Hey Porsche friends, I could use some advice on a frustrating situation—or at least I did until things finally took a positive turn.

My very first car was a bright yellow 1973 Beetle. It took me to and from school, activities, and even handled a long road trip from Chicago to Colorado for some skiing, then down to San Diego for beach time, and back to Chicago. It’s only fitting that my latest purchase is a 2023 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS in Racing Yellow. My first and most recent rides share a bit of DNA—Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of the company that bears his name, also had a hand in designing the original Volkswagen Beetle.

The Beetle, or Type 1, was developed in the 1930s as a ‘people’s car,’ with Porsche’s vision of a simple, reliable, rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicle that would be affordable and practical for the masses. That same philosophy of rear-mounted engines and driver-focused dynamics eventually evolved into the Porsche 356 and then the iconic 911. The Porsche 718 Boxster GTS I now own carries forward that lineage of balance, agility, and performance, echoing the mechanical layout and engineering spirit that began with the Beetle nearly a century ago.

I found the vehicle at Porsche Tulsa, also known as Jackie Cooper Imports. The buying experience was great—they gave me the full Porsche treatment, including a special unveiling of the car right on the Porsche showroom floor. It was a thrilling moment, simple yet elegant, that added a real sense of occasion to the purchase. They also gave me a Porsche Motorsports hat and a small duffel bag. It was an absolute joy to pick her up and drive her home.

 

While handwashing the car just days after the purchase, I noticed the paint protection film (PPF) was already peeling and bubbling in a few spots. This wasn’t some aftermarket add-on—it was listed on the factory Monroney (window) sticker as “Protection Film – Premium.”

The Monroney sticker, named after Senator Mike Monroney who sponsored the Automobile Information Disclosure Act of 1958, is a federally mandated label that must be displayed on all new cars sold in the United States. It includes critical information such as the vehicle’s make, model, standard and optional equipment, pricing, fuel economy ratings, and warranty coverage.

Anything listed on the Monroney sticker is considered part of the car’s original configuration and pricing, which means it is included in the vehicle’s factory warranty. So if it’s on that sticker, it’s supposed to be backed by the same level of warranty coverage as the rest of the car. I understood things can go wrong sometimes, so I wasn’t initially upset. That is, until I called my salesman at Porsche Tulsa for some help.

From the start, he was defensive. He insisted the PPF wasn’t covered under warranty because it was aftermarket and, since I was the second owner, the warranty didn’t transfer. I sent him the Monroney sticker clearly showing the PPF was included, but he continued to push back. With each frustrating call, the joy from my new purchase started to fade.

Eventually, I spoke with the General Manager, who initially agreed the PPF wasn’t covered either, but at least he said the magic words: “We’ll figure out how to make it right.” That’s all the salesman had to say, but never came close. The GM offered to do the repair in-house if regional support didn’t come through. But based on his description, it sounded like they would just reapply it the same way—without the proper edge wrap—so that didn’t seem like a great solution either. Plus it’s a four-hour drive each way from my home to the dealership.

He also referred me to the GM at Porsche Plano, who said they couldn’t help because they don’t perform PPF repairs in-house. When I followed up pointing out they had previously subbed out wheel repair under warranty on my Macan, I got no reply.

Two weeks passed with no further contact from the Tulsa GM, so I reached out to Porsche Cars North America. Their initial response—“We support our dealer’s decisions”—wasn’t encouraging. But thankfully, they kept at it and connected me with someone who actually knew what to do: Aaron Woods at Porsche Plano.

Aaron immediately understood the situation. He explained that XPEL installs Porsche’s factory PPF and that it is covered under warranty when listed on the Monroney sticker. This confirmed my suspicion that the GM never even asked his own service department.

Aaron offered to handle the process, but it turned out to be so easy I did it myself. All I had to do was send XPEL three things:

1. Photos of the affected areas
2. The VIN
3. A copy of the Monroney sticker

Within 24 hours, XPEL confirmed it was covered. Within 48 hours, I had an appointment scheduled with XPEL Dallas. They were incredibly responsive and professional.

Not only did XPEL fix the bubbling section, but they went above and beyond by redoing the entire front bumper to ensure the edges were properly wrapped and secured. The work was flawless, finished ahead of schedule, and completely covered under warranty.

Some of you may remember my initial post about this issue, so I wanted to close the loop and share the happy ending. Porsche NA and Aaron at Porsche Plano came through when the original selling dealer fell short.

The tough part was figuring out who did the PPF and whether it was even covered under warranty. The original salesman insisted it wasn’t—claiming that since I was the second owner, I was out of luck. But the car was CPO and the PPF was clearly listed on the Monroney, so the warranty had to transfer. It’s my second Porsche, and while my first experience was wonderful, this time the bubble burst a little. The early ownership joy was diminished by the lack of support when it mattered most.

Final Thoughts:

• If PPF is listed on the Monroney sticker, it’s likely covered under warranty—even if the dealer tries to say otherwise.
• XPEL installs Porsche PPF at the factory or port of entry, and their customer service is excellent.
• Sometimes, going straight to the source (Porsche NA or the manufacturer) gets better results than dealing with a disinterested dealership.

Would I buy another Porsche? Absolutely. But next time, I might do it just for an excuse to get XPEL Dallas to protect it.

 P.S. Added photos below of the repair work—beautiful.

#Porsche #718Boxster #BoxsterGTS #XPEL #Warranty #PorscheOwnership #CarCare #PorscheTulsa #PorschePlano #CarTips #PPF