Paint and chips

[Simond S]

Hi guys,

I bought two new BM's last month. A 118i and X6. Both cars have pinpricks in the paintwork that look like tiny stone chips.

Each car only has one, both on the nearside front wing where it flattens vrtically above the wheel leading edge.

I managed to do 17,000 miles in my previous car (a VW Treg) without a single chip, and i'm on 30,000 in my other car with one chip on the bonnnet.

The cars have done 149 miles and 1120 miles.

Thoughts, is this a paint defect, or am I just the unluckiest guy alive

[X5Sport]

My 2011 X6 has had a complete repolish due to paint defects in the clearcoat as well as a partial bonnet respray - both under warranty. And this was after defects in both the 'C' pillars were found during the delivery inspection and the car taken back a week later to be redone.

One of the guys in the Bodyshop said that certain colours are worse than others as they need a thicker colour coat layer under the clearcoat to cover the primer coat. As the base coat dries and this causes the clearcoat to flake off. Modern, water-based paints are far softer than the old 2-pack system now out of use as they were extremely poisonous, even if harder wearing.

I did have to be firm with the dealer as BMW GB were very slow in responding. Normally everything has to be approved in advance. After weeks of waiting, I went and 'expressed my disappointment' and the car was in for three days very soon after.