gbondioli

First, a little background... then pics. On 12/31/05 I bought a Matador Red 2006 GS430. I was asking the sales rep about the 3M Clearbra -- I didn't really like the look of the line across the hood. He said if I got any rock chips, the service department will touch them up for free. Cool! I said I'll skip the bra + take the car. Thank you very much.
Now it is May 2006. I brought the car in for 10K service and pointed out a couple of rock chips on the hood and one on the gas tank lid. I also had a couple door dings that I was not expecting them to fix, but I asked anyway. At first, the service guy said that they don't do paint work. Then I told him what the sales rep had promised me. A few days later (Friday), I got a call saying my car was ready to pick up. I got it back today (Tuesday).

These pics aren't the best, but you can clearly see something is wrong! They left a paint "bubble" and the color is wrong!







What do you think about it?
What would you do?

cjones2402

Ummm Ill Either Sue Them To Repaint The Whole Car...or Just Get Another 1 Off The Lot

drck1000

Definitely not the prettiest, but it's just touch-up paint correct? If you have the Langka kit, it should be able to get the bubble down. If you don't and it's pretty recent, you might be able to get it in time to get the bubble down without sanding. I used the Langka on a touch-up paint bubble on my dad's SUV that was over a week old, but it mostly sat in the shade.

I do remember signing some kind of form that said that I acknowledged that any warranties, implied or otherwise, expressed by the salesperson was NOT binding if not in writing in the sales contract. That said, I believe that you present your concerns (hopefully in a calm manner) with the service manager and take your sales person along. The service department and sales departments are typically separate and I think that having them there will help. When I had trouble with getting a loaner from the service department, my sales person go me a loaner in a few minutes!

Spyder78

iTrader: (7)

damn why would u take the car? I would go back to them and give them a piece of my mind. But it looks like they used the touch up paint and it doesnt exactly match. No big surprise there. Take the car back and ask them to fix it. If they dont call Lexus of america.

picus

That paint will not match even if you sand it down or langka it. The touch-ups need to be removed and re-applied by someone that knows what they are doing. I'd give them two options - fix it themselves or pay for a detailer to do it right.

GS300Rich

Looks like they used nail polish. Seriously, I would take it back and demand it be fixed properly. That is unacceptable and looks worse than if there was a rock chip there.

Guitarman

I agree with Rich, that doesn't look like any Lexus color I'm aware of, more like nail polish.

The advice you've been given here is solid, you need them to take care of it correctly or have them agree that you take it to someone who can, on their dime.

Good luck.

gbondioli

You hit the nail on the head! It looks like maroon nail polish. I would much rather have my old dings & scrapes back.

I was thinking: if someone walked up to my car on the street and did this, it would be called vandalism, right?!? So how could a Lexus dealership purposely do something to a car that was purchased from them that might possibly be mistaken for a criminal act? Did they not see what you are all seeing? It doesn't exactly take a trained eye to see that this cover up job is not in line with Lexus' Passionate Pursuit of Perfection!!!

UberNoob

boy thats terrible

bring ur sales contract out and talk to your salesman
service manager needs to be brought in too
does ur dealership have bodyshop?

drck1000

I agree that the service department should take care of it at their expense.

FWIW, I brought up Langka as a way to remove all of the paint if it indeed was touch-up paint.

If they used nail polish . . .

gbondioli

No body shop. Actually, when I mentioned the rock chips, the first statement the service rep made was that the dealership does not do body work, but they have a recommended/preferred body shop. Then I told him that the salesman told me they would fix rock chips for free. I did not push the issue... I would feel awkward saying "gimme this for free" because I was verbally offered such service five months ago... It was obvious by his reaction that this is not a common practice, here. Anyway, he took all of my information, and the next time I heard from Lexus was the phone call letting me know that everything was done, even the painting.

Has anyone else been offered free chip-repair service?
Has anyone else had bodywork done by a Lexus dealership?
If so, did they do at least a little bit better than this???

Dx3

iTrader: (13)

I am in shock they tried to give you your car like that. I wouldn't have taken it back. I could have done a better job with nail polish than that

Jonny

NoS

They wont do that, most likely they will put a new hood. Still what idoits, the color is totally different

carenthus

I am in shock. That's a terrible job, not professional at all. Unacceptable. The dealer needs to redo the paint job again at their expense.

Stage3

iTrader: (3)

Find the sales guy and show him what crap work they did. THEN, start complaining to the GM and the Service Manager. Seriously, being someone that used to work as a tech at a dealer, thats the best way. You may want to complain to the service manager first, but DEFINITELY get the sales guy involved, because it was him who told you that they would repair any chips. Just be VERY assertive with them. I hope it all works out for you...