Are you considering adding paint protection film (PPF) to your vehicle? PPF is an investment in your vehicle, so you want to consider a few factors before scheduling the work to be done.
Did you purchase or lease the vehicle? For a vehicle you purchased, it is worth the investment to add PPF. You will definitely retain resale value by protecting your paint and your car will stay looking new for a longer time period. On a lease, there are typical guidelines regarding ‘normal wear and tear’ while you have the vehicle. Small rock chips from daily driving would be considered a part of the normal wear and tear. In addition, when you add PPF to a leased car, the dealer may require you to remove it before turning the vehicle back in, so be sure check with the dealership to see if they require removal of after market items at the termination of the lease. If you think you may end up purchasing the vehicle at the end of the lease, I would go ahead and do the paint protection when the car is new.
How often do you drive the vehicle and on what roads/highways? I can tell you first hand that taking the I-17 or North 101 through Glendale, Phoenix, and Scottsdale is brutal on car paint. I see vehicles come in with 500 miles that have greater damage after driving the 101 and I-17 than a car with 5,000 miles driving surface streets. While adding PPF doesn’t make your car invincible from the large, falling rocks and debris off the cement truck in front of you, it will help to avoid unnecessary dings, scratches, and rock chips that occur during normal driving conditions. In addition, vehicles that are used frequently for road trips should have protection as well. Think of all the bug stains and gunk that collects after one trip from Phoenix to LA or San Diego. Each trip creates more and more irreversible damage to the front end of your vehicle. With PPF installed, the bugs come right off with a simple wash when you get home, with little to no damage remaining to your paint.
Once you decide to have PPF installed, what areas of the car paint should you considering protecting? In general, any area that is exposed to frequent, potential damage should be considered. Besides standard front end coverage, the most popular areas we are asked about are the rear cargo/trunk entry, door handle inserts, door edges, door entries (where shoes hit when entering), A pillars, roof line, gas doors, splashes behind each tire, and rocker panels. All of these areas can be protected with paint protection film to suit your specific needs.
