2024 Yukon tint problem front windshield

[onyx24]

Just had my sides and front windshield tinted.

Very big company near me had to remove it once and replace it and it's still very splotchy at the dot matrix next to mirror.

They now have refunded me for the front and I'm looking for another company that can guarantee their work.

Anyone have their windshield tinted?

 

[jfoj]

Dot matrix tinting is tricky. While I have not done this on a windsheild I have had dot matrix around the rear window tinted with far better results. Might not be 100% perfect but does not look like what you have.

I think some shops put some form of clear, water based adhesive on the dot matrix before applying the tint in tough cases to reduce/eliminate this type of problem.

I have even seen reference to a glue stick type of application, not sure if this is an Elmers Glue Stick or a speciality glue stick for tint work.

Good luck, I would ask around many local shops on how they tend to address this.

 

[onyx24]

Dot matrix tinting is tricky. While I have not done this on a windsheild I have had dot matrix around the rear window tinted with far better results. Might not be 100% perfect but does not look like what you have.

I think some shops put some form of clear, water based adhesive on the dot matrix before applying the tint in tough cases to reduce/eliminate this type of problem.

I have even seen reference to a glue stick type of application, not sure if this is an Elmers Glue Stick or a speciality glue stick for tint work.

Good luck, I would ask around many local shops on how they tend to address this.

Yes in the process of calling around, so far 1 other shop they said they wouldn't guarantee it. I live in Charlotte NC, big city, you'd thing some of these shops would have it figured out. But who knows.

 

[jfoj]

I am not far from you. I had 2 rear windows redone by Custom Dave's Tinting in Mooreville and the dot matrix on the rear window looked prety good. No idea if they did anything special or not. You might call Dave's, it is a smaller shop and often Dave answers the phone. They are also pretty resonable from what I understood. As a point of reference, I think? I paid $175 for one car and around $225 for the other. Both had rear window defrost grids so removal was tricky, the $225 was a much larger back window. The rear window defrost grids can also be tricky for air pockets. I had not overall complaint with their workmanship and the end product.

There are a few other places in Mooresville, Tint World seems to be rather high end and I think their prices reflect this as well. But it may be worth a call to them, but usually a girl answers the phone that may not be very in tune to the technical side of the business.

Sun Stoppers has a 4.9 rating for 330 reviews on Google, you might call them as well.

Good luck

 

[onyx24]

I am not far from you. I had 2 rear windows redone by Custom Dave's Tinting in Mooreville and the dot matrix on the rear window looked prety good. No idea if they did anything special or not. You might call Dave's, it is a smaller shop and often Dave answers the phone. They are also pretty resonable from what I understood. As a point of reference, I think? I paid $175 for one car and around $225 for the other. Both had rear window defrost grids so removal was tricky, the $225 was a much larger back window. The rear window defrost grids can also be tricky for air pockets. I had not overall complaint with their workmanship and the end product.

There are a few other places in Mooresville, Tint World seems to be rather high end and I think their prices reflect this as well. But it may be worth a call to them, but usually a girl answers the phone that may not be very in tune to the technical side of the business.

Sun Stoppers has a 4.9 rating for 330 reviews on Google, you might call them as well.

Good luck

Yes I'm close to there. I actually used SunStoppers closer to me and they couldn't do it right even after 2nd try.

 

[KMeloney]

I think you're rolling the dice any time you tint over those dots. If I were the tint shop, I wouldn't guarantee it, either.

I believe some places will sand down the dots some to make the surface heights disparity less (and also allow the tint to stick better), but who knows whether you'd want them to do something like that to your windshield.

I feel like I've also heard of tinters using a kind of "paint" in/around the dots.

Whatever the case, I've avoided having windows with dots on them tinted altogether.

 

[jfoj]

Problem is with rear window defroster grids and even many rear windows have dot matrix around the borders, you have no option and I have seen decent work performed in the case of the 2 recent re-tints of rear windows.

Neither re-tint was due to dot matrix issue. One was a 10 year old rear tint that was bubbling and delaminating from the adhesive, especially between the horizontal defrost grid lines. The other was due to bubbling/delaminating on a hard top convertible where the glass rested on supports when the top was down. I assume the top was put down before the adhesive had fully cured??

 

[onyx24]

I think you're rolling the dice any time you tint over those dots. If I were the tint shop, I wouldn't guarantee it, either.

I believe some places will sand down the dots some to make the surface heights disparity less (and also allow the tint to stick better), but who knows whether you'd want them to do something like that to your windshield.

I feel like I've also heard of tinters using a kind of "paint" in/around the dots.

Whatever the case, I've avoided having windows with dots on them tinted altogether.

Yeah I totally understand the difficulty, but in 2025 there's no way there's not an adhesive or some method to apply tint and not have it delaminate.

I think most companies just want to push out quantity and not quality.

 

[Joel_S]

As someone who has worked for years in a tint shop and with film, no tinter or shop should ever promise you they will get the dots to lay 100%. That guarantee is a lie. They may get 95% but there is no 100%.

The dot matrix is raised and it is an absolute nightmare to get things to lay perfect. Think of trying to get a sticker to lay perfectly smooth on on orange or basketball. It simply won’t.

There is prep you can do to help it like wet sanding the dots (which a lot of places aren’t comfortable doing) or using clear tack glue to help it raise up slightly and it fills in some of the gaps between the dots, as well as a few other things but getting it 100% perfect is absolutely unrealistic.

You can always do black vinyl over the outside as well.

Your request is super common in window tinting but the shop should have done a better job explaining that there is no such thing as a “perfect” tint job. I have had 30+ cars with tinted windshields and will be tinting our new Yukon as well and the front windshield will get tinted. Even with sanding the dots, and tack glue to help hold, I still expect to see some dots. Some windows are super noticeable just because of the size of the dot matrix.

If the first tint company removed their tint and cleaned the glue off, get some 1500 grit wet/dry and soak it in warm water for 15 mins. Then make a soapy solution with dawn and water in a spray bottle. Mist the inside of the windshield and sand LIGHTLY!!! With the 1500 while making sure it’s wet. Try to not sand the clear parts of the glass and spray and whip frequently to get the dirt off that you sand down. Don’t take it down to bare glass or you will notice it even more. You just want to remove some of the height of the dots and it should help with the adhesion. If your next tint shop follows with some clear tack it should help minimize dots.

 

[onyx24]

As someone who has worked for years in a tint shop and with film, no tinter or shop should ever promise you they will get the dots to lay 100%. That guarantee is a lie. They may get 95% but there is no 100%.

The dot matrix is raised and it is an absolute nightmare to get things to lay perfect. Think of trying to get a sticker to lay perfectly smooth on on orange or basketball. It simply won’t.

There is prep you can do to help it like wet sanding the dots (which a lot of places aren’t comfortable doing) or using clear tack glue to help it raise up slightly and it fills in some of the gaps between the dots, as well as a few other things but getting it 100% perfect is absolutely unrealistic.

You can always do black vinyl over the outside as well.

Your request is super common in window tinting but the shop should have done a better job explaining that there is no such thing as a “perfect” tint job. I have had 30+ cars with tinted windshields and will be tinting our new Yukon as well and the front windshield will get tinted. Even with sanding the dots, and tack glue to help hold, I still expect to see some dots. Some windows are super noticeable just because of the size of the dot matrix.

If the first tint company removed their tint and cleaned the glue off, get some 1500 grit wet/dry and soak it in warm water for 15 mins. Then make a soapy solution with dawn and water in a spray bottle. Mist the inside of the windshield and sand LIGHTLY!!! With the 1500 while making sure it’s wet. Try to not sand the clear parts of the glass and spray and whip frequently to get the dirt off that you sand down. Don’t take it down to bare glass or you will notice it even more. You just want to remove some of the height of the dots and it should help with the adhesion. If your next tint shop follows with some clear tack it should help minimize dots.

I just had it redone by another shop and they used an extra adhesive in that area. So far looks great 2 days out, fingers crossed it stays that way.

I think some tinters worry too much about quantity and speed and don't want to do an extra step like using an adhesive.