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Rear Window Tinted and now Defroster line melted the tint. Thoughts?

33K views 73 replies 27 participants last post by  Tira19 
#1 · (Edited)
I had my rear window tinted with a single piece of SunTek ceramic tint. a month ago ( took delivery of Model 3 end of October) With the weather getting colder I started to use my read defroster and noticed that a segment of the defroster line has melted were it covers the defroster line. I went to Tesla today for service and they said the overheat was caused by the tint and because I tinted the rear window I voided the warranty and ff I have to replace the glass that would not covered by the warranty. I also showed the tint place that I had the tint installed at and they said that the tint should not have melted since its automotive grade tine and that most likely I had a defective defroster line. Attached are some pics. I wanted to get some feedback if anyone has had a similar experience and what they did to find a resolution, Thanks in advance.
 

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#2 ·
My guess too is that it is a defective defroster line....I have had many cars tinted and use the defroster quite often and have never seen this happen myself (or heard of that happening to someone else either)...... I think that this is a warranty issue and that Tesla should cover the claim..... and not blame it on the tint.....especially with how many countless Teslas have tinted windows......
 
#3 ·
Defective defroster line or not, once the rear window was 'modified' by tint film Tesla can void the warranty on it. Not saying its right or wrong, just what it is.

Possible moisture and or small air bubble trapped under the film heated by the wire is my guess as to cause.
 
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#5 ·
Well the fact that they documented that there was after market tint already on the rear window makes it challenging to use the " what tint approach...lol Well if anyone has any suggestions via me having to pay for a new rear glass and new tint job, I am all ears.
 
#10 ·
A car company cannot void any warranty unless they can prove your modification caused the failure. They'd have a hard time proving tint caused a glass failure since it's generally accepted that tint is harmless to automotive glass. I'd go back in and push the issue. I've had 20+ cars, all tinted and never heard of this.
Tint film is harmless to automotive glass. It doesn't look like the glass was damaged. It's the defroster. And the Tesla defroster is the most kick-ass defroster I've ever used! It puts out some serious heat, and quick. Bye bye, ice and frost!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the point of ceramic tint to reflect heat? And if it's reflecting 90% of the heat right back to where it's generated, isn't it possible that it's dramatically increasing the temperature of the heat source? And that this kind of increase in heat could cause the film and/or the heating element to overheat?

Does Tesla even recommend aftermarket tints be applied over the defroster element? That's the only way this would be a warranty issue (if the element was approved for heat reflecting tint films). You break it, you fix it. That's what my father taught me when I was 8 yo.
 
#12 ·
Oh, OK, I wasn't aware it was officially approved by Tesla (to put a ceramic film over the electric defroster). I'm actually surprised by that.
 
#14 ·
I called Tesla before I had my tint installed and asked them if there was anything to be concerned about. They told me just to be careful not to let water run in behind the dashboard. That's far from "you will void your warranty if you install tint".
 
#16 ·
The dashboard? Isn't that by the windshield? I thought we were talking about whether or not Tesla approved putting solar tint over the rear DEFROSTER elements?

It surprised me when I thought you said Tesla approved solar film on the defroster wires.
 
#19 ·
Think of it this way, if you set a heating element in an oven to 250 degrees, it will reach 250 and stop. If you add extra layers of insulation the oven will become more efficient but it will not raise the temperature, it will still stay at 250 degrees.

So if a heating element in a defroster normally doesn’t melt tint and one day it melts that tells you that the element got much hotter than it should have, not that the trapped heat got hotter than the element was emitting.
 
#20 ·
Thanks Mase. Im picking up my car tomorrow. They said the Application of the tint caused the line to be damaged possibly from putting the tint on and then lifting it off to align the tint. Its hard to point fingers since I dont have any close ups of the defroster line before and after. Its tough having owned my Model 3 less than 3 months and needing to possibly shell out $$$$ to replace the whole glass roof if I want to address the defroster line and an new tint job thats only 1 month old that wasnt cheap as you all probably know for the single piece install. Sigh.
 
#23 ·
I think Tesla is doing the wrong thing here. I've never heard of or seen this happen on any car I've owned (with tint), or anyone else I know. It's not the tint. Or VERY (EXCEEDINGLY) unlikely to be and they should just do what's right here.
 
#25 · (Edited)
I tend to think Tesla is doing the wrong thing here too. But, while the tint is extremely unlikely to cause damage, the installer may have if they were using a razor near the defroster lines. Scraping them could remove some of the trace leading to a higher resistance leading to more heat in one area.

On a side note they said it isnt a issue/ defect on Tesla side because each car defroster lines is oms tested before delivery.
While this may be true, I doubt it because I have seen others post here with lines that are not working.
 
#24 ·
I have owned numerous vehicles in the luxury line of cars and was excited to add Tesla to it, but unfortunately my experience of having to chance down basic things like a signed MVP and see why the referral code hasnt taken that I used when buying my model 3 (3 months already and no update after numerous phone calls and emails..sigh) and now this :-( Love the model 3, the vision, the tech, but the customer experience in my personal situation has been a bit disappointing.

On a side note they said it isnt a issue/ defect on Tesla side because each car defroster lines is oms tested before delivery.
 
#29 ·
Arbitration is something they put in the contract but they can’t get around a law. The Magnusson Moss warranty act states that if a product has a warranty they cannot deny a claim unless they can prove your modification caused the failure. The proof lies on them. I think there’s no way they can say tint caused this. Millions of cars get tinted each year. It is literally made to withstand defroster temps. There’s should be a way to turn the defroster on and test the temps at each line. If it’s hot enough to melt tint you should be able to discern one line being hotter than the other.
 
#30 ·
Thanks Mase. The ability to test is above my pay grade. Maybe that is something I can request tesla to do tomorrow when I pick up my car. Only push back I can see is them saying well the line is already damaged so if the reading is showing it running hotter than normal it was from the damage caused by installing the tint.
 
#31 ·
I have a ton of experience with dealers and makers pulling the “you modified it the warranty is gone” card. I used to work in a high end customization and performance shop. From Subaru to twin turbo lambos. A lot of times they will say it to just try to see if someone will accept it as fact. As soon as someone starts mentioning the MM act, they generally get straight. It is absolutely true they can void a warranty if your modification caused it. But it cannot be voided simply for modifying something. For example if you put software on a turbo Audi and the engine explodes because the psi was raised in the turbo, then yes they have a valid claim not to fix. But tint isn’t even considered a mod in my mind. It’s generally accepted that a majority of people will add it. Hell, most dealers add it on the lot and try to rip people off by overcharging.
 
#32 · (Edited)
You can easily repair the defroster line. There are paint-on repair kits readily available.

Have your tint installer remove the tint, apply the repair compound, let it dry, test heat from it (those IR temp guns are perfect for this) , re-apply tint. MUCH cheaper than replacing that yuuuge piece of glass.

As far as the Moss-Magneson act, that does not apply here. That act specifically refers to "equivalent replacement parts" such as non-OEM oil, filters, brake pads, etc. Since there is no Tesla-spec'd or supplied tint, MMA does not apply here. Don't bother with arbitration - you will lose.

Besides Tesla is a technology company - NOT a car company (and all real car companies have dealerships). They just happen to sell their tech in the form of a car. <grin>

Additionally what a typical Tesla employee says over the phone [or in person] is often wrong (there are hundreds of threads about this here) and definitely NOT official Tesla policy. There is very limited knowledge of the products or the tech in the most of the staff and almost no historical knowledge for them to rely on or ask. This is a direct result of constant (often forced) employee turnover.
 
#33 ·
MM does apply here. Anytime a product manufacturer trys to pass the buck on warranty (not just car companies) it applies. It is much broader than the no non oem parts. It states that a manufacturer can not offer a deceptive warranty.

Specifically:

'if the product, or a component part, contains a defect or malfunction, must permit the consumer to elect either a refund or replacement without charge, after a reasonable number of repair attempts'

By saying tint affected the window they are trying to charge for a replacement when one should be free. Again this is IF the defroster is defective.
 
#36 ·
Since everything on this car is software driven/controlled, they could just turn the temp down. I wonder if this has anything to do with assisting cold weather owners?

Glad I haven't tinted my car yet, will have to do a thorough inspection of the heating elements for defects.
 
#39 ·
So I took back my Model 3 today and spoke with 3 advisers all who said the only resources is to submit a hand written letter to the Tesla address in their warranty guide, or try emailing the general customer service email alias and explain the situations. As for the service center they said they can't do much more on my behalf.....sigh.
 
#40 ·
I can totally believe that the defroster lines work harder in the Model 3. I've actually seen distortion from the heat whenever the defroster is on in my car... Something I've never seen in any other car before.
That extra distortion is not because it's hotter, it's because of the difference in physical properties between laminated glass and tempered glass. The model 3 is the only car I am aware of that uses laminated instead of tempered glass for the back window.
 
#44 ·
I called Tesla today to ask about this (as I'm planning to tint all glass on the vehicle next week, including sunroof and windshield). I spoke with a rep and the first thing that she said was:

"Glass is not covered by warranty."

We went back and forth with a song and dance as I tried to pinpoint her on the details and I really couldn't get a straight answer from her. She kept referring me to the online warranty details which read:

Additional Limitations and Exclusions

In addition to the above exclusions and limitations, this New Vehicle Limited Warranty does NOT cover:

"Windshield or window glass that is broken, chipped, scratched, or cracked, other than as a result of a defect in material or workmanship of a Tesla manufactured or supplied windshield or window glass;"


I asked several times what would happen if glass cracked for an unknown reason, she kept saying I'd have to take the car to the Service Center and they'd determine a cause, case by case basis, blah blah. Then she said if it was determined that it was a factory defect "it would be placed under warranty". So I kept pressing with multiple ways of phrasing it - If I have a tint and it's still a manufacturer's defect, am I covered? Again and again I couldn't get a straight answer but she did say at one point that because it's not stock it wouldn't be covered. When I tried to confirm, she just directed me to the website.

Now I'm nervous about tinting the rear glass, windshield and sunroof. Thoughts?

Another question I have - if the glass cracked and I remove the tint before taking it into the shop to have them inspect it, is there any way they can tell it had been tinted?

Love the car, not happy with their customer support and BS tactics. They actually told a friend who is on the fence about auto-pilot that they'd give him a 30 day free trial of the autopilot and then if he decides he wants it, he can pay $5,500 (instead of paying the standard 5k now). Really? You're gonna charge an extra 500 dollars to press a button 30 days later? :/
 
#46 ·
Unfortunately I ended u replacing my rear windshield and just not getting it re tinted. I am hearing that ceramic tint on the rear windshield is causing excess heat to be reflected through the glass causing potential glass crack and rear defroster lines to run hotter , causing the tint to warp or melt. Both happened to me hence why i had to replace the rear windshield.
 
#52 ·
I think there are only two posts here with people reporting this issue and many others have had full tint applied.
 
#54 ·
Exactly, some of the glass is just defective.
 
#55 ·
Add me to the list of rear defroster burning the tint. I had not even used my defroster, wondering if it came on maybe during a time remotely turning climate on.
Tesla said that diagnostics show that the "rear defroster was operating within spec" and that I should reach out to my tint guy to get it fixed.

Cloud Road surface Automotive tire Sunlight Asphalt
 
#56 ·
Add me to the list of rear defroster burning the tint. I had not even used my defroster, wondering if it came on maybe during a time remotely turning climate on.
Tesla said that diagnostics show that the "rear defroster was operating within spec" and that I should reach out to my tint guy to get it fixed.

View attachment 24767
Sorry to hear. It looks to be in the similar location as mine but on the opposite side. Wonder if that area on each side runs especially hot.
 
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