tlsshopper

Sent a letter a few weeks ago to Richard Colliver (Exec VP Sales, Acura Division) diplomatically complaining about the now infamous WDP paint color difference between the metal body and the front/rear plyable plastic bumpers, and asking for a resolution. Having the OEM Body Kit just amplifies the color difference; especially with the side rails. Got a reply today, not from Mr. Colliver, but some clerk (I guess). Here is the content of Acura's official reply letter on this topic:

quote "Thank you for your recent letter to our office regarding your 2002 TL.

Our corporate aim is to preserve your interest and pride of ownership in our product, we have made a complete review of this matter, lending special consideration to your comments. In all fairness, however, we cannot justify any intervention with the paint issue on your car.

Although, we value you as an Acura owner and attempt to maintain good customer satisfaction, we are not always able to provide assistance.

We regret that this decision may not meet your expectations. However, we do thank you for allowing us the opportunity to review and respond." close quote

I find it interesting that the letter's author never called me to discuss my complaint and that he referred to the paint color difference as a "paint issue." I guess they recognize they have a manufacturing problem and are choosing to ignore it (ie, maybe it will just go away by itself, huh?).

For those of you with WDP TL-Ss with a similar concern, has your local dealer been of any assist? If so, how did they resolve the problem?

RedLined

It seems every brand and model of car I've ever seen that has been close to the WDP color has had the same "paint issues" (as Acura calls it) where the body and bumper color don't match. At least they seem to be the most noticeable.

But color aside, this seems very strange. The color of my body kit seems slightly off from the color of the bumpers and body. Tim mentioned awhile ago that the plastic bumpers and body kits don't reflect light or don't allow the same adhesion as the metal body parts. I don't remember exactly what he said, but that's not really important. True or not, this seems odd to me for a couple of reasons. First, if that were the case that the paint doesn't "behave" the same on metal as it does on plastic, then the bumpers and body kits should look the same but to me, they don't. Second, I would assume the body, bumpers, and body kits all have a coat of primer between their surface and the layer of paint, therefore making the surface to which the paint is being applied uniform. Therefore the paint should "behave" the same on all surfaces. If they don't have primer, maybe they should.

This is all just speculation and I'm certainly not an expert. What does everyone else think?

RUF87

I'll check with the resident family expert and se what he thinks. I'll let you know.

RUF

wakkolio

Maybe if there was enough people complaining then something would be done.

djsteve

Several years ago when I had bodywork done on my '93 Integra GSR, the Acura certified shop I went to told me that they had to use different paint on the sheetmetal vs. the plastic bumpers. The paint for the bumpers required a "flex agent" to be added. Maybe this is the cause of the noticeable color differences in WDP?

jps

This makes sense, since metal and plastic have different thermal expansion characteristics.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

My parents are big Altima fans (except I'm more excited about the new one!!), and when they were looking a year or so ago, the white Altimas had the same problem.....the bumpers and metal were slightly different......

Chigg

I just installed the body kit on my 2001 WDP Acura. I have the same exact problem, the color of the body kit being much lighter that the metal body or the bumpers. My problem is that if mannufacturers know that painting the two different surfaces will yield colors that do not match, then they should make adjustments in the paint so that they do.

NSXNEXT

iTrader: (2)

I would suspect the problem is with the flex agent they put in the bumper/kit paint. Unfortunately there isn't much you can do, except possibly have a very good body shop custom make some paint that matches a little better.

tgif

maybe the WDP color need to change. I remember same thing happened to the 98-99 Maxima. Then in the 00 Maxima, the white color just become an off white color.

ACTUP

I was told "flex" is added to the bumper paint so it isn't so easy to chip.

CH-TLS

The 2000 Max color did change and my 2K bumpers match a whole lot better than those on my old '97 and the TL-S......but there's still a difference.

My guess is that the flex agent causes this slight difference.

Guest

You guys think the TL's are bad... have you ever noticed how bad the bumper color sticks out on any of the current gen Audi A6's? Every time I see one that is light in color drive by I am blown away... for a while I was trying to convince myself that Audi ment it to be that way... thats how obvious it is.

BB16

Didn't work

Edward'TLS

The flex agent enables the layer of paint to flex instead of to crack when the plastic bumpers bend.

tlsshopper

Well since the Acura Automobile Division quickly blew me off, I'm going to lobby Honda Moror Co LTD. I'll let you folks know how they respond.

Still waiting for feedback from anyone out there that had this "paint issue" resolved by their local dealer. If so, how did they resolve it?

vandy786

Can someone please post some pics and let me see how different the bumper and body color is? I have a WDP but my paint color matches exactly. Sure it feels different but that's because one is metal and the other is plastic (I think).

RedLined

I think the old pearl white Maximas were worse. I test drove one -- they might as well have just painted the bumpers yellow or something.

EricL

I too have heard about the "flex" agent being used for the bumpers and roof rails, etc (over and over and over again).

My wife's 95 Altima got a rear-ending by a Jeep and it finally got fixed to our satisfaction, but I had to have the shop do the job over. They botched job #1, but did a very good job on the "do it right the second time job". I've always noticed some colors of bumpers looking different than the paint and asked more than one body shop and detailer about this. They ALL said that the difference was due to the "flex" additive and the "difference" in "matching" depended on the type and color of paint.

I also got the same story from by brother-in-law who worked at one of the better shops in Los Angeles.

BTW -- I'm not saying you shouldn’t be satisfied, but I see some new cars that seem to have very bad matches depending on the lighting, color of paint, and make of car.

AlaskaAl

A few days ago someone posted a link to

www.paintscratch.com .

This paragraph is excerpted from the Bumpers discussion on that linked page:

My wife is a materials scientist/engineer, and she guarantees that a given paint will almost always look different when applied to different underlying materials. This problem, apparently, is magnified when the paint is intended to have high reflectivity.

John Weidenbenner

The color match is very close on our WDP and acceptable to me. I suspect that the color match quality problem is specific to a range of VIN's. Our's is February production, #10XX.

Those with WDP's should post their VIN and note whether the match is acceptable or not.

tlsshopper

Production date: May '01, Vin #11xxx. WDP color match unacceptable.

coffeefingers

Dude,

I checked out my WDP TL-S today in the garage under fluorescent lights and outside under natural sunlight. I find the color match of the metal body panels and the bumpers to be acceptable. If I stared at it until I get cross-eyed then I "might" be able to see a difference. But that's a waste of time. The casual observer isn't gonna be looking that hard anyway.

Uh...you people complaining about your cars' paintjobs...didn't you check out the car first to see if everything was cool BEFORE you bought it? I mean, if the paintjob is really that jacked like you say...then it would have stood out upon initial inspection when you were buying the car. I don't think the paint was fine when you bought the car and then "changed" on you in a couple of months.

EricL

Yes, try applying a touch up paint to a surface that has lost its primer... (As in a deep scratch)

That's all I have to say.. People think that the auto paint is perfectly opaque AND it is not!!!!

nickchop

Nice work "Rome". We look at it before we leave the dealership, but you really don't notice it till you wash it. I agree with you about most people not noticing it. I find it amazing any of us buy this car after reading the neg's on this car! I still love it though!

coffeefingers

Dude,

I dunno...I still think this paint problem is being "exaggerated" like a lot of minor fit and finish problems expressed on this board. I think somebody on this thread already posted a request to actually see pictures of this WDP paint problem. Where are these pics? I'm curious to see what the "fuss" is all about.

And as I said before...if the paint was that jacked...it would have stuck out like a neon sign when you were buying the car.

#3_Forever

Last Friday I was at my dealership and they have a 2002 WDP TL-S with "all the goodies" (Comptech header & exhaust, springs, 18" wheels with 235/40/18's, OEM spoiler & body kit ... you get the picture). At that point in time I had not read this forum but I did know about acura-tl.com. The car was outside and it was slightly overcast in the early evening and I defintely noticed the color difference. Prior to my TL-S I owned a '97 white Maxima SE. About a month ago some guy decided that it should really be a sub-compact so he rear-ended me at about 30 MPH while I was stopped and totalled it. I digress though, my Maxima did have a very slight color difference between the trunk and rear bumper but no where near the difference I noticed on the WDP the other night.

Just thought I would pass my experience on.

P.S. This is my first post and I love my SSM TL-S so far (2 weeks + and pushing 2000 miles ..... everyone makes me drive to lunch )

crmsnidol

I'm hoping that Acura makes a flat white available on the TL-S like the Taffeta color. Pearlcoats are much harder to match with paint or touchup. I was bummed when I saw the Taffeta color dropped from the line.

RAdams

Both my former and my friend's current 2000 WDP TL's exhibited a slight mismatch. In direct sunlight it wasn't as bad... thankfully I live in FL so it never really became a real big issue. My girlfriend and mother both commented on the difference when the car got dirty, however, so it's not an "imagined" problem.

1SICKLEX

Well on the Lexus GS series there is a problem with the metal and the lower plastic body panels with the Diamond White Pearl (the lower panels are more yellow)but once u mention it (and take it back before your warrenty is up) the dealer HAS TO repaint the plastic and it works.

Then for 2001 they switched the DWP to Crystal white which has no such problem.

Chigg

The color variation in the WDP paint on my bumpers aren't that bad but the difference between the body kit and the rest of the car is horrible.

AKRY

Some times the paint differences don't show up at all 'til later... with the sun baking on the paint, the differences would be more apparent.....

Andy Kuo