Bad paint job?

[dauphine]

I've had my Versa for about 2 1/2 months and love the car BUT I'm getting an incredible number of scratches and chips in the paint. When I washed the car this week I started counting and found 20 chips down to the metal/plastic, mostly on the front bumper/grille/ hood area. They ranged from pinhead sized up to gouges that were several mm in length. I don't live in a rural area or drive off road, etc., I use the car exclusively on city streets and the interstate.

I took the car to the dealer this morning and was told that it was normal wear and tear (!) but I'm not buying that. I've had enough new cars in my lifetime-four of them Nissans-and have never seen anything like this. I was told that the car was intially painted in May and the paint is still curing so this is 'normal'. They suggested that I buy a bra or a deflector.

I think I'm getting the short end of the stick. I understand that chips happen but what I'm seeing seems extreme. Any comments/suggestions?

[Defcon86]

Pictures wanted mainly bc I want to understand the damage more.

[dauphine]

I'll try to get some posted in the next day or so.

[Rockhound]

Well, it sounds like little rock pits/chips. I noticed a few on my wife's Versa last time I washed it, and it's only about 4 mo. old. A little disappointing, but no matter where you drive, debris is going to fly up and hit the bumper/hood continually. Theres plenty of little pebbles to go around on highways and city streets.

About the paint still curing, uh, ...it's simply NOT true. Typical dealer BS that they make up on the spot.

This is from Meguiar's website (a good car care products company)...

"A new car with a factory paint job can be waxed the moment it is rolled out of the manufacturing plant. Cars that have factory paint jobs are cured at much higher temperatures, sometimes as high as 300 degrees in special baking ovens. At a factory level, the car goes through the painting and baking process without any of the rubber, plastic, and cloth components installed. This is why they can expose the car and it's fresh paint to such high temperatures. These high temperatures and special paints used at the factory level insures the paint is fully cured by the time the car is completely assembled."

My guess is it reflects, for better or worse, the paint quality. This is an inexpensive car, and most likely it isn't the best paint/paint process around. If you're not interested in a "nose mask" which went out of style about 10 years ago, you could get the 3M clear-plastic nose masking installed that would greatly protect the bumper/hood.

[07Vsdn]

my wife commutes 1 hour round trip on the interstate and i wash her car and noticed she is getting an inordinate amount of chips...

could it be the slope of the hood?

i don't know, but i'm fairly disappointed, too.

[sillyboi1226]

yup

[faction]

not that I'm any kind of expert on this, but it seems to me that the V's lower hood, smaller grill, etc. would let a lot more stuff hop up onto the top of the hood. Not alot there to stop it.

Get yourself a thingy of touch-up paint.

[dauphine]

I've already got some-at this rate the bottle will be empty by the end of the year!

[Rockhound]

I've already got some-at this rate the bottle will be empty by the end of the year!

You really should check out that clear 3M mask-stuff. I read about it a year or two ago, there might be some other brands that make similar stuff by now. Seems like it'd be worth it if yours is getting pitted up so rapidly.

[faction]

another thought: how bad do you tailgate other cars? If you are an aggressive driver in that respect, you may be catching everything the car in front of you is kicking up.

I looked at mine and it is perfect. But I'm careful to keep some space between me and the next guy.

[dauphine]

I'm actually pretty passive on the road, even more so since all the chips started appearing. I washed the car today and found even more chips, there are over 30 now.

[Jemdawg]

I had the same problem, my front end looked like it was sandblasted. It had about two or three big chips in the front, then a bunch of tiny ones. But now that is all taken care of; now I will have a brand new front end, and the rest of the car will be detailed so that the paint matches and looks brand new from front to back.

[MagGVersa]

I got a 3M clear bra kit from ebay ($165) and put on my V before I drove on the hwy. It's been working great and makes cleaning all those bugs so much easier too. I can fly at 90mph all day long and no rock chips can damage my front. Took me about 6 hours to put the hood, bumper, fender, and mirror films on. I highly recommend it, it's the best investment I have for it.

[Rockhound]

I got a 3M clear bra kit from ebay ($165) and put on my V before I drove on the hwy. It's been working great and makes cleaning all those bugs so much easier too. I can fly at 90mph all day long and no rock chips can damage my front. Took me about 6 hours to put the hood, bumper, fender, and mirror films on. I highly recommend it, it's the best investment I have for it.

Good call...sounds like I might need to do the same on my Versa, although I've only got a few chips so far. $165 isn't much to pay when you're saving your paint job, I suppose. I wonder how much it'd be to have a 3M place apply it to your car too?

[dauphine]

Good call...sounds like I might need to do the same on my Versa, although I've only got a few chips so far. $165 isn't much to pay when you're saving your paint job, I suppose. I wonder how much it'd be to have a 3M place apply it to your car too?

I've investigated that option as well, the thing that worries me most is the different rate of paint fade under the film. Also, I've read some of the forums on the 3M website that indicate significant paint loss when the film is removed.

[MagGVersa]

I've investigated that option as well, the thing that worries me most is the different rate of paint fade under the film. Also, I've read some of the forums on the 3M website that indicate significant paint loss when the film is removed.

I put that on my dad's Odyssey and now my Versa. Although he's only had it for 7 months, there's no indication that the film is peeling off or any discoloration or deterioration. There's also no single rock chip on his hood or bumper. Plus if someone lightly bumps into you parallel parking that film is strong enough to protect your paint. If you do a good job applying it I think the film will last the life of the car. In the rare case that you want to remove the film years from now, I think following 3M removal instruction (such as letting the car sit in the sun for 30 minutes before peeling), you should be able to peel it off with no issue. The 3M has a UV filtered clear coat so discoloration is at minimum. I honestly can tell you the benefit far outweights the slight chance of discoloration or paint peeling off. And the confidence of following a dump truck on the highway without worrying about rock chips is a great feeling!

[KimberKenobi]

I think they meant the color staying the same under the film, but the rest of the car fading and whatnot...

Either way, the bumpers on the V are already protected, so there will be an eventual color difference on them. Although, I do not think the stuff on our bumpers is anywhere near as thick as the usual 3M stuff you buy. The front bumper is especially vulnerable to chips... even with the stuff that's already on there so placing more on the front bumper is probably a good idea. The back bumper probably doesn't see enough rocks to make it worth it.

[BillyBeaneBall]

I drove by a quarry the other day and a monster rock jumped off a truck passing me in the opposite direction and was sure it had chipped my hood.

I got lucky and as far as I can see there was no damage. But I've been thinking of getting something to protect my hood because it is prettly low (like my old Chevy Cavalier used to be) I think that's a pretty good explanation to the paint chip problems...

[dauphine]

I spent part of yesterday dabbling touch up paint on the chips. I'm beginning to think I might have a second career in auto body work.