scionsta

Maybe... cause on my xb. my paint was chippin off on my trunk out of no where. so i took it to toyota n show them. They took my car to see if it waz a scratch or not. It waznt no scratch so they took my car n gave me a rental car n i didnt have to pay for the paint job.

xA_Factor

To some degree this is true. It's not just Scions. Our government has mandated considerably lower volatile emissions produced by solvent based paints. The rest of the world is following suit. The unfortunate by-product of this, is softer paints.

PupSocket

Million dollar idea: come up with fluourescent bandage stickers to put over scratches, with text something like, "Another Toyota Paint Failure."

If this really is a govt. mandated fix, the act-without-thinking level is on a par with the low-flow toilet mess. I have dings down to primer and even metal from BUG STRIKES.

kdepew

Agreed. Alot of the government mandates are crap. They shouldn't make government mandates until there is technology to achieve just as good a product w/o the banned process.

Your toilet example was good. I flush mine twice alot of times because of the lousy design so the thing doesn't even save water.

jdanticoli

I understand that the problem is caused by not having a clear coat finish applied on top of the last coat. Again, they say it was a sacrifice for savings. I too have a new Xa that suffers from bad paint. I hear that there is some discussion about a possible recall surrounding the bad paint issue.

Yoshiofthewire

Well, I know what could fix it.
The problem for many of us is the hood right?
I can live with the other lame paint, but not the hood
The huge missing peices tick me off.
So here is an option,
Everyone gets a new Carbon Fiber Hood - No paint required
Beats $2,000+ to paint the car.

Archngl

I'm gettin' a bug-shield as soon as I can afford one.

illiST

It has a clear coat. Just not a very good one. Otherwise I would have to agree with xA_Factor. As many other new cars suffer the same fate:

klimtone

I am so glad I read this today as I thought it weas just my car. I cannot believe how many chips are in my hood. It looks like I live in a gravel pit and the car is 20 years old. Write an update if you hear oof a recall

neotim

I guess I got lucky w/ my xA. When it arrived at the dealer, the delivery company had scratched up the paint on the hood pretty bad. So, I got the hood repainted by the body shop for free! So far I have NO chips at 5,000 miles!

THE_DON

Nope! I had a "Black Sand Pearl" Toyota Matrix and it shined like new money. My BSP xB is swirled, pitted and faded to hell. I used the same washing/waxing methods on both cars. Both cars were garaged. I only buy top of the line car care products. My xB still looks like azz.

Same color, not the same paint quality. I guess they used thinner coats to make the Scions cheaper.

Sucks for us...

-THE DON

GetCaughtDead

I wonder how much a paint shop would charge for just a couple decent clear coats while the paint is still new? it wouldn't hardly take any prep, and it could be well worth it in the long run.

aydaen

I'm wondering the same thing and hopefully I'll found out soon since I need to get a chip in my hood down to the metal fixed before it rusts. I'll see if I can get an estimate for a clear coat too. I've heard the clear bras or clear paint protection film is good to prevent chips/scratching, but that's a totally different animal than just regular peeling.

SatsumaxA

All our Scions are manufactured in Japan and in no way have to conform to the US enviromental mandates!!! Some one on the board took their case to the consumer protection agency and had a meeting with Toyota/Scion factory rep and they measured the paint coating thickness and found within tolerance!! I believe the angle on the xA is such that any debris strikes the paint surface more directly and causes a more noticable chip in the paint. Toyota/Scion ignored the fact that this characteristic should have been considered during engineering for total customer satisfaction and have used a MORE durable paint coating on the hood/grill/bumper area..... Here is the post if you search https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...ht=paint+chips

GetCaughtDead

you might argue that if it was just the xA. what are people's feelings toward the clear bras? for those who actually have it, does it look ok or can you still see the outline or a difference in finish?

xA_Factor

I assure you that Toyota, as a whole, is using more enviromentally friendly paints world wide.

skiboarder72

mine is fine

i always keep a decent amount of wax on it though...

SatsumaxA

[/quote]
I assure you that Toyota, as a whole, is using more enviromentally friendly paints world wide.[/quote]
I assure you that Toyota, as a whole, is using more economicaly (cheap) friendly paints world wide (starting with Scion brands). Their new pure price buying. Just look at the paint on lower end cars from 10yrs ago, or even the higher priced vehicles manufactured both in the US (with enviromental mandates) such as the Tundra and those made in Japan, like Corollas. Go to any parking lot an see for yourself....Toyota is a very popular car maker. I hope they understand American car enthusists, Scions are attractive cars made to attract young drivers loyalty. If ALL Scions have problems with paint then the process or paint is to blame, plain and simple... A large population of young people with NEW Scions complaining about poor paint performance doesn't appear to concern Toyota or their Scion division customer satisfaction team....

xSTANDxSTRONGx

I thought I was fine until yesterday, I noticed chips in my hood. Don't see any primer (Yay), just metal ($h!t). Plus a HUGE gouge on my side skirt, about 6-8 inches long, and about 1/2in wide. F*CK.

aydaen

I agree. I find that wax helps for minor surface impacts (bugs, small pebbles, etc.). However I think the easiest way for me to minimize scratches and chips is to stay as far away from any truck on the road. A normal semi will grab any dirt or debris lying on the side of the road that just the aerodynamic properties of the truck are able to pick up, which in a construction zone could be alot. I also try to leave a decent amount of room between myself and the car in front of me, especially if it's a pickup, to try and minimize rock chips.

Although I am comtemplating a theory that the further away you are from a vehicle that produces a flying rock chip, the more time the rock chip has to bounce and slow down, maxmizing the difference in speed between your car and the rock at impact.

...Hey...it's just a theory