crappy paint

[Dragonslayer]

well, I'm still trying to love my '03 4Runner, though it's getting a bit tougher with all the rattles, the driver seat issue, and noisy and uncompliant moonroof, which I can live with...BUT, I'm losing paint everywhere and noticing rust. At first I thought maybe it was just getting smacked with rocks, but it seems to me the paint flakes off if you look at it wrong. The final straw is a large bit of paint that must have come off very recently (I pay lots of attention to the car) which has a huge amount of rust on it. My guess is that it rusted underneath and then the paint flaked off. Does anyone else have this paint issue on the Titanium Silver or other colors? Going to the Dealership next week to complain and see what to do about it. Thanks for the responses.

 

[ksneubec]

Wow, sorry Dragonslayer. Obviously you are on a board of 4Runner lovers so sometimes it is hard to get an objective opinion, but something sounds very wrong with your vehicle. Was it ever in an accident? I have a hard time imagining that those problems are all coincidences. Your problems don't sound like a Toyota at all. I hope the dealer can help.
I have no problems with rust on the body. In my opinion the paint isn't too tough and seems to scratch a bit easier than I would think it should, but then again I do a lot of off-roading and I do own a dark vehicle.

Good luck with these problems.

 

[greasefingers]

I have no rust but it does seem to me as if the paint is rather thin. I have many small paint chips on the leading edge of the hood from rocks-with-wings.

 

[racefan_67]

....sorry to hear about the paint problems.....I'm a Paint Manufacturing Advisor for a major automotive assembly plant here in Canada and can help if you could post some pics of your chips and flakes....there can be quite a few reasons for the flaking and I really don't want to be guessing about possible factory issues I've seen first hand but a good quality close up pic can do a lot of talking to me.....I'll watch for a further postings....

 

[Falls]

Dragon ,
I hope you issue's get resolved , that really suck's especially on an 03 ...give the dealer some crap . It's unacceptable IMO.

I was just commenting to my wife about how my 06 finish look's so good compared to the domestic vehicle's I had before. It's been through a LOT of winter salt and car washes and a few off road excursion's .

Good luck and keep us posted

 

[claydoctor]

My 2006 Sport in Titanium has only 10K miles so far but I'm impressed with the paint. My only other experience with Toyota paint is my wife's 2001 Lexus Rx 300 and that paint amazes me. It holds a wax job like nothing I've ever seen. Months after you wax it, it's still beading.

 

[AlexJet]

Can you post some pictures of places where you're "loosing" your paint? Sounds strange for me - Toyota=quality.

 

[spyne]

I haven't had any rust problems yet on my '03, but I have to agree that the paint seems to chip far easier than any other vehicle I've ever owned. I have 33K on my 4R and the front bumper looks like it's spent it's entire life behind a dump truck, on the highway, going 90. Which is not the case.

Every time I go on a highway trip (most are about 3 hours or so and I take one about 4 times a year) I seem to come back with another batch of chips on the front end of the truck. I could understand it if I spent all of my time tailgating the person in front of me, but I'm fairly conservative about how closely I follow people. Plus, I've never had another vehicle (out of the 15 or so I've owned) that collected the number of battle scars this one has in so short a time.