Fiberglass blisters in body

[ravng]

When I bought my 2011 roadster used a couple of years ago it was fresh out of the paint shop to fix some "blisters" in the paint on warranty.

Now, just after the warranty expired, the same type of blisters has apeared on the other side of the car, and it keeps getting worse.

According to Tesla it need to be sanded down and repainted, sounds cheap...
It's not the paint, but moist trapped in the fiber glass (mostly known in boats).


I seem to remember another post of this earler, so it might not be the only car affected?

 

[wiztecy]

I seem to remember another post of this earler, so it might not be the only car affected?

View attachment 197386 View attachment 197387

Other post:
Strange paint defect

 

[MileHighMotoring]

In boats blisters can happen years later - something like 5-10% of blisters happen after 5 years. It's not always moisture - it's adhesion between the layers that eventually fails in tiny spots.

I'd bring it back to the body shop and see what they say. Good luck, I feel for you.

 

[wiztecy]

So this happened twice? Makes me think that the resin for the CF wasn't cured properly before it was painted, and now that its been painted, the gases are trapped under the paint and breaking down the paint causing it to bubble:
Paint Bubbles on Fiberglass Panels - iRV2 Forums

I'd be afraid to paint it again until you find the exact cause or else you'll be forking over for another paint job over and over... If it is off-gassing, I'd suspect you'll need to strip the paint for it to properly release.

 

[ravng]

So this happened twice?

Not on the same place.
First was on left side of car, this time it's on the right side.
So the side previously threated is still ok, but who knows if it will reappear in the future.

I am waiting for an offer from the Tesla approved body shop to fix this, hopefully they will give a guarantee on the work they do.

 

[ViperDoc]

I am the person with the same problem. I had the Tesla SC in Watertown look at it, and they took it to the local Tesla-approved auto body shop, Hollis auto body. Today Tesla told me that Hollis said it was "damage from the sun." That just doesn't fly. First, the car is only 5 years old. Secondly, it is kept in my garage at home, and my parking spot at work is in an underground garage. Practically the only time the car sees the sun is when it is being driven. There is no way this could/should be sun damage. I will see what they say.

 

[wiztecy]

Today Tesla told me that Hollis said it was "damage from the sun." That just doesn't fly. First, the car is only 5 years old. Secondly, it is kept in my garage at home, and my parking spot at work is in an underground garage. Practically the only time the car sees the sun is when it is being driven. There is no way this could/should be sun damage. I will see what they say.

I really hate when so called "professionals" give you a BS line like that. Well my Roadster is 7 years old, 2 years older than yous, original paint and lives outside in the California hot sun and not garaged at all I have no stinking blisters!!! So go tell them that and see what they say with that fact.

How asinine for them to tell you that crazy cooked up story. I've seen paint jobs hold up better on a Yugo that sold new for $3,990 and has been constantly out in the sun. You'd think you'd get a premium paint job on a car that you forked over $120,000 for, wouldn't you? A paint job that could sit out in the sun without bubbling defects over time. There are cars from the 40's, 50's, 60's that have lived all their lives out in the sun in Arizona and California that don't have bubbles in their original paint. The only damage you should be seeing from the sun is fading and possibly peeling from the clear-coat and then once that's peeled then possibly peeling from the paint, but not bubbles rooting from under the paint.

I'd go back to Tesla and tell them you want the car repainted, that you bought the car new and were under the impression that when you bought it that this car was able to be driven outside in the daylight at the worse time that the sun is out, 12PM. State that you didn't have any Tesla employee disclose that this car was not to be driven when the sun is out and that it should be only driven after dusk and before dawn. Sheeeze, What person do they think would buy such a car? Dracula!!?!?!

 

[ViperDoc]

The killer is that the defect is spreading. It used to be just on the front passenger "fender" panel, but now it is appearing on the passenger door panel...

 

[ravng]

Yeah mine spreads too. Regarding to Tesla here it's due to moist. So basically you cannot use the car in either sunny or moist conditions, hehe.