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Accord Exterior Issues

industrialrepindustrialrep Member Posts: 2
edited July 2014 in Honda
Back in September I purchsed a 2006 Honda Accord. I have been extremely pleased with my choice but it seems as though the car scratches and dents very easily. Is there anyone with similar experiences??

Comments

  • master1master1 Member Posts: 340
    The car does not get dents and scratches easily. If you hit something, expect a mark.
  • car_crazy1car_crazy1 Member Posts: 43
    I bought a new car in Jan. In Feb, I had a door ding on the driver's door side and then a scratch on the back.
    For the dent, i paid 63 dollars for paintless dent removal. For the scratch on the back bumper, i asked what the new car sales people would do if this happened in the lot and they directed me to a patch repair guy who said he will do it next wednesday but i doubt if the finish would be the same. Buff did not help as the paint was scratched probably by a kid with his bicycle
  • rob3201rob3201 Member Posts: 5
    Own: 2006 6-speed Accord Coupe Alabaster Silver Metallic; Am I the only Accord Coupe owner who's paint looks "blotchy" and not uniform in the way it looks? My hood, trunk, and roof does not look like the fenders and so forth. Is it the metallic paint? Please help !!!
  • lisas3lisas3 Member Posts: 5
    I have been driving my new 2006 Accord for about 7 months now. Today I noticed multiple paint chips on the hood and front doors. I have the redondo red. Has anyone else noticed this problem?
  • doubleexdoubleex Member Posts: 8
    You're responses are not helpful. The Honda Accord DOES chip easier than ANY other car I've owned. I have a 1998 Ford Taurus with 120,000 miles on it. It has been hit by more than one rock I can assure you. There isn't one nick on it.

    My 2005 Accord got nicked on the way home from the dealer. I waxed it today and found about 3 or 4 others.

    The dealer offers you paint protection for a reason. Crappy paint. Better get a leather suit because by the time these cars hit 50,000 they're going to look like we drove them through and asteroid belt.
  • tcvbtcvb Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2005 Accord EX (silver) and just had my rear bumper repaired and painted. I took it back to the dealership where I purchased it and had them paint it. However after they painted it the manager called me and told me it was too dark. He wanted to keep it another day so they could remix the paint. When I got it back I was surprised that they still weren't able to match it perfectly. They told me because the bumper is plastic and they couldn't match it with the metal even though they used the VIN #. They told me that alot of the cars don't match once they paint them and silver is the hardest to match.

    I would think in todays day and age with technology that match the plastic with the metal wouldn't be a problem but apparantly it is. Has Anyone else had a problem with the paint not matching?
  • jay_gatsbyjay_gatsby Member Posts: 45
    They can match the paint on the metal body parts. How do you think the factory did it? The problem is that the dealership's body shop is probably not using the same techniques as the factory, and didn't sand/strip the bumper down (and put primer on it) before repainting it. Have you considered insisting that the dealer simply buy you a new bumper straight from Honda that has the same color as your car?
  • mrbill1957mrbill1957 Member Posts: 823
    Metal or plastic doesn't matter when paint matching. The coating on both is two step base coat then clear coat.

    Color matching can be difficult, until the final clear coat is applied, you can't tell if you have an exact match. The dealer needs to work with their paint supplier when the match is off, the supplier will adjust the color (hopefully) to correct the mismatch. This can take a few tries to get right, it's somewhat of a guessing game on what to add to correct the mismatch. Ask someone at a body shop, it's a talent to match paints. Try matching some of the pearlescent paints out there!!

    I don't think asking for a Honda painted bumper will work, things like that will come unpainted from Honda. Even if it did come painted, there is no guarantee that it will match. Paint is made in batches, and although close, no two batches are 100% perfect to one another. Honda (or anyone else) gets a match by painting the whole car with the same batch of paint. If you ever bought floor tiles, wallpaper, carpet squares or many other things, they always recommend checking the batch numbers (lot codes) so the colors match, it's the same with paint.

    My suggestion would be to bring it back and complain. They can get it right, it just takes time and energy on their part.

    Mrbill
  • todd_1todd_1 Member Posts: 2
    Does anyone know the secret to getting the rocker panel molding to lock onto the clips?
  • paul60paul60 Member Posts: 2
    YES, Alabaster silver is BAD. I have the same car. Although the clear-coat is good, the base coat is VERY blotchy..Looks like I did myself with Krylon metalic can from Ace hardware. Showing my dealer next Tues. The mismatching bumpers is another issue I have. Bumbers are more of a green/grey silver, not the brighter siler of the rest of car.The blotchyness includes darker areas, and under certain lighting conditions, makes it look like paint has bad oxcidation. Other light conditions makes it hard to see past the excelent clearcoat. No real solution, because I don't want Joes Body shop to re-paint. I am very disapointed, angry that I did not notice Prior to delivery. All I noticed was the rusty brake rotors, bright orange corrosion on all but the areas the brake pad sweeps. The wheel gaps with the 6-speed make even more obvious/ ugly...Thought maybe brake dust would disguise/hide the condition...has not yet at 4,000 miles. While Iam ranting...grabby brakes at low speeds? uneven surging power delivery due to throttle by wire? Loud, like sreaming air conditioner with major clunking when activating?? Rattles in doors/dash/sunroof? Nice car..not nearly as "fun" as I had hoped, so the flaws just make it worse. Oh, yes ...the paint scrarches/ dings so easily...mystery scrathes keep appearing. I think hitting a bug will chip the paint, and my car is detailed with $100 Zymoil weekly....
  • paul60paul60 Member Posts: 2
    Update: Honda regional rep. looked at car, saw the blotchyness, compared to another Alabaster car, saw that it was not blotchy, unlike mine, buy declared it normal. He also admitted that the rusty rotors were cosmetically unattractive, but also normal. The Service manager listened to my "screaming" air-conditioner...and compared to a new 2006 ex-v6 which was silent....declared my screamer was "normal. The old hear no evil, see no evil, there is no problem if you just pretend it is not there.. Oh, yes, the mismatching bumpers vs the rest the paint....also normal, because as the regional Honda rep says, they have to add flex tint the the painted plastic parts. Like all car manufacturers haven't mastered matching paint on plastic and metal over the last 20 years they've been doing it. Very disapointed...may pursue other options...sell car, go to court...Why should I settle for improper paint. Other flaws that diminish the pleasure of owing this Honda. Rattles in door and Dash...grabby brakes at low speeds, too long clutch take-up combined with the throttle by wire..drivable but un-nateral. Surging power delivery, not smooth as advertised. Preignition heard with part throttle acceleration (knockong) even with premium gas. This is not a drivers car. It rides nicely, quietly on the hiway, has good power when v-tech kicks in...even good low rpm grunt, just not smooth esp0ecially when air- conditioniong kicks in and out, sending reverberating clunking jerking motion throught car...felt 1st through 3rd gears......Be aware.... Class action Alabaster Silver car owners???
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Sounds like your car has lemon written all over it. My dad's Alabaster Silver (EX Cloth) has had none of the problems as yours (52,000 miles and a 2005 model). My Graphite Pearl 2006 EX Cloth has 7800 miles on it (automatic), has smooth power, drive-by-wire is excellent in my car, and only a rattle in the door as my only complaint. Honda replaced my interior rear-view mirror due to the mirror glass rattling in place that made a very shaky (and sickening!) view of traffic behind me.

    Not perfect, but not nearly as bad as your experience, and for that I'm sorry for ya.
  • caedward2caedward2 Member Posts: 45
    What plant built your vehicle?

    By chance the Mexican Honda facility?
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    Sorry.... my 06 silver Accord is perfect. The paint is gorgeous and I've had no issues with the car at all.
  • aburdaburd Member Posts: 23
    I've been browsing these forums for several weeks, having been in the market for a new car.

    Frankly, reports such as yours have scared the cr*p out of me, since I'm probably more picky than I should be about the fit/finish issues-- and they run counter to the generally good experience I've had with the 3 previous Hondas I've owned, not to mention 3 more owned by other family members. All in all, I'm talking about fairly intimate knowledge of the history of Accords representing the '88, '89, '96, '97, '00, and '03 model years.

    All were in fine shape when delivered, held up well, didn't rust, rattle, or for that matter require any unscheduled service with the exception of a slow driver's side power window motor on the '97 replaced under warranty, a seat belt buckle recall (forget which car that was for) and another recall having something to do with an A/C wiring inspection (maybe on the '97 again; I forget).

    Anyway, after waiting to see what the '07 Camry had to offer (I'm also a former Camry owner) I decided the '06 Accord was still the car for me. I've owned an Alabaster Silver EX V6 sedan for several weeks now and so far it's met or exceeded just about all of my expectations, with a couple of minor exceptions.

    Powertrain performance is outstanding; power comes on strong and smoothly with no hint of drive-by-wire surging or hesitation that seems to be filling the 'Camry Woes' forum. It's a QUIET car-- by far the quietest Accord I've driven; noticeably quieter than the '03 EX owned by my father. This surprised me since road noise seems to be one of the few negatives in that comes up regularly in older Accord reviews. There may be quieter cars, but it's certainly quiet enough that I notice and appreciate the lack of wind and drivetrain noise every time I drive it. The climate control is truly set and forget, and a joy in operation. I'm still discovering clever design features (like the speed sensitive wipers, and the passenger power window switches that either 'go dark' or illuminate depending on whether the driver's master window switch is off or on)-- and I thought I had found them all on my father's '03. Switch gear is first rate and all the panels fit tight. Nothing rattles except the keys on the key chain, and I have been paying attention.

    Interior quality is (in my opinion, as this is somewhat subjective) superior to any Japanese make in its class, in both design and materials. I've never seen any better uniformity of gauge cluster, control, and radio illumination-- even better this year now that they've made even the instrument pointers white to match the white on black look of all the interior displays. With the black interior and aluminum trim that I have in my car, it looks more like a business-like cockpit than a make-believe Lexus, and that's the look I prefer. To my eye, the '07 Camry looks like a distracting toy by night-- and at least one review I read agreed, comparing the interior of the new Camry to a 'designer food fight that nobody won'. It's 'flashy/cheesy' interior was the swing factor in my decision not to purchase that car.

    Anyway, this thread is about exterior issues, and that is probably the only area that if I had any nits to pick, I could find a couple. But I'd have to say that they are very tiny and haven't diminished my satisfaction with the car in any significant way. The Alabaster Silver finish is completely uniform and looks great on my car, though in some lighting conditions I can tell a very slight difference in the tone of the paint on the plastic surfaces (bumpers and rocker panel moldings. But I don't find it objectionable. I did find a tiny speck of what appears to be grit (literally the size of a tiny grain of sand) in the paint on the corner of one fender; and there was a tiny nick in the finish on one of the door handles (it appeared to have been touched up; I'd pin that one on my dealer). There have been no issues with paint chipping. I did notice brake rotor rust for the first week I owned the car (it had sat for weeks in the dealer's inventory) but it's now polished away except for the perimeter area not contacted by the brake pads. From what I've noticed on other makes of cars, this isn't unusual.

    In a nutshell, if this were a high priced exotic car, even tiny flaws of this nature would be disappointing. But for what it is in this day and age (namely, a mass produced sedan in the family-friendly price category) I think just about anything else in its class would be a downgrade.

    I'd tend to agree that you got a lemon. The cars aren't perfect, but the multitude of the defects that you describe all piling up on the same car seems to be an aberration. That's when you have to rely on the dealer to make it right, and it doesn't sound like you're getting satisfaction in that regard either... that's unfortunate.
  • fastfreddyfastfreddy Member Posts: 3
    I'm new to this forum, so please tell me if this has been covered before, or if this subject is not appropriate. We have an 04 Accord that got hit with bird guano while we were away (10 days). When the stain was washed off, it was revealed that the entire clear coat AND paint had been eaten away. Bare primer is exposed in a 3 inch diameter spot. Never having had this problem with paint before, I am inclined to say that Honda's paint system is not adequately robust.

    2 questions:
    Has this been experienced before by others?
    What recourse do I have with the Company or dealer?
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    To Fastfreddy (Bird Poop Paint Problem),

    Bird crap, if it has the right acidity in it (depends on what the bird has eaten...berries are particularly bad for paint), will eat right through the paint of any car, including our old Hondas and Chryslers.

    Always, ALWAYS wash off the bird poop the day it happens (the sooner the better), or you run the risk of paint damage.

    It's not just Honda that will be ruined by bird poop...My girlfriend's 2004 Corolla has a round spot on her roof where clearcoat is missing...she went a week without washing bird poop off. Paint's still there, though it wasn't left in the heat for 10 days.

    If you are lucky, the dealer might help you out, but I wouldn't think they'd be inclined to do much.
  • fastfreddyfastfreddy Member Posts: 3
    Thank you for your comments. I guess we must just have been extremely lucky in all our years of car ownership. I've never seen paint damage that looks anything like this before. I can imagine there is plenty of wiggle room for a dealer not to be held liable, even with the car under warranty. I'll pursue nonetheless. I know you say all paint jobs are at risk, but I wonder: are some cars/years known to be more fragile? Is the 2004 Accord in midnight black particularly vulnerable?
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Not that I'm aware of, but we've never owned a black Honda. Our current cars are Alabaster Silver, Graphite Pearl, and my maroon 1996 LX.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Black paint notoriously shows defects of any sort quite glaringly. This is true across the board. That may be what's going on, but I'd still address it with the dealer. I might, um, forget to mention the ten days ... :blush:

    (And I might not get away with it at all!! :P )

    Good luck and keep us posted.
  • knuclebusterknuclebuster Member Posts: 3
    I have yet to see factory paint that is as bad as yours sounds.

    I have a friend who is the owner of a body shop with 25yrs experience. He receives numerous referrals from local high end car dealers including Jaguar, Mercedes and Volvo. Mind you these referrals are for the dealer's customers.

    He has also repaired new cars, with window sticker and all, for the dealers. Keep in mind that new vehicles, foreign and domestic, generally travel great distances before they arrive at your local dealer. The potential exists for chains, hooks, hail and other debris to cause damage during transport. Have you ever watched cars being loaded/unloaded on a hauler? Tight spaces with many opportunities for damage. Dealers do not pull off the window sticker and sell the car as used because of said damages.

    I don't buy new for two reasons... depreciation and that gut wrenching feeling when your new ride gets scratched, dented, or worse yet... wrecked. It's quite hard to replicate the paint work of Mr. Roboto at the factory. It also has the advantage of painting the vehicle's disassembled shell.
  • 06accordx206accordx2 Member Posts: 17
    I have two 06 accords...one Saphire Blue, the other Redonda Red. BOTH cars show paint chipping around the nose and both side view mirrors. I can't figure out the mirror chips, but their evident on both 06 Accords.
  • v6driverv6driver Member Posts: 5
    I have 2006 Redondo Red V6 EX. 3800 miles. I can see a dozen chips on the hood, most barely visible, but three or four quarter to half millimeter in size. (I am sure the darker colors are at a disadvantage.) Nothing on side mirrors. Went to autobody shop & he said it is fairly common with this body style in all colors. He had a silver one on the lot with same issues. Expressway driving (which I do little of) worst he said. No solutions. I will talk to the dealer when I do the oil change, but I am not very hopeful. Otherwise, car has been perfect.
  • kcrossleykcrossley Member Posts: 182
    Which engine did you purchase?
  • kcrossleykcrossley Member Posts: 182
    And something that I'll probably get: http://www.invisiblemask.com/

    Kelly
  • kcrossleykcrossley Member Posts: 182
    After reading this forum, it appears that Honda Accords are fairly suceptible to road debris, which causes paint chips. I'm trying to determine the best solution to protect the surface of my new car.

    From what I've read online, there are basically two options:
    1. A made-to-order bra
    2. 3M Protective Film

    Here are some of the products I've looked at:
    http://www.invisiblemask.com/site.html
    http://www.clearbra.net/
    http://www.xpel.com/
    http://www.honda-parts.net/acnosmasful.html

    Does anyone have any experience with any of these?
  • neferti6neferti6 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 98 Honda Accord Coupe EX and the paint is fading away. The roof has spots of faded paint, the trunk and around the edges of the windows. Has anyone else experienced this. :cry:
  • kcrossleykcrossley Member Posts: 182
    I'm getting ready to have some 3M ScotchGuard paint protction film installed on my new EX next Monday. Does nayone have any words of wisdom before I turn my car over to the installer?

    BTW, I decied to go with this product: http://www.xpel.com/

    Although there are similar products, I have to admit that their web site demonstration is what really sold me. Check it out here: http://www.xpel.com/video_gravel.asp

    Here are a few other incredible photos: http://www.xpel.com/relations/viewrelease.asp?id=24

    Kelly
  • doubleexdoubleex Member Posts: 8
    I had same problem with 94 Black Accord - roof has serious fading that looks horrible. For those in this forum who like to respond with "what do you expect after 10 years".

    I drove a Civic 234,000 miles with few chips and no fading.
    I have a 98 Ford Taurus with 120,000 miles, no chips , no fading.

    I have a 2005 Accord with 3 or for chips and one the size of a small fingernail.

    Honda paint sucks and I hope Consumer Report eventually reflects this instead of giving them full "red dots" for everything. :mad:
  • kcrossleykcrossley Member Posts: 182
    I'm happy to report that this past Wednesday I had an X-pel kit installed on my 2006 Accord and it looks great!

    Plus, as luck would have it, I was driving to an appointment the following morning and heard a big bang on the hood of my car. I looked up and there was a large dump truck about 5 car lengths in front of me.

    When I got out of the car and surveyed the strike all I found was a large clump of dirt which was embedded in the surface of the X-pel material. I thought for sure that it had torn the vinyl, but it didn't. I wiped it away with a wet cloth and it looks like new.

    If I didn't have this product on my car I can almost guarantee that there would have been a major chip on the hood of my new baby. The bottom line is that I highly recommend this product, especially for those of you considering a bra. Just make sure that whomever you get to install the X-pel knows what he or she is doing. It's tricky stuff to work with, but if done properly it's almost invisible.
  • nativetxnnativetxn Member Posts: 5
    I have an '06 Accord (graphite pearl) and the paint chips if you look at it funny.

    I've also noticed that the windshield gets scratched if a speck of dust brushes against it. Has anyone else had problems with this?

    Plus I'm dealing with anoying rattles from the dash and driver's side door.

    I know these are all minor issues, but I really doubt my next car will be a Honda. I think the quality has just slipped too much.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    I have a 2006 Accord EX in Graphite as well and have not noticed the paint being sub-par at all. No rattles to speak of, although I just had a squeaky console door lubricated.

    No windshield chips for me either, although I'm not a tailgater (I leave at least 2 seconds between me and the lead car, if possible).

    27,900 miles.
  • bug4bug4 Member Posts: 370
    Yup -- I just traded in my 98 LX for an 08 Accord. Within the past month of owning my 98, I noticed a very faint "blotch" appearing on my back trunk lid. I had the VERY light brown color (almost looked silver) - and so the paint fading likely would have turned up much sooner on a darker colored car. I was very surprised! My car did spend time in the sun and I live in Wyoming where it was also subject to significant ice and snow. However, the car also spent about 1/4 of its time either in a garage or a covered structure. I was very surprised that it was starting to fade!
  • nativetxnnativetxn Member Posts: 5
    Maybe I got a bad paint job on mine? I've had to use the touch up paint quite frequently. I didn't have this problem with my old 1990 Accord.

    I don't tailgate but NJ traffic means a lot of stop and go driving and not much in the way of safe-following distance.

    I hope your Accord stays trouble free!
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    I don't even own the touch-up paint because I've only got one main rock chip at the moment.

    Other than a faulty rear-view mirror (interior) and a sticky gas flap that were that way when I got the car, I've had no issues at all arise.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    Maybe I got a bad paint job on mine? I've had to use the touch up paint quite frequently. I didn't have this problem with my old 1990 Accord.

    Unfortunately paint is not what it was then. From what I hear environmental concerns have cause a change in either the paint or the painting processes, and the paint is not as tough as it used to be. Maybe you could do some research on it. I have the nose mask for my 03, but I only use it when I plan to take the car on an extended highway trip. It's not really needed around town, and don't want to constantly have to remove it, clean it and the car, and put it back on. Something you may want to think about.
  • nativetxnnativetxn Member Posts: 5
    I've also heard this about the paint. I wonder if this is true for all cars? This is definitely something to research. If I find anything really interesting I'll post it here. Or if anyone already knows the answer to this question feel free to post! :D

    I'll probably invest in a nose mask of some sort before the next long road trip to visit family (about 600 miles round trip). It breaks my heart to see all the chips in hood.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    I wonder if this is true for all cars?

    Yes, I think it affects all the automotive paints, and some if not all other types of paint too.
  • dlitedlite Member Posts: 12
    I have a month-old 2010 accord Alabaster Silver and I have similar problem. I can see some pattern all over the hood, especially at night under the parking lot light. The pattern looks like tiger's back or zebra. The quality of 2010 accord is horrible.
  • dlflyboydlflyboy Member Posts: 24
    I have a 2009 accord in white diamond. I'll have it 2 yrs this coming August and my paint looks as good as the day I purchased it. I love it!
  • igozoomzoomigozoomzoom Member Posts: 801
    The White Diamond has a Pearl finish that is more durable than the Metallic paint colors. I have a friend who has an '02 Acura 3.2TL in the same exact color- White Diamond Pearl and it still looks new! And it has been exposed to the heat and humidity (Atlanta) every day for the last eight years (never garaged).
    2015.5 Volvo S60 T6 Drive-E Platinum, 2012 Mazda CX-9 GT
  • dlitedlite Member Posts: 12
    edited April 2010
    Mine is a new car. So, it is not about durability but about quality control issue I guess. From what I can find Acura people seem to have similar problem http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=579743, but not as bad as mine.
    You can take a look at what I am talking about.
    http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/7c523ab7be.jpg
    http://pc.dupont.com/dpc/en/US/html/visitor/s/trouble/PDSG_Mottling.html
  • rcummelinrcummelin Member Posts: 184
    Metallic paints have gotten VERY expensive and all car manufacturers are trying to get by using the absolute minimum amount of paint to save money. If you open your hood, or the fuel cap flap, you will notice that there is no silver paint inside these areas, but you will see a light grey, which is the non-metallic base coat sprayed on the entire car before the final color coat is applied. The base coat is almost the same color (light grey) as the metallic coat (silver). Then when the silver is applied, a much smaller amount of the metallic paint is required to cover the base coat. After the metallic coat is applied , a final clear coat is sprayed on to protect the color coat.

    Your hood looks like the painting robot was programmed to the point where almost enough color coat was applied. Almost, but not enough.

    Or, your hood was buffed prior to delivery for some reason, and what I'm seeing are buffer swirl marks. I just can't tell for sure from the photo.

    Either way, I concur that it's sure ugly. :confuse:
  • dlitedlite Member Posts: 12
    edited April 2010
    I went to a local body shop, and asked if this was repainted. He said that he has been doing painting for 15 yrs and he is sure that it was not repainted because the surface was so smooth. So, I guess it was not buffed either. When I got this car, it was just washed dripping water and parked under shade. I couldn't see this until a couple of weeks later at night. I though it was glaring under the sun. Now, I know that it is not glaring. So, make sure to carefully inspect the vehicle under various lighting and different angle before you sign the contract. BTW, its not just the hood. Its on fenders, roof and trunk too.
  • rcummelinrcummelin Member Posts: 184
    Our Accord is Mystic Green and thank goodness it doesn't have that paint defect at all. No lines whatsoever. I feel your pain.

    BTW- In an effort to save even more money, some manufacturers do not bother painting the roofs of bigger trucks & vans. If it can't be seen from the ground, it may not be painted with the color coat. Base coat & clear coat is all they have. Weird, huh?
This discussion has been closed.