Horizonal, distortion/wavy line on windshield tint

[Mumper]

I got XPEL Prime XR Plus 70% on the front windshield of my new Gen 2 R1S. After the install, I noticed a horizontal band across the entire windshield, right at eye level. The band distorts the view when you look thru it, almost like a little wave.

Based on this, I took the car back to show the installer. He confirmed the issue and replaced the tint. I just got the vehicle back today and the line is still there - exact same place. It's obviously new tint, as I can see the water/bubbles that need to dry out over the next few days.

I had the car for about a week before I took it in for tint and never noticed any issues with the windshield. My wife also drove and did not notice any distortion lines.

Anyone have any ideas what I am dealing with here? Is this a windshield defect? Or could it be that the tint is somehow magnifying some sort of issue on the windshield? Not really sure where to go from here. Thanks for the help!

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[IGR]

I had a similar issue with mine but it developed over few weeks. The installer replaced the tint and it’s been fine for over a year now.
We weren’t sure why it had happened, but sounded like it was defective film.
I would recommend trying a different brand if your installer will not honor the warranty.

 

[Mumper]

I had the tint replaced today, exact same issue in exact same spot - so hard to believe it's the tint?

 

[IGR]

I had the tint replaced today, exact same issue in exact same spot - so hard to believe it's the tint?

It’s more likely to be the tint rather than the windshield. Plastic bends and stretches can cause artifacts. Especially if you think the glass is fine without it.

Remember steps to isolate the issue: try different approach….

goodluck

 

[Mumper]

Especially if you think the glass is fine without it.

I drove it for a week before the tint, did not notice any issues with the windshield at all.

 

[R1Thor]

Double-check with your installer. Some tints/PPFs/films in general have a 'cure time' and some cure even better when exposed to sunlight.

I was told to always give it 2 weeks before cleaning anything, too, as the act of abrading (polishing/scrubbing) and using chemical agents could impact the visible quality.

My first attempt at STEK Dynoshield on my windscreen did exactly what you're describing--left a band of distortion right at eye level, which was sometimes ignore-able, but distracting at other times. When it didn't 'cure out' in a couple of weeks, my installer replaced the entire thing. It was improved, but still annoying for a few weeks. Then suddenly one day I remembered thinking "oh, that issue is not an issue anymore," because I could no longer see it. To date, I forget there's film on my windscreen (except when it gets super dirty).

Hopefully yours is just a cure-time issue. But again, I'd check with your installer as to what their expectations are (as well as their guarantees).

 

[Mumper]

Double-check with your installer. Some tints/PPFs/films in general have a 'cure time' and some cure even better when exposed to sunlight.

I was told to always give it 2 weeks before cleaning anything, too, as the act of abrading (polishing/scrubbing) and using chemical agents could impact the visible quality.

My first attempt at STEK Dynoshield on my windscreen did exactly what you're describing--left a band of distortion right at eye level, which was sometimes ignore-able, but distracting at other times. When it didn't 'cure out' in a couple of weeks, my installer replaced the entire thing. It was improved, but still annoying for a few weeks. Then suddenly one day I remembered thinking "oh, that issue is not an issue anymore," because I could no longer see it. To date, I forget there's film on my windscreen (except when it gets super dirty).

Hopefully yours is just a cure-time issue. But again, I'd check with your installer as to what their expectations are (as well as their guarantees).

Thanks for this info, actually makes me feel a bit better. My installer already replaced the windshield tint, and this 2nd attempt has a much smaller, less distracting band. I am hopeful that it will continue to fade with time, as it's only been a couple days now. I gave the original install about a week before I took it back, just for reference.

 

[mattland]

I have the same exact problem, also with Xpel Prime XR Plus 70%. I thought it was defective tint application, but after I had it re-installed a second time (2 months later), I had the same problem with high distortion. The tint installer technicians told me that cybertruck had the same defect issue in which 1 out of 1,000 truck windshield were defective, only to be discovered by distortion after windshield tint was applied. This is not only a cosmetic defect, but the windshield can be more sensitive or susceptible to higher damage that would only chip a non defective windshield. I think this could be a safety issue.

 

[mattland]

I have the same exact problem, also with Xpel Prime XR Plus 70%. I thought it was defective tint application, but after I had it re-installed a second time (2 months later), I had the same problem with high distortion. The tint installer technicians told me that cybertruck had the same defect issue in which 1 out of 1,000 truck windshield were defective, only to be discovered by distortion after windshield tint was applied. This is not only a cosmetic defect, but the windshield can be more sensitive or susceptible to higher damage that would only chip a non defective windshield. I think this could be a safety issue.

I put in a service ticket yesterday

 

[Mumper]

I ended up having the second tint removed since the distortion never went away. I’ve considered talking to Rivian about it, but I’m not sure how they could diagnose it without tint?

 

[mattland]

Ask the installer to write a letter for you describing the situation you had and use it for the service ticket. Did you ever find any other Rivian owners with the same issue online? I’m not sure if it’s specifically the XR Plus that’s the issue…maybe a different spec will work better?

 

[mattland]

I ended up having the second tint removed since the distortion never went away. I’ve considered talking to Rivian about it, but I’m not sure how they could diagnose it without tint?

Mumper, I got a call from Rivian regarding the service ticket to get more info on the windshield situation. They accepted the ticket and will address it on my next service date (Feb 11th). I gave them the name and contact info of my tint installer so they can call and verify. This may be all you need to put in your own service ticket. If you do that, it will add more credibility to the problem and possibly get the attention it needs from the engineers. I honestly think the tint helps identify some sort of polymer/lamination defect on certain windshields during the manufacturing process. The fact that some Tesla windshields had similar issues with wave distortions after applying tint, helped those owners identify a defective windshield. My tinting shop owner said it was one in every thousand cybertrucks that had the tint distortion problem.

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