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Q&As since 1989


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Clear coat Breaking up

2006

I just read another post on your website where a person had problems with the clearcoat breaking up on the trunk of his Hyundai. I am currently having the same problem on my 2003 Jaguar.
I know what this damage is, I owned a mid 90 model Cherokee and the problems started exactly the same way. First appearing almost like snowflakes on the car, then spreading, until the car appeared to have little to no paint. Therefore, I have seen this problem before and no what is going on. The Jaguar place is telling me it is damage from bird droppings and they had two body shops tell them this. They of course will not cover this damage under warranty. I just paid $70 for the body shop to repair the clearcoat but I cannot tell that they have done anything.
I wash this car religiously, and I NEVER allow bird droppings to remain on the car for more than a day. The car parks inside a garage at home AND at work. What can I do? I want to fight this with the dealer. What sort of things can I do, buzz words, requests, etc. They swear that Jaguar has "one of the best paint jobs in the industry" and that they "have never had problems with the clearcoat." That is why they are so certain it is bird poop, but it is exactly why I think that it isn't. If their paint job is so great, then how could this possibly have happened? Is this going to occur every time a bird excuses him/herself somewhere on my car if I am not there to clean it up nano seconds after it occurs?

Should I request the clearcoat be measured? I know this is going to be a costly repair, but am more concerned that the problem will spread and ruin the look of my car. I am going to have to go round after round with these guys, and I need ammo! Thank you for your help.

Jonathan D. Shaw
Concerned Car Fanatic - Raleigh, North Carolina

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First of two simultaneous responses -- 2006

Good luck with this! you will almost have to know exactly what type of product was used on this car and prove it is an inferior product. Even then you won't get anybody to admit liability unless it has already been proven publicly that there is a manufacturing defect. You can look for a recall on this year and model that pertains to paint. Maybe even specific to the color used on your car.
I would be suspicious that the area of failure is the result of a "non-factory finish", thats why it is failing early. If you want to, you should take the car to a good body shop(not the $70 dollar body shop) and ask them to look for signs that this car may have been touched-up or repainted before you bought it. Even if you bought it new, that doesn't mean you got the factory paint, ever hear of transport/lot damage? The dealers don't throw damaged cars away, they fix them and sell them. Oh yea, the dealer didn't lie when he said Jaguar has a good paint job, but did he try to verify that this car has genuine factory Jaguar paint on it?

Sheldon Taylor
supply chain electronics
Wake Forest, North Carolina

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Second of two simultaneous responses -- 2006

Measuring the thickness of the clearcoat won't tell you much. The likely problem is insufficient UV inhibitor in the clearcoat. Dealers always use the bird droppings, acid rain, wrong soap, etc, excuses.

If Jaguar won't voluntarily repaint the car (contact the Jaguar headquarters, not just the dealer), you're pretty much out of luck. Buy Japanese next time.

Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina