PPF, Underbody Rust Prevention, Location, Cost?... How many have done it on their 4Runners?

Good morning. I'm seriously considering adding PPF to my front bumper, hood and spraying the underbody with wool wax/fluid film on our new 4Runner. Our truck only has 93 miles on it and has been parked most of the week in our carport (mainly out of fear of driving it until this happens).

We live in Colorado and salt never goes on the roads in the winter, but want to preserve this vehicle the best we can. PPF seems like a good idea for us because we plan on using the vehicle for long roadtrips, but I'm not sure if adding it will cause any longterm discoloring issues to the paint (maybe residue from the film?). Also, I found with research it needs to be reapplied after 7 years.

Has anybody not done PPF/Underbody Rust Prevention? Any regrets? Are any of these DIY tasks? How much did you spend to have it done?

I appreciate any advice on this. I plan on reaching out to local shops to get some quotes, but I don't want to get out of hand with this. I realize this isn't a 200k vehicle, but at nearly $50k, it is the most I've ever spent on a vehicle.

Thank you!

 

My tint and PPF cost $2700 in Utah. Tint was Autobahn i3 ceramic on all windows including the moonroof and windshield. PPF was Suntek and covers the entire front bumper, full hood, full fenders and flares, headlights, fog lights, mirror backs, door cups, door edges, full a pillar with top of windshield, and partial c pillar.

 

I had fluid film underbody done last month for$200 with the ability to have it done again in the fall for$100. Then once a year.

 

This isn’t a 200k vehicle? So you plan on selling it eventually and just hedging against depreciation?
If so I wouldn’t invest in it. Normal wear and tear wouldn’t drop the value of the vehicle, especially so in a trade in.. dealerships won’t bat an eye for normal wear.
You will never get that money back..

 

We plan on keeping this as long possible (hoping 20 years). With that being said, I'm always open to selling if things ever get crazy - gas being $25 a gallon for example.

 

I agree and disagree with this. It’s not a high end exotic, so if rock chips and such don’t bother you, then it won’t be worth the money to you.

On the other hand, a full PPF’d car with around 70k miles will fetch a better price than the same car without PPF.

OP, PPF does have a lifespan of about 5-10 years depending on brand and conditions that it’s exposed to. As I always say, shop the installer and not the brand. Another thing to note, when PPF gets damaged, it has a cost to replace the film on the damaged panel.


I usually sell my cars every 3-4 years, so the PPF is an added value to the next person that I’m selling it to.

 

Hi steelevo-

Out of curiosity, how IS the paint on these late model 4Rs? Is it ridiculously thin and soft like the paint on my 2019 Mazda CX-9 or does it stand up fairly well to small rocks, etc.?

I've got PPF on all the impact areas and am really glad I did. Hoping it pays off when I sell it to get into a 4R.

Thanks,
TimG.

 

The paint is super soft and thin. The 3 stage pearls have a little more thickness to them vs the other paint colors.

I didn't have PPF on my 2016 Limited in Blizzard Pearl and the front end was pretty beat up from all of the road salt, rocks, etc. at 110k miles.

My 2020 Pro had PPF and looked amazing at almost 40k miles. I had maybe 6-7 rock chips on the entire car.

My 2023 Pro has the most PPF coverage and it is looking perfect at 16k miles.

 

we traded in our Sienna. No ppf no ceramic crap.. car has Accident on record, Dings, scrapes.. dealer didn’t even look at the car. I think just verified the mileage. Ha I vacuumed and wiped down the interior for nothing. They gave us a competitive trade in value on the spot.

 

Being a new owner of a 2024 T4R ORP in Underground here’s what I did. Keep in mind the Underground color, or any dark color for that matter, shows scratches and scratches easily. I took my truck to the highest rated company in San Diego; known as One of One. When I pulled in I parked next to a Lamborghini. The parking lot was full of Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes, Porsche and several Teslas. Had them do Xpel Plus paint protection film on the front clip; hood, bumper, fenders, headlights, mirrors, door cups and entire roof, for surfboards, snowboards, etc. Keep in mind that this PPF is self healing, so if you scratch it you can use a heat gun, or hair dryer, or even a hot day and it will flow back together to repair the wound, within reason of course. Then tinted every window on the truck, again using the Xpel plus window tint. Covering the wind shield and sunroof, driver’s and passenger windows and rear hatch roll up window, not limo but next one up. Lastly, a high end ceramic coating over the entire truck, including wheels and over the paint protection film. All materials have a written 10 year warranty. I wanted to do the Xpel Paint Protection Film over the entire truck, but the Admiral said no, too much money. The 4Runner had 35 miles on it the day I dropped it off. These trucks cost upwards of $50,000.00. Figured I’d protect my investment. The PPF is impervious to bird poop, bee poop, road tar and small pebble chips, not 3/4” gravel though. The wind shield tint helps stop glare from oncoming headlights and the sun. I highly recommend these upgrades, but some may red ass me for doing it.

 

Underbody coat you can do yourself- just get a few cans of fluid film and go to town.

I never saw the benefit of paint films… and I’ve kept cars over a decade multiple times. How you drive makes a big difference as well, don’t tailgate on the highway and the front stays pretty clean.

 

Wife is my voice of reason when my OCD kicks in. She doesn't see the value in it and I am starting to agree. The final straw for me is finding out that it isn't a permanent deal like window tint. The last thing I want to deal with in 5-7 years is removing the stuff off, let alone replacing it.

Don't get me wrong, I would feel better cruising around with it since my vehicle is in perfect shape, but I need to learn this truck will still look good if I regularly wash it and avoid collisions.

 

Good choice.. my came ppfed by the dealer.. but I still would need to remove it at some point… I was able to get the cost removed by the dealer