This could be a generic paint problem, but since it's on our TL here goes. We were washing (drying) after birds had a field day on the car and saw (and felt) some pretty bad paint imperfections on the trunk. Not from the birds. It's on the top and it looks like many (several hundred) pin head sized brown spots. Whats worse...it looks as if these are coming from underneath the paint, something leaching out. Around ea. spot there is an air perimeter, light spot, as if there is air between the clear coat and paint. The brown spot can be partially scraped off, but if I dig deep enough with my finger nail, I think the air area or clear coat around the spots would chip off. I know one explination from Acura will be "you let something fall on the trunk". These spots are ONLY on the trunk and not on any other ajoining sheetmetal....not one spot anywhere else. We need to get some painting done for pealing in some other places, so I know the paint is defective in other areas. If you've got some ideads about what is happening or this has happened to your TL, I'd like to hear it.

Tnx
Greg

 

Can you post some pics?

 

Take it back and get it warrantied asap. After the pics of course.

 

Are you sure it is not tar spots? Try with tar remover and claybar after. Also, the pics would help.

 

Sure, I can post some photos. Spots may be hard to see, but I'll get some daylight and reflection to help. It was dusk as we were finishing and saw this. I don't think its tar. The spots are on top of the trunk lid and no where else, as if something got on this part before painting. Hard to say this, but it's getting to be a pretty old TL...bought Nov. 03 and 10K miles now.

Greg

 

Could be rail dust or contamination on the paint surface. Buy a Mothers Clay Bar Kit (approx. $15) and give it a try. Post some pictures (use macro setting)...

 

I had the same type of spots all over my tsx. A clay bar removed all of them. My paint felt like sandpaper. :o

 

My TL had lots of rough spots upon delivery. I clayed the car and they all came out. My car is green and my clay may had a lot of rust discoloration indicating that Rail dust was the root cause of my spotting.

Cars are made, stored, and transported in such close quarters with trains that claying a new car is a mandatory first step upon taking ownership.

 

Greg,

While washing my car this weekend, I found the exact same thing you describe.... white spots some of which appear to be "rusting" form the inside. The spots are very small, but noticeable in several place on the trunk lid only. I was able to scrape some of ths rust off with my fingernail, but what remains is a white spot with a rust colored center. Have you had any luck figuring out what this is?

What color is your car? Perhaps it's a problem with a specific color. Mine is NBP.

 

You didn't specify if these spots are below the clear coat. Had a prob with a Honda (years ago) that was the result of a dent coming off the rail car that was fixed with the wrong kind of paint. It started to deteriorate under the clear coat, was eventually covered under warranty after a few dozen calls to the regional service manager.

G'luck

 

I'm no expert, but as far as can tell the white spots are under the clearcoat, however the more advanced spots look like they've come through the clearcoat as rust spots. I'll try to post a picture of this later today.

 

Jap Cars Suck!

 

Damn Mio.....if this is so then why the hell are you even on this forum....first of all, the TL is built in the USA by US workers. This is a quality issue not a design issue. So put the blame where it truly belongs. True....it is a Japanese car, but it is American made.

 

It is more a transport issue than a quality issue, per se, and has nothing to do with the assembly people. Be they American, Japanese, or Serbo-Croatian.

Mine had the same thing - it is rail dust - i clayed the car once, and it is smooth as silk now with 10 coats of Zaino.

 

The car is abyss blue. I had my body man buff the spots on the trunk and they're gone. We never could figure a reason for this.
Greg

 

I think the paint on my TL looks awesome. True, the EPA took the lead out of the paint years ago and it's not as strong as previous generations...don't blame Acura...blame the EPA!!
For a production car, I think the quality of the finish on my car is second to none!!

BTW...Anthracite/Ebony/6mt/navi/......new PS-2 tires!!