Flaking clear coat requires repainting of the body part/vehicle.
So depending on where the clear coat is flaking dictates the cost.
Tester
That looks like sun damage. After you get it fixed, when you need to park your car for several hours during the day, try to park in the shade if at all possible. Even under a tree where you got birds to contend with is better than out in the full sun. I just today saw what could be a potentially really nice older Toyota Celica going down the road next to me, but it was really not attractive looking b/c of the same problem with the paint, parked out in the sun too much. A weekly rinsing off with a hose and waxing a couple times a year helps too.
If that’s your only spot the cost is next to nothing to fix it yourself. A little sanding with 220 or finer and spray the clear from a can and you should like the results enough.
All clear will do is protect the metal. It’ll still look the same. It needs to be re-color coated first and then clear to finish it. Do it yourself or have it done but red is hard to match.
What are the things i will need to do it myself? And how? thanks
If you want an OK job, buy a can of clear from the auto parts store not just any clear. Duplicolor pretty much has this market to itself so that’s the brand to look for. The color coat itself has little to no gloss and it needs protecting so it needs clear. Also buy some 600 grit, 1000 grit and 2000 grit sandpaper (the black stuff), masking tape plus some rubbing compound and some polishing compound. Some terrycloth towels, too. Also a little prep spray to clean the surfaces.
Sand around the edges the smooth out the original clear with the 600 wetted with water so doesn’t leave a ridge. Be careful on the color coat, it is very thin and if you sand through, you will need some matching color spray, too. Clean with prep solvent. Use the masking tape to prevent overspray. Spray 3-4 light coats of clear in ever widening sweeps over the area. Let dry completely. Overnight is good. Take the 1000 grit and very lightly sand (with water) the “fuzzy” edges of the clear. When the fuzz is knocked down, hit it with the wetted 2000 grit. Dry it off and use the rubbing compound (orange gritty stuff) to remove all the visible scratches. It will still be hazy so hit it with the polish (white cream) and that should bring up a shine that can be waxed.
Is this a pain? Yes! This is partly why paintwork is SO expensive.
The results should be OK, not show quality, and the peel will likely reappear elsewhere on that same panel because once it starts, it won’t stop.
Great summary. The only thing I would add is to wash the area thoroughly and strip off any surface contaminants (like wax or silicone residues) before starting to sand. Otherwise, you’ll drive those things into the sanded grooves and make it very hard to remove afterward and those contaminants can affect the adhesion of the new paint.
Just be aware that the spray can paint is much much thinner than the factory paint or what you would get from the body shop. So don’t expect it to have the same lasting qualities.
On red metallic base of my daughter’s 2002 Sentra this method resulted in metallic particles being exposed and becoming almost grey, giving a very bad visual for the place of repair. I ended up with buying some base of matching color at automativetouchup.com, then following the rest of steps outlined by @Mustangman
As another alternative, vinyl wrapping a hood is possible.