Ceramic window tint worth it, also what %?
06-11-21, 01:38 PM
#16
Lexus Fanatic
For really high quality tint, $600 is fair. We're talking dual layer ceramic tint like Formula One Stratos.
06-11-21, 02:13 PM
#17
Also, as you know, some states will allow up to 35% tint, anything darker may/will get you stopped and ticketed with the requirement of removal of the tint before car can be moved...or the car has been towed. I live in PA and have seen folks stopped for this. If your intent is to stay in CA, possibly not an issue...venture out and it may present problems.
Additionally, price and quality of installation are one issue. be sure and ask for a warranty (warranties can cover different aspects of the tint, such as only materials) while you pay for the other stuff. I had mine done at Ziebart for $300 (non-ceramic) with a 10 year warranty for full replacement for fading, peeling, bubbling, etc. Ziebart has been around for decades, so I'm not worried about it being a shop that might disappear in 5-10 years like some small shops do these days. One shop here opened, did tons of installation of PPF (5-7 year warranties), paint correction, car polishing and installation of tint. They closed down after 4 years. There went their warranties.
Additionally, price and quality of installation are one issue. be sure and ask for a warranty (warranties can cover different aspects of the tint, such as only materials) while you pay for the other stuff. I had mine done at Ziebart for $300 (non-ceramic) with a 10 year warranty for full replacement for fading, peeling, bubbling, etc. Ziebart has been around for decades, so I'm not worried about it being a shop that might disappear in 5-10 years like some small shops do these days. One shop here opened, did tons of installation of PPF (5-7 year warranties), paint correction, car polishing and installation of tint. They closed down after 4 years. There went their warranties.
06-11-21, 03:03 PM
#18
Hey guys! Sorry to resurrect this thread but I was about to get all four door windows tinted as well as the back windshield with ceramic tint from a place called "Kool-Vision Window Tinting" on my 1998 Lexus ES300 and I was quoted a price of $600 for the job. Does this price sound right? I was told it was "German Autobahn" tint, which is "the best tint around". They also quoted me a price of $220 extra for the sunroof on top of the $600, which they explained is because it's much harder to tint the sunroof supposedly. Is this price accurate or are they just trying to scam me?
06-11-21, 07:47 PM
#19
Stratos on my GS back in 2018 was $480, which I thought was pricey. 4 windows, rear glass and sunroof. 30% (Florida legal limit) on all except sunroof, 15%. 30 or 40% is a good look.
Last edited by chinee; 06-11-21 at 07:54 PM.
06-12-21, 12:22 PM
#20
Lexus Fanatic
Market factors are different in different regions, but I had Stratos put on my LS460L and my S560 and paid about $650 for both. Pinnacle would have been about what you paid for Stratos. More competition amongst tint shops in FL though
06-12-21, 12:33 PM
#21
So it turns out that the $600 price is for all four doors and back windshield with Autobahn brand black nano-ceramic tint. So I suppose the price is fair considering it's nano ceramic.
06-13-21, 03:21 PM
#22
So I went ahead and got the $600 Autobahn "Black Ceramic" tint for all four doors and back windshield. One thing I wanted to mention if I could possibly get someone's opinion on is, would it be possible for the tint shop to simply give me a lower quality "non-ceramic" tint even though I paid for ceramic tint? There are two reasons for my concern:
1. Right before I left my car at the tint shop, I made the mistake of taking pictures of the exterior and interior of my car just to make sure I would be aware of any damage that was already done to the car prior to leaving it with them as I ended up having to sign a waiver saying that the tint shop is not responsible for any damage to the car prior to being left there. When I started taking pictures of my car the gentleman who I was speaking to became visibly upset and was hesitant on me leaving the car with them if I was supposedly just going to complain about damage to the car that already existed after they did the job. I reassured him that it was just for my piece of mind and that I had no intention of making false accusations. Eventually he settled down and I just left my keys and car with him.
2. Another thing that I've noticed is that all four door windows seem to have a "greenish hue" (not incredibly green mind you but compared to the sunroof factory tint and the back windshield tint, it appears "greenish") to them when looking through the window from the inside of the car. Surprisingly the back windshield actually doesn't have this issue. This is what initially made me think they switched out the tint perhaps either on the doors or the back windshield, otherwise, why would the door windows have a greenish hue, but not the rear windshield?
Sorry for the long story but I was just wondering if this was at all possible that they simply swapped out the tint that paid for for a lower quality, non-ceramic one.
1. Right before I left my car at the tint shop, I made the mistake of taking pictures of the exterior and interior of my car just to make sure I would be aware of any damage that was already done to the car prior to leaving it with them as I ended up having to sign a waiver saying that the tint shop is not responsible for any damage to the car prior to being left there. When I started taking pictures of my car the gentleman who I was speaking to became visibly upset and was hesitant on me leaving the car with them if I was supposedly just going to complain about damage to the car that already existed after they did the job. I reassured him that it was just for my piece of mind and that I had no intention of making false accusations. Eventually he settled down and I just left my keys and car with him.
2. Another thing that I've noticed is that all four door windows seem to have a "greenish hue" (not incredibly green mind you but compared to the sunroof factory tint and the back windshield tint, it appears "greenish") to them when looking through the window from the inside of the car. Surprisingly the back windshield actually doesn't have this issue. This is what initially made me think they switched out the tint perhaps either on the doors or the back windshield, otherwise, why would the door windows have a greenish hue, but not the rear windshield?
Sorry for the long story but I was just wondering if this was at all possible that they simply swapped out the tint that paid for for a lower quality, non-ceramic one.
Last edited by NewSlang; 06-13-21 at 03:47 PM.
06-13-21, 04:00 PM
#23
They can swap out your tinit and should give you a discount since your a recent customer. Like not charge for removal of existing tint.
As to the OP, I used to always do 20% but since I've changed to 35% I have not been given a ticket in CA. I also like the transparency of the 35% and think it looks better. When it's too black it just doesn't look as good.
Did ceramic this last time, a first for me. Just getting into summer heat but so far definitely worth it, I can tell it's there.
As to the OP, I used to always do 20% but since I've changed to 35% I have not been given a ticket in CA. I also like the transparency of the 35% and think it looks better. When it's too black it just doesn't look as good.
Did ceramic this last time, a first for me. Just getting into summer heat but so far definitely worth it, I can tell it's there.
06-13-21, 04:26 PM
#24
Lexus Fanatic
The factory tint in the windows will
impact how the tint looks…that’s likely the issue.
impact how the tint looks…that’s likely the issue.
06-13-21, 06:57 PM
#25
06-13-21, 07:19 PM
#26
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
06-14-21, 05:31 AM
#27
Lexus Champion
06-14-21, 08:06 AM
#28
Well I never really noticed any factory tint on my door windows. Whenever I washed my car my windows would have this "clear as day" appearance where I sometimes forgot windows were even up lol. But I actually looked up my particular vehicle on Lexus' official website using my VIN number and it does say "Infrared and UV Reduction Glass" under "Luxury and Convenience Features". I do actually have a factory tint on the sunroof, but like I said I had no noticeable tint on anything else but the sunroof.
06-14-21, 03:29 PM
#29
the factory shade of tint should be the same across the rear windshield to the side windows, so the impact should be the same if the same tint was used. it's possible they used a different roll of the same tint since the rear is much wider than the windows for less wasted material. your ES i believe didn't come from the factory with privacy glass, but i could be wrong.
is it possible they swapped out for cheaper tint? sadly yes! it's really hard to tell and you'd have to take their word for it.
infrared glass is just a feature of the glass, not the shade of glass necessarily, which helps things like UV penetration. case in point my subaru from the factory has 0% UV penetration in the windshield, and only 20% on the rest whether tinted or not. i still tinted it all (even the windshield) with llumar formula one pinnacle ceramic haha!
is it possible they swapped out for cheaper tint? sadly yes! it's really hard to tell and you'd have to take their word for it.
infrared glass is just a feature of the glass, not the shade of glass necessarily, which helps things like UV penetration. case in point my subaru from the factory has 0% UV penetration in the windshield, and only 20% on the rest whether tinted or not. i still tinted it all (even the windshield) with llumar formula one pinnacle ceramic haha!
06-14-21, 03:44 PM
#30
the factory shade of tint should be the same across the rear windshield to the side windows, so the impact should be the same if the same tint was used. it's possible they used a different roll of the same tint since the rear is much wider than the windows for less wasted material. your ES i believe didn't come from the factory with privacy glass, but i could be wrong.
is it possible they swapped out for cheaper tint? sadly yes! it's really hard to tell and you'd have to take their word for it.
infrared glass is just a feature of the glass, not the shade of glass necessarily, which helps things like UV penetration. case in point my subaru from the factory has 0% UV penetration in the windshield, and only 20% on the rest whether tinted or not. i still tinted it all (even the windshield) with llumar formula one pinnacle ceramic haha!
is it possible they swapped out for cheaper tint? sadly yes! it's really hard to tell and you'd have to take their word for it.
infrared glass is just a feature of the glass, not the shade of glass necessarily, which helps things like UV penetration. case in point my subaru from the factory has 0% UV penetration in the windshield, and only 20% on the rest whether tinted or not. i still tinted it all (even the windshield) with llumar formula one pinnacle ceramic haha!