Okay Okay so we all know how thin Subaru paint is BUT !! I and a few others i know of have had problems and after aggrevation with Subaru have got them resolved.
Now what i want to know is just how many of us out there have had problems with paintwork I::E stonechips in there 100's after 5000 miles and have battled and won or battled and lost with Subaru UK.
It amazes me how they always say that they do not have any problems with other peoples cars The paint on Scoobies has got worse and worse and since 1999 is becoming a joke ? so lets here from all out there about there paint problems and make Subaru realise that they need to sort there act out ASAP.
Regards to all a Scooby lover and Subaru paint detester.

Remember even if you got a result lets here about it NOW !! and this will help all those who are battling with there dealers and IM.

 

Yep MY99 DBM
Had my bonnet resprayed @ 40K when the car was being repaired. it had hundreds of chips and looked dreadful - my other half has a Ford Puma with 30K miles - only a handful of stonechips!

 

Maybe you should blame cossies for flicking up lots of stones

 

Come on Guys and Girls , i know from the past that there are loads of you out there !

 

Mines a bit riddled with em!!! MY99, but it has done 36.5k miles

 

Craig - the only Cosworth type damage a Scooby driver is likely to get is going to be RSI of the neck due to glancing in the rear view mirror

Paul

 

Ive got exactally the same problems as you lot (paint chips) on my evo6 got most of them in the first 500 miles of picking the car up .
Now in the middle of a argument with mitsi to get it sorted, they sent out a paint expert from standox who told me apart from a thin coat of paint the colour coat(?) is not sticking to the primer properly,

 

I'll let you know next week. My motor (P1) is going in for it's first service 7.5k and I have let them know that I would like the front of my car sorted from the lip spoiler to the bonnet(which looks like it's been sand blasted). The dealer seems quite receptive to the problem.

Watch this space.
Paul

 

Yes thats the sort of Bull S they come out with !!!
More input with some serious details
Come on ALL

 

Red Mica MY00, 11K, absolutely riddled with paint-chips. Been to the dealer who had a go at IM; think they were told to ****-off.
Currently in the process of penning a snot-o-gram to IM/Subaru UK to express my displeasure.
Wife's MX5 (formerly mine) has done about 43K and has very few chips by way of comparison.
Sh*te.

 

MY01 5000 miles on the clock absolutely covered in stone chips bonnet and both sides of the vehicle, Subaru told me they do have more problems with stone chips on the new impreza because of the shape of the vehicle, sounds like bollox to me.
How do u get them to put the paint work right when they say its the shape of the vehicle thats the problem.
very concerned

Andy from Brum

 

I'm following this closely, it's something I want to be careful of if I buy a MY02.

My question is, those who have had their bonnets/fronts resprayed under warranty (and there HAVE been some such success stories on this bbs)... what are the resprays like? Have they lasted much longer, or are chipping again? Are they done by third parties, or Subaru again? (Suppose they aren't sent back to Japan to the original paintshop though!)

Ie, does a respray cure the problem or simply defer it?

BJH

 

More input required
I know there are loads of you out there.

 

I had my MY01 covered in stone chips on the front slitter and up the side flares,so i took it back in for a respray after just 2 months. Ohh yehh, This time i had to ask for the correct colour paint to be applied,cos when they sprayed the add-on bits they used P1 colour paint instead of WR mica blue colour paint,then i added some mudflaps and that cured the chips on the flares. 3 months on and i have no stone chips but i have a rather large crack on the splitter from incorrect fitment, and another crack starting to from on the other side.So its off back in 2morrow for a new splitter.God it really pi$$es me off.Back and Fore.Why cant they just do it right to begin with and take a bit of time when fitting.

Rant over
Scrappy

 

Seems to be a newer car problem? Mine's a MY97 and very little stonechips to bonnet and wings. All damage to laquer/paint on front spoiler (standard shape.) Maybe a problem caused by the design change of spoiler. Any way give them pelters as under 10k there should be very little chipping with normal road use.
Alasdair

 

Yep this seems to be 98-99 onwards not before
Lets here from you all !!!
this will benefit everybody who has a problem

 

I have an early MY98 with 35k on the clock. Loads of stone chips on bonnet and a few nasty ones on the top of the front wings.

NEAL

 

Is there any ways in which you can protect the paint? i.e with a special coating?

On the same note can someone advise me on a exterior cleaning regime on a brand new wrx?

Gaz

 

I have a MY99 in Red, 38k miles, loads of stonechips mainly on the bonnet.

The quantity of chips is worse than any previous car I have had at this mileage.

I am getting a MY02 (import) has anyone with a MY01 WRX had the thin plastic film applied to stop this problem - any advise or comments would be welcome.

E.

 

1) Subaru moved to a water based paint which may be a connection.

2) Experience with our cars:

MY00 - DBM - supposedly one of the worst colours - 9 months and 8600 miles - no significant chips.

MY00 - green metallic - 9 months and 18,000 miles - no significant chips.

MY01 - red mica - 2 months and 3000 miles - one bonnet chip - stone thrown up by mine when leaving the dealer after picking them up

MY01 - BBM - 2 months and 1800 miles - no chips at all

 

Hi Dave
My god you must be driving on carpet , you are having amazing results compared to 90% of the rest of us ? I have had 2 new Scoobs since 1999 both DBM both with krap paint i have a list of 51 others at the moment with similar problems want to get it up to 100 before sending to IM.
Best of luck with your cars looks like you have a couple of the good ones with harder paint !!

[This message has been edited by visual (edited 18 July 2001).]

 

My MY99 Dark Blue Mica has very little chipping at 24k. Odd when I tailgate all the time on the M1

Strangely I've suffered more in the Scoob than any previous car from having big stones flicked up which scare me sh1tless when they hit the screen. Still nothing from them either.

And no, it's not protected in any way (not even waxed more than once every 6 months)

I do find it weird that DBM is one of the worst colours for it, and MY99 is definitely a likely sufferer, that mine's OK. Is there some problem at the factory?
Simon

 

Mines a my 99 rb5 30,000 miles & bonnet & front bumper looks like it's been pepper sprayed with crushed stone. brought this to dealers attention to which he replied your probably driving faster in this car. I drive similar speeds and same route as I did with a 10 year old cavalier (360,000miles) and that didn't have as many stone chips. Anyone know the price of a good front respray? and will it match?
steve s

 

MY01 wr blue, 4000 miles, chips on bonnet and sides.

tiggs

 

This subject always amazes me, I have a 95 STI and it has done 45k with virtually NO stone chips.
I did see Alex's P1 a while ago at box hill and couldn't belive how chipped the lip was.
Why is the paint worse on newer cars ?
Very strange.
Andyp

 

Got a metallic green 98 with 38K and don't really have too much of a prob apart from the odd one which I've seen coming and chipped the windscreen too. Bloody rock about 1 inch across took a chip off the bonnet last week. Mostly back roads around my way are where I get them, cars approaching on newly resurfaced roads are the worst cause and potholes/verges from cars in front after that.

 

Yep well we see here that this problem deff.. is a 99 on problem ? lets have some more input , we all know that IM / subaru are on the group !!

 

Not sure if this helps or hinders but my MY99 WRX with 41k on clock (lots of motorway miles) does have a few stone chips along with stone dents!

Considering the motorway mileage, I wouldn't classify them as excessive tho'.

I would have thought if a stone can cause a dent, albeit in Ally bonnet, the paint's got no chance!

Do the Jap cars get a different paint spec?

Graham (MY99 WRX - a propor one)

PS also got 5 stone chips on windscreen over the last year.

[This message has been edited by gdavey (edited 20 July 2001).]

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by paulmon:
<B>I'll let you know next week. My motor (P1) is going in for it's first service 7.5k and I have let them know that I would like the front of my car sorted from the lip spoiler to the bonnet(which looks like it's been sand blasted). The dealer seems quite receptive to the problem.

Watch this space.
Paul[/quote]


Well the car went in for service and the dealer was receptive to my problem, however IM were not. They said they would replace the lip spoiler but nothing else, regardless of the fact that the bit directly above the lip spoiler is in exactly the same condition. The thing that has really pissed me off is that IM send the spoiler to the dealer unsprayed. The dealer then has to spray it themselves.

When I asked about getting it replaced again at the next service, the dealer said that becuase they have had to paint the spoiler it then becomes their responsibility and not IM's. Talk about crap service. These problems with the paintwork have really soured my enjoyment of the car and I honestly can't see me being in possesion of the it come the New Year.

If Subaru are serious about selling 25-35K cars then they should have a serious re-think about some of the quality issues that are expected from a car in this price bracket. Maybe they should take a trip round a few German manufacturers and see how they get the paint to stay on their cars.

Cheers
Paul

 

MY01 WR Blue 4,000 miles and no stone chips now. I would tend to agree that the bonnet shape means that it is prone to chips. I had a stone hit the bonnet and go into the scoop. Damage was a small dent on the bonnet and dent in the intercooler. I've now had the bonnet resprayed. The dent occured due to the bonnet being soft aluminium. This all happened at about 1,500 miles so you can guess how happy I was.

I am concerned though on the reports of soft paint.

Kev S