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

[A Member Who Left]

Yours is a Silver with no paint issue. Enjoy your car. Leave the complaining for those with real issues.

Agreed. I’m exiting this forum entirely.
Good luck to all once the class action lawsuit gets going. Oh wait, that was mentioned how many months ago now as the most likely and best option?

 

[thirteendog]

Well, good news!

I just got my car back from the dealership today after getting a repaint done on the front half of the car. From what I can tell, every issue I was having is gone. Once I get off work today, I will give the car a good wash, and really look into every section.

Stripped and repainted:
- A Pillars
- Hood
- Front Bumper
- Left Fender
- Right Fender
- Roof
- Rocker Panels

While I have the car back, I am still in the process of trying to get some sort of compensation check, as my Micro Blue was showing all of the same exact signs as the Sunset Yellow.

@MattRain, a few questions for you
Did you have PPF applied to the car? Lease or buy? Was your case escalated to the "escalation team?" What did you ask for in terms of actions from Kia?

 

[MattRain]

@MattRain, a few questions for you
Did you have PPF applied to the car? Lease or buy? Was your case escalated to the "escalation team?" What did you ask for in terms of actions from Kia?

Did you have PPF applied to the car? No, but I am installing one on Aug 10th. Learned my lesson with AZ cars now.
Lease or buy? Purchase
Was your case escalated to the "escalation team?" Yes. From there I worked with them, and the dealership. At first, I was getting ignored by my dealership. After waiting a few weeks on the first few emails with the service department, and and the trail going dead after them telling me it was rock chips, I played the "I-dont-give-a-f*ck, I'm getting this fix" card and copied everyone up in the chain of that dealership up to the owner in my emails. Within in hour, I had a call and email stating that I needed to drop the car off for an evaluation under their lights and team. A few weeks later (due to trips I had), I dropped the car off.
What did you ask for in terms of actions from Kia? I asked for a complete strip down and respray. I got a strip down and respray of the "affected" areas. I also asked for a compensation check, but still in the process of trying to receive that.

 

[thirteendog]

So this has become our Evo My DCT crapped itself, M3 vanos is dead, etc; thread and issue.

Members have taken prudent steps to protect their cars including detailing using quality products, hand washing, ceramic coating, ppf, etc. All of this to no avail. I think its very telling that Kia has publicly announced that they have a paint adhesion issue with the yellow cars due to a primer issue. I dont know if anyone has posted anything that would affirm that the paint process used for the yellow cars is different from any of the other cars that are early production cars, but I havent seen anything and Ive been following the Stinger since last fall when it was featured on Jalopnik and this forum as a lurker since early this year.

If I was buying a Stinger and knew about these issues, I wouldnt touch these cars. For a 40k-50k sport sedan, your paint should hold up better than a rental Carolla, there really isn't any excuse for this issue.

Wonder if the 2019 Stingers will come with complimentary paint chipping.....

 

[thirteendog]

Did you have PPF applied to the car? No, but I am installing one on Aug 10th. Learned my lesson with AZ cars now.
Lease or buy? Purchase
Was your case escalated to the "escalation team?" Yes. From there I worked with them, and the dealership. At first, I was getting ignored by my dealership. After waiting a few weeks on the first few emails with the service department, and and the trail going dead after them telling me it was rock chips, I played the "I-dont-give-a-f*ck, I'm getting this fix" card and copied everyone up in the chain of that dealership up to the owner in my emails. Within in hour, I had a call and email stating that I needed to drop the car off for an evaluation under their lights and team. A few weeks later (due to trips I had), I dropped the car off.
What did you ask for in terms of actions from Kia? I asked for a complete strip down and respray. I got a strip down and respray of the "affected" areas. I also asked for a compensation check, but still in the process of trying to receive that.

Thanks for the reply Matt.

I have seen several folks post that they also have chipping on their doors. I wonder if they will offer them body panel specific resprays as well. This whole cycle is becoming frustrating.

Did they give you any guidance on the rear doors, hatch, rear bumper; or the parts they resprayed if you start to experience chipping on those panels?

When does an attorney get involved with this matter........

 

[MerlintheMad]

@thirteendog you just have to shop around. If you like the Stinger and fear the paint, then make sure you get one that doesn't have paint adhesion issues. And you are wrong about

Members have taken prudent steps to protect their cars including detailing using quality products, hand washing, ceramic coating, ppf, etc. All of this to no avail.

PPF is very effective at protecting the car, even keeping flaking or chipping from happening. How long, though? As long as large areas are not going to peel away (none so far), the PPF is going to trap any defects. If you pick your car carefully, then apply protection, it is going to look good for a long time.

I do agree that none of this should have happened, especially to a $32K to $52K car. But unless Kia is run by morons, there haven't been any paint quality issues to speak of since early production this year.

 

[Andimal]

Has anyone received their letter and mind sharing it on here?

I dropped mine off before leaving town a couple weeks ago and won’t be home for another 3 weeks. Just want to see the actual verbiage before calling them to go ahead.

Thanks!

 

[eljay]

That was me that posted the problem on the roof ditch moulding (entry #911), and then PDXStingerGT (entry #918). I think the moulding is plastic, but the problem is with the rubbery-feeling strip that completely covers and holds the moulding in. . . . I haven't heard back from Jamie at the Stinger line or my dealer, but she said she'd be back to me in a week, so I'm taking it easy until that time lapses.

Replying to my own post about the roof ditch moulding. Didn't hear from Jaime after creating a case on June 10, and so l called client services on 7/30, when Jaime was out and Terry told me she'd have her call, because she couldn't tell from my file how my case had progressed. No call from Jaime, so I called again this morning and talked to Billy.

He put me on hold to call the service manager at the dealership and returned to say the photos taken on 6/28 of my one little chip had been lost at the dealer, so I would need to return to the service dept. (at any dealer) for more pictures. Sigh.

I'm hoping that the call from CS and knowledge of my open case number will light a fire under them when I can get back to the dealership, which probably won't be until next week since my plate is otherwise full with crises right now. Tarnation!

 

[AV8R]

Replying to my own post about the roof ditch moulding. Didn't hear from Jaime after creating a case on June 10, and so l called client services on 7/30, when Jaime was out and Terry told me she'd have her call, because she couldn't tell from my file how my case had progressed. No call from Jaime, so I called again this morning and talked to Billy.

He put me on hold to call the service manager at the dealership and returned to say the photos taken on 6/28 of my one little chip had been lost at the dealer, so I would need to return to the service dept. (at any dealer) for more pictures. Sigh.

I'm hoping that the call from CS and knowledge of my open case number will light a fire under them when I can get back to the dealership, which probably won't be until next week since my plate is otherwise full with crises right now. Tarnation!

They lost the photo? I would be worried about the outcome if thats the case. Go to another dealer.

 

[eljay]

They lost the photo? I would be worried about the outcome if thats the case. Go to another dealer.

I may do that but first, since I'm feeling feisty, I want to confront them face-to-face with my "ticked off teacher scowl"--the one I used to great effect with the occasional jerks in my classes. And besides, I have even less faith in the other dealerships that are reasonably close by.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Tarnation!

Amen! "It's so hard to find good help these days." I use that quote (I can't even remember the origination of it, a movie, maybe) more than any other in daily life. Keep after them. And remain patient and civil, you'll get farther faster if you are firm but nice.

 

[eljay]

Amen! "It's so hard to find good help these days." I use that quote (I can't even remember the origination of it, a movie, maybe) more than any other in daily life. Keep after them. And remain patient and civil, you'll get farther faster if you are firm but nice.

Oh, always civil. My unvoiced thoughts don't count, right?

The irony is that when I first pointed this out, all I was hoping was to score a paint pen and a little help with applying the paint properly. Having more time to consider has made me think I deserve a more involved repair.

 

[AV8R]

Oh, always civil. My unvoiced thoughts don't count, right?

The irony is that when I first pointed this out, all I was hoping was to score a paint pen and a little help with applying the paint properly. Having more time to consider has made me think I deserve a more involved repair.

Make them stand in the corner wearing a pointy hat! Lol

 

[Keith Ruff]

I stopped by my Kia dealer today. My son's friend works there, he's the guy who helped us with the Stinger and an Optima for my daughter.Spoke with the sales manager and the service manager about the repaint, they said the reason Kia is probably not repainting the plastic is because the paint will stick to the plastic surface and the paint on the plastic is more pliable to be able to flex with stones and such that hit it during driving conditions. They also gave me a Kia paints touch up pen when I bought the car.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I stopped by my Kia dealer today. My son's friend works there, he's the guy who helped us with the Stinger and an Optima for my daughter.Spoke with the sales manager and the service manager about the repaint, they said the reason Kia is probably not repainting the plastic is because the paint will stick to the plastic surface and the paint on the plastic is more pliable to be able to flex with stones and such that hit it during driving conditions. They also gave me a Kia paints touch up pen when I bought the car.

Really, a flexible (different) paint on the bumpers? I hadn't heard. I had to order my own touch up pen(s). First one was the "dobber" hard, porous tip type; the second has an acute pen point and brush. Fortunately, I have not had cause to use the brush, although I did apply dots of paint using the pen point, once, just before my PPF went on. I prefer the second touch up "pen".

 

[MerlintheMad]

the reason Kia is probably not repainting the plastic is because the paint will stick to the plastic surface and the paint on the plastic is more pliable to be able to flex with stones and such that hit it during driving conditions.

This specifically makes zero sense to those whose cars are flaking and chipping all over their bumpers, and even rear licence plate panel (UNDER the plate ferpetesakes!?). Obviously a paint failure problem of great magnitude. To not repaint the bumpers (or licence plate panel) or any other non metal surface is just wrong. But I don't expect to hear of such failures by Kia, although several/many on this forum are worried that their bumpers will not get resprayed with the rest of the car. Under warranty, I don't see how Kia can ignore blatantly flaking, chipping bumpers. Heck, just put duct tape on a section and rip it off. Flaking, chipping paint will come up with it. End of discussion!

 

[MisterMac]

It's true, there is something added to the paint for bumpers so that the paint is "flexible" and moves with the plastic during expansion, contraction, minor twisting/impacts, etc...

However, my new bumper is being painted and will be installed next week. My dealer is simply taking care of this even while KIA corporate mulls their response.

I am grateful

 

[nhsjpeterson]

this is the only yellow still listed on cars.com:
2018 Kia Stinger GT in Brooklyn Park, MN | Brooklyn Park Kia Stinger | Lupient Kia

Apparently the 'hold sales' order doesn't matter when peeling paint is the least of your problems

 

[davebo]

My local dealer still has their yellow RWD GT2 listed on their website for $44,690. I've been checking it regularly so it's not like they delisted it for a month and got the paint resprayed.

 

[Joseph Cahn]

this is the only yellow still listed on cars.com:
2018 Kia Stinger GT in Brooklyn Park, MN | Brooklyn Park Kia Stinger | Lupient Kia

Apparently the 'hold sales' order doesn't matter when peeling paint is the least of your problems

How does that one not have Radar Cruise on it. Look at the Steering wheel photos. I though all the Yellow ones had that package?