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Honda - Paint

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Anne Marie of Haw River NC (9/21/04):
Purchased 2002 Honda Accord in April 2004. Vehicle has 38,000 miles and only 34,000 miles when purchased. The paint is peeling off the front bumper. I took the vehicle to a Honda dealership and they are not going to take responsibility for the paint. I phoned Honda and they are filing a report but have stated that it could be due to acid rain, bird droppings, etc.

This is a poor excuse for the real issue here is a defect in the paint that Honda used on this year's vehicle. There are several other complaints for the same year and model vehicle. I also purchased an extended Honda warranty and they are not willing to cover the cost of the poor paint job and paint quality. I find it hard to believe that all the complaints for the same product are due to the environment. Honda should take responsibility for the products they use to manufacture their vehicles.

Roz of Port Orange FL (9/8/04):
I purchased a new 1999 White Honda Accord EX V-6 Coupe and loved the car. Gave the car to my son as a graduation present. I then purchased a 2002 Honda Accord EX V-6 Coupe in a different color (gold). Recently I visited my son and noticed the paint on his front bumper was peeling. I read that Honda has been admitting problems but can't find the article as backup. I suggested that he take the car back to Honda to have it painted/fixed but the dealer in his area denied this is a problem.

This past week, I found that my car is beginning to peel also. There are no other bumps/damage to the bumper but if it follows the path the paint has taken on my son's car, then I, too, will have a car that the paint will begin peeling. I'm beginning to notice other Homdas having the same problem. I do believe this is a factory defect - especially after reading other report on ConsumerAffairs.com.

LuAnn of Grayslake IL (9/5/04):
My husband purchased a 2000 Honda brand new in June of 2000. We purchased the extra coverage on our Honda Civic to protect the paint from sap and acid rain, etc. However, the car began showing rust around the trunk area and the rear tail lights. We took our car back to the dealer, who stated that the car's paint was not covered for RUST, unless it has orginated from the underside of the car.

I am going to contact Honda directly, armed with the information from your site, regarding other 2000 Honda owners and their problems with the paint job. I believe that with all of the complaints against Honda, there is enough evidence for a class action suit. I will never purchase another Honda! I have a 1994 Ford Explorer that has over 120,000 miles on it, and the paint job looks as good as it did the day that I drove it off of the lot.

"D" of St. Charles MO (8/19/04):
Paint is peeling from bumbers of 2002 Honda Odyssey.

Donna of Highlands Ranch CO (7/11/04):
I have a 1998 Honda Accord that was 3 years old when I bought it. It looks like the wind has rubbed the paint off of the front and rear hood of the car. It has been this way for a couple of years now. When it began to recede the Honda dealership told me they would do nothing for me and I do not have any extra money to spend on a paint job as I have spent approximately $14,000 on this vehicle up to this point already. I would love to be a part of a class action law suit as I have noticed many others with this same issue.

Heather of Lodi CA (6/26/04):
I purchased a 2002 Honda Accord Coupe with the Touch of Class paint protector because the car is black. Every time anything touches my car's paint it scratches. I have tons of tiny chips and thousands of scraches all over the car since I purchased it. I believe that the poor paint quality reduces the beauty of my car and it also reduces the value of my car for any type of trade in value or sale value.

It always looks dull and scratchy. It makes you feel like everyone looks at your paint and thinks what a horrible black car, it is so embarrising. I still have 2 years to pay on this car. I've never been so disapointed in a car paint quality, its horrible.

Lori of Manteca CA (6/21/04):
I have a 2002 Honda Accord. Not long after I purchased it the paint started chipping, especially on the hood. I took it back to the dealership. They had an area rep come in and take a look at it. He said that it was the road that I drove on daily that was causing the chips, not defective paint. Therefore, not a warranty item. I was not satisfied with that theory, but felt I had no recourse.

Since that time, I have spoken to several Honda owners (black paint) and they claim the same problems that I have had with my car. I also see online many complaints regarding the Honda paint. I was also told that with black cars it is just more noticeable. This is my third black car, I have never had the problem with my other ones. I feel that my car, which I have tried to take good car of, looks horrible and therefore resale value has substantially been compromised. I am just wondering if anyone has had any headway with Honda in this matter?

Phil of Wichita KS (6/29/03):
We purchased a new 2002 Honda Accord apprx. 15 months ago. The paint has been peeling off the front bumper. We took it to the Honda dealer in town and after close inspection they have decided to cover it under warranty but they told us if there had been any evidence of a rock chip that they would not cover it under warranty.

This is very discouraging because we are very diligent in taking care of our cars. Our last car, a Camry, had over 80,000 miles on it and the paint never peeled off the bumpers even though there were rock chips. What happens the next time when there is evidence of a rock chip? Then we get stuck paying for Honda's bad paint? Love the car...hate the paint.

Luis of West Sacramento (6/3/03):
I bought a brand new 2003 Honda Accord from the Roseville Auto Mall. Shortly after the purchase of the vehicle, the metallic paint began to discolor and crack due to bird droppings or sap. After noticing the first few stains and cracks on the vehicle, i began to wipe off any contaminants on the vehicle whenever they happened but no matter how soon I'd remove the residue from the vehicle the paint would still get discolored. I do not believe a paint job should be that sensitive or susceptible to damage in such a short period of time (especially on such a new vehicle). The vehicle only has 8,300 miles on it. All the vehicles that park at my residence have no problem with the sap except my 2003 Honda Accord.

Linda of Woodridge, Manitoba, Canada (8/19/02):
I bought a brand new Honda Accord on June 21, of this year, a 2002. It has been less than two months, and the paint is peeling off the front bumper. I took it back to the dealership, and they said "Oh there is a tiny little stone chip, and you washed it with a pressure washer, and that is why a chunk of paint peeled off."

The dealership guy said "It's not a defect, so it's not covered by warranty. He sold me a bottle of touch-up paint that doesn't even look like the same color. I painted it on, and it looks like grey paint over a silver car. I'm am so dissappointed in this, and the bodyshop guy told me this happens all the time. When I spoke with the Honda customer relations man, from head office, he told me that it was very unusual -- so who is telling the truth?

My daughter has a 96 Neon with lots of stone chips, and washing it with a pressure washer at a car wash doesn't peel off the paint... The dealership where I bought the car said they can fix it for $300. which seems like a rip-off to me.

Jennifer of Hinesville, GA, writes:
The paint on my 5-month-old green 2000 Honda Accord started chipping on the trunk then on the roof of the vehicle. I went to them and they said that it was the tree sap that was the problem or acid rain. I don't have any trees where I park my car at work and I also have a garage that I park in at home.

I then called the environmental department at Fort Stewart and they told me that there is no problem with acid rain in this area. I then went back to the dealership and let them know that and they told me that it has to be sap and it was not their problem. I have also been looking around at other green 2000 Honda Accords and they all have the same paint problem that I do, including the one that is in the show room at the dealership.

I was forced to file a comprehensive claim on my insurance which included a $200 dollar deductible. I am very disappointed in Honda's lack of responsibility in this matter. I do not believe that I should bear the consequence of their faulty paint when the dealership has admitted to having problems with the metallic paints.

Phyllis of Port Allen, LA, writes:
I brought my car in to check the peeling paint on the roof of my 2000 Honda Accord (23,000) miles). After waiting a considerable time two gentlemen told me that bird droppings and sap were what was causing the paint to peel. They said my warranty did not cover it.

I have paid $23,000 for this car that is now only 9 months, and I being a single person trying to make it, has to dig deep in my savings to replace the paint. I went with Honda because I thought their product was good and that they would stand behind it. Millions of people have cars and I have yet to meet one that had to pay for a paint job on a car this old. I was willing to cut corners to pay for this car because I thought it was a good investment, and I could depend on it. If they can't make a paint that lasts nine months, then their product needs to be improved.

If Phyllis can prove that her car was not regularly subjected to sap and bird droppings, she can sue Honda in Small Claims Court However, it is true that tree sap is extremely injurious to paint, as are bird droppings, so she needs to be certain this wasn't a factor..

Michelle of Lakewood CA (4/7/03):
Our 1995 Honda Civic paint job is trash. The paint is coming off for no apparent reason. We had a 1986 CRX where the paint job was better. Our car is going to be hard to resell plus we have to drive around looking as if we had an old car.

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