Well, less then 100 miles and a week in, I've already found a pretty obvious chip...and I wasn't even looking for one.



If it were on the lower bumper or the front of the hood it would be understood, but this is on the TOP corner of the drivers door...it was almost impossiable to miss when I saw it. How the @#$% did it chip (already)?! Or how about why has it chipped AT ALL??

Anyone had problems with their 8's paint seeming thin or flaky? Not to make a big deal of something so small, but I'm hoping this isn't a tell-tale of a paint problem. here and now I thought that only early 90's Ford's seemed to suffer from the paint issues.

Guess I just didn't expect to be heading up to Mazda already to buy touch-up paint...

Lemme hear some input fellas

 

I had a chip in the same spot. I also had a number of dings and dents around the hood. I suggest you make friends with someone that can touch up your paint and plan on doing so every 6-12 months. I took that advice from here and found a couple mobile dent and paint specialists that my dealer uses. They are both reasonable and work magic. I had tried to touch it up myself but I seem to suck at it. Damage happens; sorry to see you get initiated so soon into ownership though.

BTW if you call Mazda of America they will send you a free bottle of paint. I think they send them out to all new owners but it may take a while unless you call and make a special request.

 

I researched some past threads and found members here stating that due to more strict EPA rules, cars are being painted with "environmentally friendly" paint that may be "thinner" than the thick glossy coat we were use to in the past.

My buddies G35 suffers from this pretty bad and I read a lot of complaints on their forums. I guess it's the sign of the times? "Sigh"

 

G8D DAMN TREEHUGGERS!!

 

Amen to that

 

How does the US EPA have anything to do with the painting of our cars? They are built in JAPAN.

 

Should've gotten the optional Mazda force field.

 

I believe from what I have read that car manufactuers are trying to comply with stricter emissions control placed by the EPA which is mainly aimed at the refinshers
who use OEM paint to match repairs.

As the restrictions tighten, all car manfactuers will have to "tone" down the chemicals needed to create auto paint to comply with EPA restrictions which is aimed at that segment of the auto industry. Consumers of new cars are complaining to dealers about finishes that easily chip or crack and some have concluded that the new paint regulations may be the root of the problem.

 

Environmental agencies around the world have been pressing for reduced emissions of all kinds in industrial nations. The car manufacturers have changed both the paint formulas they will use as well as the painting process itself. It is also a matter of containing costs from their perspective. Paint films are thinner, more resistant to fade but more suseptible to chips. Subjectively, I tend to think the Japanese have it down to a science in terms of putting the paint on as thin as possible, its almost not there.

 

I'm all for high environmental standards.

Anything that lets me preserve or reclaim clean air, clean water and clean land for me and my family is well worth just about any price.

 

Glad to hear that at least there is slight reasoning behind this...

However do any of you have first hand experience with your cars suffering from this, or is it all just what you've read? Guess that's the real question at hand.

Interesting about all the enviromental issues though

 

anyone else see his avatar


...... stealth?

 

oh snap!

 

 

you avatar is the same as one of the mod's for the site

 

oh...sorry to hear that. I've had this same one for almost 2 years over on the svtperformance forum.

This is the first day since I've bought the car that it hasn't been rainin, so some friends said I should go back to the dealership and tell them that it should be touched-up/fixed on them. I wonder if that would float...

OTHERWISE

Do you all think that this is worth goin to a paint shop to have professionaly touched up? On my average 5-8 year old car i'd shrug it off, but I'm not sure if having it touched up professionaly would be a better route then grabbin some touch-up paint myself.

Also, how much you think a chip that small would be to cover?

 

I would take to a paint shop and have them look at the chipped area through a special magnifying eye piece where they see if the paint had properly bonded together with the primer layer. Apparently, from an experts point of view, they can tell if defects were caused by poor materials or if the chip was caused by a slight abrasion. IMO,since you just bought your car, it might be worth finding out if it's a factory materials defect.

 

I guess I've just been really lucky. In 18 months of ownership I only have two very small chips on the front. I was able to cover them pretty well with the touch-up paint. You really gotta look close to find them.

 

I'm thinkin i'm gonna do just as mentioned above and take it by one of lima's top autobody shops tomorrow and have them take a look at it. I'm not expecting any shattering thoughts toward the chip because it's so small, but at least i'll get a small estimate of the price and thoughts on the chip anyway. Best case scenario (which we all know NEVER happens), i'd head back to Mazda with a lil proof that their gonna be pickin up the check on this repair. I'm still considering goin back to the dealership anyway just in spite of it being SOO new

 

OK, so I got sick of always bending over for all this stuff, so I just went straight to the dealership and told them I was furious and that this was totally rediculous that a brand new car is flaking already. Even though I shouldn't be surprised, I rather was when he said that their body touch-up guy will be here next week, and that he will call me to tell me when I can leave it there for them to fix it up.

Glad I jumped that hoop ande saved about $50

I guess that sometimes it does pay to be the furious, rediculously upset customer...people certainly don't feel like they can walk on you near as much, that's for sure.

 

what that saying about counting chickens, or eggs? the real surprise will be what they try to pull once the work is done.

good luck!!

 

Very true...however I'm gonna ride them like it's replacing a tranny/engine. If 2 weeks go by, i'll be there EVERY day until something happens. This is gonna say a lot about what I think of the dealership/mazda. As of now, their being interrogated

 

Just incase anyone is still keeping up with this story, the chip got larger and I went back to the dealership numerous times. Once I asked for the number for the regional mazda rep's name and number they knew I meant buisness. They are taking my car to Lima's best body shop and they say that they are gonna sand it all down and repaint it completely.

I'm a lil concerned how a new paint job will look on one door in a red METALLIC color. Anyone had their's professionally repainted? They do a good job? The only consolation I have at the moment is that it's the best body shop in a 100 mile radius. I'm still a lil bummed that this kinda crap has happened already...

 

So i dropped the 8 off @ the dealership for the paint work...and they tell me their goin to get my loaner car. Expecting a stripped down 05 taurus or something equivalent, it came as a HUGE surprise when they drove up a 2006 Lincoln LS V8 as my loaner car. Hard to believe...so i figure it must be stripped down.

Get in...nope. It's a fully loaded, every option model with barely anything on the tick. Even navigation. Heck...i put the keys in the ignition and the wheel tilts down and telescopes out to me all while my seat is moving forward and reclining simultaneously. I sit astounded. For for the first time since i test drove the 8, I was speechless from unknown excitement.

Sound too good to be true? Oh wait...and my dealership also told me that if I run low on gas, come back and they'll fill it up as many times as needed

Maybe this is normal for 8 owners as loaners...just struck me as...surprising.

What kinda cars were you all given as loaners? Bout the same?