Different colour bumpers on my spanking new S3...

mojo555

mojo555

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Hi guys. i have a bit of a dilemma the bumpers are more like cream on my ibis s3 sportback, i have taken to my local dealer and back to supplying dealer (who were very good) but ulimately they both say they are within audi tollerance and Audi Uk will not accept it as a warranty claim!!! So aggreed with the dealer that it is just one of those things but it is still niggling at me, i washed it again today and tbh don't think it is right that on a 33k car esp since lots of other manufactors seem to get it right.

I did take a walk around both Audi and VW sites while there and lots of cars have the very same problem, surely this isnt acceptable from audi???

I took some pics earlier and if i can get them up then you may be able to see...
Any advice
 
Pics really don't show much, it's probably just the difference in the metal and plastic paints.

If you're really not happy, take it back. I don't see many other options if Audi are already refusing to do anything for you.
 
Try speaking directly to audi uk if you have got no where with your dealer, they won't want an unhappy customer telling friends not to buy an audi so they should do something!

Chris
 
Mate, my bumpers look like a different colour in different lights. It used to annoy me but oh well.
 
Dont really know what to do for the best, i'm not sure wether i will get used to it or not, might speak to audi uk but if thats the way they all are then dont see what can be done...
 
I thought mine might be to do with the pearl paint causing different reflections. But isn't ibis a solid colour?
 
yes solid colour it honestly looks like it is cream and then white, worse in certain lights
 
It's simply the paint looking different on plastic and metal surfaces. Earlier A4 and A6 suffered from this quite badly but more on Silver cars. I can't see Audi doing anything about it if I'm honest. The cars are built and painted through an Automated system and so every Ibis car will be the same, it's just you've got a keen eye and spotted a difference and now if niggling you big time (as it would me cause being a car enthusiast that's what things like this does!)
Try the call to Audi UK, but to be honest I would leave it alone as on the flip side I wouldn't want my £33k car painted either as the result could be even worse!
 
Yes but the plastic bumpers are coated in something that is meant to prevent this process, the wing mirrors have the same thing so you wouldn't expect a visible naked eye difference to be present, maybe a difference when a computer reads the colour of the two panels but you it shouldn't be that obvious, it is so bad that it even shows up on photos!

Chris
 
mojo555 said:
yes solid colour it honestly looks like it is cream and then white, worse in certain lights
Click to expand...

Are you sure the car hadn't had any paint before you picked it up? You'd be surprised how many "brand new" cars have had paint before customers get them as they do get damaged in transit....
 
I've not noticed it on mine (3 weeks old, so presumably out of the factory at about the same time) nor can I see it on your pics, it just looks like the difference from shadows. I'll probably see it on my own tomorrow now and it'll bug the hell out of me too :(

If it's the same as most other Ibis A/S3's, though, you can comfort yourself that more than 99% of people won't notice it even if you point it out.
 
mine is the same my front bumper is a tad darker red than the rest of the car its just the way it is unfortunately , its most likely due to the different materials
 
What makes it worse is my 11 plate ibis a4 wasnt like it and neither was my 10 plate red s3, i think it is just the way it is and i will have to move on..thanks for all the advice though.
 
It's probably due to the bumpers being painted by the bumper suppliers and not going through the paint shop with the body.

From your pics the rear looks fine but I can see a creamish at the front. My wife has an Ibis white A4 and that is fine.

If it is annoying you and tainting the ownership experience then I would definately go back to the dealers. Car looks great :icon_thumright:
 
Thanks guys, tbh it is really annoying me, so i have just emailed audi uk explaining everything and also stressing how i have been paying particular attention to other makes of cars and pretty much all of them are a good match, wait and see what comes next, it is difficult as i dont really think it is acceptable but also don't think it is acceptable to paint bumpers on a brand new car!!!
 
For anyone that has taken a look at the pics i have another album on there titled cars, it has my A4 and my cupra K1 bot white and bot 100% better than my S3.
 
audicruiser said:
Are you sure the car hadn't had any paint before you picked it up? You'd be surprised how many "brand new" cars have had paint before customers get them as they do get damaged in transit....
Click to expand...

Dont think so mate bothe dealers i have been to seem to think it is factory finished and id both front and rear bumpers which would be a little strange
 
Checked an A4 in my local dealer when I was in yesterday. It looked wrong too. Creamy coloured bumper on a Ibis car. Even the wife noticed it.

Looks like it's a common "fault"
 
Hi Mojo555 from the pictures I can definitely see a difference on the front bumper. I can't see the rear bumper difference though. This is on a computer screen so I imagine in the flesh it is obvious.
After reading this thread yesterday I checked out my bumpers today on my maritius blue A3 and there is definitely a slight colour difference although mine is 125k miles old and 6.5 years. My dads Signum is red and bumpers are different on that. I guess its the metal to plastic paint difference. Hope you get it sorted nevertheless.
 
Yaztromo said:
Checked an A4 in my local dealer when I was in yesterday. It looked wrong too. Creamy coloured bumper on a Ibis car. Even the wife noticed it.

Looks like it's a common "fault"
Click to expand...

It does look like a common fault, but as i put in my email to Audi, it shouldn't be!!! it is very poor of audi really..cheers for looking though.
 
Graham89 said:
Hi Mojo555 from the pictures I can definitely see a difference on the front bumper. I can't see the rear bumper difference though. This is on a computer screen so I imagine in the flesh it is obvious.
After reading this thread yesterday I checked out my bumpers today on my maritius blue A3 and there is definitely a slight colour difference although mine is 125k miles old and 6.5 years. My dads Signum is red and bumpers are different on that. I guess its the metal to plastic paint difference. Hope you get it sorted nevertheless.
Click to expand...

Cheers mate, i know that there is sometimes a slight colour difference but this is very noticeable even my dad can see it lol!!
It is prob more obvious on white as the bumpers look cream.
 
They're all like this to some degree, sometimes not noticeable then sometimes looks like a completely different shade in different light.
 
Ive always noticed this on my phantom black A3 since it was new but it hasn't bothered me. Only visible when i wash the car and at extremely close range.
 
Well been talking to Audi UK today and the guy seems to think that they will have a go at spraying the bumpers for me, but can't promise taht they will be any better. Not sure i wanted sprayed bumpers on a 4 week old car but he reassured me it will still be covered by the Audi paint warranty, so my thinking is that i let them have a go and see what happens and make sure i cast a very critical eye over it after.
He also said that this is not Audi admitting that there is a problem with it as their techs say that there will be a colour difference between metal and plastic just a gesture of goodwill!!!

What you guys think.
 
tbh honest what else did you want them to do.....?

3 choices i can see

1. sit tight and not be happy
2. get rid of it
2. let them spary like they are now offering
 
Yeh i know mate, i may of come across wrong but i am really happy that they have even offered to do something justg wondered what peoples thoughts were on having the bumpers resprayed, although they will be done at an approved audi bodyshop some should be perfect...

Alex C said:
tbh honest what else did you want them to do.....?

3 choices i can see

1. sit tight and not be happy
2. get rid of it
2. let them spary like they are now offering
Click to expand...
 
i had to have my front wing resprayed a while ago. It wasn't an Audi approved paint shop but it was a paint shop that insurance companies use to do paint work. They matched the paint spot on and i couldnt tell the difference. I was a bit worried before hand thinking it may be noticable but i can honestly say it is a perfect match. I would have thought the AUdi paint shop would be similar.

Having said that...Audi did in fact do some warranty paint work on my roof rails and they matched that spot on also.

If it were me i would let them go ahead with it, a free respary is a free respray at the end of the day
 
With modern paints and primer treatments I am dubious that the colour difference can be put down to the different substrates that just sounds like an easy excuse to me.

We had the wife's A4 Avant Ibis white front bumper painted before we bought the car at which time it was 2yrs old by Listers bodyshop due to a scuff and stone chips. It came back absolutely perfect. Main thing to check is that they prep the surface correctly so that the paint doesn't delaminate when you jet wash the car. Make sure it is warrantee'd as per a new car and you should be good to go !
 
Cheers guys I don't really like the idea of painting a new car but i also don't like the idea of different bumpers so like you say as long as it is covered by audi warranty then there should be no problem....
 
audicruiser said:
Are you sure the car hadn't had any paint before you picked it up? You'd be surprised how many "brand new" cars have had paint before customers get them as they do get damaged in transit....
Click to expand...

I would defo agree with the above ^
Seen loads of ibis before with no difference.
 
I work at a Toyota main dealer. A lot of our new cars have a different shade on bumpers, its pretty common sadly.
Its down to the difference in material.

If you want to know if they have been painted, you need either a painter who can tell you, most can by eye. But more reliably, a paint thickness gauge. Which will measure how thick the paint is. If its been repaired, it will be thicker.
 
Rom said:
I work at a Toyota main dealer. A lot of our new cars have a different shade on bumpers, its pretty common sadly.
Its down to the difference in material.

If you want to know if they have been painted, you need either a painter who can tell you, most can by eye. But more reliably, a paint thickness gauge. Which will measure how thick the paint is. If its been repaired, it will be thicker.
Click to expand...

Cheers Rom,

it is pretty bad really that big manufactures cant get this right, i bet if it was a ferrari bently etc they cant get away with it!!!
 
What was the outcome of this Mate?
 
I'd be tempted to refuse the car. Respraying a brand new car would make my blood boil.

I'm not sure how Audi do it, but some manufacturers contract out the bumper moulding and paint, other manufacturers, the entire front end modules ( bumpers, rads, lights, aircon etc all in one bolt on module.) the bumpers could be sprayed 50 miles away or even in a different country to that of the body.

BMW Mini are one manufacturer that do this.
 
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