Tint shop destroyed back window defroster lines

[Darmie]

I'm glad it worked out for you in the long run. There are several tint and wrap shops here in Houston but, I would only trust one or two.
I know there are many that don't use Facebook however, the local Tesla groups should have a trusting vendor list available. There is always good conversation when the subject comes up on a post of the best recommendations of shops that are trustworthy. I'm also leery about a ship when I see them offering a black Friday or some holiday discount sale. There's a reason they are cheaper then the rest. Again, glad it worked out for you.

 

[ChooseFreedom]

do people think the damage was due to simple removal of the adhesion of the original tint, or was there some extra mechanical action that the installers applied?


im thinking of doing temporary home-tint job. its only meant for a long road trip this summer with my backward-facing infant. so doesnt need to be perfect, but i dont want to ruin the defrost when i remove it later.

I second the cling film idea for temp purposes. I installed a cling as my front windshield visor strip. Not the clearest of views, but works alright. It's a dry application, so a bit cleaner. It'll take a bit of sun on it to adhere well.
A pull shade is good for times when you're stationary, but a bit view-restrictive when driving I'd think.

Proper tint removal requires a lot of steam and even more patience when it comes to the rear defrost lines. Sounds like that place had neither. There are no shortcuts.
I've seen videos of some success in loosening the adhesive by wetting the windshield with soapy water and sticking a black trash bag to it, then leaving it out in the sun for a few hours to soften the glue. But that does make the steaming and pealing a bit easier, especially around the defrost lines. You can find just about anything DIY on YouTube!

 

[Hotboy408]

im not tinter, but i have remove tint myself in the past in my tesla with steamer w/o damage
. trust me its all about the quality of tint film material. how tacky it is. some film left 2nd layers and tinter resolve by scrap it off, that's how it damage the defrost.
also defroster lines are so thin, you can even damage by just cleaning the window, scraping with a razor blade..
don't cheap out and go to shop specialize in tesla tint.

 

[TheFro]

Same thing happened to me; got some tint done recently and there were creases in the tint on the rear glass and I said I wanted it redone . Sadly the shop warned me that they might be a small chance of the lines coming off. I had never heard of this happening before on any cars I've previously owned and the tint was only a few weeks old so I figured they were just being extra cautious. After a google search, it turned out that it's more common especially with Teslas. I garage my car and live in Texas so I don't use my rear defroster at all so I'm not in much of a hurry to replace but I am deeply disappointed in how all this turned out with a car I've only had a month now.