Car window tint should be essentially undetectable outside of the darkened color on your windows. In other words, you'll see the tinted shade, but you shouldn't see edges or any other indication that something is on your windows. However, sometimes you'll see bubbles in the tint. Those shouldn't be there, but some bubbles are worse than others. Bubbles can be present right after installation, or they can form later on, and when they form and how long they last are indications of whether or not you need to worry.

1. Right After Installation

If the bubbles are present right after installation, you may want to let the shop know just to put it on record but then wait a bit before doing anything. Water bubbles sometimes form as the film is being applied. These bubbles go away on their own; the shop should be able to give you a general time frame. Calling them and letting them know there are bubbles does two things. One, it gives you a chance to get more detail about what to look for and what should happen regarding water bubbles. Two, it will be easier to get the film looked at again should the bubbles not disappear—you won't seem like you're coming back to the shop and asking for help out of the blue.

2. If They Won't Go Away

Water bubbles fade over time, but air and dirt bubbles do not. These require that the film be reapplied. If you have small bubbles that don't really mar the look of the tint, don't assume you can leave those. They still indicate, however small they may be, that something went wrong during the film-application process. Take the car back to the tinting shop and ask about repositioning or replacing the film.

3. If They Appear Later

If the bubbles appear later, such as a couple of months after the tint was applied, or even years later, then either the installation job wasn't done well or the tint is defective and starting to come off the window. If this is happening soon after installation—again, not right after, but a few weeks after, for example—talk to the shop about warranties and shop guarantees to see if the replacement is covered. If this is happening years after the installation, the tint will need to be replaced, but you may have to pay for it out of pocket.

Window tinting shops like Sun Stoppers can help you if you're seeing bubbles in the tint they've installed. Remember that even if you have to replace the tint, bubbles are a solvable issue.

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