Going to battle with dealer installed PPF

[Yato]

Wow… I literally cringed when I saw the knife marks.

That’s absolutely heartbreaking. Hopefully Courtesy Acura takes care of it for you.

 

[Azkyrie6]

This is egregious.

I have no clue what possible routes you have to getting this resolved, but man... this is something that would send me off the deep end. Best of luck to finding a workable solution. I can tell already you have far more patience and tolerance than I do...

The dealer needs to terminate working with that installer IMMEDIATELY. How many other cars has this guy ruined?

Trust me, I was quite livid when the detail shop sent me the photos/videos. Had I not considered full PPF, I likely wouldn't have known. How many others from this dealership have clear bras? They will either never find out or will be finding out much later when warranty is expired.

 

[Azkyrie6]

Wow… I literally cringed when I saw the knife marks.

That’s absolutely heartbreaking. Hopefully Courtesy Acura takes care of it for you.

Huge sinking feeling when I saw this. Autofilm solutions said the cuts are so deep you can run your fingers across the cuts and feel it. On one corner of the integra stamp, you can see the clear coat begin to crack.

The installer must have an extremely heavy hand to apply that much pressure.

 

[Frenzal]

Wow! Unbelievable!

I would be so mad...

 

[PRDE5]

I absolutely hate when dealers install accessories on a car, and then expect the buyer to pay for them usually at a inflated price even if they didn’t want them. In this case with PPF (personally I don’t like PPF) I would not have purchased the car.

 

[submitaweasel]

TBH I'm not surprised in the slightest. A dealer will choose the lowest bidder. Who is doing the work for the lowest bidder? Not the best at what they do, to be nice.

You did buy the car with the damage so that is on you. The damage was done by the cheap dealer so that is on them.

Referencing the lawyer question: that depends on how far you want this to go.

 

[Azkyrie6]

TBH I'm not surprised in the slightest. A dealer will choose the lowest bidder. Who is doing the work for the lowest bidder? Not the best at what they do, to be nice.

You did buy the car with the damage so that is on you. The damage was done by the cheap dealer so that is on them.

Referencing the lawyer question: that depends on how far you want this to go.

yup, worried about the repairs if dealer chooses lowest bidder again.

I’m not sure what else I could have done to discover the damage aside from peeling the clear bra in front of them and revealing the damaged cut paint. Because I’m that scenario I’d reject delivery and then I’d be liable for damaging their clear bra ppf?

regarding the lawyer, it’s win or no fees scenario. Dealer hasn’t shown they’re unwilling to pay for their damages so hopefully I don’t have to go down this route. I just wanted to enjoy this car peacefully until this was discovered

 

[Azkyrie6]

That sucks, is there any option instead of repaint etc, to just have them give you a new bumper hood and panels?

damn sucks your came out like that, mine PPF came out so good I NEVER KNEW IT WAS THERE until I got my car ceramic coated and they told me can't buff the front bumper due to PPF. I have horizontal razor blade cuts on all my door from that stupid door guard. All they did was buff it down but you can still see it if you look for it. I fear rust spots the near future. That door edge guard film is so crap it was filled with dirt after 1 week I ripped it off myself. https://www.integraforums.com/forum/threads/how-to-ppf-the-front.51071/post-836065

That is horrendous mate, so sorry you're dealing with that! I always make a concerted effort to have the dealer do as little as possible because their work is mediocre at best and catastrophic at worst, with things leaning toward abysmal most of the time. No washes, no drilling, nothing besides only what is absolutely mandatory like PDI. Its not always do-able depending on how long they have had the car prior to you first engaging them, but its definitely because of things like this.

Hope you get it sorted and made whole! If it were me, I'd at least broach the conversation with your lawyer of how feasible it would be to force/pressure the dealership to buy the car back. Depending on the extent of ham-fisted PPF application by the dealer's installer, I would not want to have to deal with a new car needing paintwork all over and the downtime associated with remedying all the areas.

Brought the car to courtesy Acura, they’ve acknowledged the damage and installer admitted to having a heavy hand.

They’ve taken the ITS to immediately begin repairs for all cuts marked by the black tape and are giving me the blue A-spec loaner all at no cost to the customer. Will update once repairs are complete.

 

[RUNN1N]

They’ve taken the ITS to immediately begin repairs for all cuts marked by the black tape and are giving me the blue A-spec loaner all at no cost to the customer.

I recommend you give your insurance agent a heads up that you’ll be using the dealership’s loaner for an extended period of time and make sure there isn’t a limit to the amount of time your policy will cover you while you drive it.

 

[PRDE5]

How are they exactly fixing it?

 

[Azkyrie6]

How are they exactly fixing it?

Well for starters, can’t even get replacement bumpers right now and repainting new or existing ones is very tricky. They’ll be sanding down the cuts to the base paint then re-apply clear coat.

Hopefully it will be well done. I can only sit and wait at this point

 

[optronix]

Well for starters, can’t even get replacement bumpers right now and repainting new or existing ones is very tricky. They’ll be sanding down the cuts to the base paint then re-apply clear coat.

Hopefully it will be well done. I can only sit and wait at this point

I hate saying it this way, but your car is compromised because of the dealer's actions. Depending on how far you want to pursue this, I don't think you should be ready to let them off the hook just yet.

I think overall your ownership experience shouldn't be impacted too much, at least once the dust settles from this. Looks like you went with satin PPF on the whole car? That's a wise move, especially in this situation. Assuming you went with something similar to Xpel Stealth, you'll get a 10 year warranty on the film itself and it will differentiate your car from other white Type S's, which is fun. Also, it will cover up any deficiencies in the paint once the repairs are done so you likely won't notice them at all and you can enjoy your car like you had intended when you bought it.

However,

You have to consider the value of the car, AND the experience of going through all of this. It's cool they gave you a loaner, as they damn sure well should be. I got a loaner for 2 weeks after I traded in my Boxster (@VarmintCong) while I waited for my car to be delivered so they can stand to lose a service loaner while they fix what they effed up. But that said, you still have to go without your car that you are currently making payments on, and even once you get it back you have to drive it around with partial PPF until the paint "gases out" so that's another 30 days of it looking awkward. Minor inconveniences in the grand scheme but this shit adds up.

Then comes the value. Not sure if it will make its way to carfax or not, but no matter how good the repair is your car has diminished value. Someone, some day, is going to peel off that PPF and take a paint meter to the car and inspect it very very closely. They will find whatever imperfections will be introduced by the repair that had to be done because of what the dealer did.

I'm not sure what the exact course of action would be and whether or not it would be worth it, but just a repair and a loaner at no cost doesn't seem adequate to make up for what ultimately will not only make you stress out over your brand new car that should bring you nothing but joy, but also is nearly impossible to argue will hit you in the pocket as well on a long enough timeline. Just a few things to consider from a (heavily caffeinated) random internet stranger.

 

[RUNN1N]

So I've given this some thought, and while I can appreciate that they're trying to make this right and it seems like you're being (possibly too) reasonable, I share some of the concerns that others have brought up here. I understand they can't get a replacement bumper + fender at this time (and even if they did, are they going to match your vehicle once they arrive?), so a touch-up is the best they can do for now... but I'm not so sure they're fully making up for their issue, and to be clear, this is very much their issue.

PWP is seemingly the one color the factory is having the most trouble applying, and they're working with bare metal and plastic. Additionally, you've got damage scattered throughout the bumper and fender, right in the neighborhood where factory paint problems have been most evident. I don't work in a body shop, but I don't think this is an easy repair.

It sounds like they're already underway on your repairs, but I would take this time as an opportunity to talk about a serious long-term warranty on their work. I'd be looking for something very explicit and in writing--7-10+ years, speaking to yellowing, fading, cracking, etc. and what remedies you can seek. If they're not willing to engage with you on this, loop in Acura to help mediate. A warranty is going to be an absolute must-have, don't take the car back without one.

OR... if you don't feel fully comfortable with the vehicle now that you've found the damage/once repairs are done/warranty is discussed... you could push them for a trade opportunity for an upcoming/their next Type-S allocation in a color that you're open to (sorry for anyone in line at Courtesy!). They're not going to love this idea as it costs them three times (their repairs + trade-in value + replacement profit), and they might say it'll cost you something (ie loss of value on your car, taxes, ets) or claim it'd take years to do because of the number of people in line (I wouldn't agree to wait in line, personally). Don't let them scare you off. Assuming you paid MSRP, and depending on the mileage, they could give you what they intend to sell the car for in trade-in credit toward another Type-S (probably $50k-$53k) and that'd leave you to pick up the difference + taxes as a small penalty for the pleasure of owning/using the car they sold you with hidden defects.

 

[Lflouie]

The problem all began with a "cheap" dealer purchased ppf. It appears that the original installer did not use a "pre-cut" pattern or had problems applying it.

Because the dealer didn't buy a premium wrap (wrapped edges) it seems that cutting was done on the paint surfaces.....a very bad approach. and poor installer ...but u fortunately they got what they paid for.

It will be nearly impossible to match the paint even on fully painted panels, spot painting is even worse.

Sanding a "cut" is very difficult and requires a lot of precise and patient sanding on very thin paint. Even worse it is near the edges where an already thin paint is thinnest. I really have trepidations that you will be satisfied in the end and will need to compromise your expectations.

I too am OCD on paint, fit and finish and do most of my own paint prep, so your experience sends shutters through me. Cudo's to the dealer for willingness to address the problem, but based on our shared expectations of paint finishes, I don't hold much hope for a high quality paint match and repair.

My concern I that by you authorizing the work you may have given up your leverage for having brought back to new condition. When push comes to shove if the dealer tries their best but you aren't satisfied it boils down to the dealer doing what they can, but it might not be right.

Hope your experience is fully satisfactory, and my fears are simply wrong.

 

[Azkyrie6]

The problem all began with a "cheap" dealer purchased ppf. It appears that the original installer did not use a "pre-cut" pattern or had problems applying it.

Because the dealer didn't buy a premium wrap (wrapped edges) it seems that cutting was done on the paint surfaces.....a very bad approach. and poor installer ...but u fortunately they got what they paid for.

It will be nearly impossible to match the paint even on fully painted panels, spot painting is even worse.

Sanding a "cut" is very difficult and requires a lot of precise and patient sanding on very thin paint. Even worse it is near the edges where an already thin paint is thinnest. I really have trepidations that you will be satisfied in the end and will need to compromise your expectations.

I too am OCD on paint, fit and finish and do most of my own paint prep, so your experience sends shutters through me. Cudo's to the dealer for willingness to address the problem, but based on our shared expectations of paint finishes, I don't hold much hope for a high quality paint match and repair.

My concern I that by you authorizing the work you may have given up your leverage for having brought back to new condition. When push comes to shove if the dealer tries their best but you aren't satisfied it boils down to the dealer doing what they can, but it might not be right.

Hope your experience is fully satisfactory, and my fears are simply wrong.

I would say you’re spot on. Dealers can use cheap ppf and installers which they then flip for a much higher price when selling vehicles. It’s likely worked for a long time but perhaps not intentional to damage customer cars.

At this point I realize there won’t be a perfect fix, unless the shop that’s doing the work is top notch. I’ll be content if they fix the broken clear coat even if the cut lines are still visible. Repainting may or not come out right, more often than not paints and clear coats are never as good as from the factory.

It’s been about a week and a half so I’ll find out what the result will be this week. I hope this is a lesson learned for anyone who sees this thread, be very cautious about dealer installed accessories or protection packages.

I didn’t ask for their cheap ppf used, so hopefully they will have learned from this and not apply it to future customers. At least my sacrifice can be beneficial to others