Paint Issues?

[X5Sport]

OK, who else is having or has had issues with the paint on their BMWs?

I cleaned and waxed mine today - which as ever turned out to be doing a rain dance coz it arrived 15 mins after I finished - but I've noticed blemishes, nicks and other marks that have appeared in the Clearcoat. Never seen them before on any other BMW and I'm very careful about removing bird poo etc. The car is not under trees and not in an area of high pollution (if such exist in rhe UK anymore?) and BMW put their paint protection system onto the car before delivery.

Now I don't know if the reds are just worse or what, but for a 6-month old car the paint is looking decidedly poor in places.

Has anyone else noticed an issue with their cars? More likely on the E70/71 and possibly other 'newer' models? Our E53 paint is still fine after more than 6 years parked in the same environment! What did those who have had an issue get BMW to do? Or were you just told that was all part of changing from oil to water based paints? Or told it was your own fault etc etc?

Not pleased at all!!

Richard

[Raj]

Hmm, no-one else I know with new Beemers have mentioned any similar issues. Definitely worth a trip to the dealer to get it inspected and corrected especially with it being as new as yours is.

[X5Sport]

I'm taking it to a BMW Bodyshop as soon as I get the time to. There's one attached to the Dealership from where I bought the car so not too far away. The Sales Team are puzzled as the car was supplied with the BMW Paint protection system applied. That either means that it wasn't applied correctly, at all, or is not worth the amount they charge for it as it doesn't work.

I don't even use a polish as such just the Autoglym Car Shampoo and their HD wax. Nothing abrasive or corrosive. I only use wool mitts and a rinse bucket and dry it with the Meguiars drying towel and microfibre cloths. Vermillion Red looks fantastic when cleaned and waxed, but now these marks are showing. Still, we'll see what the body shop thinks.

[Raj]

I personally don't think any paint protection systems really work. As you do, a decent clean and wax is well good enough. Sounds like they'll sort out thd correction and then you can just maintain it.

[X5Sport]

Body shop puzzled as well. He thought one mark might be bird lime, but said it didn't look right for that. I also pointed out that I don't leave it on the car, and the protection system was applied along with wax.

BMW GB will be sent a file and I may have to take te car back to be looked at. It does seem that the latest water-based paints are not as good but as, but are more environmentally friendly than the 2-pack isocyanate system - which also has a somewhat unkind habit of killing you if you don't use air-fed breathing apparatus and suits. Nasty!

Now the wait.....

[Jalf]

No trouble with mine, I've been using Autoglym HD wax lately and its amazing at resisting bird crap, even if its baked on in the sun, 18 months in and she looks better than ones fresh from the dealer.

[X5Sport]

Just been back to the BMW Bodyshop and the current plan is........

1. Full body buff and polish to remove defects in the clearcoat!
2. Full respray of bonnet and both front wings!
3. Repair paint defects on rear bumper!

There is a suspicion that at least one of the defects occurred pre-delivery and looks to have been bodged somewhere as the defect is under the clearcoat. That's why fixing it needs three panels sprayed to get the colour to blend properly. I undersand the issue as the rear bumper was resprayed earlier in the year after the car was humped by a Japanese 4x4 pickup. The replacement colour is about 0.5 shade darker. Very difficult to get a perfect match I know, and a very large area wold have had yo be sprayed to get the blend.

The other issues look like the clearcoat keeps flaking, but only the very top part of it. Lots of tiny matte areas now showing. No current understanding as to why though. Not under trees, not getting cr@pped on, no strange chemical factories in the area. Very odd. The new clearcoats are ceramic and supposed to be hard as nails, but mine certainly has dummat wrong with it.

As an interesting aside, the bodyshop contact was saying that some of their customers complain that the paint repairs are 'too good' because they're too shiny and not 'Orange Peely', and they want the paint made worse to match the OEM work. So much for progress!

[pvr]

Your problem is similar to the one I had on my delivery (blemish under clearcoat).

They resprayed the bonnet (twice) and all was fine. However, now I am paying the price for it as each stone chip now turns into a rust chip with flaking around it as the respray is obviously not as good as the original paint. BMW not interested in it by the way because it was resprayed !!!

In future, if I ever have a delivery issue with paint, I will decline the car as their promises at the time are obviously not true.

[X5Sport]

You safely back, or stuck over the Pond?

I'll make sure that I don't let the bodyshop get away with too much! The bonnet is Aluminium, and the wings are plastic - sorry, high quality lightweight materials!