Anyone else get a really bad factory paint job on their TL? When I picked mine up new from the dealer, the Anthracite Metallic looked all splotchy and mottled. You really can't notice it all that much in direct sun, but on an overcast day, it will definitely make you look twice. No chipping or peeling yet though, thank God...

 

It a known problem. Acura is slipping on the quality of their paint jobs.

 

yeah i notice the blotchyness on my anthracite when its kinda dark out. but in the bright sun it looks hot with the flakes

 

yea i notice the crapiness of acura paint b/c my paint chips if u touch the car

 

according to other threads on this site, it is due to the change in the type of paint that goes on our cars and others as well, i believe it's a water based paint now.

 

They didn't put enough paint on my bumpers and it took the dealer two times to get it right. The last time resulted in getting a new front bumper cover.

 

thats not the problem. every one uses the same paint its in the prep and application.

 

This is a joke, right? Latex automotive paint? New one to me.

 

what do u think, i'm making this stuff up?

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...ht=cheap+paint

 

its not water based paint. its in the applications of it. how well its etced/primed, how many coats are put on, and how its dried.

the paint on the tl is extremly thin. this is most likely the reason it chips so easily. last time i resprayed my bumper i culd not believe how thin the paint was.

 

thanks for clearing it up.

 

You used the phrase 'water based paint', it's not water based paint, it's low VOC paint. And as was pointed out, it also has to do with how it's applied, how many coats of paint and clear are used, etc. Apparently, manufacturers are using a combination of low VOC paints and fewer coats to meet emission standards which results in bad paint jobs, paint that chips easier, etc.

In the non-automotive arena, they are trying to switch consumers from oil based paints, which can be high in VOC, to latex paints. They're doing this by jacking up the price of oil based paints, not making them in gallon cans, etc.