Should I be concerned about Honda's paint?
 

I was psyched to get a 2010 Fit, but now I am having 2nd thoughts.

I am reading about Honda paint problems everywhere.

Vlog 014: Honda Paint Problems (#hondapaint)

Warranty Extension: 2006-2010 Civic Body Panel Clear Coat Cracks
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.p...86552221369701

Honda - Paint
Top 255 Complaints and Reviews about Honda - Paint

I usually stay away from these threads but lately I find them amusing.

I always wonder how these people that complain about the paint on their cars actually take care of them.

I see cars just not Honda's with peeling clear coat and fairly late model 5-10yrs old.

As far as I can tell the Fits don't really have the clear coat issues some of the slightly older Hondas have. HOWEVER, keep in mind the Fit's paint is much thinner that other cars you may have had in the past.

I was never one to do a ton of exterior car car with my past cars but I learned quickly with the Fit:

1. NO drive through brush washes. EVER. Not even once. It will scratch it everywhere. If you have to do a drive through wash find a brushless one.
2. Get decent towels/rags for at-home washes. Microfiber or something like that, don't use your shower towels. It will scratch if you push it.
3. Wax is regularly, at least seasonally.
4. Claybar it if the paint feels rough, it will help with the wax to avoid scratches.
5. Recommend clear bra or some sort of cover for the front of the car unless you don't do a lot of highway driving or don't mind rock chips. I do a ton of highway driving any my front bumper looks like someone took a sandblaster to it. Luckily my car is black so you can't tell unless you're close.

I have no peeling clearcoat or any of those horrible things. I did spend about 12 hours correcting my mistakes by not being careful from day 1 though :rotfl:

Wait a minute. I am not sure it's fair to be quite that dismissive.

I have been continuing to research this. We are talking about Honda having to extend their warranty due to an absolute flood of consumer complaints - all about the paint. There have even been class action lawsuits.

Honda Defective Paint Class Action Lawsuit
Honda Defective Paint Class Action Lawsuit

I just spoke with a Honda dealer, and he admitted that Honda has had serious issues with paint. But he claims that is all in the past.

I don't know about you, but for me $11000+ is a fair amount of money. I don't want to risk buying a lemon.

Below are some more links. Or, just go to google and enter: "honda paint problems" without quotes.


Top 255 Complaints and Reviews about Honda - Paint
Top 255 Complaints and Reviews about Honda - Paint

100+ Voices Unhappy About Honda Clear Coat Paint Peel Defect & Honda’s Ambivalence
100+ Voices Unhappy About Honda Clear Coat Paint Peel Defect & Honda's Ambivalence - HighTechDad

my 09's white, rarely washed, parked 24/7 outdoors, no issue.

It seems to me that a car's paint shoud not be that insanely delicate. I have a 22 year old Ford Festiva, and the paint is holding up fine - and I have never had to treat it like Ming vase.

You can thank the EPA for that. Environmental regulations require water based paints now that don't contain the hardeners that old paint did. This is also true for clear coat. The paint on the Fit is thin also it seems, coat wise, because other (although more expensive) cars of the same MY I have experience with don't have these issues, basically the same color too.

I agree though, all of my older cars never had these problems and I didn't take care of the paint that well at all as well as being in the Las Vegas desert sun all day.

I was going to get the Fit today. But now I am too concerned about these paint issues. I have decided not to look at the Fit, at least not today.

Thanks for the replies.

I certainly wouldn't use that as an indication of whether or not to buy the car

Compared to other cars I have owned the Fit is no worse than anything I have seen.

If you honestly are looking for a sub-compact, the Fit is regularly the best in class but I am sure all have the same quality paint

The paint on my 2009 failed "big time" on the roof. I have a thread with video on this site. As I type the vehicle is in the shop getting repaired...and I had to fight hard to get Honda to step up. Nonetheless, I still have to pay $300. The front windshield has to be pulled, and the headliner may need to come down to do this job. Yea, it sucks. The car was waxed every 6 months but it does sit outside. My 07 Toyota which also sits outside is still fine. And my 04 Ford truck that sits outside at work 5 days a week is perfect. Talk to some body/paint shops like I did and find out...the Fit is a potential problem waiting to happen.

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...nt-issues.html

My wife has a 2009 Nissan Versa. Paint is fine. We have not done anything special. The car sits outside all day. We take it through car washes.

I have to wonder if this paint problem affects Honda more than other makes.

We have a 2003 Accord (black) and a 2009 Fit (silver).

Paint is fine on both. Never waxed them. Take them to the brush type car wash (just be careful to remove the antenna).

Some chips and scratches, normal wear and tear.

Look at the cars around you everyday and decide from that. Anyone can file a lawsuit for any perceived damage. Doesn't mean they're justified.

Lets face it to some people a car is just that its a car a mode of getting you from point A to point B.

I do happen to believe that improper care of your paint has a direct result in the failure. Sure Honda stepped up and is taking care of the Civic problem.

I am not the typical car owner. My cars are very well taken care of washed and waxed regularly and i do firmly believe that how you take care of your paint has a effect.

Same here, and yes I agree that how you take care of your paint has an effect on longevity. One of the reasons I've been disappointed in my Fit.

I will say that I have not seen a failure on a Fit myself.
I have seen a ton of Civics. I would be curious to see what percentage of failed Civics are US built.

You are correct. Honda Fit paint is terrible and it will scratch if you look at it wrong. Also, the body panels on my previous generation Fit GD dent very easily.

However, the Honda Fit is a great driver's car. If you have pride of ownership (like me) you'll probably manage to keep the pain looking nice with a little effort. If you wanna never wash the car or wax the car, then yea, after years, your paint will look crappy.

Not buying a car based on the paint is rather ridiculous to me but hey, to each his own. Enjoy your Nissan Versa :rotfl:

Saying Honda never had a problem with paint, is like saying Subaru never had a problem with head gaskets. The evidence is overwhelming, even the dealers admit it.

Being dismissive of the problem does not convince me that problem never existed.

Of course the problem does not affect every single individual. But there are far more than just a few anecdotal cases.

I was hoping that somebody could explain why Honda had the problem, and what Honda has done to fix the problem. That might help reassure me. But suggesting that problem never existed does not reassure me at all.

Wait, you're buying a 4 year old car and you're worried about paint quality? Look at it!

I'm not sure when the imagined super hard paint of yesteryear existed. The the highly cherished patina of cars from bygone eras belies the belief that paints were ever so much better once upon a time.

Cars are lasting much longer now than they did 20-30 years ago. Paint is exposed to the elements. It's gonna deteriorate some.

Maybe I have not been clear. Of course ordinary wear and tear is acceptable.

The paint of my 92 Festiva probably has "deteriorated some." But there is none of that patchy mess that people are getting on their Hondas after as little as six months. That is clearly not normal wear and tear.

Spacecoast's roof is a mess. Could be a case of killing it with kindness. What kind of solvents were in the wax he used? Did the dealer use "paint-treatment"? I haven't heard of others from the sunbelt or anywhere having his problems.

Cars left out in the sun will oxidize faster than those in covered parking. I'd be more concerned about parking, if paint life is a concern.

Only advice I can offer is don't get black or red if you want the finish to last a long time. The light absorbed by these colors is killer.