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defective paint job on new impreza

9K views 27 replies 11 participants last post by  allblacksubi 
#1 ·
Hey folks,
first post on the forum, long time suby guy here who stayed away or stuck to older subarus after the headgasket issues on the 2.5. First new subaru I've had since '98. Seems like this forum is the spot for newer imprezas, I was always on NASIOC but it seems pretty wrx/turbo specific these days. Anyways, bought a 2019 impreza wagon 10 days ago. Went to put something in the back today, and noticed something odd on the paint on top of the car near the hatch hinges, normally it would be covered by the closed hatch. There were little bumps on the surface. Gently wiped my finger across it to make sure it wasn't just dirt and realized it was grit/sand under the paint. There's actually a couple spots where it looks like there is exposed bare metal. Like they didn't clean the unibody before spraying or the paint room wasn't clean or something. I live on a dirt road in the rust belt and this grit will come off with the paint the first time you take a sponge to it to wipe it down. This can't be normal right? I also noticed the spray was pretty thin around the hinges, not completely covering the metal. Knowing subaru has a reputation for lackluster paint, that doesn't surprise me so much but the sand/grit under the paint is really worrying to me. I've never had anything like this happen and don't know what's a reasonable expectation of Subaru on this, but I feel like if I'm lucky they'll offer to have a local body shop sand and paint it, and that's not gonna be as good as factory paint (or how factory paint should be lol) and it's gonna be the spot that starts rusting on this car. If I wanted a defective car with a half assed fix I'd go down to one of the dealerships that sells lemon law buybacks at a steep discount instead of having bought a new subaru and not even dickered over the price that much. Does this look normal to anyone? Calling the dealer tomorrow but just wanted feedback on whether I'm overreacting and what a reasonable resolution to this would look like?
Thanks!
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Czo
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#4 ·
So clearly the grit/sand under the paint is abnormal. What about the light spray around the hinges? Might have to check out a few coworkers impreza's in the lot tomorrow. Frankly I want a new car but don't think it's likely I'll get it. I bought this car new with the intention of babying it and undercoating the hell out of it and making it last as long as a car can when they spray salt brine on the roads all winter. I'm afraid they'll have some local body shop fix it and it'll start peeling and bubbling in a couple years and then the rot will get it and I'll have no recourse. If I wanted a defective vehicle with a half assed fix I would have gone down to the large dealership a few hours away where they sell lemon law buybacks from subaru of america at a steep discount. Tomorrow will tell, going to the dealer to have the service manager check it out.
Thanks!
Czo
 
#5 · (Edited)
The Impreza I wanted was not on my dealer's lot so they found the one I wanted at another dealer about 50 miles away. They traded one of their Imprezas with that other dealer's; went and got it, and I ended up with the one I wanted. Your dealer should be able to find the one you want somewhere and do a swap, and THEY could deal with your "lemon"'. One more thing. Dealer prep before you took delivery should have found the problem.
 
#7 ·
That looks like spot welding slag, someone didn't bother to scrape that off before painting. The white lithium grease is not even in the hinge. I think it's just a sloppy non attention to detail that day on the assembly line. At least there is primer there, but I would say something.

I know on mine there is paint but with no clear coat.
 
#8 ·
Well, Tripswitch, you're probably right. I brought it to the dealer and the service manager said the same thing, welding slag. He took a bunch of pictures to send to Subaru and said they would fix it at their body shop and give me a loaner car. I hate to be that guy, but I don't think I'm satisfied by that. It's a brand new car, with defective paint, and they're going to fix it. But I'll have just payed full price for a car with a defective paint job and a repair of unknown quality. Who knows how good a job the body shop will do, it's not a "certified subaru collision center" (not that I'd take any confidence from that). I've had body work done before and it's rarely the quality of factory paint. Around here subarus die from corrosion, I've had more than a couple perfectly good subarus I've had to junk because of rust. There is no warranty on paint or for practical matters rust, so if the paint repair isn't good 6 months down the road I'm left holding the bag. Meanwhile I assume the vehicle service history and carfax will reflect the work done, which would probably cause a loss in value if I tried to sell it. It might even make me underwater on the loan for all I know. Well see where it goes from here.
 
#10 ·
OP, you're setting yourself up for a tough life.

The Impreza is a great little car, but let's be real... it's not a luxury brand like a lexus or a Merc. Getting picky about the paint on the inside surfaces is pushing it. Even then no paint job on a Subaru is perfect if you look closely enough, and even if you're lucky and you get one with an exceptional paint job, once it hits the road it won't stay that way. There's nothing really "wrong" with the paint you pictured, it's just not as "perfedt" as you'd like.

Being anal retentive and OCD about a vehicle's looks is an exercise in failure. I'm defining myself here, btw. In the first two weeks of ownership of my Impreza I was horrified at its paint, despite it having come with "ceramic" etc etc. It was nasty to me... so I spent days claying it, polishing it, inspecting every millimeter of it inside, outside, and underneath.

Then I took pictures. They are proof of that rare time in its life when it was its best. Within the first week driving it I got a chip in the front lip, two black spots dead center of the pristine CWP paint. A few miles and a couple days later I got a chip in my windshield. A car's life on the road. There'll be more. C'est la vie.

I keep it free of bug splats and the hood and glass clean because I can see them from the driver's seat. But I haven't washed it since. Life's too short, and there's way too many and much more important things to devote my evaporating life on than a car's looks... like I once did.
 
#12 ·
You're probably right. I mean, I could care less about looks, especially in that spot. I know subaru has cheap paint, that's fine too. My only concern is that exposed metal in a place that kinda holds moisture will lead to corrosion, and there's no warranty on that. You literally light run your fingers across that grit or slag and the tops of the slag break off exposing metal. The dealership gave me Subaru's 800 number and said take it up with them and while they opened a case and are looking into they basically told me I was lucky to get it repainted by the dealership because paint isn't covered under the warranty so it's really my problem. I live in the northeast, they literally salt the roads year round here, rock salt and brine in the winter and calcium chloride in the summer. I've owned nine subarus and have never lost one to mechanical failure, always the rust. I was really excited to have a brand new one and undercoat the hell out of it from day one try to keep it as long as possible. My mechanic tells me I don't want to run a modern subaru that long anyways, I'm still stuck in the days of the EJ22 and a whole lot less electronics, haha. Oh well, sucks that I paid full price for a car that needs paint work right out of the gate, but I guess it's my bad for not looking it over more carefully. Live and learn.

OP, you're setting yourself up for a tough life.

The Impreza is a great little car, but let's be real... it's not a luxury brand like a lexus or a Merc. Getting picky about the paint on the inside surfaces is pushing it. Even then no paint job on a Subaru is perfect if you look closely enough, and even if you're lucky and you get one with an exceptional paint job, once it hits the road it won't stay that way. There's nothing really "wrong" with the paint you pictured, it's just not as "perfedt" as you'd like.

Being anal retentive and OCD about a vehicle's looks is an exercise in failure. I'm defining myself here, btw. In the first two weeks of ownership of my Impreza I was horrified at its paint, despite it having come with "ceramic" etc etc. It was nasty to me... so I spent days claying it, polishing it, inspecting every millimeter of it inside, outside, and underneath.

Then I took pictures. They are proof of that rare time in its life when it was its best. Within the first week driving it I got a chip in the front lip, two black spots dead center of the pristine CWP paint. A few miles and a couple days later I got a chip in my windshield. A car's life on the road. There'll be more. C'est la vie.

I keep it free of bug splats and the hood and glass clean because I can see them from the driver's seat. But I haven't washed it since. Life's too short, and there's way too many and much more important things to devote my evaporating life on than a car's looks... like I once did.
 
#13 ·
The days of driving to 100k, doing a timing belt and moving on to the next hundred may be over anyway. The 900 lb gorilla in our cars today is Direct Injection. More than anything I can think of DI concerns me. Becasue no matter how I take care of the car it's just a matter of time before the crud builds up. Then it's open the engine time.

Still, I enjoy what DI brings. And there are no other options in cars I'd want to own. So I stopped thinking about forever with my cars. Lot's of fine years, for sure. But then trade it and let someone else worry about it.

Pretty much the way of life for most things now. Use em, throw them away or replace them... whatever "them" is. From marriages to cell phones and TVs to cars.
 
#14 ·
Never had a DI car before, I'll have to do some research, thanks! I actually looked long and hard for a manual impreza hatch with the 2.2. Preferably before 98, and preferably outback sport trim. and with a manual. and no rust. I would have driven across country for that car, haha, but no luck. Best car I even had was an early OBS. paid 1800 for it, drove it for 3 years and 80k miles with just oil changes, sold it for 500. I guess I'm cheap. I mean, I've had much fancier cars that were a lot more fun, my old turbo legacy with a jdm wrx swap before US wrx's were a thing... but I still have so much pride in the value of that old outback sport. Those EJ22 engines just wouldn't quit.

The days of driving to 100k, doing a timing belt and moving on to the next hundred may be over anyway. The 900 lb gorilla in our cars today is Direct Injection. More than anything I can think of DI concerns me. Becasue no matter how I take care of the car it's just a matter of time before the crud builds up. Then it's open the engine time.

Still, I enjoy what DI brings. And there are no other options in cars I'd want to own. So I stopped thinking about forever with my cars. Lot's of fine years, for sure. But then trade it and let someone else worry about it.

Pretty much the way of life for most things now. Use em, throw them away or replace them... whatever "them" is. From marriages to cell phones and TVs to cars.
 
#17 ·
A quality catch can is what saves a DI engine and pretty much eliminates the need for in-depth valve cleanings.

Using good fuel doesn’t do much as the fuel never touches the valves.

Back to the original topic. I looked at our car, paint is thin. But that’s about it.

Glad your dealer is helping you.


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#18 ·
If a catch can can make that significant a difference... it begs the question, why doesn't Subaru have one stock?

I've read about catch cans for forever. In virtually every case it involved problems. In my experience with carbureted cars from many years ago, carbon deposits on valves and combustion chambers was accepted as what happens to engines with enough miles on them. Building/rebuilding a motor always involved the dedious job of removing them, laboriously. No DI involved.

Valves get deposits from simply being hot and enveloped by CC gasses during overlap. Port injection only reduces the problem. The permanent solution, to deposits and many other things, is W/M injection, not a lot more complicated than a catch can, just more maintenance.

There are Subarus with DI that have 100k on them without having engine problems from deposits... compromised possibly, but not issue enough to require specific servicing. Not saying it's not a problem, it is, but maybe a tad more nysteria surrounding it than warranted.

If there is a catch can that does the job and has no downsides... please inform me.

OP,, please forgive this non-topic segué.
 
#19 ·
Because they know your average owner isn’t going to empty it out every 1k miles in the winter due to moisture build up in the can. And manufactures don’t care to make their engines last much past the warranty.

Some Performance di cars actually do have the option to install a oem catch can to keep the engines running at optimum level.

I’ve been using them on my di trucks for years. There are no other issues. Just clean intakes. Not sure what problems you were finding

This is a DI issue. Any carb or other injection theories are irrelevant, yes carbon always builds on valves. But with di and having no fuel wash. The pure oil hitting the valves with a di system makes the issue MUCH worse.

You can research more about di carbon build up on valves. There are copious write ups and videos showing valves at x amount of miles with and without the use of a catch can. Tracy Lewis is a good source, although he also sells cans, you may not like what he says, but there are also other independent tests.




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#20 ·
Which one do you use?

And any independent, not seller, I've read most of those, data sources would be welcomed.

All my motors since 2013 have been DI, so it is always on my mind and has kept my keyboard well tickled.

Sure there's oil in the vapor that goes fron the PCV to the intake, but not much as a rule. And little of that gets on the valves, it's ingested.

While the PCV is a separate source of valve deposits from what carbed or port injected vehicles have... it is also not the only causation factor for deposits. Deposits on valves and CCs occur as a result of how engines work basically. All of them from the beginning of the ICE have had valve deposit issues... sooner or later.

At one time my engines had the breathers vented to atomosphere or via a tube to the ground. I know the speech but race cars are exempt. :) Those engines had valve deposits when torn down.

I'm going out on a limb and saying directly that the DI valve deposit thing has more contributing factors than just the DI alone, and that the makers of "cures" have made a mountain out of a molehill.

If the PCV system didn't have another, more important, benefit to the engine I'd be venting mine to a can, not a catch can. But the vacuum in the crankcase is far too important to engine health and well working to eliminate. People seem to forget that when plumbing their engine bays with the latest and greatest Catch Can installation to show off, if they ever knew it.

The PCV system is a legal and functional necessity in modern engines. When I find a catch can that doesn't create its own issues, removes oil from the crankcase vapor, and leaves the vacuum totally unaffected I'll look at it seriously. So far that hasn't happened. Even then I'll not delude myself that valve deposits have been eliminated. Only a W/M system will do that for certain.
 
#21 ·
I have been running the elite engineering e2 can for about five years on two trucks. Seems to have about the best price vs quality ratio out there. The rx Tracy Lewis cans are over priced imo. And the clean side separator doesn’t help that much more. But neither affect crankcase pressure, Or vacuum, or throw a cel. Just keep it empty so you don’t suck that funk into your engine.

I will be throwing one in the Impreza as well, just haven’t gotten around to it.

Yes there are many other factors, but it’s a simple and easy way to help reduce buildup quite a bit.


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#22 ·
Thank you. I hadn't seen it before.

it looks like a clean, straightforward, well-engineered air/oil separator with check valves... exactly what's needed. I'm interested now. :)

I'd probably add a clear drain tube/indicator in the bottom.

Where is yours located, or does it matter? Pic? :)

This deviation from the OP's paint isn't proper... is there a catch can thread already? I have moe questions lol
 
#23 ·
Mines located in a spare battery tray in the truck. So it doesn’t really apply to the Impreza.

There is a few catch can threads on this forum. Tapatalk isn’t letting me find them too easy. But I know a few guys on here are running them.

I know people usually mount them towards the back of the engine on these cars.

I’ve never had any freezing issues. And I live in northern pa. There was a period of time where it never broke 5* as a high.

But yeah sorry op lol.


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#24 ·
Back to the paint issue. I have a 2019 base hatch, Dark Blue Pearl, with 6000 miles on it. and multiple scratches at 1000 miles, when I started being a lot more careful. Always hand-washed by me. The 2013 light green Impreza that I sold with 60000 miles had fewer scratches. By further comparison the concave area behind the drivers door handle has a lot more scratches showing than my wife's 2010 Forester drivers door. I realize some of this is the Dark Blue but this seems ridiculous..
Can anybody recommend which Ceramic aftercoating or wax might help with scratches/make the surface more durable?
Just buffing out the scratches NOW and repeatedly seems like it'll make the paint thinner and more vulnerable. I'm not concerned about it looking showroom quality; I'm concerned about rusting and/or resale 4-6 years from now.
 
#27 ·
By further comparison the concave area behind the drivers door handle has a lot more scratches showing than my wife's 2010 Forester drivers door. I realize some of this is the Dark Blue but this seems ridiculous..
Not only your blue, but my white paint also shows way too many abrasions in this area. I'm convinced the techs wearing work gloves (not just rubber ones) may be to blame since my knuckles have literally never scraped against this surface... I habitually use the handle to pop the door open (really more of a latch release than a handle, my door handle is flimsier than it should be...) then open the door the rest of the way from the edge with with finger tips.

Aggressive techs, or someone with brass knuckles attempted for a few minutes to open my locked door... you're not the only one to notice these annoying abrasions.
 
#25 ·
FWIW Jeff, I had two blue WRXs that were the same way, so yes the color seems to matter.

There are clear appliques for that area and I'll be getting them for my Impreza. My wife's rings scratch everything, including door glass, lol. I've looked at the protective appliques a number of times but the Impreza is the first car in a long time that I want to remain around for many years. Scratch protectors coming up.
 
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