2011 Toyota Highlander Full Hood Paint Protection Film

[CPSDarren]

I didn't see a thread for this, so here's some information for anyone interested. I have the hybrid version but I think the hood is identical to the other trims. It may also apply to 2008 to 2010 as well. Most of the major suppliers do not offer full hood protection film precut kits or patterns for the Highlander, due to the size of the hood. They offer partial kits that essentially cover half of the hood, leaving a straight or curved "bikini" line across the middle. I didn't really care for that, as it seems like it would not only be visible, especially after collecting wax and dirt, but would also lead to uneven weathering.

To get full hood coverage, you need to have an installer, preferably an experienced one, do a custom cut pattern. For the Highlander, this can be done from a 48" wide roll of film. It will take a piece roughly 64" in length (don't quote me on that!).

I opted for the Avery Nano Fusion film on the recommendation of the installer, who was also certified for 3M Scotchguard, VentureShield and Xpel (he recommended their newer Ultimate film). The Nano also offered a lifetime warranty that includes both parts and labor. It turned out basically perfect. No relief cuts were necessary and he wrapped the front and side edges. It is very smooth and glossy and you basically cannot tell there is even a film on the hood at all, unless you look closely at the back edge of the hood near the windshield where there is a 1/8" gap. There is no orange peel texture that I can see.

I did not opt to have the fascia or other areas covered. I have touch-up paint for that. I was mostly interested in having the metal hood protected, based on previous vehicles that ended up with a number of small chips and scratches over the years. A couple went through the base coat and caused rust to form.

Anyway, if you are in the Chicago area, I can recommend Rob from Design Shielding. The cost was $425. It took him a few hours to do. I know the cost would have been somewhat less for less expensive films; another area installer quoted me much less for the basic Xpel film.

I don't see how to upload photos as the option appears to be missing, but I did post some here. There's really not much to see, it looks identical to a brand new hood.

[Loudog2]

Did he polish the hood first? Or did he just throw the film over a swirled hood? I detail cars as a hobby. A full hood, or any part of the hood does me no good. I like to polish and wax my car, so a hood deflector will do me fine. I did 3m my front bumper. Why would you not do the front bumper? That takes the most beating

[CPSDarren]

Originally Posted by Loudog2

Did he polish the hood first? Or did he just throw the film over a swirled hood?

He did a lot of prep work, but I'm not exactly sure what type of products were used exactly. The car was basically brand new, so the paint was virtually flawless.

I detail cars as a hobby. A full hood, or any part of the hood does me no good. I like to polish and wax my car, so a hood deflector will do me fine. I did 3m my front bumper. Why would you not do the front bumper? That takes the most beating

I guess it's personal preference. I used to enjoy detailing, but these days I find it to be a chore, even if I can find the time. Also, chips and scratches on the hood bother me a lot more than on the plastic. Flaws on the hood are a lot more noticable to me as well and also harder for me to touch up. I guess if cost was no object, you might as well do the entire car. The nano film looks that good and then if it ever gets marred or loses its gloss, you can simply pay again to replace it if it's not a warranty issue. Cost was an object for me, though. Perhaps I will go back and get the rest done in a less expensive film at some point.

[luck123]

I've had a hood deflector on my 2 yr old HL and I have one very small chip (pin head size) on my hood. That's driving with salt and sand on roads in winter. My bumper on the the other hand, has tons of chips, although after I polish, you see only a few that go beyond the black paint. I'm not fond of the plastic film and don't like the fact that you cannot easily polish out fine scratches that might develop on the film. However, I do understand the convenience of preventing long term damage to your hood, especially if you don't have time to maintain and don't like to have a hood deflector. Different strokes.......

[Loudog2]

Originally Posted by luck123

I've had a hood deflector on my 2 yr old HL and I have one very small chip (pin head size) on my hood. That's driving with salt and sand on roads in winter. My bumper on the the other hand, has tons of chips, although after I polish, you see only a few that go beyond the black paint. I'm not fond of the plastic film and don't like the fact that you cannot easily polish out fine scratches that might develop on the film. However, I do understand the convenience of preventing long term damage to your hood, especially if you don't have time to maintain and don't like to have a hood deflector. Different strokes.......

Try Dr. Colorchip for your chips. It works great!! You can polish a clear bra. Lots of people do with a finishing polish and a finishing pad. I believe 3M have a clear coat layer in it. I read that somewhere.

[CPSDarren]

Originally Posted by luck123

I've had a hood deflector on my 2 yr old HL and I have one very small chip (pin head size) on my hood. That's driving with salt and sand on roads in winter. My bumper on the the other hand, has tons of chips, although after I polish, you see only a few that go beyond the black paint. I'm not fond of the plastic film and don't like the fact that you cannot easily polish out fine scratches that might develop on the film. However, I do understand the convenience of preventing long term damage to your hood, especially if you don't have time to maintain and don't like to have a hood deflector. Different strokes.......

I would have done the deflector if I hadn't been able to get full hood film. Based on past experience, I'd certainly rather have a deflector than nothing at all.

You can wax the paint protection film. I suspect polish waxes with any kind of abrasives would not be a good idea. I have no experience with this, so I'm not sure how much of a benefit this is or what products are best.

I've never used a paint film before, so maybe it will turn out to be a waste of money or look awful in a year, who knows? Live and learn!

[Phatty McPatty]

Thanks for the info Darren! My last SUV had significant chipping on the front of the hood which I'm trying to avoid. Keep us updated with how it stands up over time.

[tagheuer]

I have gone back and forth on this one....paying $500 for film, or simply paying $7 for touch up paint....

my local body shop will remove the hood and respray the whole thing with factory paint for the same price...so I could never justify paying $500 for the film.

If I need to respray the hood in 5 years, I have the option of doing so if I want. In the interim, I can take that $500 and invest it and earn interest on it.

I had the hood on my 2004 BMW 325 resprayed after about 6 years and it cost me $550, looked brand new.

[CPSDarren]

Originally Posted by tagheuer

I have gone back and forth on this one....paying $500 for film, or simply paying $7 for touch up paint....

my local body shop will remove the hood and respray the whole thing with factory paint for the same price...so I could never justify paying $500 for the film.

If I need to respray the hood in 5 years, I have the option of doing so if I want. In the interim, I can take that $500 and invest it and earn interest on it.

I had the hood on my 2004 BMW 325 resprayed after about 6 years and it cost me $550, looked brand new.

If you have a competent body shop that you trust to accurately match colors and don't care about the affect of repainting on resale/trade value, then that's a perfectly reasonable option, too. I'm thinking that if you don't mind the look of touch-up paint for a few chips and scratches, it saves you $500 and you don't lose as much on resale value, either. That's what I did with previous cars. Decided to try something else this time. Obviously, I don't claim it's the best value option or will appeal to everyone. Hopefully the information will be of use to those who are interested, but only found the half-hood precut patterns available.

[dfigu]

I am also looking into PPF, specifically Avery Nano Fusion and XPEL Ultimate, partial hood only, since they charge $500 for the full hood (as CPSDarren indicated above). However, I've looked a few pictures, and that line looks horrible...

BTW not very many installers do Avery Nano Fusion, and some of the installers that I've talked to did not think the warranty was worth it (of course).