Paint Concerns!

Jul 15th, 2002, 07:26 AM

I just wanted to take a little survey about paint concerns. Most of you know there are some issues with the paint on Sentra's. I have read emails from several people complaining and now I will add my name to the list. I have only had my car about 3 weeks and I can tell now the paint will be a real problem and already is (car built 6-02). I have several chips on the hood already and if you look closely you can see that Nissan is really cutting corners on the paint quality and definitely the AMOUNT of paint they are using. Of course all cars get chips but usually not this many this quickly for a car with 700 mile on it. I also picked up some tar behind the back wheel and it will NOT come off. The stuff has worked it's way into the paint and I can not get it off. Anyway I just am curious about how many others have really taken a close look at their cars when they wash them. In my opinion Nissan should be putting at least one more coat of paint on the car and if they need to raise the price of the car a couple hundred bucks than they should do it rather than have a unhappy customer down the road.

mcampo · Jul 15th, 2002, 08:49 AM

My car is 6 months old....the chipping in the paint looks like its from a car with over 100k miles on it......
I even have spots where the wheels kicked up dirt and sand...

BlackoutSpecV · Jul 15th, 2002, 04:32 PM

I've used loads of clear coat sealer (the same stuff the dealer has) and luckly so far no chips, but man the quality of the paint is so bad. My car is covered in swirls. I have never even buffed it, the only part I waxed by hand is looking worse than the rest. Luckly for me i have clear coat sealer, its doing the job okay for the time being.

DO NOT BUFF YOUR BLACK SE-R.

I am very very disapointed in the nissan paint, I sent an e-mail to the guys in the class-action lawsuit against nissan, but they are sueing on behalf of 5th gen maxima owners... so i guess i'm out. I do plan on repainting this time next year, but that will be an insurance claim. I'm planning on contacting Nissan (again) to see if they are willing to talk, last time no response.

specV02 · Jul 15th, 2002, 10:17 PM

I am having the same problems as some of you. I have the molten silver and tonight while washing the car I found what looked like tar on the front of the car. I live really close to one of those pay car washes so I decided to take it there, I figured a little turtle wax bug and tar remover and a little high pressure washing and all would be good, well it now appears the water actually cause the paint to peal

, I was just pre washing the car before using the bug and tar remover and now what had appeared to be tar now looks like missing paint, it is a dar gray color, this was not there before I washed the car. I am takin it by a friends body shop tomorrow to get their opinion but if the paint peals this bad after just washing it, and this is only the 3rd time I have washed it and haven't had a chance to wax it since I bought it then the car then the paint is really sh!tty and nissan definetly needs to do something about it...if any one gets any new information about paint problems recalls etc..please post it up for the rest of us.... sorry rant mode off I will post up the results I find

red SE-R · Jul 16th, 2002, 02:03 AM

the more i think about it you know the paint formula nissan is useing on the 5th gen maximas, is prolly the same as on the SE-R's.

I had to have the front bumper and hood repainted (scratches in them when i bought it) I started seeing numerous little chips in the paint in the first month I owned it even with waxing. I had the paintwork done ( when the dealerships bodyshop could get to it) and its been 4 months now and i have only seen 2 chips and they are tiny. so i wonder if its the paint at the factory thats not any good or are they skimping on a part of the painting process? I called a friend of mine that works for a nissan dealership and he hasnt heard anything about nissan making any mention of bad paint on the b15 class.

Jul 16th, 2002, 07:03 AM

My car is also silver and you aren't suppose to wax the car for at least 3 months after it was made which means I can't wax mine til Sept. I think the paint is a joke and Nissan should be ashamed of the poor quality. People can say what they want about American cars but my 98 Jeep Grand has great paint and you can actually see there is a lot of paint there if you look at a bad door ding. I had a 93 Pathfinder and didn't have paint trouble like this so what in the world is Nissan doing now. If they want to compete with Honda they better start off with at least a good paint job.

Did I read where someone actually got the dealer to repaint, if so HOW did you get them to do it? I will take my problem to the dealer before long and give them a chance but I know what they are going to say.

BlackoutSpecV · Jul 16th, 2002, 03:01 PM

if you take your problem to the dealer he'll tell you to stuff it. But what the hell give it a go. I bought my car in San Antonio, i was going to run it by a dealer here in Houston and see if i get a diffrent response.

Jul 26th, 2002, 12:09 AM

Does anyone have pictures of their issues? Also, I can't pinpoint what "orange peeling" looks like. Is this just the chipping you all are referring to? Should I reconsider buying one? Does anyone think the products here (http://www.bodydynamics.biz/products.htm) will help?

dho · Jul 26th, 2002, 05:02 AM

I don't know if this belongs here or not but my mom's 2000 or so Altima GXE already has paint coming off the edges of the front fender edges along the wheel well and also the mirrors. Nissan told her it was her problem, not theirs. I love nissan for "quality" but I guess I'm losing my love now.

I have problems with paint on my 1994 sentra, it's been painted once for hail damage and some other times for vandalism and recently the back left side was painted because of some non-insured lady damaged that section. Now my car is about 4 shades of champaigne and the most recent part is chipping while the other parts from the hail damage are fading to white spots.

BlackoutSpecV · Jul 26th, 2002, 08:48 AM

as far as should you not buy the car based on teh paint.... Yea, get the car.

Okay so heres the deal, buy the car, have an extra coat of clearcoat put on, then buy a really good sealer wax (absolutly do not buy cleaner wax) any form of sealer will work. Then just know that you have to be careful as far as any buffing or anything goes. But an extra layer of Clearcoat should do the trick.

dho <-- i think it was you who mentioned hail damage... 2 weeks after i got my car it hailed in San Antonio and i got hail damage on my new car. Its not that bad so i did'nt make an insurance claim (that would have been fatal to my insurance preimum) but i think after next spring (central TX is subject to hail storms all spring long every spring) i'm going to have the whole car redone here in Houston by Sunrise. If ya'll ever need work done in the Houston area, you got to go to sunrise. They are an Acura specialist (all the acura dealers send their cars there) but they will work on most imports, i think.

Jul 26th, 2002, 01:16 PM

My car has 14400 miles, and I'm already taking the touchup paint to it. Part of my purchase agreement was that the dealership took care of any chips/scrathes in the paint. Even though, in the month I've owned it, I've gotten some noticible chips... I'll be the first to jump on the 'this paintjob blows' bandwagon.

shaolin_racer · Jul 26th, 2002, 02:06 PM

i dont know if this belongs here but here goes.

i have a black sentra se(b15) and it has tons of swirl marks. does anyone know a diy solution to this? i have tried waxing and it did nothing, i used meguair scratch x. also i used another meguairs product, a wax that came with the scratch x. now when ever i wash my car, after i dries. i get these little white specs of what looks like wax. but im very sure i got all of the wax out. but they keep coming back. if someone could please help me out, i would appreciate it very much.

thank you

BlackoutSpecV · Jul 26th, 2002, 02:19 PM

it possible that the white stuff is wax that has settled into scraches. What you may want to consider doing is having detailed professionaly. They could buff (only if they are good) and then use a sealer wax or carnuba wax that should settel into the clearcoat and dry clear. What color is your car? oh... Black... sorry do NOT buff your car. Do however try the carnuba wax or some other form of sealer. also wash with a good foam spounge and car soap first, then dry with an absorbor type product (not a towel)... then wax.

Jul 26th, 2002, 02:41 PM

Hmm, everyone always says that the extra "feature" dealerships offer are just rip-offs. Would it actually make a difference on the spec Vs? Maybe I should tell the dealership my concerns and see if they'll throw it in for free and/or have it in the contract that they'll paint/remove the chips and spots like nread has.

PS: I have seen one person's setup who has a "clear bra" and maybe that's what this is, but has anyone heard of (or know about) these types of protective films? http://www.bodydynamics.biz/products.htm

BlackoutSpecV · Jul 26th, 2002, 03:17 PM

yea, i've heard of and seen the clear bras... no opinion on them yet, to new.

Dealers will not write fixing paint problems into a contract. Anyone who says they have that is either mistaken or did some serois dick sucking.

(wow that was totaly uncalled for! i like it.. no offence to anyone)

Yes, for once i do belive that getting the extra layer from the dealer is worth it. Mine wanted $350 my insurance deductable is at least 500 so i really wish i would have let them do it.