Discussion of Stinger paint quality (Was - Paint Chip Issue)

Paint Chip Poll - Have you experienced unwarranted paint chipping with your Stinger

  • Yes - Yellow

    Votes: 37 7.9%
  • Yes - Blue

    Votes: 57 12.2%
  • Yes - Deep Chroma Blue

    Votes: 6 1.3%
  • Yes - Silky Silver

    Votes: 13 2.8%
  • Yes - Ceramic Silver

    Votes: 40 8.6%
  • Yes - Black

    Votes: 70 15.0%
  • Yes - Panthera Metal

    Votes: 18 3.9%
  • Yes - White

    Votes: 28 6.0%
  • Yes - Red

    Votes: 49 10.5%
  • No - Without permanent protective coating

    Votes: 113 24.2%
  • No - With permanent protective coating

    Votes: 36 7.7%

  • Total voters
    467
Let's hope that it doesn't take TOO long to resolve some people's issues. Wouldn't want their cars looking like Michael Jackson without the skin bleach!
 
Hey.....Big Brother is reading every word we type. Offer your complaints here. They are listening. Yes, it does suck we have these issues. Once this is full blown and in the media the hype of the Stinger will die down. Not good for dealers who are trying to sell $52k GT2's and trying to convince a BMW,Lexus,or Audi owner that this is the real deal. I drove a Stinger in Vegas before they were launched. Grin on my face ear to ear. That is what this car is about. Only the owners know this. Consider yourself lucky to own one. These days we all want answers right now. I am no different but I want whatever the fix is to be well thought out and planned for accordingly. I handle all of the TDI buybacks for our VW store. You want to talk about something where people want answers immediately, try this when it hit the news. VW in my mind has an excellent system in place to deal with all of the issues. They didn't dream this up one car at a time. These things take tons of planning to pull off. Lets just be patient.
 
Let's hope that it doesn't take TOO long to resolve some people's issues. Wouldn't want their cars looking like Michael Jackson without the skin bleach!
When my BMW 550iGT had a paint issue similar to the Stinger I thought the same!
 
______________________________
Just got this response from my dealer today:

"
We have been advised that a "repair direction" from KIA corporate offices has yet to be established regarding the 2018 Stinger paint chipping concern.



We will be in contact with you as soon as we receive further instruction."
 
The dealers have zero word on what is going on.
 
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
Surprised many of you are in such a rush about this. Who cares if it takes another month, i'm more than confident at this point they will provide a solution. Say you get an answer that they are going to repaint it tomorrow for you, great, friday a rock hits your front paint... back to square one again. I'd much rather put miles on it now, let it get some more general wear and tear, and then have it repainted.

I'm going to be patient and give Kia a chance to get this right.
 
I use a paint meter whenever I buy a used car to see if it has been re-sprayed. It works by measuring the distance between the meter sensor and the metal underneath. When a car is repainted normally the thickness is much greater than what is attained in factory conditions and it is usually pretty significant.


Can you measure your Stinger’s factory paint thickness and post? Not immediately relevant information, but might be helpful to future buyers, once these cars start hitting the used market in quantity.
 
Surprised many of you are in such a rush about this. Who cares if it takes another month, i'm more than confident at this point they will provide a solution. Say you get an answer that they are going to repaint it tomorrow for you, great, friday a rock hits your front paint... back to square one again. I'd much rather put miles on it now, let it get some more general wear and tear, and then have it repainted.

I'm going to be patient and give Kia a chance to get this right.

Customizations (window tint etc) are on hold since the only resolution offer could be a buy back. If there is no resolution i want to do repairs and get some paint protection on ASAP. So waiting is a pain. Trying to be less attached just in case.
 
Customizations (window tint etc) are on hold since the only resolution offer could be a buy back. If there is no resolution i want to do repairs and get some paint protection on ASAP. So waiting is a pain. Trying to be less attached just in case.
So you can only see this working 2 ways, 1 route they say, "sorry, sh*t happens" and you go on your way to do repairs yourself. The second outcome is they do a buyback and which case you walk away.

Interesting. So if they offer to respray (thus repair) you don't considering that a viable option? Then all you'd have to do is apply paint protection. I just spoke to a guy who has an optima, his paint was peeling at the headlights when he first got it, kia paid to have it corrected by respraying it. The exact same thing the service manager told me was 99% certain was going to be the outcome. That option hardly seems far fetched.
 
So you can only see this working 2 ways, 1 route they say, "sorry, sh*t happens" and you go on your way to do repairs yourself. The second outcome is they do a buyback and which case you walk away.

Interesting. So if they offer to respray (thus repair) you don't considering that a viable option? Then all you'd have to do is apply paint protection. I just spoke to a guy who has an optima, his paint was peeling at the headlights when he first got it, kia paid to have it corrected by respraying it. The exact same thing the service manager told me was 99% certain was going to be the outcome.
I go Thursday for a paint claim at my dealership. I have 6-7 spots on the hood of black. paint gone no dents. I think the paint is thin.
I will see what the dealer does, they will send the pictures to kia with my claim number.
I would take a respray. I was going to buy the stinger at the end of the lease but may not if I have rust spots where the paint is gone.
 
______________________________
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
I looked at an Optima in the parking lot this afternoon, a black one, flawless, and I wondered: would Kia paint Stingers differently than earlier/other cars that have virtually no paint failure issues? Why would the Stinger, the new "flagship" model, be cursed with bad paint, when Kia's other cars are okay (again, typically and overwhelmingly)? It doesn't make sense that Kia would apply paint to the Stinger in some random, untried way, when they already know what works well. So, if we went to an Optima forum and checked out a "paint issues" thread, would it read like this one? In other words, are we assuming a huge problem with Stingers when there isn't one?
 
So you can only see this working 2 ways, 1 route they say, "sorry, sh*t happens" and you go on your way to do repairs yourself. The second outcome is they do a buyback and which case you walk away.

Interesting. So if they offer to respray (thus repair) you don't considering that a viable option? Then all you'd have to do is apply paint protection. I just spoke to a guy who has an optima, his paint was peeling at the headlights when he first got it, kia paid to have it corrected by respraying it. The exact same thing the service manager told me was 99% certain was going to be the outcome. That option hardly seems far fetched.

No, i see a respray as the most likely and viable option. But with out knowing i'm hesitant to invest more money just yet.
 
Can you measure your Stinger’s factory paint thickness and post? Not immediately relevant information, but might be helpful to future buyers, once these cars start hitting the used market in quantity.

I don't own one yet I am waiting a little longer as I live in New England where having great paint is a big deal to avoid rust. I am hoping that Kia responds on this soon officially so I will know what they are doing before I buy. I am going to check on out this weekend though to see if my kids will fit in the rear seat and I will take my meter and get some measurements for a baseline and will post what I find.

I also wouldn't be stressed out over resale value based solely on the paint. I think it is more important that there is a resolution and to get the issues resolved. Also, plenty of brands have severe paint problem I had a Honda Pilot with terrible paint and that traded at a very high value now Kia isn't Honda when it comes to resale but Honda paint is terrible and it is probably the best brand for resale value.
 
Last edited:
No, i see a respray as the most likely and viable option. But with out knowing i'm hesitant to invest more money just yet.
Oh absolutely i'm hesitant as well, i'd say that is the prudent thing to be. I fully intended to have started the process to purchase the car off the lease by now... but I haven't. Now I put on 3m color stable tint, because regardless of this outcome with kia its pretty damn likely i'll be in this car for at least the next 3 years, and $300 for tint is not absurd to me (especially after paying 800 for crystalline on my last car).
 
Perhaps we can see when KIA removes my PPF whether or not the paint comes off with it :laugh::laugh:
Please, keep us updated on PPF removal if that will occur.
 
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
Went into Kia Melville (Australian) dealer today to drop off some flyers on the forum for any new buyers. Spoke to the manager about the paint issue and he confirmed yellow has been pulled and Kia is evaluating what to do but intimated that there could be a buy back. Blue however has been okayed back for sale and he thinks it’s a respray for the affected panels. He did say that no other colours are affected. I trust his info is correct.
 
______________________________
He did say that no other colours are affected. I trust his info is correct.

Other colors, but mostly the 12 votes for black above, think otherwise! I sure hope everyone is resolved when this all comes out in the wash.

-Fal
 
Other colors, but mostly the 12 votes for black above, think otherwise! I sure hope everyone is resolved when this all comes out in the wash.

-Fal
Which makes me think it was a production run issue, some countries affected other not.
 
Went into Kia Melville (Australian) dealer today to drop off some flyers on the forum for any new buyers. Spoke to the manager about the paint issue and he confirmed yellow has been pulled and Kia is evaluating what to do but intimated that there could be a buy back. Blue however has been okayed back for sale and he thinks it’s a respray for the affected panels. He did say that no other colours are affected. I trust his info is correct.

Don't suppose that you would know if any potential buyback would be world-wide? Also, where would I be able to find some information on the stop sale on the yellow?
 
Buy back could be bad depending on how its done. VW paid average trade (plus some restitution, but that wouldn't apply here). If you paid $55k with tax and title last month, you get a $45k buy back? Even if they gave you what you paid, tax and title is a huge hit for most.
 
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
Back
Top