Paint quality?

[North Yorkshire Steve]

We live in a rural area and often have to pull over on the country road usually because 4x4 drivers don't like getting mud on their tyres!

The hedges are not trimmed because it's against the law for farmers to do so until later in the year.

I've noticed that we have got a lot of scratches down the side of the car, admittedly they are not deep and might polish out but it's still annoying.

Is the paint quality that bad or because it not really hardened off yet?

Car is a 2020 car we collected in February this year has done about 3k mile and the colour is  Tyrol silver.

[frizzbee30]

The paint quality is shocking 

I have had 2 V40's 4 yrs each ,for the last one, the agent collecting it said that besides the expected alloy corrosion,  it looked like a new car outside. 

I am ultra careful with my cars as they are company ones, the back of my 9 month old Excel TS looks like someone has had a brillo pad on one corner, and it seems to collect superficial scratches daily!

I love the car, but I am utterly disgusted at the paint quality!

[ian rooke]

HI the paint on Toyotas is very soft so scratches easily also watch out for bird lime it can eat through the paint very quickly  

[Bernard Foy]

I agree with all the previous posters. The paint quality on Toyota’s is soft and very easily scratched. All modern cars are now obliged to use a water based paint, unfortunately it is not as rugged as the old oil based paints. So Toyota are not the only ones affected to varying degrees.

[Swanthecat]

Sorry Bernard you are not correct. No current car manufacturer uses waterborne top coats in car production as they are not durable enough. Yes many use waterborne base coats but not top coats. Many top coats are indeed higher solids (less solvent) than years ago and the polymers are therefore often softer and less durable as a result. Japanese car paint in particular is often softer than other makes- particularly the premium German brands

[TonyHSD]

My experience with car paints is that the best one I ever touched was on the Mercedes S class, and yes all German top brands in general, where all Japanese makes have less durable paint work. Lexus and infinity perhaps come closer to the German cars. 

[Mikw]

How susceptible is the paint to bird pooh?

I've had a big splat on my bonnet for a couple of weeks now.

[Ian.S]

I can’t agree that German cars have tougher paint. The last 3 VW’s paint, all bought new, was equally as soft as my current 2020 Corolla. I think the rear wiper and the amount of dirt on the rear screen causing scratches a much bigger issue. There is less dirt than on the back of our Mini but that doesn’t scratch at all. 

[john p williams]

Just now, Ian.S said:

I can’t agree that German cars have tougher paint. The last 3 VW’s paint, all bought new, was equally as soft as my current 2020 Corolla. I think the rear wiper and the amount of dirt on the rear screen causing scratches a much bigger issue. There is less dirt than on the back of our Mini but that doesn’t scratch at all. 

And all of the laquer has come off my Red 2003 E Class Estate !

[Cyker]

I think it's a thing with newer cars - Apparently they can save a good few kilos of weight by using thinner paint which helps get into the lower tax bands!

I'm thinking of ceramic coating mine just to try and stave off the scratches and tree sap and bird !Removed! that much longer...!

 

[Ant-Rav]

16 minutes ago, Mikw said:

How susceptible is the paint to bird pooh?

I've had a big splat on my bonnet for a couple of weeks now.

Wash it off, no problem  with the paint being susceptible, 😷 ha

[Rouky]

21 minutes ago, Mikw said:

How susceptible is the paint to bird pooh?

I've had a big splat on my bonnet for a couple of weeks now.

Er, I would wash it sooner rather than later, I have a black Corolla and the paint marks quite quickly. I seem to have found the answer to this problem, using Crome fly away seems to remove stubborn stains 

[Bernard Foy]

2 hours ago, Swanthecat said:

Sorry Bernard you are not correct. No current car manufacturer uses waterborne top coats in car production as they are not durable enough. Yes many use waterborne base coats but not top coats. Many top coats are indeed higher solids (less solvent) than years ago and the polymers are therefore often softer and less durable as a result. Japanese car paint in particular is often softer than other makes- particularly the premium German brands

I’m no technical expert on car paint, but I’m just giving a layman’s experience of cars I’ve had over the past almost sixty years. But I appreciate your knowledge.

[Gray86]

After years of owning VWs (and being active on forums) everyone moaned about the quality of paint there. It’s just the same here - my conclusion: all paints are softer than they used to be and scratch easily. 
 

 

[Velvet--Glove]

12 hours ago, Cyker said:

I'm thinking of ceramic coating mine just to try and stave off the scratches and tree sap and bird !Removed! that much longer...!

 

I opted for that on delivery of my 2019 Corolla (Gen3-Glasscoat + fabric protection inside). It's a good call as I do believe it toughens and protects the surface. I don't really have a problem with scratches or bird droppings (which I clean off ASAP). Washing the car is a breeze too - comes up shiny with no waxing.

Some people swear they can get the same or better protective result by washing, waxing and buffing a car with expensive products. That's not for me, though - too old and lazy! 

[North Yorkshire Steve]

Thanks for all the replies.

Looks like I'll have to get used to the car being scratched. Not happy about it but if it's normal not much I can do!

[stantheman1]

There is a plus side to the paint being soft is that minor surface scratches can very easily and quickly be polished out by hand.

[TonyHSD]

Car shampoo that I can recommend for home old school car washes is this one. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124703490446

Just add to bucket of water and make it foamy, this thing has wax inside and make the car shiny even without been ever polished. Cleans dirt very well too., lasts ages as is 5ltr and reasonably priced. Scratches almost unavoidable on any car tbh, especially dark colours. Seen more black Corollas recently I started to like them how they look.👍

[AndrueC]

Black is never (IMO) a good choice for a car colour. It is notoriously difficult to apply well and to keep clean.

https://ideal.media/why-the-worst-car-color-is-actually-the-best/

[frizzbee30]

In regard to modern/Japanese cars being worse, my wife bought a used 2018 Suzuki s-cross.

She isn't the most careful driver, and rubbish gets flung into the back for the rubbish tip, it gets stuff dragged along it, hedges caught, and on, and on....I cringe.

 

That dirt cheap little motor hardly has a mark on it, except from the previous owner, the paint finish isn't even quite right, but the !Removed! thing is tough as nails and puts mine to shame!!!

 

Oh, and it's black, like my excel (scratches don't polish out by the way,I already tried that  )

[TonyHSD]

Black suits the design of the Corolla, white too IMO. But the best colours in terms of scratch and dirt resistance are silver and grey variations, white too to some extent. These three categories can hold the best the abuse , hardly seen on them but dark colours and black specifically are nightmare, but they look nice when clean. 👌

[Gray86]

2 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

Black suits the design of the Corolla, white too IMO. But the best colours in terms of scratch and dirt resistance are silver and grey variations, white too to some extent. These three categories can hold the best the abuse , hardly seen on them but dark colours and black specifically are nightmare, but they look nice when clean. 👌

^THIS. Black & white both look great. 
 

my grey has hardly any swirls or scratches on - although I use a Meguiars lambs wool wash mitt, scratch guard in bucket & Snow Foam pre-wash. 

[frizzbee30]

Yea, I go OTT with foam etc, the scratches appear after, I suspect even cotton/felt and insects damage the black..!

[vvti 001]

My current daily is a 2002 Corolla T Sport and with the exception of lacquer peel on the top of the rear high level spoiler and stone chips on the bonnet the paint doesn't seem too be bad.  Still looks great when washed and I polish it once every few months.  I use the jet wash then home to do another wash and polish using Autogylm products.  Occasionally dust off the electric buffer I bought for £40 a decade ago.

I'm a BMW and VAG enthusiastic (Toyota seems to be my krptonite) and paint on every car I owned was never marked that easily (used to do 40,000 miles a year with alot of motorway and country roads).

Admittedly I have been thinking of repainting the car to make her stand out about from the crowd but after reading this post and replies I'm thinking twice.

[AisinW]

Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Tesla paints are all water base and relatively soft compared to German cars except Porsche. 

I think only Civic type R has hard paint. The rest are all water base soft clear paint. Don't wash the car without knowing the proper technique and very soft microfiber+polyamide towels.