[matt_g]

Hi Folks,

I was wondering if anyone here has experience with automotive paint and could offer an opinion on what's happened to my 6 month old Jimny.

I noticed a couple of months after I took delivery that a piece of paint was peeling on the corner of the edge of the bonnet.

Here's the pic.



the damage itself is about 2-3mm across. What gets me is it looks like the silver topcoat is peeling off the white undercoat, almost as if it's a popped blister.

I took it to the dealer, and they've said Suzuki are calling it "damage" and not a warranty issue. I find it hard to see how it could be damage given the location isn't on an exposed extremity of the vehicle, and is so small, with no visible damage anywhere around it, or visible in the undercoat.

I can't imagine what could cause damage with such violence that it can tear and peel the topcoat open, yet do so in such a small sheltered area while leaving no other marks.

So far the only people who've even opened the bonnet are the dealer's service department.

If and provide me with some ideas about what might have happened, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,
mattg.

[zook95]

if its only 6 months old take it back to suzuki and tell them unless its was a stonechip or something
luke

[stocker]

did you happen to notice it after a hot day??? looks like a spot where a contaminate has been under the paint surface. could be a droplet of water or any sought of oil could cause that...

i'd definitly be taking that back and demanding it resprayed.

[matt_g]

@luke I'm not sure how it could be a stone chip, it's on the trailing edge of the bonnet right in front of the driver, so I can't imagine it would be exposed to flying stones.

@stocker I don't recall the weather, but I bought the car in June so it probably became apparent maybe around september.

cheers
mattg

[stocker]

take it to a spray shop and see what they think caused it... experts would have the best advice

[steak_knife]

stocker wrote:

take it to a spray shop and see what they think caused it... experts would have the best advice

X2

Also look at the bolt's that hold the bonnet on, if they are scratched or have marking's of a spanner or socket on em, most likely the car has been repaired or a bonnet swap was done at the dealership..

[matt_g]

@steak what would be the reason for a bonnet swap, or dealer repair? Are you suggesting they'd have put a damaged bonnet onto my car (possibly at the first post-purchase check)?

cheers
mattg.

[steak_knife]

No, I'm not saying that they "did", but it is highly possible..

I've been instructed to do it on car's worth a lot more than a Suzuki..

Go watch "New" car's being unloaded at the dock's......

[hutch]

looks like chemical interferrence to me... possibly brake fluid?

[matt_g]

@hutch brake fluid eats through paint, or do you mean when the panel was first sprayed?

cheers
mattg

[alien]

surely given its location it'd be dust or moisture that they failed to clean off the undercoat before laying the colour down.

[losfer]

id like a more high resolution pic before i can determine the cause.

[BAZZOOK]

It looks like it happened when the pain was still soft after being sprayed. you'd recon it would just chip if the paint was hard.

[flatcat_auz]

Good luck with Suzuki and Warranty. I would go to a paint shop and get an experts opinion and then take it back and get the to explain why it is NOT what the panel/paint shop said it is.
But my experience with Suzuki and new car warranty was not the experience I thought it would be after parting with $32,000.

[ajsr]

looks like the stone guard/seamsealer product has that is painted over has come away to me.
no paint advice as I'm sick of arguing with fuckwits about how to paint a car. see suzuki