[BobFrapples]

I had my front bumper repaired and repainted 2 years ago by supposedly the best body shop here in the San Francisco Bay Area. B&S Hacienda. Well over the course of the past 2 years, the paint job has proven to be much softer than the original, and the entire bumper is now speckled with rock chips. Many more chips than had accumulated over the 5 previous years I had owned the car. Should I go back and complain to them and try to take them up on their lifetime warranty? What are the chances they will actually do something? And even if so, how are everyone else's aftermarket paint jobs holding up? Are they at fault for a poor paint job, or that's just how it is with a repair paint job?

 

[Gray Rider]

Paint chips are normal occurance of daily driving. IMO it's not a workmanship defect and it's been 2 yrs since. But there is no harm done in asking the bodyshop if they will honor their "life time warranty".

 

[BobFrapples]

No doubt paint chips are from daily wear, but the amount of chipping I have is guaranteed to be more than any of the other IS300s out there still with original paint. For a 2 year old bumper, I am willing to bet money that it looks worse than any old IS300 with original paint. And I'm just saying that it's 2 years old now, when this problem has been building up for months and months. Problem is how to hold them to their word for something so subjective?

I guess people with aftermarket bumper kits and lips would best be able to answer this since they have paint jobs, and are probably pretty anal about their cars.

 

[dgsg]

repaint<factory paint.

 

[Eminence]

pictures? But I am with Gray on this, it's normal. But when in doubt, just ask.

 

[BobFrapples]

As an update, I had to take my rear bumper in for an estimate since my stupid valet at work dinged it against another car, so I took it back to the place that did my front bumper.

Right when I showed him the front, he said that they would repaint it under warranty when I bring the car in to fix the rear bumper. I'm happy to hear that they are responsible for their own doing. Looking forward to having the front and rear bumpers in pristine condition again. Just not too keen that they're going to continue to layer on more paint on the bumpers though.

Doesn't repainting depreciate the value of the car since some people measure the thickness of paint around the car to identify accidents?

 

[Gray Rider]

Nice to hear the good news, BobF. :bigSmile:

 

[jollibee jiant]

It'd have to be a seriously anal person to check the paint thickness with a gauge. Most important is that it looks high quality.

When I'm looking at a used car, the bumpers are pretty much forgiven since alot of shops and even individuals repaint them because they get dinged up from street parking. I mostly pay attention to body panel VINs and check that the paint stipple (orange peel or lack of) looks uniform. Also that the paint on body bolts hasn't been worn off by sockets and that the gaps are all uniform.

A repainted bumper is alot different than a repainted body panel.