New (used) car. Clear coat flaws. What to do?

[jephdood]

Just picked up a used '08 car today (8k miles) from a dealer of the same manufacturer. And, in fact, it was a former corporate fleet vehicle belonging to the manufacturer as well.

So, I get it home.. and under the fluorescent lights in the garage I can see several flaws in the clear coat on the right side of the hood. They look sort of like big water spots, but definitely are not.

They didn't show themselves at all in bright sunshine in the dealer lot (I looked over the car very carefully), but it's aparent they're pretty visible under some other lighting conditions (maybe even overcast days? Not sure yet..) And, they're pretty numerous. (half-dozen or so, ranging from the size of a nickel to a quarter)

I'm going to ask the dealership in the next day or two if they can do something, but I'm not sure what. And, since they seem to be a flaw from the factory, can I even hold the dealer responsible (used car and all) to fix it?

I guess if the dealership can't/won't do anything, I'll drive by a body & paint shop and see what they say. But I thought I'd run it by you folks as well.

I'm trying to avoid any major fixe$ like wet sanding and re-spraying a new layer of clear.. though, maybe that's the only option.

I'd take a pic, but I'm not sure if I could get them to show up. The blems aren't very deep, but can be felt slightly by running a finger over the top of them. I'll see if I can get any of them captured in an image tomorrow, but I doubt it.

Thanks in advance.. :crying:

[hawkeyejw]

Check out autopia.org - it's a forum for high end auto detailers. If you post a picture over there they may be able to help, and I'm sure you'll be able to find a detailer local to you to take a look at it if the pictures are inconclusive.

[woosch]

Check out autopia.org - it's a forum for high end auto detailers. If you post a picture over there they may be able to help, and I'm sure you'll be able to find a detailer local to you to take a look at it if the pictures are inconclusive.

I agree.

A quality detailer should be able to wetsand those out.

[ben9732]

Good chance they can be polished out. Autopia is a good place to hang out and ask questions.

[rsa]

Warranty. :)

[jephdood]

I just sent a note to the salesman I dealt with hinting that THEY could probably polish/wet sand these out when I head back in on Wednesday to deliver the check cut by my credit union.. want to see his response. :)

They seem to be kind of cheap though.. One of the early negotiating points for the car when we were working numbers was that I wanted floormats. Well, after I got home I noticed there were none in the car.. and his response to me this morning on that was that they didn't come standard on the car, but he could maybe get me a discount on a set from the parts dept. :scratchchin:

[hawkeyejw]

Be careful about letting the service department at the dealership loose on your new car's paint. They're notorious for leaving behind just as much damage as they remove in the form of swirls, pigtails, and holograms. Not all dealerships are like this, mind you, but many are. I've seen many cars that came detailed from the dealership with far less than flawless paint (mine included).

I think it would be worth your time to at least consult with a professional detailer to see what he thinks of the problem.

[The Ninja]

Post a photo if you can. I worked with stuff like this for ~10 years...

Sean

[jephdood]

Pic

Managed to capture one of them...

[The Ninja]

Hmmm... could be the start of delamination of the clear from the base but on a vehicle that new, it is pretty odd.

If you run your hand over the blemish, are there ridges/undulations or is it completely smooth to the touch?

[jephdood]

No, they're light.. but you can feel 'em..

[hawkeyejw]

From that picture, it looks like etching from a bird bomb. If you can feel them they may be pretty deep, but a polish from a detailer that knows what he's doing should at least diminish them greatly if not eliminate them.

[jephdood]

Unless this car was driven down Sesame Street.. and Big Bird had a serious GI problem that day, I'm not sure how it's a bird poo issue. There are just too many of these things on the hood.

But, whatever they are, they're not very deep. I could feel them.. but barely.

Here's how the salesman responded: "As for the spots on the hood I will see what I can do"

So, we'll see on Wednesday when I go up there with the check.

[hawkeyejw]

What's the approximate diameter of the spots? Bird poo can leave serious etching behind if not washed off quickly and if someone consistently parked it under a tree where birds nested and didn't wash it, that could be your problem. Or it could be something else entirely - either way, it looks like something got on the hood that etched into the clear coat. I hope you're able to get it taken care of soon!

[m-fine]

Park under the wrong tree at the wrong time and you could get a 100 bird bombs in an hour. If the owner parked under trees in his driveway or at his parking lot at work for how ever long he owned the car he could easily have dozens of bird bomb marks.

BTW, what kind of car?