Potential Problems with Vinyl Wraps

Age and wear over time

Although vinyl manufacturers guarantee the material for 5 to 10 years, the actual lifespan of a vehicle wrap will be considerably less. In addition, wraps which remain on vehicles longer than three years tend to bond more strongly to the surface and will make wrap removal more time-consuming.

Difficulties with damaged or repainted vehicles

Wraps adhere best to vehicles with factory-finish paint jobs and no major damage. Vinyl won’t stick to repainted vehicles, and significant dents or other exterior damage on a vehicle increases the potential for unsightly wrinkling, lifting, and bubbling.

Tracking difficulties

There is no clear-cut way to measure vehicle wrap performance. You may be able to look at basic statistics, like local highway or foot traffic data, but that won’t provide specific information about how your wrap performs.

Limited short-term potential

If you regularly use vehicle wraps to promote sales and special offers, you’ll incur significant ongoing expenses due to the need to constantly alter your wraps.

Wraps don’t last as long

If you’re looking to permanently change the way your vehicle looks, you might be more interested in a paint job. Vinyl wraps last between five and seven years with proper care, but paint jobs can last the life of your vehicle. However, it’s important to note that because vinyl wraps are cheaper than paint jobs, you can get multiple wraps over the life of your vehicle and still end up paying less (or just about the same) as a single paintjob—and that means you can even change the color or design every couple of years instead of being stuck with the same appearance for as long as you own your vehicle.

Car Wraps are a “Luxury”

Admittedly, no one needs a car wrap, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to consider it a luxury aftermarket purchase. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves and say that this is more of a “con” than it really is, think of all the other things people buy for their cars just to make them sound louder or look cooler—rims, aftermarket exhausts, aero kits, etc. Can you really say vinyl wraps are so different?

Wrapped Vehicles Get a Lot of Attention

Vinyl-wrapped cars turn heads—a lot of heads. If you don’t like to be the center of attention, you have two options: 1) don’t wrap your car, or 2) go with a milder vinyl wrap. Not all cars need to be wrapped in chrome or snakeskin patterns; you can just as easily change the color of your car with a vinyl wrap. Of course, if you want to stand out and get noticed, the sky’s the limit when it comes to what you can do with a wrap.