Does anyone else out there have little orange "freckles" on the lower part of the doors and on the hatch door -- same spray pattern as the dirty water on your car after driving through puddles or on wet roads??

I got my white Fit Sport in February, after waiting 9 months for it ('cause I had to have it in white). It's rarely parked outside, because I have a garage at work and at home, but I noticed the spots today when it was in a store parking lot in the sun. (I waited about 9 months for the sun too, but hey, this is Cleveland...) It missed most of the Cleveland winter (read: salt) because it took so long for the car to come in, but I was religious about getting a car wash after every snowstorm (exterior and under-carriage). I've spent some time on the forums today and gotten myself educated about the peeling paint issue, lack of primer and Honda's apparent history of paint issues. This is my third Honda since '86 and my first paint problem, but maybe I've been lucky.

Please, if you have a white Fit, especially if you live in a snowy climate, please take a close look at your paint finish when it's out in the daylight and report back. (It is/was unnoticeable in garage lighting.) If your Fit's a different color, the spots would probably be difficult to see. And to those of you with an orange Fit, I commend you on your foresight! BTW, I wasn't offered any paint protection from the dealer when I bought it. To be honest, though, I probably would have assumed it was a rip-off and declined.

If you can offer any insight, tips, commiseration, etc., I'd be grateful. Thx.

 

Hi there, that is not rust. It is just oxidation. Clay your car then use a cleaner wax to remove the spots. Keeping a good layer of wax/sealant on your car will prevent them from coming back.

 

Can you provide us pictures? When installing my aftermarket exhaust, I noticed a couple specs here and there underneath the vehicle mainly around the exposed metal bits. Some of the bolt tips showed a small bit of surface rust (orange in color).

 

i think lamyun may be right, brake dust is tiny metal particles from metallic brake pads that latch onto anything it's around (other cars, your own car). those metal shavings will rust. garaging the fit won't protect against this, you have to drive outside.

do you drive through any particularly busy road, or somewhere where cars often brake a lot?

 

My 94 Mustang GT was white, and had this very same thing...tree sap, metal particle fallout, bird poo, bug guts, etc...all of this stuff collects on the paint surface, some of which looks like little rust specs. Look to a clay bar for your solution....there are several brands, but what a difference they make for detailing to get a really nice finish.

 

Artillery fungus? You said you had a white car.
Artillery fungus disease factsheet

 

OK, while I might be wrong, I have heard over and over that for the most part, cars are delivered to major distribution centers (before the dealership) via trains. The big ole trains riding on the tracks produce "rail dust", or iron shavings, that when airborne, settle on whatever they feel like and stick. And then rust. It's raildust. Claybar will remove it- look it up on a serious car detail site.

won't happen again once it's off.

 

To all who have replied to this thread....Thank you so much for your prompt and helpful responses!

I gather that one way or another, I've picked up brake/rail dust, whether from the busy road/intersection I traverse every day, the Interstate I drive 20 miles down once a week or during shipment of the car. I'm not into DIY on detailing because I'm sure I'd manage to screw it up somehow. However, I'll make an appointment for the claybar/wax, and hopefully, that will do it. For the post that asked for a photo...Unfortunately, I don't have a camera that's sophisticated enough to capture these tiny light orange specks.

Again, thank you all so much. I really appreciate it!

 

I used to think wax was wax, until I discovered claying then waxing...big difference! Hope you're pleased with the results.

 

I think my VBP Fit is rusting. Some of the paint looks bubbled on the edge of the roof by the driver's side. Its not peeling. I only have 1700 miles on it. I guess I'll need to take it to a dealer.

 

It wasn't rust, it was some kind of clear goop. It cleaned right off.