It looks like the paint on my 2006 Infiniti G35 is flaking off. It looks like rock chips down to the metal, but there are no pits and it is on the sides and back, rather than the front and hood. Has anyone ever seen this before, and does anyone know what might be causing it?
Did you buy the car new?? Have an autobody shop check to see if the car has been re-painted…
No, I bought the car with 11,000 miles on it from a dealer who said it had no problems. I did a CARFAX check and no problems had been reported. The car now has 17,000 miles on it…
CARFAX just tells you about anything that was reported, and it isn’t always accurate. It might have been repainted after an accident. kneel down next to the rear wheel put your head near the fender. Look forward and see if the body is perfectly straight. Any waviness could indicate body work. Make sure there is adequate light so that you can highlight any flaws.
A good body shop can tell, for sure, if the car has been repainted…it might worth $50 to get a complete inspection for collision damage. The late model re-builders (this is an industry) learned how to get around carfax a long time ago.
Or perhaps some environmental nightmare, chemical dust or residue, attacked the paint. But I must say, today’s clear-coat finishes are immune to most of that. Have a pro look at it.
Took the car to a highly recommended body shop. The owner said it is definitely due to bad primer, not road hazard or repainting. Both he and the original dealer said the car has not been repainted.
Question: Who can I go to at Infiniti to get this fixed? Infiniti Canada says they have to rely on the dealer to determine if this is a warrantee issue, and the dealer says it is not. Infiniti U.S. (where I bought the car) says they have to rely on the dealer as well. Everyone is passing the buck. Anyone have any ideas what I should do next?
You may have to motivate the dealer by by having a sign made that reads “Before you by an Infinity, look at the paint job on this car”… Park the car as near to his showroom as you can. In the side window of the car, post a brief description of your problem. Usually this takes about 3 days to get the desired results. (a new paint job)
Defective paint jobs do indeed happen, it’s an automated process, and some missing primer could easily go unnoticed, the finish coat would look fine (for a while)…