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Paint Protection Film · Ceramic Pro Elite Dealer, Davie FL

What is the downside of PPF?

Name: What is the downside of PPF?
Uploaded: 2025-01-15
Duration: 42 s
Description: Three real downsides: the price, the fact that a bad install shows (edges, dirt, stretch marks), and that it is not permanent. Everything else you read about yellowing and peeling is a cheap-film or cheap-installer problem, not a PPF problem.

Three real downsides: the price, the fact that a bad install shows (edges, dirt, stretch marks), and that it is not permanent. Everything else you read about yellowing and peeling is a cheap-film or cheap-installer problem, not a PPF problem.

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What is the downside of PPF? — Ceramic Pro video

▶Ceramic Pro video · 42s

The downsides that are real

It costs money up front. Full Front from $1,799, Full Body from $4,990. That is more than a coating and much more than wax. It is less than one bumper respray, but you pay it on day one.
The installer matters more than the film. Film is installed wet, by hand, in a room. Dust under it, lifted edges, stretch marks on a bumper corner and visible seams are all installer mistakes, and they are permanent until the panel is redone.
It is not forever. Ceramic Pro Urban is warrantied for 10 years, Ceramic Pro PPF for life, but any film eventually comes off. The good news is that the paint under it is new when it does.

The downsides that are myths

"PPF yellows." Cheap PVC film does. Ceramic Pro film has a UV-stable topcoat and a written warranty against yellowing.
"PPF damages the paint when removed." Only on repainted panels, or when a film is left far past its life. Factory paint under properly removed film looks like the day it was covered.
"You can see it." On a clean install with wrapped edges, you cannot. What people see on other cars is a visible seam or a dirt line at an unwrapped edge.

How we take the installer risk off the table

Closed, climate-controlled bay. Badges and trim off. Edges wrapped. One way to install, no "premium install" tier. And a written Ceramic Pro warranty that we are still here to honor.

From our bay in Davie

38 clips of PPF and Ceramic Pro going on, filmed in the shop at 5150 SW 48th Way, Unit 614. Scroll sideways.

PPF install · in the bay

Squeegee across the panel

Film squeegeed over the panel

Film worked around the fender

Film smoothed along the edge

Ceramic Pro application · in the bay

Coating applied by hand

Product worked into the panel

Water beads on the paint

Water runs straight off

Soap and water slide away

People also ask

Related questions, answered.

What is the highest quality PPF?

The highest quality PPF passes five tests: aliphatic chemistry, 8 mil or more of urethane, a self-healing hydrophobic topcoat, optical clarity, and a written manufacturer warranty. Ceramic Pro PPF passes all five with the thickest flagship film we know of, 8.5 mil, and a lifetime warranty. Full answer →

Are car dealer protection packages worth it?

Almost never. The package is a sealant applied fast in a service lane, sold at a specialist price in the finance office, with a warranty built around exclusions. Decline it, and put the same money into film and a real coating from a shop that does this all day. Full answer →

What is PPF?

PPF is paint protection film: a clear, 7.5 to 8.5 mil urethane film applied to the painted panels that take hits, so rock chips, sand, bugs and wash swirls happen to the film instead of the paint. It self-heals with heat and comes off clean years later. Full answer →

How long does PPF last?

Paint protection film typically lasts five to ten years or more. Three things decide it: the quality of the film, the quality of the installation, and how you maintain the car afterward. It's not install-and-forget — regular washes with PPF-friendly products keep it looking new, and an annual professional inspection makes sure every panel stays fully covered and protected. Always go to an experienced installer whose film comes with a warranty. PPF isn't forever, but with the right maintenance it's the best way to keep your vehicle looking like new. Full answer →

All questions →

Full Front PPF from $1,799 — free $549 ceramic coating included

Ceramic Pro Urban or Ceramic Pro PPF film, installed in our own climate-controlled bay in Davie. Every Full Front and Full Body install includes a Ceramic Pro coating at no charge, so the film stays glossy and easy to wash.

See Full Front PPF pricing (786) 876-7891

Partial Front from $899 Full Front from $1,799 Track Package from $2,590 Full Body from $4,990

Elite Premium Detailing · 5150 SW 48th Way, Unit 614, Davie, FL 33314 · right by the Hard Rock Hotel