# Another paint problem! Please Help!!!



## BrazenGTO (Apr 6, 2007)

So far, I have had my driver's side door handle replaced due to the paint peeling and I have also had documented the paint starting to bubble up at the seams at the top of the hood. 

This time I have a problem with the paint on the front bumper. There was a small road chip there before but while washing it, I noticed in that area that paint started to flake off just by spraying water on it. It was about the size of a dime. I took it to the dealership about a week ago, and they said to give them a call sometime this week and let them know the day before i could come in and they would have a rental for me. I called them up yesterday letting them know that i would be in today, they had the service manager look at it. now it was the size of a nickel! i could see that the paint was still wearing away from that area. you can see on the bumper that the paint is still flaking away. they now told me that it's not covered under warranty??? the reason they gave me was that the bumper is made out of plastic and the road chip caused the paint to start wearing away. 

is this right? i have never seen this before. is there a tsb over paint peeling on the front bumper? what else can i do about this?

thanks in advance!


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## Red Bearded Goat (Mar 19, 2007)

Sorry to read about your paint problems.... my only advise is to discuss the issue again with the stealership and logically point out the factory paint has failed in several locations (its not just localized to the bumper where the chip is located) and the chip only unmasked a larger problem with the bumper paint... that being the bumper paint did not adhere properly, same as the door handle... the proof that the paint applied or prep was flawed, is in the spider webbing on the hood... if they don't buy that argument insist you want contact info for the regional warranty claims manager to discuss it with him directly. I have several small impact chip spots on my bumper and the surrounding paint's intact. Paint only flakes away by itself if the bond was never strong enough to begin with!

Good Luck!


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Funny the dealer doesn`t want to do it, they usually love to do(and get paid for) warranty work.


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## 69bossnine (Aug 9, 2007)

Yikes.... Never an upside to having factory paint fail and paintwork done, regardless of who pays the bill. Sorry to hear it....


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

I'd cause all kind of static governing this. NO way does paint flake off over a paint chip.

I am wondering if these cars had water based paint applied to them.
My wifes 04 Grand-AM purchased at Christmas in 03, is driven every day and this includes winter driving and salt conditions. That car does not have 1 single stone chip, not a one. My GTO is in the garage and only driven in good weather and I have quite a few. My Son's Cobolt is driven every day from 2006 on and he has NO stone chips, same with my RAM since October and my 88 4Runner, you can count the chips on one hand. 

The paint on these cars suck. PERIOD. I am thinking water based paint is the reason, but I am not sure if it is water based.

I just had installed a clear bra to stop the madness. Anyone know if the paint on these cars is water based?


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## BrazenGTO (Apr 6, 2007)

Thank you all for your reply's! I am trying to get information together so I can prove that this is a defect. Could I go to a different dealership for this? Is there a tsb? I would like to have some kind of paperwork to show them. 

I am not sure if the paint on these cars is water based. It makes sense but I'm not sure.


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## raspantienator (Nov 20, 2007)

Sorry to hear about all of your paint problems-and your car is kept like new with low miles as well.
Hope the dealer re-paints it for you.


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## speedwrenchx10 (May 6, 2006)

I had my rear facia replaced due to paint flaking/falling off.I wonder if the monaro nose chips easy or paint issues with the rear facias?Were the GTOs monaros then convered to the GTO after off the assembly line?Were the GTO parts painted separate then installed after monaro parts were removed?The result poorly preped and painted pieces.My local stealership has lifetime warranty on everthing the paint so when I need paint its all them.


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## 69bossnine (Aug 9, 2007)

speedwrenchx10 said:


> I had my rear facia replaced due to paint flaking/falling off.I wonder if the monaro nose chips easy or paint issues with the rear facias?Were the GTOs monaros then convered to the GTO after off the assembly line?Were the GTO parts painted separate then installed after monaro parts were removed?The result poorly preped and painted pieces.My local stealership has lifetime warranty on everthing the paint so when I need paint its all them.


That's a really good point. The GTO front and rear fascias most likely were done "off-line" from Monaro production. And considering that building fixtures, and calibrating/programming the process for running body parts through robotic paint lines and the downstream factory ovens is HUGELY expensive to set up (and then would have to be switched back and forth between Monaro & GTO which would be wholly unfeasible), the GTO bits were likely done the old-fashioned way, by humans.... flawed and inconsistent humans.... And the tendency to chip easily could be attributed to poorer curing/baking techniques/equipment off-line, combined with inconsistant and/or lazy prep-work.

It's all making sense to me now...


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## NJG8GT (Nov 14, 2007)

My rear fasica was just replaced last week. Then had to purchase more letter inserts for the GTO cut outs. They told me paint adhesion problem.


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## Red Bearded Goat (Mar 19, 2007)

The Monaro, GTO and Ute were all built on the same line and intermixed on the line during assembly... only the wing was installed seperately and after the car reached our shores. Monaro production ceased several months before the GTO.... below are pics of he last one off the line. FYI, the paint chip that occured on my car came out of the passengers door a few inched up from the bottom... all the paint is poor and a clear bra is the best way to keep it intact.


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## PAULCAPASSO (Dec 25, 2007)

I would get it to a paint shop and have them totally strip the hood and front bumper cover. It needs to be primed with a flexagent and adheasion permoter then repainted. you need to get to the base of the problem to fix it. it's the factory primer.


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## 69bossnine (Aug 9, 2007)

I assumed that the cars were assembled on the main-line, but that still doesn't specifically address where and how the sub-assemblies were painted off-line... Oh well, doesn't matter, I'm just glad I don't have chunks of paint falling off my Goat (at least not yet....)


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## speedwrenchx10 (May 6, 2006)

Does the Manaro have paint issues?


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## BrazenGTO (Apr 6, 2007)

I went back to the dealership today and they still wouldn't go for fixing it. They said because the rock chip broke into the paint that it would not be under warranty. I told them about the paint adhesion problem on the GTOs and they still didn't buy it even after knowing that they replaced my door handle because of the paint peeling. They ended up giving me the number to a customer service line for pontiac and said that they might be able to explain it better. It keeps getting bigger and I need something done quick but everyone says it should be under warranty but the dealership, even local body shops who the dealer recommended me to say it should be covered. Should I just try a different dealership?


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

I would, if they don`t want the work, give it to someone who does.


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## BrazenGTO (Apr 6, 2007)

update! finally got everything done! i ended up calling pontiac customer service and told them the whole story after going back and forth with the dealership for months. the paint flaking off on the bumper was getting worse. it started doing the same thing on the other side, and in the middle and it started bubbling up after each wash and there wasn't even a rock chip near it. so after it was approved by pontiac, about 2-3 weeks ago, i took it in. i mentioned the hood was bubbling up and had it documented so i had them paint the hood also that way i could have everything done at once. 

what happened was they couldn't get the paint to stick so they had to order a new bumper. and with the hood the paint was bubbling up underneath. they were going to repaint the hood but found that under all those bubbles was RUST! i'm not sure how it was rusted but just a heads up! they just ended up ordering a new hood and painting it.

anyways i got it back today and it looks awesome! can't tell a difference at all! i went ahead and ordered the clear bra so i can better protect the paint. from what i've been reading, everyone is really pleased with the clear bra's. 

thanks for all the help you guys have given me! but again, check the seams under the hood at the top on your gto's! could be rusted like mine was. i've noticed other gto's starting to bubble up in that area


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