "a few days'.

If you said " a few weeks" then, you have an issue.

Well I hope that is the truth. The car was tinted a weeks ago and I put the car in the garage for the first 2 days. Then baked it under the sun for 5 days. I don't think the wrinkles and the pockets will go away though.

 

[Kimmi]

My first question is; did you spend $, $$, $$$ or $$$$?

 

[haohaozh]

My first question is; did you spend $, $$, $$$ or $$$$?

I spent $800+ to tint the front windshield, four doors and rear window. We did the XPEL Prime XR Plus film.

 

[canasion35]

The windows have dust particles under some of them…those spots won’t come out, especially with the bubbles that you can see particles underneath

For the windshield, they creased it ever so slightly in a couple spots in that corner, so they will be there forever…they rushed this job on the prep for the windows, and the shrink on the windshield.

Background - I tint all my cars and have made these mistakes in the past.

 

[haohaozh]

The windows have dust particles under some of them…those spots won’t come out, especially with the bubbles that you can see particles underneath

For the windshield, they creased it ever so slightly in a couple spots in that corner, so they will be there forever…they rushed this job on the prep for the windows, and the shrink on the windshield.

Background - I tint all my cars and have made these mistakes in the past.

Yes, you are right. Those subbles with particles cannot go away. I think they rushed the job.

 

[haohaozh]

Some updates. I went back to the store and they agreed to fix all the issues. They replaced the tint on the windshield, the back door, pushed up the bubbles near the top of the roof. However they messed up again badly on the windshield and the back door quarter window. The windshield show even more dust partiles and debris right away. Seems like they again rushed the job. The employee at the store appologized for the work saying the quality was not acceptable to them and offered us to come back and redo the window for the 3rd time next week.
I live about 30+ miles from the store, and this is such a hassle to go back and forth. With the work they did for the first 2 times, now I don't really trust that they can fixed it the 3rd time. Any thoughts? Maybe I should contact XPEL, since they are XPEL certified installer.

 

[canasion35]

It is a hassle yes, but that film is pretty expensive so they can't afford to mess it up yet again. I'd take it back and make sure its perfect before leaving...

 

[RG129]

Some updates. I went back to the store and they agreed to fix all the issues. They replaced the tint on the windshield, the back door, pushed up the bubbles near the top of the roof. However they messed up again badly on the windshield and the back door quarter window. The windshield show even more dust partiles and debris right away. Seems like they again rushed the job. The employee at the store appologized for the work saying the quality was not acceptable to them and offered us to come back and redo the window for the 3rd time next week.
I live about 30+ miles from the store, and this is such a hassle to go back and forth. With the work they did for the first 2 times, now I don't really trust that they can fixed it the 3rd time. Any thoughts? Maybe I should contact XPEL, since they are XPEL certified installer.

Glad they're trying to resolve the issues. Those bubbles definitely look like particulate trapped underneath and waiting longer wouldn't have fixed it.

It's interesting how tint shops have evolved over the years. I remember my first tint job on my new 1999 Acura Integra (memories!), and the reputable tint shop I went to boasted about their vehicle bay having air filtration to reduce dust and particles like it was a semiconductor clean room. The guy that tinted my Model 3 this year did a fairly good job but it was basically a space in an auto shop strip mall and the roll up door was open the whole time he was applying tint.

 

[MattH]

I had a recent tint, it had issues like OP, they redid it today, now there are bubbles at the bottom of window, seems like it happened on the spot from the frameless window when the door was opened once, that is the location of the bubbles anyways, but that is speculation. Tint guy said they would go away, so far all day no difference, but day one I guess nothing happens?

 

[Brou]

Some updates. I went back to the store and they agreed to fix all the issues. They replaced the tint on the windshield, the back door, pushed up the bubbles near the top of the roof. However they messed up again badly on the windshield and the back door quarter window. The windshield show even more dust partiles and debris right away. Seems like they again rushed the job. The employee at the store appologized for the work saying the quality was not acceptable to them and offered us to come back and redo the window for the 3rd time next week.
I live about 30+ miles from the store, and this is such a hassle to go back and forth. With the work they did for the first 2 times, now I don't really trust that they can fixed it the 3rd time. Any thoughts? Maybe I should contact XPEL, since they are XPEL certified installer.

I had a really bad tint job done on my car in July. I thought about taking it back to them but feared how much worse they could ruin things. I was particularly worried about water damage since they'd already caused some water staining/rings on the roof fabric. I accepted the lower than normal quality and the tint shop gave me a full refund ($750). If I were you I'd accept it and ask for a full refund. The sting of a bad tint job doesn't hurt as bad when it's free.

I understand how annoying it is though...hell, a few days ago I was driving and the sun hit the windshield JUSSSST right and I could see "Llumar" logo halos all over the windshield tint. I just had to remind myself "this *sugar* was free."

 

[MattH]

Some updates. I went back to the store and they agreed to fix all the issues. They replaced the tint on the windshield, the back door, pushed up the bubbles near the top of the roof. However they messed up again badly on the windshield and the back door quarter window. The windshield show even more dust partiles and debris right away. Seems like they again rushed the job. The employee at the store appologized for the work saying the quality was not acceptable to them and offered us to come back and redo the window for the 3rd time next week.
I live about 30+ miles from the store, and this is such a hassle to go back and forth. With the work they did for the first 2 times, now I don't really trust that they can fixed it the 3rd time. Any thoughts? Maybe I should contact XPEL, since they are XPEL certified installer.

Time for a full refund and cut your losses if you possibly can. They use a a lot of water tinting, quite a bit gets on your trim if they leave it on, and what people may not realize, when getting a rear window tinted, if they don't remove the trim, they flush a lot of water under the side trim (a soap rope does not fit under side trim, only bottom of the window). If they are removing the trim, do you really want them stressing all those clips for a 3rd time?