PPF?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 356
Likes: 76
From: Elizabethtown Kentucky
2019 E 300 4matic 2013 SLK 250
PPF?
I’m just curious to see how many people have put paint protection film on their cars and their experiences.
I had the hood on my 2019 E300 repainted and PPF installed. Within a week I had three stone chips on the hood. I took it back and they removed and reinstalled the PPF but there are small bubbles (the installer said that they would go away once the car sits in the sun for a few hours) and there are a couple of edges that are ragged. Can that be fixed or are they going to have to reinstall it AGAIN?
This is not a fly by night place and came highly recommended by the Mercedes dealer
I had the hood on my 2019 E300 repainted and PPF installed. Within a week I had three stone chips on the hood. I took it back and they removed and reinstalled the PPF but there are small bubbles (the installer said that they would go away once the car sits in the sun for a few hours) and there are a couple of edges that are ragged. Can that be fixed or are they going to have to reinstall it AGAIN?
This is not a fly by night place and came highly recommended by the Mercedes dealer
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,912
Likes: 667
From: Tennessee
W214 E450
Did they charge you to remove and reapply the PPF? I assume they did. If you are thinking that with PPF, you won't get any chips from stones and other flying debris, you should rethink that. PPF is a sacrificial layer that protects the paint but will take damage when doing it. It may take less damage but you will get chips in the PPF over time just as you will without it. If you replace the PPF after getting chips every time, it will be a costly endeavor. The problem with PPF is that you can't repair it like you can with paint chips and touch up paint. It will look like that until you remove the film and if it did it's job, the paint will be unscathed. Think of PPF as protecting the value of the car where having pristine paint will help with resale value. It does not necessarily make the car look better. It may make it look better initially but as it takes a beating from the road it will look worse as you have seen already.
I have been considering PPF myself but haven't pulled the trigger. I'm thinking of just ceramic coating and maybe PPF on the front but still considering the cost. I'm not sure it's worth it for the reasons I point out above. I have a chip in the hood now that I'm planning on using some touch up paint on. Much easier than dealing with PPF.
I have been considering PPF myself but haven't pulled the trigger. I'm thinking of just ceramic coating and maybe PPF on the front but still considering the cost. I'm not sure it's worth it for the reasons I point out above. I have a chip in the hood now that I'm planning on using some touch up paint on. Much easier than dealing with PPF.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 356
Likes: 76
From: Elizabethtown Kentucky
2019 E 300 4matic 2013 SLK 250
I guess I just had unrealistic expectations. I’m going to have it removed and just deal with the stone chips and when it’s really bad I’ll just have the hood resprayed. Resale isn’t an issue for me because given my age I plan on it being my last car as I’ve said when I hit 70 I’m going to stop driving
