PAINT PITTING?

[Denise Luize]

Hi All,

I am a first time Lexus owner - 2013 RX350 w/75k.   Starfire Pearl paint.   Purchased last month @ a Lexus dlrshp.  

There were a few tiny spots of white touch paint up on the hood noticed @ purchase. 

With all the rain, that white touch up paint has washed off.  Was it White Out?!!! 

With the touch up paint gone, I can see a lot more of these little chips in the paint. I am concerned.  

Is it the Starfire Paint?

 

[RX400h]

Hi, Denise.

 Most likely those are from pebble damage, which is common to pretty much every vehicle. Our RX has more than a few. It happens more often when the vehicle is driven on the highway for many miles. The likely scenario is that someone did not adequately remove any residual wax/dirt before applying the touchup paint. 
You can have a detailing shop fill the chip voids in a more professional manner. Or you can leave them, as-is if they don't bother you too much.

 

[Ivan87]

I have 2013 Lexus RX 350, I got this for my mom. Generally no problem Till few months ago I start noticing pilling paint. And it such weird places, like in side door jam, or near windshield on side, or inside seem between trunk and body. Places where it’s not exposed to sunlight. This is California car, never left state, always been service at dealer. And this my 3rd Toyota car, but first white purl car. I am little disappointed with dealer, because they try to sell me this is normal wear and tear, and they never seen paint peeling like that. maybe clear coat fading  or peeling, I can see being normal, but not paint. I look around at service car at dealer there where 3 more Lexus like my, with same peeling paint problem. And now I noticed more and more cars like that. Google search reveals this actually been a problem and Toyota knows about it, but they just won’t fix it. And there is a lots of car effected, not just RX. 

[McBrian]

As mentioned quite well above, this is indeed normal wear and tear and you won't get any satisfaction from Lexus/Toyota.

Please excuse my reality/harshness, but dealer serviced or its "home state" means ZERO for your paint. Yes, some parts of the country are better than others, but sand, road dust, dump trucks, roadside gravel combined with any speed moving forward are universal and will chip paint on any leading edge. Same for anything underneath kicked up by the tires. Joints and seams and stuff are even less of a care.

You as the owner are responsible for paint (yearly detailing, washing, clearbra, etc) and in the rare case they will admit fault the repaints are very poor quality farmed out to the lowest bidder and might only be spot repairs. Car Hx is ripe with every manufacturer having problems with prep, colors, clear, weathering, etc. Again... *Very* rare that mfctrs will step up. Makes zero financial sense for them after they have you in the car.

I used to work for Ferrari... If you think quality is bad for modern Lexus... Imagine spending 500K and being told to pound sand and just drive your car!