My clearcoat is blistering!!!
 

So about a day after I picked up my car (from a dealer about 120 miles away), I noticed some sort of imperfections with the clearcoat. They are very small, most of them under 1/4", ranging in different shapes, but hard to see unless the light is hitting it just right.

I immediately called the dealer I bought it from, and they were basically like "bring it back to us so we can look at it". Before I took that route, I decided to take it to a local dealer and see what they thought. Almost immediately after they noticed it, they said that it was tree sap, and that a claybar and wax would take care of it. I took it home, clay bared and wax a portion of it, and saw no improvement.

Then I took it to another dealer and they looked at it for a much longer time. They used some sort of microscope to look at the paint. Finally they thought that it was either hard water stains, or that something was eating at the clearcoat, or both, and that basically I'd have to get the original dealer to service it.

Finally, I took it back to the dealer and had the service manager there look at it. They took it back, and circled all the spots, probably about 20-30 of them throughout the hood, roof, and back areas, that they could see at least. He said that it looked like the clearcoat is blistering, and of course eventually those blisters will pop and then it will spread. The next step he said was that he needed to contact this Nissan paint engineer of some sort from out of state, and try to get him some pictures and explain to him what it looked like, so they could decide on what exactly is the problem, and what the solution might be.

The service manager said that if it is blistering (which he thinks it is), then the only way to fix it would be to completely sand down the car and repaint and reclearcoat it. Right now, I am still waiting for him to find out from this paint guy whether he needs more pictures, or is going to send someone to diagnose the problem. It's been almost a week since I brought it to them, and nothing much has happened.

I called Nissan corporate on Friday to open up some sort of report about this, and hopefully get a quicker resolution. They had a regional service rep call on Monday, he left a message basically saying that he was going to contact the dealer and then would call me back Wednesday.

This entire thing has been a huge pain in the *** and a headache for me. I wanted to get a clearbra installed on the entire front end of the car, but I of course can't until this is resolved. In the mean time, my front bumper probably has gotten about 10 rock chips/knicks on it.

Anyway, just looking for anyone's thoughts or opinions about this. Hopefully I will know more tomorrow. I'm really just afraid of having to have the entire car repainted. Should I be? Should that even be an acceptable solution? I'd share pictures if I could, but they are so hard to see, I would need a better camera in order for them to be seen.

Chips in your bumper? don't drive so close to the car in fronmt of you

:shakes head:

don't shake your head, just try it, worked for me.

Wow flashburn, I have not heard of this before I hope your dealer does the right thing and fixes it.

I have noticed some "Hard Water" spots on my spoiler only under certain light, But I have Polished it and clay barred it and waxed and sealed it and the marks are still there maybe I am experiencing the same thing you are?



DAN

Maybe, although the service manager claimed there aren't usually blistering issues on the plastic, just the metal.

Maybe this works for you, but it doesn't for me. I drive 60 highway miles a day, so the chance of something hitting me is pretty high. If I stay too far back (more than 5-6 car lengths) then I would just get cut off constantly which would then limit my car lengths anyway. The joys of highway driving. Not to mention the roads are **** around here, one of the highways I take is under construction.

So can anyone comment on whether or not repainting the car should be an acceptable solution? I heard that doing that lowers the resale value of the car and that the dealer is not going to be able to paint a car as good as it comes from the factory.

"So about a day after I picked up my car (from a dealer about 120 miles away), I noticed some sort of imperfections with the clearcoat. They are very small, most of them under 1/4", ranging in different shapes, but hard to see unless the light is hitting it just right."

No way will a repaint help you.

I would demand an immediate replacement for the car. No ifs, ands or buts.

If you do not get immediate satisfaction, contact NissanUSA directly. Make the biggest stink you possibly can, look into local lemon laws, scream fkin bloody murder. the condition of your car is bullsh!t. Take digital photos. Threaten the dealer with a lawsuit if they try to weasel.

Your dealer will not lose one dime. This is Nissan's problem. The car probably was damaged in transit.

Good luck. Don't back down, don't wimp out.

Always take time, a lot of time, inspecting a vehicle before you sign the papers. That includes a couple of miles in the car, with your salesperson, to check for any mechanical issues.

:tup:

Thanks for your thoughts on this Steve. That was going to be my plan if repainting is going to be their solution, but I wanted to see what other people thought before. The only problem is finding an identical match for this car. The regional service rep is supposed to call me today, so I will push on them that repainting the car is a unacceptable solution. Of course the only problem is, I've yet to be able to get someone to actually diagnose the damn problem, so I that is going to be my main focus right now.

Diagnose? Noooooooooooooooo. You are not being "pissed off" enough. Screw the diagnosis, the patient is beyond help.

Sorry to sound like a prick...it's just that if this was my car I'd be going absolutely batshit. The dealer would be scared to death of me.

The longer you wait for things like a diagnosis, the less chance you have of getting a new car. Right now, the fact that this car is only a couple of days old is your "ace in the hole". Don't let that advantage slip away.

definitely a manufacturing problem unless it was painted (repaired) at the US dock when it arrived US shores and was fixed improperly.

regardless it's a warranty issue...i would've taken it back to the dealer and demanded a new car right then and there. dont wait.

Having ugly paint lowers the value more than having it repainted...properly.

Obviously. There is no option of me not getting this resolved one way or another. When I speak to Nissan Corporate today I am going to push hard that the only acceptable resolution is a new car. It's a shame really, cause I love the car except for the damn paint/clearcoat issue!

There's another thread where the car was replaced (it was a Red with spotting) Do a search..

Hey Flashburn, here's something you can do to "light a fire" under the dealership. Works every time:

Action Line: Secret: name-dropping works

By Dennis Rockstroh

drockstroh@mercurynews.com

Q In April of 2008, I bought a commercial-style faucet for my customer from Home Depot.
The customer had trouble with it not working correctly from the beginning. I tried as best I could to repair it.
Finally in June 2009, I called Home Depot in Atlanta and explained the problem. I was told that another part would be shipped out to me right away. It wasn't.
I called Home Depot-Atlanta again and got yet another person who said she would send e-mails to previous contacts.
I said, I have a great idea, I'll contact my newspaper and see if they can light a fire.
Tim Traviolia
San Jose
A Your report back: "Well, looks like just the threat of media coverage solves problems.
"Received a call this morning and they are sending a new, better, lighter model faucet head to me. Thank you."
You're welcome, Tim, but you did this yourself.

Negotiating by threat is for Bully's. One of the reasons there are lawyers on every corner to "protect" us from ourselves.

You'll get much further with constructive win/win discussions using your legal options as necessary..Don't go in screaming as has been suggested.

Bottom line, if they re-clear coat it you stand a good chance of having a much better finish than stock...I do, after some accident repainting..

Mod, I respectfully disagree. I don't think asking for a new car is out of line at all. He bought a very expensive item that was damaged. What if the new clearcoat looks lousy? And what about the clearcoat that's on there now? Are they gonna remove it? (not). After that, he'd never have the opportunity again. The window of opportunity is closing, and fast. :ughdance:
Nisssan takes the hit here, not the dealer. Ah well, we'll see how this drama plays out in the coming days. Again, inspect your car thoroughly before you sign on the dotted line.............................................. ........

Best approach is to let them see what you're talking about and see how they want to resolve it.

Let them spin their wheels at their expense, but, also make sure they know your expectations up-front.

The dealership took my Z due to a chip in the hood, and had it touched up and had the whole hood re-cleared. End result is you'd never know it was there.

In your case, a proper sanding and new clear, would likely fix it, or if they need to go down to primer to fix it, then so be it. One way or another they'll have to fix it, just for the dealership, it might be cheaper to offer a new car to you instead, rather than fix it due to profit-losses on repairing something like this.

Exactly!:iagree:

I didn't say it wasn't....I just said that negotiating like an A$$hole was out of line. You're the one promoting this approach. Your style and mileage may vary obviously, but if I were on the other end of a screamer (and yes, I have been), he'd get my minimum effort......People that are willing to work with you to resolve the issue for both parties typically come out on the winning side..

There's been several cases of this reported on here.

I suppose I should caveat that you don't go in their screaming like an a-hole, you go in and say, politely but firmly, "this is what I want, I bought a new car, it is damaged". As for minimum effort, well, "The customer is always right". Old saying but never more valid than today.

I've read a few threads on problems specifically with Red, but nothing with PG.

I think this is the approach I am going to take. If they only need to do a wetsand + new clear coat, then I would accept that solution, but I definitely won't accept a repainting.

When I talk to them today, I'll just let my expectations be known, and push hard on getting someone to properly diagnose what is wrong, and what their solution would be to fix it.

flashburn- is this your first new car? you seem kinda confused. you need to focus on what you need to do and not settle for anything less.

your confusion is easy target for dealers to pursuade you to another
option...their option. you can be firm and nice at the same time. :)

You've said you've taken the car to several dealerships, but I see no mention of an auto body shop. I think they might be more upfront and more knowledgeable about what's going on than car dealerships.

Good luck!

Part of what spawned the "Entitlement" generation...:shakes head:
(That's not a compliment if you fall into that category)

If you've ever been in retail, you know the customer is NOT always right... Sometimes you just need to smile and pretend he is...Other times you need to say no to opportunistic BS that many consumers pull these days......Stuff that ends up costing legitimate customers Money in the end..

When you take it to them, show them what the problem is.

Provided it's obvious and they "see it" and want to work with you, then you should let them do the talking. Best bet is not to go to the sales guy that sold it to you, but to get a hold of the general manager, sales guy, and their service department heads to all look at it - treat it as a serious problem, but put the ball in their hands - at least, let them think it's in their hands.

Let them talk. Let them tell you what the best way to deal with the situation would be. THEN make sure to state your expectations, and that you would be willing, if it would be better/easier for them, to take delivery on a new replacement and have Nissan deal with it instead of them. They may turn around and say "how long can you do without?" - to which you tell them you'll take a vehicle on loan until one arrives.

The point is to be flexible, but don't let them walk all over you, and make your expectations known up front, and give them options, instead of looking for options.

It will all depend on the people at the dealership. Better ones will treat you right. Worse ones won't give a crap and you'll have to fight it. Don't go in looking for a fight, but do go in with a level head. It takes two to tango, in this case...

The paint should be covered under warranty, but they could also claim to not see the problem and so on.


As for my dealer - I think I'll hit them up first when it comes time to replace my truck. I was going to get a Toyota Tacoma, but I think it'll endup being a Nissan Frontier (or their larger truck, can't think of the name) instead...

Same with her car - Honda Civic - could become a Versa Sedan on up to a Maxima...

Don't take it to a body shop until they claim to be unable to see it.

Then take it to them, get a written estimate that documents the problem, then take it back to the dealership, that says XYZ company says there's a problem and that's how much it will cost to have it repaired, even though this should be covered under warranty. I know you said you couldn't see it, but these are professional auto-body personel that say there is a problem.

Then see if they budge. If not, then you bring out the threat of contacting Nissan HQ, and let them know of the problem, and that you would, at this time, rather not deal with that dealership, and deal directly with the auto-body shop that did the evaluation, and would like for them to pay for the repair since it's under warranty....and they are welcome to come look at it for themselves.

Ideally, it'd never get to that point.

LOL, no. where is the "entitlement" in demanding what you paid (a lot of $$$) for? Are you not entitled to get what you paid for?

In this day and age, if you want your company to succeed, you go overboard to please your customer. My wife and I own two businesses. If we didn't put customer service as our number one priority, we'd be out of business in a month. For example, my wife's is an interior designer. I can't tell you how many times I've refused shipments of furniture due to damage in transit (most comes from China and Far East, of course).

I think the OP is a young guy, and I also think he's been intimidated by the service manager of that dealership. I also think he will go the repaint route!:shakes head:

Take this example...you said your wife is an interior designer.

Say that someone chooses all the colors they want for thier house, then leaves on vacation while the remodeling is being done.

You do everything right.

They come back, and next thing you have is someone in your face yelling about how their carpet is 2 shades lighter than what they wanted, and the pattern isn't right, and it conflicts with the paint for the walls and your a jack--- for not doing it right...

vs

Someone saying, hey, this and this and this aren't what I expected, what can we do to resolve this?




The thing to note here, is that the dealer didn't do anything wrong - it's not their fault the paint isn't right. Same with my example, you filled the customer's order to their specs, and they didn't like it or didn't account for how different lighting changes the shades of colors...

Once again THAT IS NOT WHAT I SAID and again, you missed my point on this (read the quote of yours I was responding to). I'm done.

As a counter-point...

My sales guy said the rock chip wasn't there when they checked the car over before I took delivery. I said I looked it over when I took delivery and didn't notice it either, but it was also late (I picked the car up after they closed), and couldn't see anything very well, and it could have been missed since it's a color-level chip, not metal-level.

The GM said they'd take care of it, the sales guy gave the vibe that they wouldn't.

Depends on who you talk to and how.

I've already taken it to the dealer I bought it from once, and that has gotten me to where I am now. At this point, I'm done taking it to them, since it is a two hour drive, one way. If this is a manufacturing defect, which it is, then Nissan Corporate should be at least as willing to work with me as the original dealer.

Most relationships between manufacturer's and dealers are exclusive - otherwise, the manufacturer would be overwhelmed with calls and service requests without the means to support them.

Your best approach is to go through the dealer, and see if they'll refer you to a bodyshop that is more local to you, or, give you a vehicle to drive while they get yours fixed.

2 hour drive is a pain, but, if it fixes the problem at no cost to you (other than drive time), then that's better than paying for your car to be repaired.

To be honest, I doubt that Nissan will deal with the issue directly with you, short of the dealership giving them the OK and being a supporting agency...at best (short of that) is that Nissan has an established relationship with another dealer who is willing to work with you, or, they have something with an autobody shop that they've done work with in the past...

It will require some effort by you no matter which way you go, just take the path that creates the least waves and you'll likely come out better off...ie, start a fire only when you have no choice.

Yeah flash, i undersatand you there is always some jerk that has to cut in, as if that is going to save them.

:drama:

heh, I completely agree. Not the dealership's fault. Nissan's problem.

I can't tell you how many times people have issues with things they bought from my wife. And how many things have been returned. Suppliers are always willing to take them back. Although no way would carpet and painting get done without the owner onsite and me with a signed order in my pocket ok'ing the colors. lol, no way