Funny story today, cops must've been bored with nothing better to do cause crime paused for BBQs. Long story short, I was pulled over doing nothing wrong and the cop told me my tints looked a little dark. And if the car was mine. I replied they're factory and yes its my car. He asked for my license, told me to pull up my front window and he acted all tough guy, "I said up to here." He looked at my license and put it to the front glass. Obviously he must have felt really stupid to see they were not tinted at all. He didn't bother with the rear glass. Quite an odd experience. I've never been stopped for tints before and I drove an RX with factory tints as well for years. Anyone else have similar police experience with factory tints?

 

I bet it was his first day on the job...

 

In most instances, they use that as an excuse to pull somebody over, because they didn't have probable cause for their "real" reason. I used to get pulled over for window tint all the time when I drove my car stereo competition car around. I admit it looked some what like a drug dealers car, so I had it coming. This was confirmed by a friend of mine who was a state police officer. So, you were probably wrong place, wrong time, if I had to guess.

 

Have had this problem with factory rear privacy glass in JDM imports. It's not even a tint, it's the glass itself, and they try and tell you to remove it.

 

That's what ticks me off. My car wasn't tuned or anything. Maybe the F Sport look was too aggressive for their tastes? I signaled for a left turn, drove at the speed limit. There is absolutely no reason for them to pull me over. I was going the usual way home and have been taking the same route for at least a decade plus. I know this pull over didn't escalate into more. And yes they're just "doing their job" but comon... I really wanted to tell the officer to take off his damn Ray Bans so that he can see clearly. But I chose to just let them go through with their act. He had the look of he was thinking what else he can do when he handed me my license and told me to have a nice day.

 

Would it be presumptuous, sexist, or not PC in 2017 if I were to ask if the reason you were pulled over might be because you're just so darned good looking?

 

I would say it is a possibility? In the current world we live in now, we can't put that out of the discussion. However, I will just assume they wanted to meet their quota and thought I was easy pickings. I did take exception when they asked if it was my car. Do I not look like I can drive a Lexus?

Some information I have gathered over the last couple days regarding our factory tints and the NYS tint laws. I sent an email to Lexus asking for the specific tint percentage of the rear glass and the liftgate glass. The representative stated 35% for rear passengers glass and 20% for liftgate.

Regarding NYS tint laws. Our vehicle is considered a MPV - Multi Purpose Vehicle, this is printed on the driver door, I checked. Which means, we are not required to follow the 70% light transmittance that a "Passenger" car (ex: sedan, coupe, convertible, station wagon, hatch back, hardtop) requires for the rear passenger glass and the liftgate glass in New York. Here is a video from the DMV detailing the law.


Hope this helps someone if they ever get pulled over in NY. Also after learning all this information. The cops had ABSOLUTELY no business pulling me over for tints and the fact that he gave me that as a reason, showed that they were lying sacks of ****.

 

Thank you for posting this information, kinda bummer I can't tint my front Windows.

 

In a land long ago and far away I was a Chevrolet salesman and was given the dubious honor of getting
the first Spectrum (Isuzu clone) demo...in Metallic Turquoise no less! Got pulled over the first week
by a cop "lights and sirens" and he strolled up, checked it out and declared that it would be a nice car
for his teen daughter. Silly thing could not exceed the speed limit downhill and for once it was not my
driving... Never did call the number on my Business card however.

 

Kind of funny you mention this. I'm guessing you have black interior?
Reason I ask....I have yet to tint the front windows, I have black interior, but from afar the fronts look tinted.
I might need to rethink 15 on the fronts....

 

Rioja red... which is mainly black aside from the seats. As long as you're in the legal limit of tints in your state, don't see issue with applying.

 

I got pulled over for 1 headlight brighter than another...cops just looking for excuses imo...well some of them anyways...Im pretty innocent so I dont get hot n bothered.

 

Nope...state limit is 25 or 27 (don't remember)....doesn't matter as I went with the 15 and 5% brow Fingers crossed...