Pulled the trigger on a 2017 IS300 FSport. I'm coming from a 2004 IS300. The hood of my 2004 looks like I rode behind a dump truck dropping gravel for about a week, the paint is all chipped up. I understand this to be common with the Lexus.
I am having the dealer install the paint protection film on the new car before I take possession. It did not come with that option and interestingly enough, the dealer gave me 2 options for the film install. Option one was just the hood, option 2 was the hood and the front fenders either side of the grill. I went for option 2.

I'm just looking for the opinion of others who have the protection film, good or bad.
Thanks !
Edit:
Found this thread:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...ock-chips.html

 

Paint protection film is a must. I would, however, verify with the dealer what brand is being installed. My last car came with PPF and I had to replace it within a couple of years because it had yellowed.
There are several really good options, XPEL & 3M (I think), make sure they are using one of them.

 

...
this!

 

I just purchased a 2017 IS300 F-Sport as well. I'll be picking it up tomorrow. Decided to go for a lease this time so I was unsure about what to do about the paint protection because I'm not sure if my long-term plan is to keep it. Are you guys doing this through the dealer or a third party? I'm pretty sure I added the paint protection to my RX350 through the dealer... no complaints I suppose. Leasing has now put me on the fence for every decision about the car.

 

To me, it's worth it regardless. I paid about $700 almost 3 1/2 years ago and have zero regrets. There were (and still are) very few authorized installers in my area. I didn't want my front end to be chipped all to hell.
The front of my car still looks amazing where the PPF is (if you look real close there are a couple of minor marks). I can only imagine what it would look like had I not chosen to protect it.
I went through a third party installer which I'm sure is what most, if not all, dealerships do anyway.

 

Looking at the 'build your Lexus' stuff for an IS300, it says that the protection film for the hood is a $429 feature (MSRP). Dealer quoted me $372 for the hood alone and $489 for the hood AND the front portion of the fenders.

 

The factory protection film is used by 3M. But it is not installed very nicely. It only goes half way up the hood, and the film for the front bumper is basically a cut out. It lays over the bumper, and you can see the lines of where it ends.

So, if you have white car, overtime, you will see dirt build up along the lines of the film. Best to get it done aftermarket for best results. But it would cost double the dealer price.

 

I got the ENTIRE car covered in film, except for the back half of the roof. Where I live, every car is rock blasted to hell. Besides rocks chips, if someone gives you a door ding or a small bump in parking lots, instead of taking paint off or really scratching up the paint, you may get a small dent (which can be pulled out) so I think it's really worth it.

3 weeks after i got the car covered in film, i actually got a rock ship so bad that it cut the film, but the paint under was ok, so all i had to do was replace the film on that panel and good as new.

 

I had my full hood and front bumper done. Best money spent

 

PPF is amazing stuff. As others have mentioned, make sure to get good brand and installer. I prefer the pre-cut style so no cutting on the body of the vehicle is required. Look for XPEL or 3M with self-healing capabilities, especially if you have a dark colored car.

Wow. How much did that cost? As a fellow Albertan, I know we get a ton of chips, but not sure it's cost-effective to wrap the whole car..

 

Wouldn't worry to much about the lease,, in the end if you decide not to keep that's just money down the drain. I do think it is nice to have the car looking gray throughout the term however, it's totally up to you.

 

Just had a good news/bad news call from the dealership. They have the material (3M) but had a difficult time finding an installer. They say that many installers stopped applying the material due to the material discoloring on lighter colored vehicles. As such, they are not offering a warranty and asked me to reply to an e-mail stating that I understood the issues and still wanted the material applied.
I figure that since the car is grey (not light colored), and that the job is still costing ONLY $500, I'm still having it done. I once priced out the cost of having the hood re-painted on my '04 IS and it was close to $2K.
What's the worst that could happen? The material starts to look like crap, so I have someone remove it using a heat gun ?

 

I only had the entire front bumper of my car done. After 2 years, my hood is still like brand new and I don't have a single rock chip anywhere.

 

Hey guys! I'll be buying a new IS200t in the Nightfall Mica soon. Do you think its advisable to have the PPF done? Will it be worth it?

I'll be shipping it from Texas to California. So, is it better to get it done from the dealer there or aftermarket?

Thanks!

 

Hi there! Could you suggest some places from where I could get this done in Northern California?