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Toyota Corolla Paint Problems

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Comments

  • crystalpistolcrystalpistol Member Posts: 3
    Whether or not you think it's appropriate, they may still look at her that way. I came from that background and I know exactly what she means.

    Do you assume she only waxed THIS Toyota in that manner? If she waxed the others in the same manner, then this particular one shouldn't be acting any differently.

    On a side note, I have made acquaintances with someone who works with Toyota and he saw my car and agreed it's unacceptable. He will be seeing me this week at the dealership to see if they can do more for me. FINALLY. Wish me luck, everyone. I will post the results.
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    I'm sorry but a comment like that is personal for me; my 94 year old father who worked hard for 45 years lives in a trailor and he is by far "not trash".

    What I do assume is that if it is a 2003 Toyota and she waxed it 37 times with a harsh product that she might not have used before, she could have removed some of the finish.
  • barryw4barryw4 Member Posts: 2
    General comments (see 'Paint' below)
    I am one of the first ones to defend a good product, but by the same token, I won't turn a blind eye when I think quality has slipped.

    I have owned Toyotas for thirty years, including four Corollas (1984, 1997, 2004, and 2009 [I also owned a 1978 Celica hatchback from 1982 - 2008]) and I have generally been a satisfied customer. In my humble opinion, the 2009 seems to have a slightly 'cheaper' feel overall compared to my 2004. Mostly small things like too much cheap-looking plastic in the interior, floating foam blocks in the front fenders (visible from the driver's seat with the door open), wheel wells without gravel shields, and even the fuel door is so light it feels cheap (lighter materials = better gas mileage?). I mainly bought the 2009 b/c of my past (good) experience with Toyotas and the excellent fuel economy. No mechanical problems to date other than a 'false' check engine code (cylinder #3), although i've read that water pumps in the 2009 may be prone to failure.

    Paint
    The in-service date for the 2009 is Nov 2008 an I bought it ('certified') in Nov 2010. It has blue streak metallic paint and looked great when I bought it as the dealer's 'make-ready' department did an excellent prep job. Once the dealer's wax (or whatever they used) wore off, I saw what I thought was an excessive number of nicks in the nose piece, but I assumed that the previous owner dove on roads with loose gravel.

    The car has primarily been garage kept over the last two years (not sure about the first 2 years), although it does see some sun. While waxing the car last weekend, I saw a lot of small, mostly roundish areas of cracked paint (liked dried, cracked mud) on the trunk lid where I can see down to the primer. Other areas of the roof are also starting to 'crack', with some areas the size of a quarter. The paint on the top surfaces (hood, roof, and trunk lid) seem to have thinner paint than the sides, which are fine far. You would think that a chemical was spilled on the surface, but I know that is not the case. Seeing many other similar posts confirms my suspicion that it's just a low quality paint job.

    Again, it's just one man's opinion - sorry for the long winded post, it's my first one, but I was compelled to finally respond after reading other posts where Toyota defenders suggest that this is normal paint wear.
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    All I can say is the EPA has forced ALL automakers to use different paint on newer cars, so it is hard to compare your older vs. the 2009. If we went back to lead-based paint, it would last and look good forever, but that has it's own worse problems. I don't see any complaints about rust, etc. so that's good. Check Toyotanation.com
  • barryw4barryw4 Member Posts: 2
    No rust yet, but that will probably come later. The car is in excellent shape inside and out and has under 30,000 miles (I drive it about 6K/yr) and I thought I had a car to last another 20 years (I keep most cars until they drop - I also have a '92 Maxima), but I just can't live with bad paint (a pet peeve) so I will sell it to my son and move on. If he keeps it I'll probably end up having to pay for a partial paint job in 4-5 years anyway - can't win.

    I'll visit the dealer's 'make ready' shop to see what products they recommend to retard the deterioration, but that's just a stop-gap measure.

    I checked out Toyotanation - thanks.
  • hkminklerhkminkler Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2005 and my car is doing the same thing. At first I thought it was just my car, but I am seeing rusting corolla's everywhere now!
  • angelaoangelao Member Posts: 1
    I'll repost without the email so no one else is adversely affected. Totally informational, as was the original post on January 6th. verbatim...minus the email...obviously there are no ill intentions. just seeking information

    Hi,
    I am new to this forum and ran it across it for the first time yesterday after being at the body shop to quote a paint job for my 06 Corolla. The paint is peeling so badly off the roof and I just saw it for the first time over the Christmas/New Year holiday when nothing could be done because everyone was off or closed. I am extremely upset as this should not be happening to a car of this age, regardless of the make or model. I have been the only owner of this car as I purchased it brand new. When I went to the body shop I asked if they had been aware of other Toyota Corollas with a similar problem and the guy said yes he had seen a few this way. He also confirmed that due to the nature of the paint peeling there is no way to just sand it and repaint that spot because there is obviously a defect in the original paint or the way the original paint was to adhere. Therefore it will be a minimum of $1200 to fix this problem because the entire roof has to be stripped and the windshield (back and front) has to be removed. And it is rusting! So time is of an essence. Would you please reply to my post about what you all have done regarding your issues? I am currently searching the internet to see if any legal actions that have been taken because this is obviously a wide spread problem over the course of many years. Please help!
    Thanks!
  • luvmycarollaluvmycarolla Member Posts: 1
    It was a nice bright day yesterday and while drying the car I noticed many,many rust colored spots on the doors, mostly below the trim line. Oddly nothing on the quarter panels hood,trunklid or roof. You had to be very close up to see them, from a distance with normal eyesight, you would never notice. You can feel some texture if you run your hand over the area. I am the second owner of the car and it only has 17 k km. What a shame. The car is white so really closeup they are quite obvious. Some appear on the sills, which are plastic right? So that's a bit odd. Maybe defective paint rather than metal rusting from underneath?
    My friend has a white 2005 Echo with similar symptoms. I suppose you could buff them off but would that be a good idea? Then some acrylic treatment?
  • hgredhd83hgredhd83 Member Posts: 1
    Hi! I saw your post and my mom is having the same problem with her blue 2006 Toyota Corolla. At first we thought it was the heat of the Texas weather but we started seeing other Corollas on the highways with the same problem. Mainly blue ones like her. I tried doing research on recalls and came up with nothing. Have you had any luck on finding any further information?

    Thank you!!
  • jalt1952jalt1952 Member Posts: 6
    I understand that Toyota is not backing their paint issues. I have been contacted by an individual that is researching it now. I am certain that she will contact you as soon as she reads this !!!!! My car looks awful and I am sooooo sorry I bought a Toyota !!!! Also watch her catalytic converter there are issues with them !
  • crystalpistolcrystalpistol Member Posts: 3
    I'm so sorry I took so long to post back here. Very hectic several months. So this manager that seemed appalled at my paint job acted very aloof when I actually brought it in. He's not head of the Service Department and he basically just rolled over when they told him that it wasn't covered. So he brought me the name and phone number of the local company that does paint jobs and touch-ups for them. It's not an actual TOYOTA paint center. It's just a random place that does paint jobs for the general public. He basically said MAYBE they can give me a discount because of all the trouble. I explained to the manager that this company they were trying to redirect me to is the SAME company that already "touched-up" the issues on my car before we took it home. I remember about to take it off the lot, and noticing all these horrendous scratches on it. They took it to this paint company and we noticed they still missed several places, so they took it back to the same company. It looked good for a few weeks to a month. Then some of the scratches showed back up and new ones started to appear. I'm about to get rid of the car, but I know someone will notice all these random slices all over the car. I'm talking about the hood, the trunk, doors.. you name it. Ugh. Sorry I couldn't shed any extra light on this dark, dark tunnel.
  • alicia21alicia21 Member Posts: 1
    I am so glad I found this forum!! I also have a 2006 Corolla with the same scratch type marks on my roof. It looks as if someone took a razor blade to it! I don't park under any trees and am very careful about washing my car. The 'scratches' are getting bigger and rusting. Please let me know what you were able to do about this. Thanks!
  • michiriosmichirios Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2005 Corolla with the same paint issue. I just got off the phone with Toyota's customer service department and they pretty much told me that because my car is past the 3/36 Warranty coverage (3 years or 36,000 miles) there's nothing they can do to help me. I'm upset that Toyota is not taking responsibility for an issue they're obviously responsible for. Are there any updates on a resolution for this? My car looks so awful, it's embarrassing! Estimates I've gotten to fix it properly have been between $1,200 to $1,600. Ridiculous.
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    edited September 2013
    Why in the world would you be upset with Toyota? They're exactly right, you're past the warranty. There's no "lifetime" warranty on auto paint. Granted most car paint would have lasted longer, but yours didn't so you have to live with it. Perhaps your environmental conditions where you reside even had something to do with the shorter paint life.
  • michiriosmichirios Member Posts: 2
    I'm not the only with this issue, clearly, there was a problem with Toyota's paint used during the 2005-2006 period. No, there's no lifetime warranty, but there is such a thing as taking public responsibility for it. I would be content if they provided a service discount to fix it, I'm not asking them to pay for it all. I live in the city, not out in desert so I don't see what "environmental conditions" out of the norm that my car could've possibly been exposed to...
  • pebbles8pebbles8 Member Posts: 1
    I have noticed that many are have the same issues as I am regarding corolla paint problems. I have a 2012 corolla that I purchase new. While washing my car a large chip of paint came off the bumper. There was clearing no damage to the area. But, I have to say that in the 40 years I have been driving I have never had this happen. I contacted Toyota immediately and was told that they have had no complaints regarding this problem. I said to the representive, "really because I just got on the internet and within 5 minutes found many people with this problem" Her comment to me was "We have no control over what people post on the internet and whether it is factual or not". To which I replyed " So you are saying that several hundred people have nothing better to do than sit around and lie about this problem"? To say that I got no where would be an understatement. I then took my car to the dealership. They took a picture of the area and said that a Toyota representive would have to be called to take a look and determine whether it was caused by abuse of the car. Seriously? I am still waiting to see what happens. But, after all of the issues I have read regarding this problem , I have NO intention of letting go this problem easily. We'll see what happens.
  • rebeccaformanrebeccaforman Member Posts: 1
    Here is my story: http://rebeccaforman.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/help-my-car-is-rotting-how-toyota-- failed-me/
  • zlatinazlatina Member Posts: 8
    This is scaring, isn't it? Try to attract the attention of the media. In this way you are helping yourself and many other Toyota owners. Why not do what Ford owners did? If you need my support, just let me know. I have the impression from observing the cars around me that Ford cars have much better paint quality. Mine, Toyota Corolla 2011 is so fragile, I am afraid to touch it and every time I look at it there is a new scratch. My neighbor's Ford, about 8 months newer than mine, has many dents but the paint is intact, so can be fixed. Mine, the lightest touch of a rock, thrown by my own car chips the paint and leaves a small white dot (paint chipped to the primer). The car has been on a highway just once so far and for not more than 10 miles. Is it normal to be afraid to drive your car on a highway? Is it normal to be afraid of scratches and chips and try to keep at least 2 cars distance from the car in front of you? Sometimes I am even afraid the police may stop me for holding the traffic.
  • drucker1drucker1 Member Posts: 2

    I just spent a frustrating few hours at the dealership where I bought my 2007 Camry. I showed it to the service director who noted it but said mine was the only Camry he has seen that has this problem (He showed me the cars on the lot and said none of them have this problem!) and said that since it is out of warranty, he could do nothing about it. He told me to call the main office 800 number and that if they authorized it, he could get it done. When I called the central number, I was told that they have no records of any paint problems with the 2007 Camry and therefore they would nothing about it. The agent gave me a case number and that's it!
    So do you think that Toyota is aware of this problem or not? If they are aware, how can they get away with this? Should I contact the Better Business Bureau or some other agency?

  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722

    @drucker1 said:
    I just spent a frustrating few hours at the dealership where I bought my 2007 Camry. I showed it to the service director who noted it but said mine was the only Camry he has seen that has this problem (He showed me the cars on the lot and said none of them have this problem!) and said that since it is out of warranty, he could do nothing about it. He told me to call the main office 800 number and that if they authorized it, he could get it done. When I called the central number, I was told that they have no records of any paint problems with the 2007 Camry and therefore they would nothing about it. The agent gave me a case number and that's it!
    So do you think that Toyota is aware of this problem or not? If they are aware, how can they get away with this? Should I contact the Better Business Bureau or some other agency?

    I have not seen any complaints on Toyotanation forums.

  • rohith123rohith123 Member Posts: 3

    Just for the record I own a 2007 corolla LE "Blue color", it chipped/lost paint on the hood and looks ugly. Everything else is in perfect working condition, dealer serviced etc but I cannot put it up for sale because the ugly hood only invites embarrassing offers/trade-in. So I have no choice but to keep it. And like many others I got a quote for $1200 and one body shop offered to do it for $600 but he would replace entire hood and I thought it was a bad idea.

  • 4asmyle4asmyle Member Posts: 2

    I would like to know of anyone with a Canadian Toyota Corolla, with the paint peeling on it. I have a 2009 Toyota Rav4, with the paint peeling on it. I am gathering info on Toyota's with paint problems. Preferably 2007-2014's. Preferably Canadian manufactured, as I am not sure of complaint process in the U.S.

  • fore1fore1 Member Posts: 1

    Buyer Beware - My wife owns a 2010 Rave 4 and the paint is peeling off the roof just above the windshield. The car is one year beyond the 3 year warranty. No help is available from either the dealership or Toyota. Upon inspection the paint in this area is blistering and evidently begins peeling off from wind and rain. I have owned more than 10 new automobiles of different makes in my lifetime. I usually own my cars for 8 to 10 years. I have never had a problem with the paint finish on any of them. Toyota, never again!

  • 09corollapaint09corollapaint Member Posts: 1
    2009 toyota corolla with passenger side paint issues. how do we file a class action suit?
  • flamierdflamierd Member Posts: 1
    edited September 2015
    I have a 2005 Red Corolla. Paint was ok for first 5 years or so, after that it began to fade fast. Discoloration, chips in the hood, etc. The rear of the roof is bubbling. The car still runs great, but I doubt I can actually get anything on a trade with it so I'm stuck with 'running it into the ground' if that is even possible mechanically with a toyota.

    I was thinking about buying another Toyota, but given these problems I'm leaning toward something that isn't going to start experiencing leprosy after 5 years.
  • broseambeebroseambee Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2006 Toyota Corolla S and the entire roof is rust. The paint completely faded away within a few months. What kind of paint does this? I have never seen a vehicle do this. Now I suppose I have to spend more money on my Corolla to get a entirely new paint job.
  • corollanycorollany Member Posts: 1
    My Corolla is a mess from the peeling top coat . What a shame The car runs great No issues at all except the pain I hate to get rid of it simply because of a lousy paint job, It is all over the car and I have not used anything hash on it
  • jim_in_wvjim_in_wv Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2012 RAV4, "Super White" in color. Paint is pealing above the windshield. I notified Toyota via email w/ pics. They gave me a case file number and recommended I take it to a dealership, perferably one with a body shop. Well, I wanted to arrive "uneducated", so I first took it to a privately owned, reputable body shop in my area. The estimate is $1,100.oo! The cause was determined to be "delamination," which the technician explained was due to poor adhesion of primer coat. The fix requires that the paint and primer be removed down to bare metal and repainted. The car does have some rock chips. I asked if I should expect those to peal similarly. He said that's hard to predict, but the delamination was a different issue than chipping. He said delamination is due to deficiencies in application. In other words, manufacturing defect! He indicated that this is a common problem and that Toyota is aware of it. Obviously! Now, I'm headed to the dealership today to see what excuses they offer. Post more after. Not too optimistic at this point! Haven't read a "success story" on line yet!
  • jim_in_wvjim_in_wv Member Posts: 2
    I wanted to arrive "educated!" Not "uneducated." Oops! Disproved that, I guess!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Are you the original owner?
  • phdometephdomete Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2018 Toyota Camry SE White. Problem started happening at 2000 miles and kept getting worse. Truck edges and both quarter panels. The so called Warranty specialist denied the claim. This is my 3rd new Toyota had a 2010 Highlander We and and still have a 2015 Highlander XLE. I made a claim with Toyota than took it to dealer as they advised. All the dealer service employes at Toyota of Naperville agreed that this should have been covered and it wasnt anything I did. They asked if I had used a bike rack etc. I laughed I would never do something like that. They provided me with a loaner vehicle. Warranty loser never came on time. They had to reschedule. Dealer called me asking to switch vehicles back and come back and get a loaner again 2 and a half weeks out. So I made another claim than and kept the loaner. Than the warranty liar said he would be out on a certain date, and popped in 2 days earlier for something else. Looked at my car when my service writer wasn't even there. He left witout saying anything and sent them a warranty denial. Saying it' from the elements. I will be taking legal action, if this is not resolved.
  • pkramer1pkramer1 Member Posts: 1
    Same problem with my 2007, corolla. My roof is completely rusted at this point and half of the hood has peeled off. Now the trunk is starting to spot and peel. I have never been so embarrassed to drive a car in my life. Of course, the comments and questions are never ending. My response ...well, I won't post it online. We noticed another black corolla in the parking lot at the Doctor's office...same condition. I realize this is an old post, however, I would love to be notified if there is a class action suit ...
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    I have owned multiple corollas over the years and never had a paint problem. Actually, I have had very, very few problems st all with my corollas at all. Could it just have been a fluke lousy paint job on your car? One of my current corollas is a 2001 and the paint job is mint.
  • WakitarbWakitarb Member Posts: 1
    I have the same chipping on the roof and rusting on my Blue 2006 Toyota Corolla. The only reason why I looked for a forum for this problem is that in the past two weeks, I have seen over ten cars with the same color as mine and the identical rust problem on the roof of the car. The trunk is peeling on my car as well. This should be a class action lawsuit.
  • sandyr259sandyr259 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2015 Toyota Corolla, the paint started peeling by the hood and trunk sides in Jan. and when I had it serviced yesterday, with a free carwash...the paint chipping was even worse. It started on the inside of the front hood, now its showing even more peeling, stretching over the left fender. I'm no longer under warranty and there isn't much I can do. The dealership gen. manager said that they've been getting 2015 & 2016 Corollas with paint chipping off at least once a month. He also pointed out that the windshield for the 2015s & 2016s begin to feather, not sure what that means, but he said there wasn't much he could do for me. He suggested I contact Toyota Corporate. Anyone experiencing this? Any solutions?
  • pam1982pam1982 Member Posts: 1
    I am currently having this issue with my 2017 Corolla. I noticed the paint is chipping away all along the side of the top of the finders where the hood is. I am waiting on someone to call me back. I have also noticed more rock chips then I had in my previous cars. I guess that is why the protective clear tape pretty much comes standard now. But a car with less then 60,000 and just over a year old should not be pilling paint like mine is.
  • TacomaduckTacomaduck Member Posts: 1
    I had nothing else to do right now. I decided after looking at my 2004 Corolla (Impulse Red) and its really lousy peeling paint job to see if there is a common problem. My Corolla's clear coat has been peeling for several years now on the hood, roof and trunk deck. No paint loss on the sides yet. Just the top surfaces. I have never garaged the car. I have never ever taken it to a commercial car wash. I'm too cheap. I have used cold water only from a hose on it. It rains enough in western Washington to rinse the car often. God is my car washer. My neighbor has a 1998 Camry in the same if not very similar red. It also has sit outside and never garaged. It is spotless. It is never dirty so I have to assume it is washed at a commercial cleaner since I know she does not clean it herself. I suppose I will drive it until it is wrecked since nothing ever goes wrong. Fifteen plus years with one starter and one air conditioner compressor. It will make me think twice before deciding on a color. I had a terrible time with a blue Ford Tempo and its paint job. I see too many vehicles that look like victims of an acid attack. The industry has to do better than it does when there is a paint applicable problem.
  • Mytoyotapaintsucks2Mytoyotapaintsucks2 Member Posts: 2
    How do i get Toyota to fix my paint
  • Mytoyotapaintsucks2Mytoyotapaintsucks2 Member Posts: 2
    I think a Class action law suite is in order???? Whos in???
  • rickdonrickdon Member Posts: 123
    I know Toyota is providing an extended warranty to address the issue regarding the paint peeling, although it will only apply to certain models.
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