Defective Paint?

[smpeck]

Here's my situation. I purchased my Jet Black '08 135 new in March 2009, it has a build date of April 2008. It sat on the dealer lot for quite some time, apparently neglected out in the elements.

I'm seeing lots of acid rain etching/marks in the clear coat on the hood, trunk and side panels (areas above the door handles). On the trunk, there are about 10 spots bigger than a quarter, and dozens more that are pencil-eraser size. The hood is covered with the same marks, but smaller.

All in all the finish looks like hell in the sunlight and at night if the car is parked under a street light. I purchased this car off the showroom floor, didn't see the marks in that lighting, and it was a cloudy day when I drove it off the lot. I purchased the car out of state, so taking it back to them is not an option at this point.

I've tried buffing the marks out with an orbital buffer and some pretty aggressive polishes (Menzerna).

After having no success, I contacted a professional detailer who took a look at my car's finish. He tried several techniques, from buffing with a wool pad to wet sanding a small area. Even the most aggressive techniques did not resolve the issue.

He said he has never seen such deep etchings and said he has never had to recommend respraying to a customer, but that is what his recommendation was.

So, here I am with a new car that I've had for 7 months that needs to be painted because the dealer didn't take care of the car? Or was the clear coat defective? I thought the purpose of the clear coat was to offer some protection from the elements?

Has anyone else had these problems with Jet Black paint? We all know the clear coat is soft, but this sounds like it is possibly soft to a point of being defective.

Any thoughts on how I should go about getting this resolved?

I'm putting my car in the shop tomorrow for an oil change and will be bringing it to their attention.

I already know the only solution is having the car painted - I really don't think I should have to foot the bill, as I have maintained the car per the owners manual (and better) during the past 7 months. Not to mention the hit I will take when I trade it in body panels having been painted.

[larryn]

Sorry to hear, and good luck with the dealer. I'm sure that they'll argue that you could have done anything to the car in the past 8 months. They'll also likely say that it would not have left the factory like that, and if you have a beef, take it up with your purchasing dealer.

Neglect is a huge difference from defective paint. Let us know how you make out though!

[soltz14]

pics??

[BrokenVert]

Are you confusing defective paint with Orange Peel?

[smpeck]

I wish I had a camera that would photograph these marks - I can try with my digital cam - so much depends on lighting.

It's definitely not orange peel. I know what that is.

I dropped the car off for service today - the Service Manager looked at the paint. He said he has never seen anything like it either. I was told all paint issues need to be looked at by a factory rep and he/she will be in town the first week in December.

Will need to schedule an appointment with the factory rep.

I suspect it's all from dealer neglect prior to me purchasing the car, but seriously, it looks like someone sprayed the car down with acid and let it sit for a while. From what I've read on detailing forums about acid rain, once it gets so deep, it can get thru the clear coat and down to the base coat.

How can this extensive damage happen in the 6-8 months it sat on the lot? Is the paint/clearcoat on these cars so weak/crappy that it's trashed in a few months?

[tm30]

Originally Posted by smpeck

I wish I had a camera that would photograph these marks - I can try with my digital cam - so much depends on lighting.

It's definitely not orange peel. I know what that is.

I dropped the car off for service today - the Service Manager looked at the paint. He said he has never seen anything like it either. I was told all paint issues need to be looked at by a factory rep and he/she will be in town the first week in December.

Will need to schedule an appointment with the factory rep.

I suspect it's all from dealer neglect prior to me purchasing the car, but seriously, it looks like someone sprayed the car down with acid and let it sit for a while. From what I've read on detailing forums about acid rain, once it gets so deep, it can get thru the clear coat and down to the base coat.

How can this extensive damage happen in the 6-8 months it sat on the lot? Is the paint/clearcoat on these cars so weak/crappy that it's trashed in a few months?

Mine had a defect just a week into ownership. A very small defect, but right on the hood. One of the SA's thought it was acid rain, but I called immediate BS since I actually signed up for the "protector" application that prevents that kind of thing.

Long story short, they said it was a defect in the clear coat, and had it redone. Haven't had any problems since - just the water spots that eventually buff out. I love JB when it's sparkling, but the meticulous care that goes into just washing it without swirling the paint is just ridiculous. I'll never buy black again.

[smpeck]

Originally Posted by tm30

Mine had a defect just a week into ownership. A very small defect, but right on the hood. One of the SA's thought it was acid rain, but I called immediate BS since I actually signed up for the "protector" application that prevents that kind of thing.

Long story short, they said it was a defect in the clear coat, and had it redone. Haven't had any problems since - just the water spots that eventually buff out. I love JB when it's sparkling, but the meticulous care that goes into just washing it without swirling the paint is just ridiculous. I'll never buy black again.

How could acid rain damage one small part of your car, wouldn't that be all over? Either way - glad to hear you got it taken care of.

I'm about at the end of my rope with the JB paint - apparently mine was exposed to the elements while sitting on the dealer's lot. It's gotten even worse in the 8 months I've owned it. The hood, trunk and area above the trunk need to be repainted, and possibly the front quarter panels.

It's not that I'm not cut out for black paint, it's just that I'm not cut out for BMW's version of black paint and the substandard clearcoat.

[nordique14]

MY friend had a Jet Black 2002 M3 with EXACTLY the same problem. His hood looked exactly like you described. Only the hood. The marks could not be buffed out.

Update: I email my friend and he said that they determined the problem was actually under the clear coat. yikes!

[miro2296]

Originally Posted by soltz14

pics??

+1

[smpeck]

in the shop for the next day or two for tire replacement, will try to get pics when i get it back.

[ben14142001]

Honestly, I've never been happy with my Jet Black either. There's some weird marks all over the car that I just can't get out regardless of what techniques I use.

[shodanusmc]

I had paint problems with a Jeep SRT. They wound up reapinting most of the vehicle. It actually looked worse than before. They took the car back and I got a Dodge Super Bee SRT. Front and rear bumpers started developing brown spots, in the Detonator yellow paint. My wifes 135 has some Orange peel, nut a decent paint job over all. At least no fisheye's, blotches, color differentation, grit in paint, and blisters. Best of luck. I kn ow you never pick a car up in the dark or the rain, but I forgot that, and paid for it. No paint is perfect, and it really irks me when the dealership or manufacturer does not want to accept responsibility.

[jeremyc74]

The paint on my car is awful as well. It's really obvious under street lights at night. I've mentioned it to the dealer and they claim they can't see anything wrong with it, so I'm stuck with it. It's been like that since it was new.

I guess I'll just trade it on a cloudy day.

[Tom K.]

While I've seen a few older black 5 series which looked pretty good, my Jet Black Z3 got so bad after about 4 years (stone chips, especially) that I opted for a complete repaint when I had some body work done. The repaint was done by a Ford dealer's body shop and represented a great improvement over the OEM South Carolina paint.

Tom

[BlackjackMulligan]

Originally Posted by smpeck

It's not that I'm not cut out for black paint, it's just that I'm not cut out for BMW's version of black paint and the substandard clearcoat.

My thoughts exactly. I've been saying that this paint/clearcoat is a joke from the month that I bought the car. I seriously wouldn't be able to recommend this paint to anyone, and I'm a detailing fanatic.

How did the dealer end up handling it? Did they pay for a respray?

[smpeck]

A few weeks ago I was told all paint issues/complaints need to be looked at by a factory rep.

He looked at my car today and diagnosed the issues as "environmental". I was not allowed to speak to the factory rep personally, even though I was at the dealership when my car was inspected. Seemed like they went the extra mile to ensure I didn't speak to the guy, and the Service Advisor even said the factory rep does not talk to customers. Boy, maybe they should try talking to the customer every once in a while.

Anyway, my Service Advisor said this is something that will need to be addressed with the Service Manager and they will discuss the issue and it's up to him to argue with BMW about getting it painted.

I definitely agree the clear coat issue is environmental... because the horrible quality clear coat BMW uses can't stand up to everyday environmental situations.

I'm about ready to get rid of this car... so I don't know how much time and effort I'll put into it. It would probably be best to trade it in as is, rather than get body panels painted and further devalue the car.

Anyone want to go in on a class action lawsuit against BMW for crappy Jet Black paint/clearcoat? Or maybe I can set up a web site dedicated to customer complaints on this single issue.

[1stbmw128]

So, I've owned my first BMW/128i for all of 8 DAYS and the whirl marks and scratches are already driving me insane. Fortunately, I have not submitted the dealer's post-purchase survey, and this will be reflected on that. If anyone pursues a claim against BMW for this obviously substandard paint/clear coat, please pm me as I would like to join in on that lawsuit.

[Add1ct]

yea I have had jb on two bmws now and i love the color but the paint is really substandard, of the cars I've had i think the best paint was on the 02 ford mustang gt I had (laser red metallic)

[Sansnoetic]

Hmmm, this thread is an interesting find for me. I'm a Monaco Blue owner and I've discovered a slight "blotching" on my left side door. At first it was really only noticeable to my "owner's eye" however, I've watched it slowly grow in the last few months and now I'm resolved to get it looked at by the dealer. It appears to be something dripping behind the clear-coat which is running down the side of the door. In tomorrow's daylight I'll take a few pics to see what everyone else thinks. In reading the above messages about acid rain and environmental conditions, I'm worried it may be a long and hard fought road ahead.

I'll keep you posted....

[1013mm]

Originally Posted by Sansnoetic

Hmmm, this thread is an interesting find for me. I'm a Monaco Blue owner and I've discovered a slight "blotching" on my left side door. At first it was really only noticeable to my "owner's eye" however, I've watched it slowly grow in the last few months and now I'm resolved to get it looked at by the dealer. It appears to be something dripping behind the clear-coat which is running down the side of the door. In tomorrow's daylight I'll take a few pics to see what everyone else thinks. In reading the above messages about acid rain and environmental conditions, I'm worried it may be a long and hard fought road ahead.

I'll keep you posted....

same car, same color, same paint defect, same situation.... just living with it for now... thought it was a door ding at first.

[Sansnoetic]

Originally Posted by Sansnoetic

Hmmm, this thread is an interesting find for me. I'm a Monaco Blue owner and I've discovered a slight "blotching" on my left side door. At first it was really only noticeable to my "owner's eye" however, I've watched it slowly grow in the last few months and now I'm resolved to get it looked at by the dealer. It appears to be something dripping behind the clear-coat which is running down the side of the door. In tomorrow's daylight I'll take a few pics to see what everyone else thinks. In reading the above messages about acid rain and environmental conditions, I'm worried it may be a long and hard fought road ahead.

I'll keep you posted....

OK, weather is too rainy/crappy in Florida to take a picture today (and it's too dark in the garage). I'll take some pics next week when I'm back from my holiday travels.

Merry Christmas.