Hey chevy - my paint/clear coat has failed!

[TURBOBX]

Beyond angry.

My 2013 sonic in black is experiencing a clear coat failure... I wash the car about twice a month, wax twice a year, and spray wax, etc. more frequently in the summer.

I'm still making payments on this turd and the dang paint looks like the photo attached.

About $90 in so far trying different compounds by Meguiars, Turtle Wax, you name it.... nothing seems to be giving me an inch of help. Neither has Chevy's online support or my dealer.

Any advice? I'm beyond words... it's on the hood, roof, and trunk lid.

It becomes more embarrassing to drive every day and literally just started showing over the past two months.



If my pics don't load...https://ibb.co/mbdq27 https://ibb.co/mtrhFS

I've been told by several people that those scratchy lines are micro abrasions in the clear coat that are showing because it is failing. My car is normally SPOTLESS and glossy. Only use microfiber towels, etc.

 

[carsNskis]

That's neglect, not failure. If you don't buff or polish every 6 months that's what happens over time

[emoji593][emoji809][emoji472]

 

[TURBOBX]

There’s no way it’s from neglect. As I mentioned before, I hard wax it 2x a year with my other vehicles, wash regularly, even pay for the ****ty upharge spray wax at the car wash, and then spray wax after washes.

 

[TURBOBX]

Every day now when driving, I see 10-15 year old beaters by Ford and Honda with no serious pant problems and I know these people don’t take half the care I do with my cars. This is not acceptable.

 

[Palmaris]

yeah, I never do anything to my car and the paint is still normal so I am sure you take better care of the paint than I do.

 

[SuperFudd]

Did you buy it new? Maybe a previous owner damaged the clear coat or more likely the used car dealership did it.

 

[TURBOBX]

Yes, I bought the car brand new. ‘13.

 

[Italianjoe1]

The clear coat has started failing on the roof and hood of my Sonic, i'm gonna have them repainted when it goes to the body shop for the rear bumper damage. There's not a lot of paint on the car from factory sadly. I just hope the orange matches nicely when they get done. If not i'll probably sell the car.

 

[TURBOBX]

The clear coat has started failing on the roof and hood of my Sonic, i'm gonna have them repainted when it goes to the body shop for the rear bumper damage. There's not a lot of paint on the car from factory sadly. I just hope the orange matches nicely when they get done. If not i'll probably sell the car.

Can you share a photo?

 

[Italianjoe1]

Can you share a photo?

Never took any, and I actually took the car this morning with me to work and dropped it off with our body shop rep.

It was typical failed clear coat on the roof panel and upper part of the hood to about half way down. Nowhere else on the car. I'm not the most diligent about paint maintenance, but there's no way the paint got scrubbed off on only the roof and top of the hood and nothing else. It's just **** paint.

We had the same issues on the Cobalt platform, they would have clear coat failure on the roof rails and roof, then the tops of the rear fenders and doors next. Always the same spots, always the same progression. There's not a lot of paint on the car and the sun down here in south FL is brutal.

 

[TURBOBX]

Saw a dark grey Sonic parked in our lot yesterday at work... decided to walk by for kicks to see if they had any issues going on... wow. so sad. :blankface: Their roof was 10x worse than mine but I had to stop being a creep taking pics of other peoples cars. (Ignore the horrendous pollen all over our cars, it's everywhere this week)

 

[OssiansFolly]

This thread makes me want to wax my car every month...

I had this issue with my GM back in the day, but not recently. My first car, 1988 Olds 98, had issues with the clear coat on silver paint. Back then it was a known issue, but it did make it a good 15 years before REALLY flaking off. Since I bought my car used it had a few little scratches that I've looked at every day since buying the car. I kind of figured I'd be doing a full paint job anyways in the first year.

 

[Papasonic]

It's sad to see the paint issues on some of your vehicles. I suspected when I purchased my Inferno Orange hatch in late 2011, that I may have fading and other finish problems in the future, but mine has been outside five of its six years and still looks really good. Many factors are involved in finish degradation from poor materials, poor prep, improper application, environmental issues; UV radiation, acid rain/fallout, incompatible cleaning products, etc. The manufacturer is usually quick to blame environmental issues, as the cause; thus denying any liability.

I try to keep mine clean, but have only waxed the finish three times in over six years.

 

[GHOST]

Could not agree more!

I have a 2014 Sonic Hatchback that has the SAME problem. At least half the hood and nearly the ENTIRE roof has failed clear coat/oxidation.

I purchased this car Certified last August but the 1 yr./12,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty does not cover paint, and I was told by my dealer that paint defects are covered up until 3 yrs./36,000 miles. My car is 4 yrs. old and has 37,XXX miles, so I guess I'm SOL.

I've had THREE cars prior to this one; a 1992 Ford Crown Victoria, a 2007 Kia Spectra, and a 2013 smart ForTwo... NONE of them had this issue.
In fact, when I traded in my Kia, the factory original paint still shined like glass...very deep lustrous shine (It was a white car). I bought the Kia used (almost new), had it for six and a half years, and in that time, I only waxed it twice, while washing it at least monthly. Oh, and it was almost always parked in the sun as I don't have a garage or that much shade.

The service adviser at the dealer told me it's probably happening because the car is parked outside and because of the engine heat the hood is subjected to. That would make sense, if my Sonic was 10 yrs. old, not 4.

Long story short, this should NOT be happening, not this soon...
I still like this car, but this is seriously not cool. :blankface:

Beyond angry.

My 2013 sonic in black is experiencing a clear coat failure... I wash the car about twice a month, wax twice a year, and spray wax, etc. more frequently in the summer.

I'm still making payments on this turd and the dang paint looks like the photo attached.

About $90 in so far trying different compounds by Meguiars, Turtle Wax, you name it.... nothing seems to be giving me an inch of help. Neither has Chevy's online support or my dealer.

Any advice? I'm beyond words... it's on the hood, roof, and trunk lid.

It becomes more embarrassing to drive every day and literally just started showing over the past two months.



If my pics don't load...https://ibb.co/mbdq27 https://ibb.co/mtrhFS

I've been told by several people that those scratchy lines are micro abrasions in the clear coat that are showing because it is failing. My car is normally SPOTLESS and glossy. Only use microfiber towels, etc.

 

[JTee2017]

What seems to be a common denominator here is vehicle location. That, plus if it is parked outside and sits in the sun most of each day will age paint very fast.

Also, have to wonder about what some cleaners, "waxes" and polishes really might do to contribute to clear coats finish aging.

But, then again there may have been a bad batch of clear coat paint at the factory.

 

[dannyg]

So far so good with my 2015 Sonic, bought Feb. 2015, paint looks fine, including two Maine winters (which are rough on cars, believe me). Never garaged, but doesn't get a lot of direct sun either, my driveways have always had a lot of trees. I hose off under car twice a year (when I put the snows on/off), to clean salt and gunk, and wax once a year.

Sorry to hear about others paint problems, I haven't really seen any such problems around here (Long Island, NY) except on really ancient vehicles.

 

[GHOST]

A little additional info:
I bought my Sonic Certified Pre-Owned last August; it had one previous owner, who leased it for 3 years in Las Vegas, NV. Las Vegas has very brutal Summers, and here in Central California where I live temps of 110*F+ are possible each Summer.

A couple days after getting my Sonic, I noticed the paint on the hood and roof was a little dull, but I foolishly dismissed it thinking maybe it needed to be waxed - I now know that is not the case.

However, in 6 and 1/2 years of ownership, the `07 Kia Spectra I had never had signs of clear coat failure or other paint problems, and it was always parked outside.

The service adviser also had an independent paint/body shop (who is next door) look at my Sonic - they said it seems the clear coat is gone/dissolving due to sun damage. They also mentioned that a lot of newer cars have thinner paint and sometimes just one coat of clear from the factory.

I don't know... Am I being too picky? What does everybody think?

 

[OssiansFolly]

A little additional info:
I don't know... Am I being too picky? What does everybody think?

I think this is an example of a company cutting costs to squeeze every penny out of a compact. They've sold out on quality.

 

[AdorableKaren]

Where do you live TURBOBX? Do you always park outside or in the sun? I always wanted a red car but would be scared of fading if I couldn't always park in a garage or out of direct sunlight. But I agree with Italianjoe1, the sun is brutal.

 

[GHOST]

***UPDATE***

Yesterday, I Called Chevrolet Customer Care @ 800-222-1020, told the rep. my situation, got a case number, was told I would get a return phone call the next morning.
This morning, I got a return phone call from the GM Customer Engagement Center. A woman named Tiffany told me (to quote her as best as possible):

"...Because you purchased the car Certified Pre-Owned and the CPO warranty doesn't cover paint, and we don't know how the previous owner treated the car, what environment the car was in, and what chemicals were used to clean the car, it is unlikely we will pay to have the car repainted..."

I then told her according to the CarFax report, the previous (original) owner leased it in Las Vegas, a desert environment. She then cited the remaining three reasons (in the quote above) as their decision why they will not pay for the failed clear coat to be repaired.

From what I understand, If your Sonic is more than three years old AND/OR has more than 36,000 miles and you have this issue, try as you might, but you're likely out of luck.

To close, I still like this car, still love driving this car, but due to QUALITY, this is my first, and likely last GM product I will own. Poor quality earns no loyalty.