Orange Peel

[i10fwy]

"They're all like that" is not a wild card GM should be allowed to play. I'd make it my life's work to make GM sorry they blew me off, starting with Channel 12 Call for Action. Let's see what Rick Debruhl can do to lite a fire under GM. GM's $70K halo car shouldn't be delivered with an Earl Scheib paint job. Car & Driver would also like to know about a systemic issue with the new Vette, and their new state of the art paint shop in BG. Tell the dealer what you are goinf to do. He'll pass it on - even if he says he won't.

I have now (in addition to the GM reps monitoring this site) been bounced around to 3 different people at GM's customer assistence center (it's a joke) I picked up my car Monday night Oct 7th. The General Manager and salesman both acknowledged the unacceptable paint. I didn't think it would be a big deal (what? buff it out) so I took the car home. On Thursday the 10th I brought it back to the dealer and he indicated he had to get GM's authorization to "buff" the car (I thought this very odd) I called GM's customer service center Thursday the 17th and have called them twice and nobody seems to want to take ownership of this problem.

The last person I spoke with said they would contact the dealer, WHAT? that is exactly what the General Manager at the dealership told me would happen. Thay would dump it back on him. It's not his fault, he didn't paint the car! ad

 

[catbert]

This is all so wrong. With all the love the Corvette community has shown GM and Chevy for the new Vette, you would think they wouldn't return to their pre-bankruptcy F.U. mode over crap that is clearly their fault. Haven't they learned anything? I'm no longer considering a C7.

 

[Huskerman]

You know....you have to just dump it on your dealer. Let him do the dirty work. You are not happy and he needs to fix it.....or he's going to own it. He needs to pressure GM. Nothing will happen until the district rep is involved. I have had dealers tell me that GM will listen to the customer more then them and I told them that was crap....get er fixed or there will be hell to pay......soon things started happening......of course I own 8 Chevy's which adds some sway to what I want.....

 

[i10fwy]

You know....you have to just dump it on your dealer. Let him do the dirty work. You are not happy and he needs to fix it.....or he's going to own it. He needs to pressure GM. Nothing will happen until the district rep is involved. I have had dealers tell me that GM will listen to the customer more then them and I told them that was crap....get er fixed or there will be hell to pay......soon things started happening......of course I own 8 Chevy's which adds some sway to what I want.....

Apparently the GM rep that went to the dealership on Fri to look at the car is the one who made the statement "they are all like this" it's a waterborn paint problem

 

[LLC5]

I have now (in addition to the GM reps monitoring this site) been bounced around to 3 different people at GM's customer assistence center (it's a joke) I picked up my car Monday night Oct 7th. The General Manager and salesman both acknowledged the unacceptable paint. I didn't think it would be a big deal (what? buff it out) so I took the car home. On Thursday the 10th I brought it back to the dealer and he indicated he had to get GM's authorization to "buff" the car (I thought this very odd) I called GM's customer service center Thursday the 17th and have called them twice and nobody seems to want to take ownership of this problem.

The last person I spoke with said they would contact the dealer, WHAT? that is exactly what the General Manager at the dealership told me would happen. Thay would dump it back on him. It's not his fault, he didn't paint the car! ad

I would not let them 'buff" the clear coat. If it is really an orange peal problem, then the problem is in the color coat and not the clear coat sprayed on top. Buffing or wet sanding will only remove some of the protective clear coat which won't fix the problem but may cover it up for a while. You want as much clear coat on your vehicle as possible because years down the road you may have to wet sand or buff it for normally occurring scratches. Sound like GM's Customer Service practices haven't changed any, too bad. Good luck with it.

 

[i10fwy]

I would not let them 'buff" the clear coat. If it is really an orange peal problem, then the problem is in the color coat and not the clear coat sprayed on top. Buffing or wet sanding will only remove some of the protective clear coat which won't fix the problem but may cover it up for a while. You want as much clear coat on your vehicle as possible because years down the road you may have to wet sand or buff it for normally occurring scratches. Sound like GM's Customer Service practices haven't changed any, too bad. Good luck with it.

OK, I'm open to all ideas, Then what? just live with a crappy paint job? Apparently paint techniques have changed greatly. So you are saying that paint on a new car once applied can't be fixed? :ugh

 

[catbert]

OK, I'm open to all ideas, Then what? just live with a crappy paint job? Apparently paint techniques have changed greatly. So you are saying that paint on a new car once applied can't be fixed? :ugh

I would try try hard to make that GMs problem. It could be wet sanded through the clear coat, then the clear coat reapplied. GM should have the Bowling Green assembly engineers use the sandpaper. Maybe they would do their job after a little of that.

 

[gmjunkie]

I would try try hard to make that GMs problem. It could be wet sanded through the clear coat, then the clear coat reapplied. GM should have the Bowling Green assembly engineers use the sandpaper. Maybe they would do their job after a little of that.

You definitely don't want to sand through the clear coat and re clear coat.............You'll have butt holes pop out all over that Beach!~!!

 

[LLC5]

OK, I'm open to all ideas, Then what? just live with a crappy paint job? Apparently paint techniques have changed greatly. So you are saying that paint on a new car once applied can't be fixed? :ugh

I would not live with a crappy paint job on any new vehicle. If the manufacturer refuses to repair the car properly or offer another vehicle, then I would be looking into forcing a buy back from said manufacturer. That is just me though. Good luck on your resolution.

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Does this fall under your state's lemon laws. Can't believe GM would want their new car labeled a lemon.

 

[i10fwy]

Hey GM! Tomorrow it will have been a week since I called "Customer Assistance" and started a case! Seems they are avoiding the elephant in the room :eyerole

 

[LLC5]

With my 20+ years of dealership experience, this is what I would do if it was me. 1) I would go to 3 high end body shops in my area and have them verify the problem in writing and if possible get an est. to repair, if they don't want to give a dollar est. that is ok, having the problem verified in writing is the main concern for now. 2) Take the vehicle to the service dept. and have a repair order started that clearly states the paint issues and that the GM of that dealership verified the paint problem (make sure that the G.M.'s quote gets typed onto the repair order) and leave the vehicle with them. Ask for and get a loaner vehicle while your car is down, this is critical. This will start the ball rolling by having something in writing that a problem does indeed exist. 3) I would also check with my state Attorney Generals Office on the Lemon Laws of the state I live in. This is just what I would do, and is not intended to insinuate that you should also. Good luck with it.

 

[Chevy Customer Service]

i10fwy,

I am so sorry I did not see this thread sooner. I do not monitor each thread that is posted on this site, next time please PM me. I am going to review your case and see what is going on and how I can help.

Thanks,

Kelly J.
Chevrolet Customer Care

 

[i10fwy]

I just had one of the best detailers in Phoenix look at my car and his observation was shocking. He pointed out things I didn't even see.

In his opinion "every car has orange peel" "but this car is bad, bad, bad" There are paint runs on the leading edge of the hood and top of fender, drivers side. There is a definite square impact mark on the pass door.

And his most interesting observation was "this car has been repainted in spots" and he pointed out evidence where it was sprayed too thick, dry sprayed, dirt in the paint. He feels the orange peel is in the color coat and therefor the whole car needs to be taken down to the color (body work done on the pass door) and re-cleared.

This sucks ad, I have a friend of mine that has been in the body/paint business his whole life looking at it this afternoon and he is also has a engineer conection at BASF Paint that is going to look at it.

 

[Mac]

I just had one of the best detailers in Phoenix look at my car and his observation was shocking. He pointed out things I didn't even see.

In his opinion "every car has orange peel" "but this car is bad, bad, bad" There are paint runs on the leading edge of the hood and top of fender, drivers side. There is a definite square impact mark on the pass door.

And his most interesting observation was "this car has been repainted in spots" and he pointed out evidence where it was sprayed too thick, dry sprayed, dirt in the paint. He feels the orange peel is in the color coat and therefor the whole car needs to be taken down to the color (body work done on the pass door) and re-cleared.

This sucks ad, I have a friend of mine that has been in the body/paint business his whole life looking at it this afternoon and he is also has a engineer conection at BASF Paint that is going to look at it.

It sounds to me like this one needs to go back and be replaced.

Mac

 

[i10fwy]

So this afternoon I took the car to a local body shop that has been here forever. I know Paul the owner very well and know he has no quams in telling me the way it is and he did just that. Upon first look he said wow nice car and then as he stood there for a few minutes acknowledged the excessive orange peel and noted it all over the car. He found the paint drips too. But what seemed to catch him most was the blemish on the pass door. He commented that it appeared to be the bonding strips for the door mechanism.

I told him what the GM rep had said about them all being this way and he said that that very well could be but if that is true they have a long way to go. I asked him if he thought there had been any paint work as the guy earlier today had suspected and he said most likely not but more likely the robots just aren't set up correctly as the car definately has both wet & dry sports. He concluded that if it is what it is I have to make a choice because it can't be fixed. And as a friend he said either drive it or get rid of it, so it's got orange peel!!!!!!!!!!!!

:ugh

Put about 50 miles on the car, aside from the paint issues. Wow, what a great car!

 

[Mac]

Put about 50 miles on the car, aside from the paint issues. Wow, what a great car!

So there is an upside to all of this...

Mac

 

[catbert]

A truly world-class customer service organization would order you a new car, and let you drive this one until it came in. There is no upside to hacking off loyal buyers and brand enthusiasts. How many sales have they lost on this already? (I know of 2, for sure) Has GM forgotten why they went belly up just a few years ago? If the paint job on the delivered car is within GM specs, maybe they can give it to the plant manager to drive - or Harlan or Tadge. What a zoo!

 

[i10fwy]

Finally, After a week I spoke with Andrea from GM Customer Assistance.........

There are two options on the table currently

A) Complete color sand and refinish - if feasable
B) New Car

Will see :ugh

 

[Bob Chadwick]

As someone else said earlier, Plan B plus you get to drive the car until they get you that new one.