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This isn’t on my Corvette but on my wife’s Grand Cherokee, but I figured there are more people here with experience with Xpel than the Jeep forum.
I washed her vehicle today and it looks like the entire front end of the vehicle has been sandblasted. Last wash was 2 weeks ago & there were maybe a handful of tiny pits from debris strikes. So unless she drove through a tornado or a sand storm that I don’t know about, this seems a bit abnormal?
Yes, I realize it did it’s job of protecting the paint, but replacing the Xpel costs just as much as re-spraying the front bumper.
This is very interesting. I wonder if it was sprayed with a chemical. Hopefully someone here will have a better clue.
Yeah, I find it very difficult to believe that this is the result of the vehicle being hit with debris. I've driven through ridiculous sand storms in vehicles without PPF that didn't damage anywhere close to this. And like I mentioned, I washed the car two weeks ago or less, & it this wasn't present.
Yeah, I find it very difficult to believe that this is the result of the vehicle being hit with debris. I've driven through ridiculous sand storms in vehicles without PPF that didn't damage anywhere close to this. And like I mentioned, I washed the car two weeks ago or less, & it this wasn't present.
Just so I'm not assuming incorrectly, you feel the pitting on the surface? Can you locate any forward facing painted surfaces without PPF that are also pitted? Are the headlight lenses covered with PPF? Looks like the parking sensors are pitted. Are they covered with PPF?
I can't imagine the same exposure would not have caused lots of pitting to the windshield. How's that looking?
Just so I'm not assuming incorrectly, you feel the pitting on the surface? Can you locate any forward facing painted surfaces without PPF that are also pitted? Are the headlight lenses covered with PPF? Looks like the parking sensors are pitted. Are they covered with PPF?
I can't imagine the same exposure would not have caused lots of pitting to the windshield. How's that looking?
1. Yes you can feel the pitting in the film.
2. If you look closely the parking sensors don’t have any marks on them. There is a section of the front bumper below the lower grille that they forgot? to cover with ppf. Somehow this painted section has no pits or chips in it.
The head lights & fog lights are covered with ppf & also pitted.
3. the leading edge of the hood also has the pits in the film, but the horizontal surface of the hood is ok. The passenger side mirrors is pitted like the front, but the driver’s side mirror appears ok (both covered in ppf).
4. Not a single mark on the windshield.
5. A-pillar and roof in front of sunroof are covered in ppf, no marks.
Like I said I can’t imagine what would’ve been driven through to cause this, and like you asked, nothing like this appears on other areas.
That is the plan but it’s my wife’s vehicle she needs for work & our only other vehicle currently is my Z06, which she can’t use for work (hauls very large bags of medical equipment). Plus the installer is about 45 min - an hour away.
Was hoping to get some feedback prior to taking it in.
My truck has some circular spots in the clearcoat. They're hard to see and have been polished a few times, but they're a low spot in the clear that you can't completely get rid of. Maybe if I wet sanded, but they're not significant enough that I want to risk going through the clear.
I brought it to a detailer a few years ago when I just didn't have time to do it myself, and their theory was that something came off a truck and got on the paint. They mentioned diesel fuel, but who knows.
So, I think a PPF eating substance is a pretty likely candidate especially given the sudden appearance.
I've had expel on my truck front endear 2 years. I've never seen anything like that. I'd be heading back to the installer real soon if it were me. Call the manufacturer also
Maybe it’s just how it looks in the pics, but another thing that seems weird is the spots/damage looks so evenly spaced…seems super odd for something to hit the vehicle so evenly in such a short time 🤨
100% abnormal. If it is truly Xpel brand, they will replace it under warranty assuming it was cared for normally. Something is wrong! Defective, sprayed/wiped with something that eats plastic like MEK, paint thinner, etc.
100% abnormal. If it is truly Xpel brand, they will replace it under warranty assuming it was cared for normally. Something is wrong! Defective, sprayed/wiped with something that eats plastic like MEK, paint thinner, etc.
I’ve contacted Xpel (Tuesday) & received an auto-generated response that someone will contact me “as soon as possible”.
The vehicle is cared for the same as my Z06 & other vehicles; only hand washed, high-quality products, etc.
I hope so, hopefully finish okay under there.. I have stared at your pics awhile now, no freaking way that's right. Looks definitely like a chemical was used or they did not get any air bubbles out at all and the heat just left them in place. Something or someone really screwed up...
I hope so, hopefully finish okay under there.. I have stared at your pics awhile now, no freaking way that's right. Looks definitely like a chemical was used or they did not get any air bubbles out at all and the heat just left them in place. Something or someone really screwed up...
The strange part is this just popped up within the last two weeks. I washed the vehicle two weeks ago, no issues, no unusual marks. I washed it again whatever day I posted this because he had rained some & it was pretty dirty. That's when I immediately noticed it. This ppf has been on the front bumper since April 2021. It was originally installed October 2020 but the front end got it by an object that fell off a truck on the freeway, so the front bumper was replaced & new Xpel installed.
@JABCAT Your first photo above includes a portion of the headlight lens. Is that also PPF covered? Appears to also be pitted.
Yes, headlights, fog lights are covered with Xpel & have the pitting/blistering as well.
I also noticed while inspecting the front end that there is no Xpel on the gray part of the lower fascia between these arrows. The paint is in great condition on that section with no excessive chipping, but the Xpel around it has all the marks in the pics. Which again leads be to believe the marks aren’t caused to impacts.
Excessive Xpel pitting
