2 Rock Chips In Less Than 2,000 Miles!

[static]

Been reading this BB since getting my ES 2 mos ago----really enjoy reading/viewing!

Thought I'd be able to stay out of the need to post anything......but after getting my first chip on the hood at less than 350 miles......and modifying my driving by staying even further back from trucks......but still getting ANOTHER chip after just yesterday coming back from a 1,000+ mile trip-----I'M *BLEEP*ED!

I asked the dealer at the 1,000 mile checkup whether Lexus was known for soft paint or what. Svc guy suggested a clear coat on hood. Don't really like the look of that. But after this second chip, I'm beginning to rethink this.

I've always heard you shouldn't wax for the first 6 months. Anybody think I should wax now? Been looking at Zaino and Zymol on the net. Any suggestions there?

Oh yeah, I've got the won't-go-into-gear issue, too. My wife (who for medical reasons has slowed reactions) does not want to drive this car. I've read all the posts here and discussed it with the dealer, mostly to see what they'd say. They told me the new software seems to only appease about half the people. Suggested I wait until they try it out on a loaner. Just putting in my 2 cents experience on this issue.

Never had a car that rode this nice-----but never had a car that chips paint so easily, either!

[SW03ES]

Lexus paint chips very easily on the light colors, its not because its soft but because its hard. Dark colors have very soft paint and on't chip that easily, but they scratch easier.

By clear coat on the front i assume you mean a clear bra? Definately a wise investment and almost invisible. Not much that can be done about chipping, its simply a luck of the draw thing. All you can do is get a clear bra or become good at touch ups.

As for the waxing, thats a common misconception that you should wait to wax it. Cars are cured in a superheated oven at the factory and by the time the car gets to you the paint has long since cured. In fact, it was waxed by the dealership before you took delivery unless you asked them not to. You can definately wax now. As to what to use and how to use it I suggest you check out our detailing forums by clicking the link at the top of the ES forum page. All the info you could possibly need/want can be found in there ;)

[static]

Lexus paint chips very easily on the light colors, its not because its soft but because its hard. Dark colors have very soft paint and on't chip that easily, but they scratch easier.

By clear coat on the front i assume you mean a clear bra? Definately a wise investment and almost invisible. Not much that can be done about chipping, its simply a luck of the draw thing. All you can do is get a clear bra or become good at touch ups.

As for the waxing, thats a common misconception that you should wait to wax it. Cars are cured in a superheated oven at the factory and by the time the car gets to you the paint has long since cured. In fact, it was waxed by the dealership before you took delivery unless you asked them not to. You can definately wax now. As to what to use and how to use it I suggest you check out our detailing forums by clicking the link at the top of the ES forum page. All the info you could possibly need/want can be found in there ;)

You were right about color! Mine's Alabaster (light gray).

I think the clear coat the dealer was referring to is something that's sprayed on. I would be worried about discoloration etc. Bras? Not sure they're not worse than the problem you're trying to prevent.

Guess I'd better order me up some wax etc and get started on doing what I can to protect the paint.

I'm still shocked that a Lexus product doesn't withstand gravel better than this. Even my wife's 2000 Honda (mediem gray color) only has ONE chip on it! :o

Thanks for your response. Any other opinions out there on my problem are appreciated.

[SW03ES]

I don't know of any spray on chip deflectors, I'm almost certain they are talking about a clear bra. A clear bra is a adhesive material applied to the front end and the mirrors that makes the paint impossible to chip. It will look 99% invisible on the Alabaster. They're expensive though.

Waxes/sealants will help protect the finish from the elements but it won't help against chipping. Its not a paint quality thing, its just that paints from different carmakers are different.

[byohzrd]

In my experience, you can get a much better deal on a "clear bra" by taking it to an independent shop. Shops in the Salt Lake area charge around 199 for hood and mirrors. Some shops even do your headlights, to prevent abrasion and scratching. Look for a shop that uses 3M (the material is called Scotch-Cal, I believe) as opposed to the ClearBra brand. The 3M is much thinner so you won't see as much of a visible line, and it should also last longer. If you really want the dealer to do it, ask who does their work... often times they'll send the car to an independent shop and add about 200 bucks to the price.

[static]

In my experience, you can get a much better deal on a "clear bra" by taking it to an independent shop.  Shops in the Salt Lake area charge around 199 for hood and mirrors.  Some shops even do your headlights, to prevent abrasion and scratching.  Look for a shop that uses 3M (the material is called Scotch-Cal, I believe) as opposed to the ClearBra brand.  The 3M is much thinner so you won't see as much of a visible line, and it should also last longer.  If you really want the dealer to do it, ask who does their work... often times they'll send the car to an independent shop and add about 200 bucks to the price.

Hey, thanks for the info from both of you! Have you had this clear bra process done? Discoloration issues? Do you see it, first thing when you look at the hood? No waxing on those parts any more?

I notice that there is something like this stuff on the fenders, just behind the wheel wells. Is this the same kind of stuff?

Which brings up something else: seems like this car has tires too wide for the fenders---even driving.....as slow as I can.....through a dribble of irrigation runoff water in the road puts some dirt/spots on the fenders.

Maybe I'm being unreasonable here, but I think when you plunk----and I mean I actually plunked----35 large down..........you oughta not have to worry about rock chips and dirty fenders everytime you drive out of the garage!!!! These problems seem to me to be real basic car-building engineering issues. Oh, and let's not forget the no-gear-to-be-found-when-you-need-the-blast deal, on top of that!!

[steviej]

1. go to several high end car dealers and see for yourself. Look around the showroom for cars displaying stickers on the middle of the hood that say 3M. These cars have the invisible bras. My Lexus dealer always has at least 2 cars showing this feature.

Honestly, you really don't notice them. I wish I had gotten one back when I got the car.

2. dude, get real on the rock chips. Just cause it is a Lexus or BMW or MB doesn't mean the physical trajectory of a pebble kicked up from the car in front of you is altered. Rocks are hard and chip paint on any car. It would be nice if cars came equiped with a StarTrek like shield option.

3. splashing on the fenders is totally normal. Again for Lexus as well as MB and so forth. That is why we have buckets and soap and sponges and better yet....detailers.

4. As for the acceleration.....you may find if you alter your driving habits the car performs better. Use the pedal to your advantage. 3/4 throttle will get you to the gear and speed you want quicker than stomping it to the floor. Work the tach and the pedal and you will get smooth downshifts with rapid acceleration.

Mine is an 02 and that is when the electronic throttle started. Been driving it since 9/02 and it is a learning experience for the driver. Read the PINNED thread about the 02-03 tranny at the top of this forum.

enjoy the beautiful new ride.

steviej

[SW03ES]

I actually find that the ES stays cleaner longer than other cars because it is so aerodynamic. All cars splash up when you hit a puddle, its just the nature of the beast. If its really a problem you could have mud flaps installed that should help somewhat.

The Lexus is a nice car, but it is still a car. If it gets hit with a rock it will chip, if it is driven on wet roads it will become dirty. This is true for all cars. If anything these things are more prevolent on luxury cars because owners are so passionate and keyed into them. Its just something every new car owner is going to have to face, unless they want it to sit in the garage its going to be in danger of damage.

I don't have a clear bra but I wish I did. I have probably 5 chips on the whole front end (after 25k miles) each are as well touched up as they could be, but I know they're there (others think I'm insane though). If I had a clear bra though the line would probably bother me, but I'm just like that.

You can wax right over them actually just not compound.

Check out www.clearbra.net

[Lexusfreak]

There are a number of "clear" films if you will on the market. According to my guy that does all my detailing & rustproofing it's a waste of money & if you do go that route to stay away from the 3M prooduct. I checked into this & I can't remember the name of the product (do a search on this forum or in CL on the topic) but the other product was perfectly clear......the 3M stuff was quite "foggy" as they apparently use an inferior & cheaper adheasive which makes a difference in the overall appearance of the area your trying to protect. All these products are quite expensive too......the producet alone is like $25 - $40 but they charge you an astronomical amount to install it. So far the highest I've seen is about $379 plus tax!

[Geo]

Hey Static your giving us Sacramentans a bad name Where about Sac Town do you live ?

I just bought a 01 ES300 (my first real nice car) and I feel your pain. Everytime I'm driving the freeway I'm looking out ten miles ahead to avoid any pebble on the road. Water/rain... it stays in the garage. We take the "old" car out in weather. How about parking ?!!! Man, I have never walked so much now that I park the car far away from everybody else ;) .

My Lexus is black and it is a pain to keep clean. But like other have said, its a car. You like I will have to learn to live with the risks of everyday life. Auugh !

As for the clear bra thing. Man, I would be concerned that after time the plastic sheet thing would discolor or start to come off on the edges and making the car look even worse.

Later, George

[Lexusfreak]

That's one of many complaints with that type of product Geo.

[SW03ES]

LF- Was your guy thinking about Xpel?

[tundra-lover]

OK, I think I can provide some info for you guys. The Clear Bra version is definetly not as good. I put it on my truck when it first came out in 98'. The Clear Bra version does discolor, and turn yellowish. I would highly recommend anther company like 3M. I've used 3M for this, and it is much better- I just wouldn't use thier window tint! I know a guy here in SLC that had his whole car done at Clear Bra, and ended up taking it all off and repainted his car. You also need to watch them place it on your car- They can cut your paint with a knife and not tell you about it, causing rust in the future!

It goes on the same way window tint does, using a heat gun and wet solution to squeegy it into submision. But you should do it when the car is spakin new. Once you get a rockchip, you need to repair it unless you want to have problems in the future with it. If you decide you don't like it, you can have them peel it off. Its not a big deal, just expensive.

For a cheaper route, you can just buy the Lexus bra- BUT only if your going to clean and wax the car very frequently, and plan on having a faint line where it goes accross the hood from vibration.

As far as rock chips are concerned, welcome to the travisty of owning a virgin hood! I personally hate rockchips, but I drive the crappy freeway's in Utah! So far, I have had to repaint a number of hoods- and am very tired of it. I don't care as much any more. I just touch them up, and keep going.

The whole color thing is a bunch of crap! Toyota paint is not the worst, just so you know. The problem is that they do a single stage system instead of a base coat clear coat. If you get a scratch in clear coat, you can buff it out a little nicer. Single stage, you have to be very careful not to go completly through the paint! I think what was suggested, is to have your hood clear coated? This would add another layer of protection, but it would also look a little different and not very cheap. Hope this helps.

[SW03ES]

The whole color thing is a bunch of crap! Toyota paint is not the worst, just so you know. The problem is that they do a single stage system instead of a base coat clear coat. If you get a scratch in clear coat, you can buff it out a little nicer. Single stage, you have to be very careful not to go completly through the paint! I think what was suggested, is to have your hood clear coated? This would add another layer of protection, but it would also look a little different and not very cheap. Hope this helps.

This is incorrect ;)

His Alabaster ES definately no question has a clearcoat. The only Lexus color that does not have a clearcoat (sometimes) is Lexus black and this is because they feel the clear makes swirls more noticeable. Lexus red and yellow on the IS are also single stage, but every other color has a clearcoat. When detailing a car it is very clear whether it has a clear or not, if it has no clear your buffing pads will turn the color of the car. My black garnet ES definately has a clear, my fathers 04 Flint Mica LS definately has a clear, his old silver 98 LS definately had a clear and the myriad of other Lexus' I've detailed all had clears unless they were black.

Unclearcoated black does scratch very easily but it is much easier to repair scratches on a single stage paint job than a base coat/clear as clearcoat is very hard. Hard means its hard to scratch but also hard to fix and easy to chip. Single stage is actually easier to buff because it is HARDER to buff through than just a clearcoat because it is much thicker. Single stage and dual stage paint are the same thickness, single stage is just two different kinds of paint in that same thickness while dual stage is 3. Primer is beneath both.

[tundra-lover]

True, I stand corrected. Most of the new stuff is clear coated, and some metallic have triple and even four stage systems (pearl has 3). Most of the standard white Toyota (which I only buy) have been single stage. From what I understand, they pretty much all have clear now.

I'm going from my own experience, and the point being that its still a pain to fix. Thanks for the heads-up!

[SW03ES]

Yep, older white used to be single stage too, Lexus white never was Lexus white is a pearl tri coat.

[rsmathur]

Thought I'd be able to stay out of the need to post anything......but after getting my first chip on the hood at less than 350 miles......and modifying my driving by staying even further back from trucks......but still getting ANOTHER chip after just yesterday coming back from a 1,000+ mile trip-----I'M *BLEEP*ED!

I asked the dealer at the 1,000 mile checkup whether Lexus was known for soft paint or what.  Svc guy suggested a clear coat on hood.  Don't really like the look of that.  But after this second chip, I'm beginning to rethink this.

Never had a car that rode this nice-----but never had a car that chips paint so easily, either!

I'm new to the BB. I own a "mystic gold metallic" ES330, and am also experiencing chipping problems, and also only on the hood. A friend whose wife drives a white ES330, has a similar problem. I have ~5000 miles on the car. I never had this problem with a "platinium-gold" Nissan I owned (in 65000+ miles), so am uncertain about the comments made regarding some paint colors being more susceptible to chipping.

Although water beads up nicely still, I will wax the car to see if it alleviates the problem. Even so, I feel this is a manufacturing flaw or weakness that Lexus should address and repair. In the meantime, I have bought some touchpaint to protect the chipped areas.

Having said that, the car is by far the best I have ever owned. It appears to be aging nicely. Its performance at 5000 is better than when brand new, and the gas mileage appears to be improving. I have no complaints about the dealer's service.

Just thought I would add my experience...

[Lexusfreak]

One can bring these concerns to their dealers, however while your there you might want to pick up a bottle of touch up paint for the stone chips as I doubt one will get far with Lexus unless you can prove a serious paint defect. Nobody like to do touch up jobs, but for the most part, it's just something most of us have to deal with....especially on a brand new car.....it hurts :( unless one keeps their car in the garage with a car cover & never drives, otherwise paint chips will occur sooner or later.