Paint Issues - Paint simply rubbed off!

[Fedormma]

Greetings,

Past weekend I was washing and waxing the car and when drying off above the driver side headlight (using high quality microfiber cloth), the paint very simply and easily just rubbed off. See photo.

About two inches of exposed plastic (I think plastic). Brand new car with less than 3K miles.

Anyone else have this experience. Should I involve the dealership?

 

[Luminary]

Should I involve the dealership?

With those few miles, yeah, absolutely. Like right now, today.

 

[cncBilly]

Involve the dealer A.S.A.P. or quicker. Run run run to the dealer and bitch like hell. Then hit rewind and bitch like hell again. Repeat this step every time the dealer person says something that isn’t in your favour.

 

[westcoastGT]

This was a reported flaw early on in a few cases , there was a problem with paint surrounding headlights ..........try searching that topic on this forum .................thats a factory defect and well documented here !!

 

[SKStinger]

What year and build date is your car? The date is on the inside of your driver door placard where the tire pressures are listed. Certain dates seem to have the paint issues.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Greetings,

Past weekend I was washing and waxing the car and when drying off above the driver side headlight (using high quality microfiber cloth), the paint very simply and easily just rubbed off. See photo.

About two inches of exposed plastic (I think plastic). Brand new car with less than 3K miles.

Anyone else have this experience. Should I involve the dealership? View attachment 40220 View attachment 40221

That's a unique one; the first time I've heard of or seen paint failure ABOVE the headlight assembly. You won't find another case on the forum like yours, for location that is. But, this is an adhesion issue (in a unique spot ). You are very likely to receive a complete bumper respray under warranty. That's my expectation.

 

[Fedormma]

2019 GT1 AWD - 2700 miles
Build Date 05/19
I will contact the dealer today. I have ordered touch up paint, but will wait to see what the dealer says.

Thanks!

 

[MerlintheMad]

Clearly, there are paint issues that crop up, affecting those cars when that happens. Some contamination got into the process, compromising adhesion. As all the parts are prepped and sprayed separately, then brought together for assembly, it does not follow that any other part of your car's body is similarly in trouble. But, make a minute inspection of the entire vehicle now, to be sure. Things to look for are: paint along all edges (particularly the rear of the hood edge, and the leading edge of the hatch lid); any specks or pinpricks in the clearcoat; any chipping, no matter how small, in areas that are not impacted by road attrition. Look under the forward, lower corner of the headlight assemblies: that is the area where chipping occurs most often (a design weakness, the headlight assembly rubs there).

Touchup paint will look better than THIS! But, it is only a stopgap. (make sure you get a touchup kit that has a paint brush; not the fiber "wedge tip"; the wedge tip is for touching up scratches and fairly small nicks, not larger damage; I have both kinds; and the wedge tip is applied by dabbing, not stroking, like with a brush)

A complete respray of the bumper is the only thing that's going to make the car look good again.

 

[westcoastGT]

2019 GT1 AWD - 2700 miles
Build Date 05/19
I will contact the dealer today. I have ordered touch up paint, but will wait to see what the dealer says.

Thanks!

Dont touch it with touch up paint , take lots of pics and document the issue and then go to the dealer

 

[MerlintheMad]

Dont touch it with touch up paint , take lots of pics and document the issue and then go to the dealer

Yes, of course, take pics first, and do the dealer first: THEN, while you're waiting, touch it up!

 

[Fedormma]

I have an appointment with the dealership tomorrow am. It will be interesting what they say. It is clearly a "rub-off" and not a chip.

 

[Luminary]

I have an appointment with the dealership tomorrow am. It will be interesting what they say. It is clearly a "rub-off" and not a chip.

Good luck! Please keep us updated.

 

[Fedormma]

Will do. Touch up is not an option as I see this happening again and again. I already had a chip by the wiper blades that they touched up (believe it or not it was not from the wiper arm). I hope I don't have a defective paint job.

 

[SKStinger]

2019 GT1 AWD - 2700 miles
Build Date 05/19
I will contact the dealer today. I have ordered touch up paint, but will wait to see what the dealer says.

Thanks!

That build date isn’t one of the known documented paint defect periods. Hopefully your dealer makes it right for you!

 

[Fedormma]

I had an appointment this morning and left kind of encouraged. Service Manager is going to contact the District Manager to see what they can do for me vs. the ole "touch it up" routine. They appeared to take me seriously, so I'm happy so far. The Service Tech that checked me in said that based on his time with KIA that my dealership and KIA overall have been good about taking care of Stinger issues. He thinks that they will give me an entire new bumper but we shall see. The Tech did warn me to keep an eye on the painted trim strips that run along the roof of the car. The Tech says that they crinkle and crack. I am aware of this issue from this forum already.

 

[nhcowboy28]

Stop washing your car with paint stripper.

 

[Fedormma]

Oh, is that all I need to do?

 

[eflyguy]

He thinks that they will give me an entire new bumper but we shall see.

Bumper covers come unpainted so it would have to be painted anyway.

 

[westcoastGT]

Oh, is that all I need to do?

,,,,,,,,,,,, so much useful information on this forum !!

 

[Fedormma]

Without a chemical bath, thus melting the plastic bumper, there is no way to strip and re-spray the entire bumper is there?