Sorry if this has been answered, but searching the forum for 'tint' brings up way too many unrelated results.

Let me start off by saying I dislike tint, but I need to get my rear windows tinted. I have a 5 month old and a long ride to daycare each morning and in the winter months, the sun is at the exact angle to be a bother for my daughter.

1) Assuming I get good quality tint and good professional installation, how long does tint usually last? What I mean is, how long before (i) bubbling, (ii) blurry vision at night, (iii) color change of the tint? If it matters, the car is parked outside in the sun an average of 8-10 hours per week.

2) The only sunlight problem I'm experiencing is from the rear side windows. I'm most worried about view out of my back window. Would it look terrible if I only had the 3 rear side windows done on each side without touching the front windows or the back window? If it will look bad, what about a lighter shade for the back window...how many shade difference would be ok?

3) Anyone in So Cal that can recommend a good tint shop? Preferably near the San Gabriel Valley?

I'm not planning on doing the front windows as that's not legal here in CA. I'm also hoping to get the rear side windows as dark as possible.

Thanks everyone.

 

I have seen a lot of tinting jobs here in FL. It looks great when it's first installed, but it always bubbles/wrinkles/scratches and goes to crap in a few years. Then it's a pain to scrape off and redo. I won't put it on one of my vehicles anymore. Sunglasses are good enough for me. Some will say it helps protect the interior by reducing UV exposure - which is true. But it just doesn't last long enough to make it worth my while. Maybe FL is too harsh/hot for this thin film.
If you have it done, be sure to test all the interior door latches and window switches. I have seen a lot of times installers messing up reinstalling the door panels (not connecting linkage and harnesses) after tinting (or wrapping which we do on our fleet vehicles).

 

I'm in So Cal and I just got 35% tint all around, front windows too. If you see cops just open your sunroof and let the light in, you will barely be able to tell you have tint on the front windows. Feel free to PM me if you want to meet up and see my tint in person as pictures don't and can't really give you the real idea.

 

That is because a lot of shops here in FL install garbage film and use poor installation technique. I have had a number of vehicles tinted and never had a problem even after a decade of the film being on the vehicle. The film never changed color and never bubbled. Check for a shop which installs a quality film such as FormulaOne where there is a quality company standing behind the work and you should be fine. Also, do not get the cheapest film available. With FormulaOne look at their Pinnacle series.

 

We live @ almost 5000 ft elevation in Western Colorado, where the sun is intense in the summer. I have had a local tint shop tint multiple cars & trucks for me and have never had a problem with color change, bubbling, wrinkles or lifting at the edges. Sure, a couple of scratches on the tint, but everyone should be advised that window tint DOES scratch easily and yes, it leaves a mark that can't be buffed out.

Our tint shop uses only 3M tint, in a variety of price levels. I usually opt for one of the more expensive tints rather than the cheap stuff, as the shop owner does warn customers that the really cheap stuff may be prone to color change. The shop owner should also advise customers about the legality issues if you desire the darker tint. Dark tint can get you a ticket in Colorado, and then you have to get the tint removed.

 

Just try your best not to get pulled over ( speeding/ failure to stop at a STOP sign etc)
Because that's the time where you'll get that "extra" fix it ticket for your front windows.
THEN, you have to have it checked by CHP after you FIX it.

 

If you're only tinting to give your daughter relief from sun glare, just install a pull down shade on the rear windows and be done with it.

As others have mentioned, you get what you pay for when it comes to the tint film and application.

 

what i have 2 front windows(passenger and driver side) 20%, rear (passenger and driver side) 20% over the stock 20% tints, and rear windshield put 5% tint over factory 20%, they look smooth and you almost dont see the difference unless you look real close and you know what youre looking for. looks good to me atm,however thinking of replacing front 20% to 5% or keep them but do 35% windshield, still too much sun in my car and my i got sensitive eyesight so whenever morons drive with high beams it hurts my eyes.. Ive had my for almost a year, still no bubbles what so ever, car is parked outside every single day, the guy did a really good job, he did my tints on a previous car as well, i had it for 2 years and tints looked perfect, i think i put more expensive ones, they called either racing or pro

From the side you cant tell the difference in tints

 

I hope you have a PBA card or equivalent. Especially if you plan to go darker (which is just begging for an unsoliciitated visit from your local LEO).

 

PBA cards dont actually help much, if cop is an *** he will ticket you no matter what, you just gotta be normal with them when they pull you over even if there was no reason.

 

If you have illegal tint, you just gave them a reason. Hard to justify anything that happens to you from that point on. You're riding around with limo level tint in a state where the law says 70% of light must shine through on all windows except the rear windshield. The fact that you want to put tint on the front windshield on a white vehicle is hardly going to be ignored.

Your choice to mod, but your responsibility to know which laws you're breaking so there is no surprise when you get pulled over.

My friend learned the hard way and ended up with a tint ticket for every window by thinking the 'cop was an ***' for pulling him over for no reason.

lol and fyi, my GS has the potential for at least 9 tickets (license plate too low to ground, license plate frame, tint, etc) anytime I get stopped.

 

I am surprised by those who complain of the tint bubbling and fading. I had whatever legal tint was allowed on my front windows in Texas, and it never bubbled or faded in the 5 years I was there. And that was with hundreds of days of over 100 degrees and bright sunshine. Maybe the tint problems were due to poor quality product?

 

I agree. If you are wary of doing tint, they sell a ton of other products that would do what you want without tinting. And they would be much less costly. I know there are some good sunshades that use suction cups to stick directly on the window.

 

well it will be noticeable, not gonna argue that, ive been pulled over for tints when i had 35% on, cop pulled me over and told me to take them off. however that did happen but then replaced with 20% all around. Im getting pulled over quite often, they say i look suspicious, im used to that, once got around 400-500$ in tint tickets, no points, my friend put 35% on his maxima, got pulled over at SI toll both, they gave him 2 points and 400$ ticket, it all depends on a cop, ive been pulled over many times, thx God only got ticketed once.
Plate frame issue, i never even knew you cant have a rear plate frame in nyc, i got pulled over for that too

 

Illegal in FL as well. Frame cannot cover any of the text on the plate even in part.