Paint flaking off!

[5C0TT]

Looking for some advice here.

My S3 is 3 weeks old and I've noticed a large chunk of paint flaking off inside the rear wheel arch. I have visited my dealer and they advised me that this is over-spray and it needs 'scraping off'! To return it back to black plastic!

My wife has a white Q5, my Dad a white A1 and neither of these have this problem.

I really don't want this scrapped off! As the other side of the car is perfect.

Anyone experienced this, any advice would be appreciated

 

[pburv]

Looking for some advice here.

My S3 is 3 weeks old and I've noticed a large chunk of paint flaking off inside the rear wheel arch. I have visited my dealer and they advised me that this is over-spray and it needs 'scraping off'! To return it back to black plastic!

My wife has a white Q5, my Dad a white A1 and neither of these have this problem.

I really don't want this scrapped off! As the other side of the car is perfect.

Anyone experienced this, any advice would be appreciated

It looks like a 'smart' repair somewhere along the line from being built to arriving at the dealers...?
A brand new car should not have 'over spray' as your dealer states..I would demand they sort it and explain the reason for the over spray ( is it damaged?)

 

[Mr.G]

Can't be certain without seeing a few more photos but it looks like that's part of the body panel and should therefore be painted not black.

I'd say they are talking nonsense. Don't let them remove it, it needs a repair.

Hope you get it sorted with minimal fuss from the dealer.

G

 

[5C0TT]

( is it damaged?)

No damage at all, I really can't see it having a repair done before I owned it but I will never know.

I did email the service manager yesterday saying I really didn't want this 'scrapped' and I am waiting for a reply to come back. The car is booked in for poor DAB reception on Monday so I guess I'll know more then.

 

[OliS3]

No way the car has come out of the factory like that!

 

[veeeight]

Paint defects in that area have happened to a couple of forum members on their brand new Audi's out of the factory.

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/feedback-from-those-with-s3s-now.203206/page-18#post-2191194
http://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=361921&p=2745585&hilit=+paint#p2745585

 

[ssbnreso]

I work in a car factory, not Audi, believe me cars are repaired before they leave the factory for various reasons!
All of our cars have a history card and any defects or repairs are recorded. This stays at factory but dealers can request a history card check.
As stated above no car fresh from the factory should have over spray!

 

[veeeight]

Not only does re-work and rectification take place at the end of line at the factory, but VW/Audi also have a very large rectification plant at Emden Port, for damage sustained in transit (eg on the train).

So your "new" car will have potentially been reworked and rectified numerous times before it gets to you!


They were very busy in 2008 when a hailstorm damaged 30,000 cars!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7477849.stm

 

[MikeParkin]

Mine is the same, I have a touch up kit so just going to use that. I had an S1 with a major paint defect as the paint was flaking off, so it went back and I got the S3. Can't be on with the chew with this one unless it gets out of hand. A little touch up will keep the rest of the paint down, well that's what I'm going to try.

 

[wooder]

mine was the same as well . dealer asked ME to take it to another dealer for them to look at it to save them paying for a driver to take it.This would of meant a 90 mile round trip . I didn't bother .

 

[steeve]

No, no, no.....

Its not overspray, it's bad spraying the inside of the bumper should be properly painted. It happened on my S3 and Audi put a new bumper on it under warranty. They wanted the old one back.

Don't stand for any nonsense, it should be painted and it shouldn't be flaking off because they didn't prep the plastic properly.

Its a common problem that affects Golf's too, must use the same supplier.

 

[the_cueball]

if it's overspray, the black will be raised - I.e. it will be on top of the silver paint.

It's very easy to prove it one way or another..I'm shocked someone had the balls to try and pass it off TBH...

if the black is lower, and the silver raised then paint is missing, and it should be silver.

also, what do the other 3 arches look like... are they silver too... so they ALL must have overspray?!? lol

I honestly don't see where the issue is to prove what the problem is... getting them to do anything about it is the next step, but I would expect it to be covered as a defect.

 

[Phil-1]

I've just had my bumper replaced under warranty because the pain was flaking off in the same area.

 

[SJC]

To be honest. I think this is probably a stone that's been flicked up and hut the inside edge of the bumper.

I have the same on my glacier white. Not loosing any sleep over it though.

 

[JohnM100]

A couple of people have had this issue; wooder as above and also here:

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/i-hope-the-colour-matches.242739/

Dealer should fix it as it is a fault.

Do you use a pressure washer into the wheel arches?

 

[Cairnsy13]

Do you use a pressure washer into the wheel arches?

This exactly, this happened on my Glacier white A1, on the inside of the arches of the rear bumper, literally stood there and watched the paint flake off with the power washer. I just assumed those bits weren't meant to be painted at the time considering how easy it came off and so I power washed it all off until it was just black. Should have taken it to audi after seeing this

 

[RYuill]

This happened to mine also. Do you use a power washer?

I was power washing mine and saw it fly off.

 

[5C0TT]

Quick update.

I spoke to my local dealer again yesterday and the service manager had to speak to the "warranty guy". Apparently this IS NOT a warranty issue so if a repair is needed Sales (meaning another dept at the dealership) will need to pay.

I'll know more on Monday morning when I drop off the car

 

[5C0TT]

Update.

The dealer (Stoke Audi) have been fantastic about all of this. The paint (let's call it overspray) has been removed from the inner wheel arches on both sides so I am back to the black plastic bumper, which looks good.

They also mentioned that if I wasn't happy with the result they would spray the inside of the bumper white to match the car.

 

[the_cueball]

Really?!?

As long as you're happy I guess, but haven't they just caused more damage to your car?

surely the paint should have been there though... other S3 bumpers are painted in there, why shouldn't yours?

how have they 'scraped' it off without compromising the rest of the bumper, if paint was there, it's been painted and clear coated with the rest of the bumper, I can't see how that can just be scraped off and left.

I would be really concerned about the integrity of the rest of the paint.... but that's maybe just me.....

 

[Phil-1]

I would agree. My bumper was replaced due to the paint flaking off in this area. My new bumper has been painted inside and outside.

 

[5C0TT]

how have they 'scraped' it off without compromising the rest of the bumper, if paint was there, it's been painted and clear coated with the rest of the bumper, I can't see how that can just be scraped off and left.

Believe me, I'm a right fussy sod and if I didn't think it was right I would be asking for the respray.

Perhaps the word 'scrap' is the wrong choice of words as there is no damage to the bumper etc. I'll get some photos uploaded so you can see exactly what's been done.

 

[steeve]

So you think the bumper should be bare plastic?

Well that's your choice. Go look at the new cars in the dealership. They will ALL be painted.

The joint between the (now) painted and not painted will attract water to seep between paint and plastic. So expect the flaking paint area to spread.

As you've already read several of us have had bumpers replaced very quickly, quibble free already. Could be that as numbers rise Audi may take a different tack.

 

[5C0TT]

I don't think anything, I'm going off what I have been told!

I did look at other cars in the dealership and yes they're painted but, not to the same finish as the rest of the car (see previous attached photo). IF the paint flakes, no big deal, I'll return and take up the offer of having the bumpers sprayed.