What Are The Disadvantages of Paint Protection Film?

One of the best things you can do for your paint has a quality paint protection film installed on your vehicle.

Paint protection film can make a huge difference in the longevity of your vehicle’s paint by protecting it from contaminants, sun damage, and road debris.

It is best to know both pros and cons when making a decision.

Disadvantages are just as important as advantages when it comes to painting protection film. There are five disadvantages to painting protection film.

Disadvantages Of Paint Protection Film

Cost

The paint protection film is not a cheap endeavor but pays for itself in slowing the devaluation of your vehicle due to paint and sun damage and avoiding paint repairs.

The quality of the paint protection film, the experience of the installers, the complexity of the job, and the amount of your vehicle are just some of the factors that can affect the cost of paint protection film.

Installation of paint protection film can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars.

Since vinyl wraps are much cheaper than paint protection film, people need to consider this when choosing between them for their vehicles.

These wraps only provide a small amount of protection, and they are only used for aesthetic purposes. The paint protection film pays for itself.

It is worth the cost with its self-healing properties preventing you from having to have a panel of paint protection film replaced every time it gets nicked and its shielding ability to prevent paint repairs.

Bad Installation

The last thing you want to do when you invest in a paint protection film is to have it ruined before you get any benefit out of it.

You won’t find yourself wondering what to do about bubbles, dirt, and dust under your new paint protection film if you have it installed by a good shop.

It is important to go to someone who knows what they are doing.

Your paint protection film won’t be as effective if your installer doesn’t complete all the steps of installation, or if they make a mistake.

The paint protection film will leave bubbles with dirt underneath if they don’t do a good enough job cleaning your paint or correcting paint defects.

One of the top XPEL paint protection film dealers in California is StickerCity, they are one of the top installers.

Not Permanent

The paint protection film is a thin film put over the top of your paint. It is durable enough to endure the elements, despite its incredibly thin profile.

It will not last forever, that’s what it is being said. Paint protection film products have different life spans, but none of them are forever.

It is important to have reasonable expectations if you get paint protection film. Between 5 and 10 years, you will need to have your paint protection film replaced.

The paint protection film won’t leave a mark on your vehicle’s paint and any good installer has all of the tools necessary to remove and replace it when it’s time to do so.

Removal Before Resale

It’s good to have a plan if you ever decide to sell your vehicle, even if you don’t think you’ll ever want to.

You would think that having an expensive paint protection product installed on your vehicle would increase its value, but it isn’t always the case.

Paint protection film can help keep your vehicle in great condition, and pristine paint can increase your vehicle’s value.

If you want to get around this problem, you can use paint protection film to keep your paint in factory condition, then remove it before the time comes to sell your vehicle.

There is no evidence that the paint protection film was on the vehicle when it was removed.

If it is not possible to remove your paint protection film from the shop that installed it, most dealers of paint protection film can do it.

Car Washing Considerations

To get the most out of your paint protection film, you need to know how to maintain it and how to clean it.

Maintaining your paint protection film is similar to maintaining your vehicle’s factory paint in many ways.

If you want to clean your paint protection film, you should use mild soap and water. As soon as possible, it is advisable to get the contaminants off of your PPF.

Some differences aren’t the same. Paint protection film can’t hold up to things that are painted cans.

Even though waxing is unnecessary if you have paint protection film, it is still important to check the ingredients of any soaps or waxes that you decide to use.

If you use any products on your paint protection film, make sure they don’t contain either naphtha or kerosene.

You shouldn’t use a pressure washer on your vehicle if it has a paint protection film installed.

If you insist on using a pressure washer, stay away from your vehicle and angle the jet of water so that it doesn’t push up under the edges of the film.

Alternatives to Paint Protection Film

Rock chips are the only real alternative to PPF. If you want to prevent fine scratches, you can get your car coated, but it won’t do anything against a stone chip.

I have decided to deal with rock chips as they happen. This isn’t the right choice for everyone.

It has become easier to deal with rock chips but they still aren’t easy to deal with. The cost and aesthetic reasons are what I have.

I know I will have to replace the clear bra at some point because I plan to keep my current car for an extended period.

A friend of mine decided that the route he wanted to take with his car was to wait until the damage was bad enough for him to get the front end painted.

It’s probably not much more than the paint protection film, but it is not cheap. I am concerned about getting a proper job done on this route.

The quality of the paint on my cars was not as good as the factory paint. No one will care for my car as much as I would.

It is advisable to do a lot of research to find a good paint shop if you consider this option.

Ask questions at local car meets. You will be able to see firsthand the quality of the paint job at the car meet.

Conclusion

The paint protection film is an amazing form of protection and is worth all of its disadvantages. Everyone should be aware of the drawbacks so that they can prevent problems.

If you know that you shouldn’t pressure wash your paint protection film and that the resale value of your vehicle will go down if PPF is not removed first, you can increase the amount you can sell your vehicle for.

A great thing to have in your protection arsenal is PPF.