# Is there any window tint on cars coming from factory?



## jumbo_jet_z (Mar 5, 2018)

Hi all,

Probably a silly question but I couldn't find a clear answer googling around. My new car is black (first in years) and I was thinking about putting some tint on mostly for heat reflection purposes. I've heard good reviews about ceramic tint but I don't want to go below state laws (it's not worth it in my opinion). The shop that I talked to has 70% film which would be legal in NY, IF there's no tint coming from the factory. I googled around and some say all factory cars come with 75-80% (amount of light passing through). If that's the case then combined tint would come to about 50%. Could someone confirm it one way or another?

Thanks,

Gene


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## ard (Jul 1, 2009)

Find a new shop if they cannot deliever a tint job "which is legal in NY'.

They ought to have a tint meter to measure their work.


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## namelessman (Dec 23, 2004)

To OP, mine is F30 3-series, and to my layman eyes, there is no tint on windshield, side windows, nor rear window. The moonroof glass appears to have a slight(80%?) tint.

The X cars though do appear to have tints(say, 65-70%?) at back side windows and rear window.


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## jumbo_jet_z (Mar 5, 2018)

Thanks. 

To me it feels like there's some tint on my F34 but it could be an optical illusion because of the black interior.


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## Alpine300ZHP (Jan 31, 2007)

jumbo_jet_z said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Probably a silly question but I couldn't find a clear answer googling around. My new car is black (first in years) and I was thinking about putting some tint on mostly for heat reflection purposes. I've heard good reviews about ceramic tint but I don't want to go below state laws (it's not worth it in my opinion). The shop that I talked to has 70% film which would be legal in NY, IF there's no tint coming from the factory. I googled around and some say all factory cars come with 75-80% (amount of light passing through). If that's the case then combined tint would come to about 50%. Could someone confirm it one way or another?
> 
> ...


BMW's cannot come with tint from the factory. Here is how I know....I got pulled over a few years back in my 435 coupe. The car was fitted with 30% tint film (legal in Florida is 28%). The trooper put the tint meter on the window and the meter confirmed that I was above 28% so he let me go. On the SUV's, I have been told that they come with 35% tint on the rear windows (behind the driver's seat) because that is 50 state legal.


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## jumbo_jet_z (Mar 5, 2018)

Thank you.


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## bzcat (Sep 23, 2009)

FMVSS (that's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for those of you challenged by acronyms  ) prohibits window tinting on light passenger cars. So no sedan, hatchback, coupe, convertible or wagons can have factory window tint.

FMVSS also prohibits window tinting in the "passenger compartment" of a light truck. This used to mean the front windshield and door windows cannot be tinted on pickup trucks and vans (but the cargo area window of vans are fair game for factory tint). However since SUVs were introduced and classified as light trucks by EPA, this has been litigated several times and DOT has entered into several arbitration with car makers and provided additional administrative interpretations that says FMVSS allows factory tinting of rear passenger windows and rear windshield on all light trucks. 

The application of this provision and subsequent litigation and administrative interpretation has resulted in some funny situations. For example, Subaru Legacy wagon (when it was still offered) was a classified as a car so no factory window tint allowed. However, Subaru Outback, an otherwise identical vehicle with 1" suspension lift was classified as light truck and thus was available with factory window tint. 

So the answer is to OP's question is it depends... which BMW are you asking about? SUVs all have tints but everything else have no tint.


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## jumbo_jet_z (Mar 5, 2018)

Thank you, bzcat! That's very detailed AND informative. 

I have an 2018 F34 3-series GT which is certainly classified as a car and thus would have no tint.


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## namelessman (Dec 23, 2004)

bzcat said:


> FMVSS (that's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for those of you challenged by acronyms  ) prohibits window tinting on light passenger cars. So no sedan, hatchback, coupe, convertible or wagons can have factory window tint.
> 
> FMVSS also prohibits window tinting in the "passenger compartment" of a light truck. This used to mean the front windshield and door windows cannot be tinted on pickup trucks and vans (but the cargo area window of vans are fair game for factory tint). However since SUVs were introduced and classified as light trucks by EPA, this has been litigated several times and DOT has entered into several arbitration with car makers and provided additional administrative interpretations that says FMVSS allows factory tinting of rear passenger windows and rear windshield on all light trucks.
> 
> ...


Great info, thxs for sharing. :thumbup: That explains why the X's have tints at rear side windows and rear window.


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## Kar Don (Aug 4, 2004)

namelessman said:


> Great info, thxs for sharing. :thumbup: That explains why the X's have tints at rear side windows and rear window.


It is just privacy tinted, no heat reduction FYI


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## namelessman (Dec 23, 2004)

Kar Don said:


> It is just privacy tinted, no heat reduction FYI


Got it. So are those at least double-glazed glass?


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## Celeste88 (Apr 26, 2018)

I just had my windows tinted with a 45% ceramic because the tech told me the 35% would bring me 2-3% above the legal limit for Georgia (>32%). I***8217;m horribly unsatisfied with how much light seems to come in. Can anyone with a 2017 230i coupe confirm whether there is any slight tint coming from the factory?


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## Alpine300ZHP (Jan 31, 2007)

Celeste88 said:


> Dude maybe if you bothered to read it, you would see where everyone is talking about a privacy tint. I didn't ask about heat protection; I'm asking about the tint level. Does this actually put some small scale level of tint on the glass? Is this some sort of reflective privacy layer instead?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Bimmerfest mobile app


I've been participating in this thread since post # 6. You need to read this thread, again. My prior response was directly related to tint percentage level. If you look at my post and bzcat's post, you will see that your question has already been answered.

Sent from my iPhone using Bimmerfest mobile app


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## ard (Jul 1, 2009)

Celeste88 said:


> Dude maybe if you bothered to read it, you would see where everyone is talking about a privacy tint. I didn't ask about heat protection; I'm asking about the tint level. Does this actually put some small scale level of tint on the glass? Is this some sort of reflective privacy layer instead?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Bimmerfest mobile app


You are talking nonsense....

Use your words.

Don't pick fights when you are lost in a subject.


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## namelessman (Dec 23, 2004)

Celeste88 said:


> Dude maybe if you bothered to read it, you would see where everyone is talking about a privacy tint. I didn't ask about heat protection; I'm asking about the tint level. Does this actually put some small scale level of tint on the glass? Is this some sort of reflective privacy layer instead?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Bimmerfest mobile app


Check out post#7 of this thread.

In summary, sedans/coupes do not have factory tints, while light trucks(e.g. SUV) can have factory tints.


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## Kar Don (Aug 4, 2004)

jjrandorin said:


> I dont think so, because they are just as hot as the front seat glass. Its privacy tint, with zero heat rejection in it. I dont know if its double glazed, but I can verify that it (the privacy glass) does not help at all with heat.


I haven't seen any BMWs with double glazed glass. Disappointed that BMW doesn't offer it.


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## namelessman (Dec 23, 2004)

Kar Don said:


> I haven't seen any BMWs with double glazed glass. Disappointed that BMW doesn't offer it.


BMW did offer them in the past, e.g. E39 M5. 

Lexus ES3* have double glaze, and so do a few Maserati's, MB CL65, etc, etc.


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## Kar Don (Aug 4, 2004)

namelessman said:


> BMW did offer them in the past, e.g. E39 M5.
> 
> Lexus ES3* have double glaze, and so do a few Maserati's, MB CL65, etc, etc.


Infiniti does too and it's very quiet. Just had it on a qx80 and qx60 rental


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## namelessman (Dec 23, 2004)

Kar Don said:


> Infiniti does too and it's very quiet. Just had it on a qx80 and qx60 rental


Looks like Porsche Panamera has it too.

My understanding is double glaze = heat rejection even if tint is 100%, correct?


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## namelessman (Dec 23, 2004)

namelessman said:


> Looks like Porsche Panamera has it too.
> 
> My understanding is double glaze = heat rejection even if tint is 100%, correct?


It is confirmed that X5 back side windows are not double glaze even it does have, say, 65% tint.


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