Bad Paint on Honda, What to do?

F

Flatfish

New member
Purchased a new 2004 Honda Accord EX.

Feb 2008 Honda authorized a partial repaint of the top, window-pillar and trunk lid because the paint failed.

Now the rest of the paint is doing the same thing. Honda is willing to pay $750.- towards a partial repaint.



I have one estimate from the Honda dealer for painting the hood, L frd Door L rear Door and luggage lid plus blending L & R fender $1,523.-



Have a second estimate from a Honda authorized Paint shop. His words "to do it right" for $3,100.-



I am truly disappointed at the Honda Paint failing as it did and for Honda not have not done it right in 2008.



What would you do?? My Honda only has 55,000 Miles on it.

Click the picture for full view of paint damage.
 

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There's no bringing that paint back without repainting, it's too far gone. Where do you live? I paint cars and bikes as a side job, I've been painting for 11 years now. I think you should find someone in your area like myself. Ask around for painters in your area that are willing to do it for you, prices are usually a lot cheaper than a body shop.......mine are. ;)
 
Have you or have you ever had the car polished with a high speed buffer?



Is it possible someone just took the clear down too much with a high speed buffer?



It might possibly have been the shop that did the previous partial repaint?????



I am by no means an expert but I have never seen paint failure from a factory paint job be so wide spread on a car with the low miles you have on yours.
 
b2matt,



Thanks for you reply. The $750.- allowance from Honda is only good for a Honda authorized paint shop, so I was told. I live in Hermosa Beach, CA. that's in the Los Angeles area.
 
Get a couple of estimates, send them to Honda. If they don't pay, find a lawyer and see if he will write a nice letter to honda corporate. See if you can find one of the ones that specialize in lemon law, they know how to deal with the auto mfgs.



IMO, its inexcusable to have this happen to paint on a 2004 car, even if you never took care of it.
 
The way the paint is failing just seems odd to me. Has it ever been polished with a high speed buffer?



Maybe the paint shop that did the partial repaint buffed it out and removed too much clear??????



To me that just looks like someone buffed it out without any regard for the future life of the clear....
 
No it's Honda themselves. Since the late 90's they have been using very little paint on there cars. I'm convinced it's most likey the thinest factory paint job in the auto industry these days. in 2008 I saw 2 honda fits with checking starting to occure on the hoods. I had a 2008 Odossey minivan in my shop last year, had a scratch in the clear. I took some 2500 grit on a block I made 4 strokes total ( back, forth, back forth) and I went through the clear !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've never, ever! had that happen before. It's sad, I've always had a feeling they do it to save weight on there cars.
 
Thanks for the replies.

rjstaaf, at the time of the first partial repaint, the damage on the roof looked similar to the problem on the hood now. Up to that time the car was never buffed, just a hand coat of wax applied once or twice by myself.

The service manager that handled the repaint job admonished me about making sure to get the care detailed once the new paint was a minimum of a month old.

I did have it done by the shop he recommended. At that time the detailer pointed to the hood and advised me of the problem on the hood and told me he won't be able to correct it.

Since that time the hood has gotten much worse.



Next week I will again talk to the new Service manager who is handling my complaint now and see what he has to say.
 
I love Honda but unfortunately this is a pretty consistant problem with newer Hondas. There is no reason a 4 year old with modern paint technology should fail, even if it is neglected. My father has a 14 year old Dodge Stratus (in a similiar color) that hasn't failed.(it is waxed/detailed about once a year by me). So the problem is that Honda is saving money by applying the bare minimum of paint and the failure starts to show up in a 3-5 year time frame. I can understand CC failure after about 6-7 years with full exposure to the elements with no protection.
 
Too bad. It seems that HOnda is having these intermittent problem with their cars. I remember my civic car hood's paint became damaged easily.
 
Do it "right." Getting estimates...NEVER go with the lowest. Basically, you're odds

are considerably better with the highest quote. Aside from the materials, which

can vary a lot (reds/yellows are pricey), it really does take time to prep properly.

Many things can be said and explained by the shop, but get a written guarantee.

And ask for 3 coats of clear since most shops only shoot 2. Good luck!
 
That really sucks. I took some readings on my '06 S2000 and it was pretty scary. 60-70 microns in some areas, especially the flatter areas (trunk, hood). Needless to say, I won't be polishing it with anything but 3m Ultrafina anytime soon.



Matt
 
Flygti32 said:
No it's Honda themselves. Since the late 90's they have been using very little paint on there cars. I'm convinced it's most likey the thinest factory paint job in the auto industry these days. in 2008 I saw 2 honda fits with checking starting to occure on the hoods. I had a 2008 Odossey minivan in my shop last year, had a scratch in the clear. I took some 2500 grit on a block I made 4 strokes total ( back, forth, back forth) and I went through the clear !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've never, ever! had that happen before. It's sad, I've always had a feeling they do it to save weight on there cars.
Click to expand...
you are dead on with the paint being thin. from what I was told, Honda & Acura, 2001-up, they were shot with 1 coat primer, 1 coat color, 1 coat clear. I found that out the hard way when someone came into my shop with a 2003 Acura TSX that appeared to have oxidized the hood, roof, and rear deck. same thing happened to me, but I was using a rotary buffer with a wool pad at 2500rpm and my polishing/cut compound. Only I went right down to primer. Ask around, see if you know someone who knows someone, work a deal.
 
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