2003 Lexus ES330 - White. Numerous paint chips appeared in the low, sloping hood in the first 6 moths of normal Houston driving. Lexus dealer says its "rock chips" not the paint failure. Now it's 2007, and the Lexus bears its collected scars like the face of the Moon. Lovely, white, pitted beauty - a princess of cars with a genetic flaw. After repeated complaints to the dealer, we get the same answer. Toyota considers the paint chips "normal". Normal for Toyota and Lexus, but not my 1999 Ford F150! Driven in Houston and regularly to the Texas Hill Country for offroad deer hunts, F150 has no paint chips. None I can find. That's Ford normal. Funny, what we accept in a premium luxury car, or what passes as "Toyota reliability". Googleing "Toyota paint cips" brings up a rich tapestry of owner dissatisfaction, and the story of Toyota's water-based paint. Ford uses a solvent paint which they say "resists chips and scratches better than water-based methods". No kidding! Toyota/Lexus paint chips are "normal", and staying that way. Best solution is to forget it. Stop obcessing over the paint chips. Unfocus the eys, or take off the glasses. There, Happy now? No, I'm happy. And, I'm not buying another Lexus. And, i'm not buying a Tundra truck, either.
