Isn’t the whole point of PPF that it is a sacrificial layer so instead of the bug stains permanently damaging your paint it damages the PPF? So essentially you don’t have to repaint your car and as result reducing the resale value of your car, you just take off the PPF and now have a more desirable car to sell or trade in and with perfect (original) paint, which ultimately means higher price for the seller.

As someone who is in the PPF/Ceramic industry I can appreciate this video. In my opinion, the only way to sell PPF is as a sacrificial layer of protection (like you mentioned) to protect your paint. PPF is a tangible product that will always be there and protect the paint from the majority of scratches, chips and dings regardless of how someone takes care of their vehicle. There is a big education curve that needs to take place between the installer and the consumer and lots of that education you touched on well in this video.

I believe PPF is good for people who don’t like scratches, point blank. It’s not about making things perfect. When parking in parking lots or driving long periods. It’s helpful to know you have that extra layer of protection instead of getting your car re painted.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, Coleton. I’ve had mixed feelings about not getting PPF for my car, but this makes me relieved I didn’t get it! I had no idea there were so many downsides. Hope to see you again soon!

Thanks so much for your video. It helped me so much to understand the PRO/CON of PPF. Really appreciate the truth you shared here.

Thank you, Coleton. Very helpful.

I drive quite a bit up to 28k miles a year. My commute to work is almost all expressway and with my last car I just couldn’t keep up with massive amounts of rock chips I was getting. When I bought my Type R the first thing I did was take it in for professionally installed PPF and ceramic coating. PPF may not be for everyone, but I am quite happy with how it has protected the leading edges of my car up to this point.

Thank you for your honest opinion! I love this channel and all the insight that you bring to bear :)

Thank You, for someone in the industry finally stating the whole truth about PPF. I've seen some pretty bad work out there where you can tell by just seeing the edges. On some it would have been better too just have an new paint job. Also, PPF doesn't last forever.

I’am the owner of PPF studio in Australia and wanted to thank you for the video. I have to agree that PPF is not for everyone, I always mention to my customers this wont solve all your problems. In my opinion PPF is worth the money as long as you use best brands like Suntek or XPEL. Installation process is a key - edge wrapped, do not overstretch and use patterns. A lot of people don’t understand PPF installation is basically a handcraft and many of detailers expend their services without thinking how difficult it is to make it right and that’s what destroying our industry. I found educating people about the whole idea make them coming back with other vehicles. In addition detailers sell ceramic coating as a paint protection which everyone knows it does not, expect UV.

Thank yoy! Good thing I saw your vid. I nearly had my daily driven crv done as I get unwanted scratches and bugs stains and got tired of cleaning it off every weekend thinking that ppf will help.

Great video. Answered so many of my questions. Great content!! So happy I can make an informed decision now and not regret it down the road by not having had someone explain everything to me as you have.

A year ago I bought a 4 year old Mercedes SL450 with full PPF over the entire car. The car was just off lease and had spent it's life in Florida, bug capital of the US. The paint was flawless. Not a swirl, not a stain, no blems except for a couple of chips on a mirror. What creates flaws in the paint is driving 70 mph on the highway or perhaps a windy day around town. Dust, fine particles of dirt and the like create micro abrasions in the paint. This is where you benefit from ppf. The ppf protects from these types of abrasions and they don't seem to damage the ppf at all. After my owning the car for another year, the paint looks like it just came out of the factory. Yes, it's expensive, but unless you drag out the buffing wheel once a year, and I don't, the ppf will, in most cases, keep your paint looking factory fresh.

Thank you. Exactly the video I needed to see

I had PPF put on my CX5 gloss black plastic door pillars. The plastic is ridiculously soft so it needed some way of helping stop scratching. The PPF does help prevent lots of micro scratches but PPF is itself prone to scratching that won’t self heal. It’s only the micro scratches that self heal.

The whole half of the video of you talking around the car before zooming in, it looks perfectly fine to me. Seems like the ppf did it's job.

Yeah, I don’t think so. Very strange viewpoint in my humble opinion. I own about 40 cars and almost all of them have some PPF and I probably have about 10 cars that I have full PF on them. The proper way to protect a new car is Pain correction, then, PPF, then ceramic coating over the PPF. In the last seven or so years, I’ve used three different shops. One of them does amazing work every time, the other two, it depends on who did the job as far as the technician himself. That new EXPEL thicker film is awesome. Also, the matte film is terrific in my opinion. My matte paint cars I don’t even drive at all until they are PPFed. As far as staining, yes, I have had one year old PPF redone twice. Both times it had to do with the fact that the car sat in the sun with sapp stains on the PPF. And, regardless of what it is, older, film, seven years plus old, will need to be replaced if you drive the car at all. I am a big fan of ceramic coating, but only if it goes on top of the PPF. Lastly, the worstPPF that I have seen both from the application technique perspective as well as the quality of the film itself, is Factory PPF on the newer Porsches.

Funny thing I discovered about PPF: I polished the headlights on an Aston Martin, and when I put the PPF on them, I realized it ALREADY HAD PPF. That's on me, but it proves to show PPF can be buffed/ polished and made look like new...at least on headlights.

Thanks for a great review! I just bought a GLE AMG63s and of course want to do the best thing to keep it looking good. But I thought back over all the cars I have owned and realized that while they did get a few rock chips, other than that they looked just fine as I hand wash and wax(nano-coat) them myself. Your video confirmed that I made the right decision to save thousands of dollars on PPG.

I was actually looking into getting this done on my new car. Just saved me a lot of money. Thanks.

I feel your passion for what you do. This was very helpful. Thank you!

I put a stealth ppf over the front of my Model Y to prevent damage to the wrap. My model X got so beat up on the front so I didn’t want to deal with that again 😅. If it was just over paint I wouldn’t have done it.

Thank you for sharing your POV. I've been thinking about installing it in my car but when I saw your video I'm thinking thrice. They said there are self healing PPF, I might find a review for that.

Thanks for the video. As a person who had a bad PPf experience, I thought Id comment. If you are going to get PPF, make sure you get it installed by a professional and insist on seeing some of thier work in person before giving them any of your money. My first experience was through a shop with 5 star ratings, but i never had a chance to see any of thier PPF work. The end result was an install with all the flaws Coleton shows, along with knife cuts into the paint! PPF was removed by another shop and most, but not all of the knife cuts could be polished out. Not a good start for a brand new vehicle. In the future, only paint correction and ceramic coatings for me.

What are your thoughts on ceramic on top of PPF? My Detailer did that for my install and my PPF still looks like it’s brand new from a year ago. Granted we don’t have as many bugs and I hand wash every weekend.

I have xpel ppf and it makes me happy knowing my paint is protected, and when i wash my car i know uts going to look like new and shiny. Because i have OCD and any imperfection just gets in my nerves, so ppf is easily worth it for me. If you dont care about rock chip and are mainly focused on value then dont use ppf. You wont get your money back when you sell your car, but while you own the car, you will be happy ppf helped keep it looking beautiful 😍

thanks for the heads up brother ! very informative

Think about this, if a rock chip would've damaged the PPF as described in this video, can you imagine how badly it would've damaged the clearcoat AND paint!?

Thank you for this video, what’s your opinion on ceramic coating?

I really, really appreciate your HONEST opinion about PPF. I was on the fence about spending that kind of money on something that I really wasn’t sure about but you have convinced me that it’s not worth it. I realize that this video will upset some PPF installers, but people need to see the pros and cons with it and that it’s not a perfect product. Thank you again I really enjoyed your video. I’m just going to have it ceramic coated, and call it a day.

I have a 2021 Mazda cx-9. I have PPF on my car since new from rock guard films on the east coast in Pennsylvania and have no problem or issues like this. Looks great since day one. It goes to my detailer about every 6-8 month for maintenance washes. I also have a ceramic coating and they say the car and ppf is great.

This video for has come at a great time. I am looking to have my model y front end ppf and the car ceramic coated. Since it’s a daily driver I think doing the ceramic coat only will be a better value. I do plan on driving this car into ground as they say.

It is nice to hear your opinion and I learned a few things about what makes a good or bad PPF install. I have put PPF on my vehicles for years thinking it is the best protection from rock chips in the long run, but I have discovered like you point out that some rocks can get through and damage the paint anyway. The other dirty secret with PPF is that it needs to be replaced on a routine basis. It is not install it for the life of the vehicle. I have an 09 Corvette Z06 that came with PPF installed on the front section. That PPF is now starting to dry out and check in places and will need to be removed at great expense. I have decided to forgo PPF on my newest vehicle purchase.

I have had bugs that would swell and even stain paint but it goes away after being baked in the hot sun for a day or two. The way I look at cars is that unless it's collectable just drive the car, it won't make a difference when you go trade it in. Also a lot of times, if the paint is not perfect on a car, it will damage the paint than not having it.

Got Xpel PPF on our 2022 Model Y. I finally got around to hand-washing it this week (no-touch washes leave a greyish dirt film). Car looks like new. Better yet, the PPF makes the paint look like it has 20 layers of clear coat on it. PS Bug spots are harder to get off (ceramic coating helped). I'll have a closer look for PPF damage and for big rock chips too. Thanks Coleton! Lotsa love to all ❤❤❤

PPF should NEVER be sold as an "enhancement" to your vehicle! It's a barrier to protect your factory paint so that you can resell and hopefully recoup the cost of the PPF. For me, I don't drive on the highway much and don't follow close to cars ahead of me. I see people getting PPF on a Nissan Sentra, and for me that's just throwing your money away! If you have a very expensive car, get some PPF to protect your car from losing its value even more than it already will.

I LOVE PPF for a partial hood. I have 2 cars that are 7 years old and their hoods are 100% free of rock chips. I don't love it for bugs, and that's why I only do a partial hood. It has never faded and looks as new as when I installed it 7 years ago.

TRUELY APPRECIATE THIS MOST VALUABLE & INFORMATIVE INFORMATION U TOOK YOUR TIME 2 SHARE this with us. I was contemplating having the " rest" if my brand new FORESTER PPF'd ......HOWEVER THANKS 2 YOUR video i am just going have the ceramic coating applied & CARE 4 MY FIRST NEW CAR as it should B...& hand wash, double buckets & IF I need a car wash once in awhile....BRUSHLESS 😮 THANK U SO MUCH 4 YOUR TIME & CONSIDERATION in making this video 4 all of us who really want ti know IF its worth it 😮 I WISH I wud have seen it B4 I had the front of my car, fenders, & pillars done with PPF.... I live in the PNW ...no garage & i truely WANTED the BEST PROTECTION 👌

had mine on 3yrs and counting, and i live in a tropical country. no problems. no peeling. ppf looks good still.

I drove to work on the highway about a half our each way. I live in an industrial city (although nowhere near as industrial as it used to be) so there are a fair share of trucks of all types. Add to that road salt and the fact that the roadway is full of debris each Spring, so if you’re like me and like to keep your car as detailed as possible under adverse conditions then I can see the use case for PPF. After I retired and only do local driving I peeled it off my GTI and must admit it mostly did its job. But regardless of paint protection a top tip is to always install it on your headlight lenses. If you do they’ll never yellow or haze over from harmful UV rays.

PPF is awesome ive been using it for years. literally preserves everything its installed on. bought new headlamps for my car in 2015, put X-pel PPF on it and they still look brand new 9 years later, sounds like this guy is losing money on other services because PPF is preventing other issues that need other types of paint correction

Great video. Thanks for the breakdown.

This was VERY informative. Nice to have a non-salesman talk clearly about the benefits and disadvantages of PPF

My car is fully ppf'ed. Aside the roof which doesn't count because it is a tesla and it is just glass. I was involved in an accident that was not fatal, Another car just scrapped through my right rear door down to the wheel arch and bumber. The whole area was heavily scuffed and a dent was created at the wheel arch area. The ppf saved my car paint and clearcoat. It protected it. My installer removed it and it was again like new. I had pdr done on the dented area and new ppf was installed instead of the one that was ruined on the door and back right side again. This car is white pearl. If i had to repaint and keep it look like new, it would end up repainting the whole right side of the car or otherwise it wouldn't be perfect color blending. So ppf was worth it to me. Car also looks much glossier than without it so it shines alot more. The ppf is self healing so any minor scratches just dissappear under the warm sun and the shine level remains high.

I think this is the fastest like and subscribe I've ever done in 15 years watching UKposts. Great stuff, hi from malaysia

What if we put ceramic coating on top of PPF? Would it solve the issues you pointed out aside from a poor application by the detailer?

Thank you for helping me with my decision.👍

I use halo v2 for my wrap, decals ppf ect. It's a flexable ceramic coating for your ppf ect. It's great honestly!

Thank you Sir. Great info

I have a 2023 Sierra AT 4 and i plan on keeping it forever..to me, i could care less if the ppf is absolutely perfect on the edges...i just want it to protect against chips from rocks...the bug issue is worrisome because it seems that it could actually look worse over say, 3 yrs than if it didnt have it..i need that somewhat rock protection though

I live in SA. I ppf my car at a reputable car detailer. I had done a roadtrip of mote than 4000 km's. No problems. Any bugs I just wiped them off at the end of the day. I had my second car done. No problem. I only did the front part because of lack of funds. It's only ordinary cars but it was the best decision. Perhaps thete are fitters and fitters.

Recently discovered your channel. Great content. Subscribed.

You are really good at explaining stuff. I didn’t know a lot about this process but know a lot more now!

I have my car PPFed and I am super happy about it. My PPF is self-healing and you can scratch it with a fork and after a couple of sunny hours, it looks perfect again.

I bought my Nardo Gray'18 Audi RS3 with Xpel Stealth PPF already installed on the whole car. Cool look. It doesn't have the same issues with bugs leaving stains like clear PPF. Makes cleaning super easy. But when there's any slight damage to the PPF there's nothing you can do besides replace it. I like it, But I didn't have to pay the $5k+ for the install.

I have two cars that I'm going to get aftermarket painted. I intend to then get PPF because in my experience aftermarket paint isn't as strong (they don't have the $500M ovens Lexus has) and chips much easier. I'd much prefer the defects you've shown to the number of chips I've gotten on aftermarket paint. My real concern is will removing and replacing it someday take the paint off with it. Thoughts anyone?

My previous Tesla had PPF from day 1, for 3 years. PPF still looked fine to me. But of course does not increase value of car at all. When i sold it, nobody cared i saved the paid from a couple rock chips. So $2,000 for .... some peace of mind. All that said I am still getting PPF on my new Tesla Y. The difference this time is I bought a kit, and pre-cut pieces from TESBROS. Doing myself keeps cost down, and helps me justify the cost benefit. I think i will always have bumper, and rocker panels covered. Especially if I am successful in putting this stuff on myself.

If you add ceramic coating to the PPF does it still have the same bug stains ?

Just curious on the alternative? Apart from expensive and super cars what you think people should do instead of PPF?

Modesta Ceramic Coating, here I come. Been thinking about doing film on my soon to be factory delivered BMW, but had concerns (like lifting film). Thx for answering questions I have suspected to be problematic with PPF.

If I do a decent job of getting the bugs off quickly without letting it sit, won’t it decrease the staining?

So your rationale for not getting PPF is because it leaves a mark on the PPF when there is a rock chip? Do you not understand what happens when a rock hits your car? It chips the paint. On my previous car that did not have PPF I had so many rock chips. I would go over it with touch up paint, which would cost money, but it was never that good of a job. PPF would have protected my paint. It is not perfect, but PPF is better than nothing. And the dealership that I got it installed at gave me a 10 year warranty on the PPF. Even if I trade in the car, it will be worth more with having PPF installed. Hard to say that is not worth it.

Do you think fixing rock chips after couple year period looks better and is cheaper than having ppf and replacing it after the same time period?

Thanks for providing this informative video, I just purchased a BMW 3 series. This car is very special to me and I was considering doing a PPF but now I don't know if I should after watching your video. This will be a daily driver and I work from home so the car will not be driven on highways, I also live in the city.

Amen Brother. As far as rock chips I’ve driven over 1000 miles driving on vacation to Tennessee the last 5 years and do you know how many rock chips I have on my Tesla ? 0 Because I don’t tailgate, I try to stay ahead in traffic in the left lane and third I stay back when people are changing lanes because that is when the rocks start flying. Safe travels.

Definitely true about rock chips on front bumper. Several have gotten through to the paint below on my TeslaM3. Impossible to repair. My next purchase of Model Y I have no plan to get PPF for that and other reasons.

I'm with you. PPF has come a long way since my first install in 2004 on my R32 (still own) but in reality, you're paying to keep the paint looking good for the next person while it looks like crap over time while you own it. Who is spending $2k to replace it every few years? Also, try to pull PPF off after 10 years.... it sucks. I'd rather touch up paint chips or respray down the road.

So is paint correction a better option once you get rock chips?

What would you recommend for this scenario: I am getting a new Model Y in black, and want to make it Satin/Matte Black. Do I do xpel stealth PPF ($4,300) or a satin black vinyl wrap ($4,000). would the vinyl do better with bugs, and rock chips --would the thinner vinyl not have as noticable indents? appreciate any insight you have. I am mostly wanting the color to change to satin/matte and like the little added protection from rocks chipping paint. Maybe even eliminate the need for mudflaps?

I agree with you. I only have done PPF on my cars that are 100k+, there is no reason to do in a beater. And a good PPF starts at 5k, and needs to be replaced every few years to not look garbage. But it will protect from rock chips and bird poop, the PPF might fade but the painting underneath won’t. A good PPF shop will do paint correction before applying the PPF and then after to make sure it looks neat.

My issue with PPF is that it costs about the same as paint. I could just have a front end respray for the same cost as PPF. If you have a new car on lease and are worried about penalties at the end of the lease, they're probably less than the cost of the PPF.

You made me want PPF after watching this video. If it gets damaged and saves the paint, then fine. You failed to provide a better alternative, and something is better than nothing. It sounds to me that if your story is true, then the owner of that car didn't clean it often enough and let the bugs damage the PPF. You t h en criticized people who care about protecting their car. Nice.

Should I get PPF if I live in extreme weather like Northern US and Canada and we get road salt etc .?

Wouldn’t wrapping it be better than ppf or are they both the same thing ?

I had certain parts of my car vinyl wrapped. Similar to the PPF, it’s not impervious to bugs or rock chips. I’ve also ceramic coated the vehicle and that doesn’t just allow dirt to rinse off the vehicle. In my humble opinion, it’s an industry that’s out to make money and there are a lot of misnomers and false advertising. Yes, a coat of Carnauba won’t last as long as ceramic, graphene, or even some polymer sealants. But, in my humble opinion, you’re going to have to keep applying toppers to your ceramic coating so you can go with wax and probably be just fine as long as you hand wash regularly and avoid automatic car washes. Great video!!

Rock chips and bug splatter ruin PPF, but isn’t that what it’s for? So what’s the alternative wrap film for a color change on a daily driver ?

Putting PPF really depends on what you value in your car. I buy mostly a few year old cars. And most of potential buys i look at come with rock chips here and there. Do I notice it in pictures online? Hell no. Do I notice them in person as I walk up to the car? Hell no. Unless I keep telling myself to look for rock chips, they are hardly ever visible to the eyes. Both of my cars have rock chips and it kills me every time I notice them when I wash them. Still to this date, I say to myself "I should've corrected paint and wrapped it with PPF" whenever I see the chips although I never do it. Most are very small. 2 of them in 1 car are a little too big to my liking. I'm still talking less than 3mm rock chips. So what do you do? You can touch up the paint as needed. In however many years, when you can't take it anymore, you have the whole panel painted. To me, that's the smartest move. What do I do? I sometimes touch up. Most of the times I leave them alone. To touch up yourself, you will have to sand the peeling paint around the chips a bit (no need of this for small dots). That will inevitably make the correction area bigger. Can you just slap some paint on it and call it a day? Of course you can. But I guarantee you you're gonna hate yourself. Hence I rarely do it. Again, it really depends on how perfect you want your car to be, whether to sell or to just satisfy yourself, even though no one will notice your rock chips. If the car is sold at or under 30-40k brand new, depreciation will bring down the value by half depending on model and brand in a few years. Now you're talking 15-20k to sell. Would somebody pay you a few thousands more just because you have PPF and your car has no rock chips? Hell no. So it's not worth it. Just like no one will notice your rock chips, no one will give out more money only because you have already barely noticeable rock chips. Does it change if the car's value is over a certain point? Maybe. Like any other businesses, high end products drag in finicky buyers. For me, even though I'm considering cars well over 150k, I wouldn't care too much over some rock chips. I might talk to the seller down on price for paint correction if it's bad. If the car is worth over 150k though, discounting 1000 bucks is not really hard. If it's 20k car, yeah you are out of luck.

Colorado is rough when it comes to rock chips. The best way I have found to protect my car from rock chips in CO is stay way back from trucks on 25 and 70.

How are bugs etching a ceramic coated PPF? The ceramic coating should be more than enough to chemically resist the acidic bug splats... This is why I always provide aftercare instructions to my clients I've ceramic coated. Wash every 2 weeks and treat harsh contaminants like bugs, bird droppings and water spots quickly. Great way to pitch a maintenance plan with a client as well.

I’ve had PPF on my car since 2018. I have 60,000 miles on my car and it’s still looks pretty darn good. I’d much rather remove it and install a new PPF layer if I need to just to avoid the Stone chips and that’s the only reason I have it on my car. I do a paint sealer on my car twice a year and I have no complaints. I think I paid $400 for the kit to do the front bumper 1/3 of the hood a strip across the roof on the front. The mirrors and fenders and headlights so if you do it yourself it’s not that expensive.

Thank you so much for this video! I didn’t realize all the bad things about getting PPF. I thought about getting PPF on my cars but after watching your video I’ve decided not to spend the money on it. Thank you!

I have a 2021 E450 wagon with 12K miles on it. 99% perfect and I am considering a front wrap (PPF). I am planning a cross country trip in a few months and think this may still be worth it, I agree that this isn't the time to cut costs. However with only reviews to go on how do you really know the skill level of the installer. I guess I could verbally ask for the "best" installer after asking a lot of questions showing interest in detail. I will move forward but if you were traveling across country 2700 miles does that sway you to get it? BTW: I plan on holding the car barring mechanical issues for 6-10 years.

might be different types of ppf, i have no bug stains on mine

So what do you suggest people do to protect their paint? PPS? Nothing at all? Naked paint has its disadvantages too.

That totally depends on different people. Some people don't care about minor scratches or swirls since they think the car is the car, not a big deal, and the PPF is just a massive waste of money for them. For others who have a slight OCD or seek a perfect condition for the car, then the PPF is 100% worthy. Personally, on the day I picked up my new car, I thought the PPF is just too expensive to get one, but after a few months, I still choose to have the front end covered with PPF, however, at that time, there's already some chips on the hood. My suggestion is, if you are a person who likes everything to be tidy and clean, then don't hesitate to get the PPF on the day u pick up the new car.👍

If you have the disposable money go for it by all means and get that ppf, however, some good old rocks on the highway can screw it up and if you can only afford paying 5-8k once then paint correction and ceramic coating is the way to go. Its just a matter of preference at this point as long as the customer is happy.

Good points… I stopped doing any PPF years ago b/c it’s way too expensive for what it does and doesn’t do. Bank the money and save it for a replacement bumper and/or panel repaint if you get “offensive” damage. Similar to paying more for a really low deductible on your insurance policy. You can, but it’s really not saving you anything. In fact, it just costs you more.

My xpel ppf self heals with bug stains. Just wipe them off, let it sit in the sun, and it’s good as new. I’d recommend using xpel (template based, and self healing) and having a quality xpel certified shop install.

My five year old Model 3 is happy it's had PPF on it. So much so that I'm getting my new Model Y protected. It looks great where the PPF was installed and I regret not having it installed in front of the rear wheels where the paint is ruined. It costs $20,000 or more to repaint a car. That's 10 applications of PPF

Do you recommended ceramic coating rims ?

I feel if u wrap car ,get some ppf to to protect the wrap ,wraps are very thin,and I learned the hard way 1 day of driving after getting it wrapped. I was near a truck carrying some gravel,and the truck was over filled,it hit a bump and the front of my car was plastered. I got a ppf kit from tesbros,best kit out there imo for the model 3. For the rest of us,we are not as anal as a detailer would be. I have a 10 ft rule,and none of what u pointed out would bother me. Just my 2 cents. Love your videos

That is one beautiful Mercedes. That color is absolutely stunning and perfect on that vehicle. I actually like the new larger Mercedes grille also which harkens back to their early days when some of their vehicles had larger grille like that. My wife just got a new Subaru Outback Touring XT and it was the dealer fleet demo (so it literally had every bell and whistle the Outback could have on it including the partial PPF on the front area of the car including the hood. Not my favorite look having the line across the hood showing but I am glad it has it on there due to being in Colorado. It's only a matter of time until you get a rock chip here. No sense in trying to avoid it, IT WILL happen! It's only a matter of time, so PPF on the front half of the hood is essential here in Colorado although I do want to at least make an attempt to keep the PPF (which is in like new condition at this time) in the best possible condition using the correct products. That's the reason my search brought me here. I was searching to see what product(s) I should be using to maintain that PPF so it doesn't yellow. Is using a regular wax or sealant on it ok? I was just curious. How did you clean the edges you pointed out in the video? You said you spent a ton of time cleaning the edges. I was just wondering what product(s) you utilized to get the edges clean because that is something i will be dealing with as well. I generally use a sealant (Jescar Ultralock ceramic infused polymer sealant), followed with maintenance with Griot's 3 in 1 ceramic spray wax. Is that a safe combination to use on the PPF? I don't think either one of the products leave the white staining of yesteryear that old waxes used to leave on vehicle time and they are safe for all parts of the vehicle exterior. Also, is using harsher soaps a "no-no" on the PPF film area? Meaning the higher alkaline or lower acidic wash solutions? Does it absolutely have to be a PH balanced soap is my question? It's a daily driver and will be stored outside at the moment until we get the garaged cleaned out a bit more. It's also a daily driver in Colorado where it's been a more snowy winter this year so it will most likely be covered in salt and traffic road film, needing more frequent washes. What product do I use to correct scratches in the PPF? What compound or polish is best on them to get some of the slight scratches out of the PPF. I thought I saw somewhere that you could polish PPF with certain specialty products? Help please. Thank you sir.

I agree, I think it takes away from the beauty of most cars. Also it is installed horribly on so many cars. Way too expensive in my mind to make a vehicle look worse. See so many cars with lifting edges and dirt/debris stuck under.

Do you consider it worth it to prolong or protect headlights from sun damage?

I have to say, my PPF i ordered from Ford during the build of my 22' Maverick has held up great! And it was only $330 ... though I was a little disappointed to find out that it's only the first 3rd of the fenders and hood. But the installation was professionally done and all bugs and "would be" stone chips are non-existent. It now has 23,920 miles.

How do the high end ceramic/extra hydrophobic films do with bug stains? Vs how quick are they stains removed?

Ive Been installing PPF for over a decade ...... It's not perfect , it never will be , it should be sold as a degradable protection and pros and cons clearly explained. The edges lift over time, it gets beat up as it does it's job , but its a great sacrificial layer . Is it for everyone ? No way..... I've done some installs where's theirs no patterns on old cars and In all honesty they aren't perfect , neat but certainly not perfect, average cut lines and bits you have outlined in this video , I've always explained to the customer what to expect and they can make their choice to go ahead / or not , most and are just happy the car has that hard wearing layer. The newer patterns ( 2015 onwards) are much much better but in reality I've never seen or done a perfect PPF install. It's just not possible. I try my absolute best and have won awards for my installs and still some of them as mentioned particularly on the older cars (early 2000s) with no patterns are 6/10 at best as it's a hand created product, I can't hide from that , my z4m 2006 is a definite average install , Again little to no patterns and what was available was pretty damn poor, but my pride and joy is mostly protected from top to bottom and that lets me enjoy it and I will improve it everytime a section needs swapping out. For me, I see the benefits and the pros out weight the cons. The key as an installer is to be honest and very upfront. I love the PPF product , and even the challenge to install. Very proudly a Suntek official install shop here in the UK. Good video 👍🏾

Question: Does applying a ceramic coating over the PPF reduce the staining problem?

What about PPF with ceramic coating on top, wouldn't it address the bugs issues and provide best of both benefits?

Not all ceramic coatings are compatible with certain ppfs! The ceramic coating can hurt the ppf and prevent it from performing as designed. Check the warranties on the ppf, you can’t just use any coating, it either needs to be tested or approved by the ppf manufacturer.