Hi. I just had my nx350h installed with full front PPF but I’m not quite sure about the quality of the install. Do you guys think that this is acceptable for CAD $2k? Should I live with it or complain and ask them to fix it?


Seam between bottom bumper and hood looks bad.

Overlapping PPF on the side mirrors

Edges not wrapping or cut close to edge

 

Hi there, I can speak to this as I also had full frontal done on my car. The few photos you've provided is very subjective but it does look like the install was pre-cut and wasn't done as detailed and close to edges as it could have been. If you're asking the question here, you are either already unhappy, or wanting others to reinforce what you may already think so in reality, you're the one that has to live with the job day in and day out.

What I can say is this: $2k for full frontal is neither expensive nor cheap as most of the cost is the labor/installation. The actual cost of PPF film is dirt cheap and really negligible so what you paid for is the installation. I've done quite a bit of research also before doing my front frontal and there's really only 2 ways installers install the PPF with the first one being pre-cuts and the second one being free hand. Freehand is substantially tougher and even the most skilled PPF installers will have 2-3 tries in certain areas depending on the curvature of the panel they're working on because they're trying to get the gaps to adhere as closely as possible. Freehand usually also means that they are able to compensate the cutting and 'wrap' or 'tuck' some of the bigger panels like hood and such. I'm certain most installers use a combination of pre-cut and free hand to get the best possible outcome and by the looks of your photos, it looks like it's mostly pre-cut panels that the installer didn't adjust for in the system before printing. My installer did take the pre-cut panels for some areas and adjusted it in order to minimize needing to take a blade close to the paint and having odd connecting misaligned areas such as yours. Please also keep in mind depending on your model (f-sport or non f-sport), the grill/headlight areas are extremely hard to wrap as a 1-piece due to all the jagged spindle curves and angles the NX inherently has as opposed to a smooth curved frontal like Tesla Model 3s etc.

Don't be afraid to go back to your installer and ask them nicely about their thoughts on their work; any good installer stands by their work and is willing to either explain to you their standards, or redo the panels up to your liking. Again, you're paying for labor and even the best installers will have to redo certain panels so customer care is extremely important. If your installer insists that this is the 'best' you'll get, I'd take your car to another shop to get a second opinion.

Below is what my frontal area looks like. I know it's not the best photo as comparison but from standing 1 foot away from the grill, my eyes aren't gravitating towards noticeable seams and gaps as pronounced as yours. This however, doesn't prove that there aren't any flaws with my installation though. I chose to accept what I believe is a satisfactory install for the price that I paid. Hope this helps!

PS: photo below has every inch PPF'd like the headlights, headlight washer covers, spindle grill edges, hood, panels, fog lights etc. If you look at the headlight washer covers, the PPF on it is cut as close as possible but isn't wrapped as that part will open and close. I can see the edge of it but it isn't peeling or has a gap or anything; that to me is acceptable just FYI.

 

Agree above. Go back and ask them about the install. It's not great and I have seen worse. Overlaps is just wrong. For 2G it should be better.

I paid 1400 plus tax (Ont) mine had the fenders done as well. It was a good job, but I just hated the stuff. It came on the car. The handle cup things came off after the first hand wash. They replaced them with rectangular pieces...GOOD JOB! Brakes failed a few weeks later and I traded the car in.

Go back and see what they say. Good Luck.

Cheers

 

thanks for great feedback. And you’re right, I do feel that the quality of install is not to par on what I expected. If you don’t mind, can you confirm that you don’t have a seam between the lower bumper and hood similar to mine? (Is it possible for you to take a photo of that section so I can show the installer that it is possible to avoid that seam) I did raised that issue to the installer when I came to pick up my car and he said he had no choice as it was cut like that by the software. I thought I can live with it. But it’s one of those things that once you see it, there’s no way to un-see it. Every time I walk towards the car it’s the only thing I see and makes me feel bad. The entire reason I had done the PPF is to make it look pristine as long as possible. But with the ugly seam, it kind of defeats the purpose of what I paid for I feel like

 

Remember, all these PPF comes pre-cut, so it is what it is. Installers can't just pre-align stuff to perfection, or maybe they can. You are protecting the paint from rock chips, do not need to look under microscope how PPF alignment looks , it looks good enough for rocks.
Here is what I got on mine.


And a very small piece protecting the side lol sort of haha

 

I just mine NX350h done today. I only saw 1 bubble on the hood, maybe I should've touch it. Maybe will disappear. The installer cut mines on the vehicle (not pre-cut). Yes, it's just a cover from rocks. Not sure how long Expel would last though.

 

I hope photos turn out alright. Here are more photos of the seams which again to me, I can't really tell if I'm standing a foot away. If I come super close to the hood, I will see some imperfections but for what I paid I'd say I'm happy.

 

The seam between the upper and lower front bumper PPF panels (as referencing the OP's first picture) are well aligned on mine. My hood has wrapped edges but the front fenders and front bumper come close to the body panel edge. I can feel them, but not see them as the body panel has a slight curve at the edge which reflects light which kind of hides any PPF edge. The door cups and rear bumper have PPF edges in the middle of the respective body panels which were invisible at first, but over time a very faint line has become visible perhaps due to a tiny bit of wax or debris build up on the edge. Not enough for me to do anything about it yet. Overall I'm pretty happy with the job, the PPF is not at all noticeable without sticking nose to metal/plastic, I have the 3M film.

The OP photos... probably the protection is provided, but cosmetically not the best job, I would be a tad disappointed too.

 

PPF is pre-cut but can be stretched like bubblegum. They did a terrible job, especially for $2K. I'd be speaking up because it will only get worse as time moves on. JMHO.

 

Here's mine PPF job. The installer installed and cut. Seamless pretty much except the section where it joined. No overlap.

 

Yeah that’s the kind of install I was actually expecting based on my conversion with the installer before I gave the green light hence a bit disappointed when I saw the outcome. But I’m talking to him again and looks like he’s willing to work with me. Thanks for sharing!

 

that looks amazingly clean! Thanks for sharing!

 

Great, Good Luck.

 

yeah, that’s what I felt after looking at it for some time. The whole reason I went with them is by reputation based on very high Google reviews. I actually found another installer for $1,800 taxes in but I chose to go with them because I felt they’ll do a better job based on my conversation with them even for a bit more money.

 

As long as your current vendor is willing to work with you, that itself pays dividends. I myself had to redo a few panels 1-2 times which totaled about a week of downtime but it was worth it to dial things in.