So the car was supposed to come with one, but it hadn't been installed when we got there. Service takes it away, then brings it back with the bumper protector installed...with dirty thumbprints underneath the applique on both ends and on the upper and lower edges in the middle. Very noticeable on Blizzard Pearl paint. Unfortunately, the dealer is 60 miles from our home and they're fresh out of appliques. So they arrange to pay our local dealer to install a new one. Before they even let us look at it, these guys say "Now don't be alarmed about the bubbles...it's perfectly normal. Just don't touch it and they'll work themselves out in a few days." And indeed, there were very noticeable bubbles under both ends and in the middle of the sticker. Okay, so we don't touch it, and leave the car mostly in our garage for over a week now. Is it any surprise the bubbles are still there? Wth? I've installed bumper stickers more professionally than this since I was 16.
Yes this does suck! It is very hard to find good tech's. Mine was put on with no bubbles at all, I do not think they should exist. As I think about it now on my Prius IV, when the clear bra was installed it had a bubble in the hood section and the tech came to our house to put a new hood section on. Best of luck Don
Thanks. I was thinking they probably should have installed a new one at that point. I wasn't at all convinced that there would be a miraculous self-healing involved, but I figured the service people ought to know what they're talking about. Anyone ever heard of bubbles just disappearing from under a bumper sticker? How long does this phenomenon take?
One trick that has worked for me with other large stickers is to simply use a pin, and prick a small little hole in the middle of the bubble. This will allow that air to escape, and with your pushing on the sticker around the bubble, and towards the little pin prick, they should resolve themselves. This trick also works well for tinted windows. the trick is to make only a teeny little pinprick to allow the air to escape, or else eventually that little hole could get bigger.
No there isn't a miraculous process there, unfortunately. How would the air bleed out from those bubbles? You learned a hard lesson about service people, or some of them, how knowledgeable they are. Hope they will replace this too for you.
Thanks, all. I'll try leaving the car out in the sun for a while and see if that makes any difference. I wouldn't call the bubbles tiny, perhaps more trout-sized than goldfish sized.
Can anyone take a very close up picture of how your applique fits on the bumper. Mine had to be replaced due to a car rear ending me, and the new one the body shop put on looks like its too short. they say its the same part number as what I had but it just looks wrong. What I am seeing is that the applique ends about 1/2 inch before the bottom of the hatch lid, and the top edge is kind of wavy and not straight, like someone sliced it off with a razor. I swear my original applique went all the way under the bottom edge of the hatch lid so you could not even see the top edge of it when the hatch was closed. Pictures would greatly help me show the body shop that they did something wrong and need to replace this. Thanks.
Yours looks better than mine, though I swear it used to go higher up. Then again it could be my failing memory
I just noticed now that our IV that was Port installed (It was on the sticker) is off a little and the V that was dealer installed is perfect. This is my other car Prius IV
I can clearly see from the photos that mine was cut off by the installer. Instead of the nice rounded corners at the top, mine are sharp 90 degree cuts. I have no idea why he would slice 1/2 inch the whole thing from one end to the other, unless he messed up the top edge and decided to try and hide it rather than order another sticker.
It seems that they have chopped a little off the edge like you say, it seems OK, but it is you that has to live with it. Best of luck Don Edit: Yes I do notice what you are seeing now and very well ! To get a new one will be up to you and them! Best of luck Edit: If it is good other than that, it may be in your best interest to leave it alone or you could get bubbles, finger prints, etc.. Next time.
