AceVA

About a month ago, a gravel truck pulled off the road into a construction zone and dumped a bucket load of gravel, which chipped the front of my 08 LS460. I took it to the Lexus dealer several weeks ago to have the front repainted (insurance paid) as well as some other touch-up work, which included re-spraying the trunk lid (It seems I was a little aggressive with the polish.) I went to look at it two weeks later and they had taken off the emblems and simply re-sprayed over the adhesive residue! The fender and hood looked very hazy, wavy and rippled. They have been fantastic to deal with and stepped up and said they would correct the issues. They sanded (presumably) and re-sprayed the deck lid and spent two weeks water sanding the other areas.

I picked up the vehicle, which looked good at dusk (unfortunately, the dealer is over two hours away, so I didn't make it there until evening.) When I got it home and began to examine it, I was sick to my stomach. There were still terrible amounts of what I thought was orange peel (another body shop said it was "paint waves" which is generally indicative of too thick of a coat) and excessive waves in the paint.

The Lexus dealer (which is a certified Lexus collision center, they have sikkens certified techs, ovens, etc.) has been very nice to deal with - they said they warranty it for life and will take care of it. I would just like some advice as to how to proceed -- does it look like it can be further water sanded, or should I insist that the job be started from scratch (sanded, primed, sanded and re-sprayed)?

One image is of the waves in the paint on the hood (it's not quite that dramatic in person, the camera intensified the defects) -- the second is a picture of the roof, which was not repainted for comparison purposes.

It's quite sickening that this beautiful vehicle has an ocean-like finish instead of the mirror-like finish it did previously.

Thanks for any insight!

MoeMistry

The great thing about the new LS is the body is wet sanded at the factory. Unfortunately, this is an art that few can match. If you're not happy with it, then it needs to be remedied. I cannot quite get a good look from your pictures. Perhaps you can take some in sunlight and at different angles.

Once I can see the paint better, I can probably lead you in the right direction.

AceVA

Thanks, Moe. The top picture looks like it's a reflection of the clouds -- but that's actually inside my garage and a reflection of the garage door. The paint is so wavy it makes it look like clouds. The second picture is of the roof panel, which is OEM, for comparison.

I'll see if I can get better pictures in daylight, though it actually doesn't look quite as bad in direct sunlight - I believe the metallic in the sunlight helps hide it a bit better. You can also right click the image and do "view image" to view the full-size photo.

As for the factory sanding - this was actually a consideration in the purchase. The finish on the vehicle was near perfect. I expressed that concern and shared the fact that not only am I particular, I also suffer from OCPD - so it needed to be right. They said that they've worked on several LS vehicles and they've not had a problem and although they can't achieve absolute perfection as the factory bakes the paint at higher temperatures, etc. I would be happy. Needless to say, I'm not.

I think they're willing to make it right, I'm just not sure how to go about ensuring that actually happens. Insist on another tech, have it repainted, water-sand it and risk not having any room for future correction, etc?

Thanks again.

Guitarman

Sounds like their abilities don't match up with their credentials. Any skilled shop that (somehow) layed down clear in waves, should be able to block sand the clear flat.

I'm at a loss to tell you what you should suggest, because if THEY don't know what to do...ugghh. That's scary.

I feel your pain, best wishes. Keep us posted.

exvelocity

to properly repair your problem, the paint must be taken off,I see this type of work quite often from uber high-tech equipped and certified stealerships

AceVA

I feared as much. I have an appointment Tuesday with a local shop -- I've actually seen their work and it's fantastic. I believe the Lexus dealer is going to pay to have it redone at this shop, which I think is great of them. I only wish it had been done properly to begin with.

I guess industry and factory certifications mean nothing afterall.

EN_VY

Factory certifications doesnt man crap. I took my car once to a AAA certified shop. The facility looked very professional, it was huge; It had 3 different areas, the guy attending me was dressed up(not the bodyman) It turns out the work they did was uber crap. My paint did not match to begin with at all. I was told that for it to match I would have to shell out extra cash for them to blend it in!! WHy the heck was that not included in the price!! Mind you, I paid them 2800 for rear quarter panel bodywork and paint, so one expects that to be included. Not only that, they scratched my fender and where not willing to take responsibility for it. My car had overspray everywhere too and there where drips as well.. Like I said, it was crap work. Only when I threathened to report them to the BBB did they "take care of me". Lesson learned: Certification doesnt mean jack..

Sorry for my rant

Its sad to see the Lexus bodyshop could not do the job right.. Good luck with the shop you are taking it to.

Infamous 1

iTrader: (20)

Where is VA are you located. I know a really good bodyshop that i used to work for that does all the work for Lambo and Ferrari in the NOVA area. PM me.

sphy1005

iTrader: (3)

wow, that sucks especially for such a nice car. Thats unfortunate that a Lexus collision center does that kind of work. The Lexus collision center near me does great work. I've brought all of my family's cars thats been in an accident there.

They should've done it right the first time, but glad they are so helpful. GL

IXI187IXI

iTrader: (3)

tell them to redo it. i had to have my rear bumper repainted and the lexus certified shop that did it, did a terrible job at matching the paint. i took it back a week later to have it repainted and they repainted it at no extra charge.

AceVA

Just an update: I took it to a very reputable shop today that handles the BMW and Mercedes dealers in the area. They were very helpful. He actually said the Lexus dealer did a great job at matching the paint, the metallic flake "lays" just right and the color matches perfectly.

He then put his finger on the hood and showed me how easily it flexes under pressure. He said that is the problem and why the hood is so wavy. It's aluminum and as you apply the sanding block, it flexes the flimsy aluminum and thus causes uneven sanding. He said "to be honest, we could take this back down, block it for 2 days, re-spray and I can't guarantee it would look great."

He said the best way to repair an aluminum hood that's been damaged is to replace it. He suggested taking it back to Lexus, having the insurance company come out and show them that it can't be repaired back to perfection.

So, I believe that will be the next step. The Lexus dealer has been fantastic to deal with to this point - my only disappointment is the excessive texture and the fact they let it go without explaining what the other body shop did.

Will keep you all posted.