This question is for those that have removed them. Do you regret doing so?

These clear appliques didn't bother me when I had an Obsidian IS but on my SLM I think they really stand out and detract from the clean lines of the car. To top it off they look like they have little mold dots underneath them. I could go to the dealer and maybe they would replace them but at the end of the day I'd still have ugly attached to my rear doors. If I lived in the snow belt I'd probably just leave them be but i live in Florida so I don't have to deal with salt or sanded roads or nasty potholes with bits of loose asphalt that would be kicked up. So there's the question. If you removed them are your rear doors getting pelted unmercifully by rocks?

 

i removed them on my last car (a 2IS) and i totally regretted it. rock chips galore.

 

Hmm, that's not what i wanted to hear. Well maybe comparing a 2IS to a 3IS is comparing apples to oranges...... hopefully. I'd really love to peel these eyesores off and not regret it.

 

Wow, your Florida roads must be different than mine! I travel from Jax to Orlando and parts all around No-Central FL and my car gets the crap sandblasted out of it!! Don't kid yourself thinking that our roads are paint safe. I traded a 911 for my IS and the nose was totally chipped from just our run of the mill street and highway particulates! However, the leading edges of the wide rear flares that were protected by the clear stone guards were untouched under the guard. My advice is to leave them on!

 

I've always been curious about this : it's the first time I see them applied on that region. My question is why? Why is this area more prone to rock chips than any other?

 

Look at the design of the side of the car. There's a reason that 3M is there.

Remove it if you want but you will regret it.

 

I guess I'll just leave them on. They're really not that noticeable until you get close to the car.

 

I won't remove it even if I am not a fan of clear bra (but I do). Those areas are prone to stone chips. Not just Lexus did that but some other car manufactures do. Look at Subaru WRX STI. The rear doors have a similar stone chip issue and they also put a paint protection film on those areas from the factory.

 

I think I'm going to stop at the dealer and ask that they replace them with a set that doesn't have mold spots growing underneath them. Looking at Sewell's website they cost $50 (retail) for the set so I don't see why the dealer would give me a hard time honoring my request. A happy customer is a repeat customer.

 

I know this is an old thread.

But I got a white Is350, with the clear stone guards on my rear doors. I don't want to remove them. But, after a while dust and other dirty sht builds up around the guard.. is there an effective way to clean the edges without damaging the guard?

 

took mine off the second i got home from the dealership!! no regrets!! and its looks a lot cleaner without them.

 

Some cleaning suggestions are mentioned here.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...s-be-here.html