Paint quality question

[SlicedBr3ad]

is there a difference in paint quality between base m3 black and all others? Will upgraded paint colors last longer? I intend to keep the car for a while but do not want to spend thousands on getting xpel installed.

I.e. when I read that some other paint is multi coat, I'm interpreting that literally and think there are more paint layers. This will lead to less paint chipping when eventual door dings do happen. In which case, paintless dent removal may be an option.

Disclaimer, did a paint search and did not find any threads on this so send a link to existing thread which talks about this. Thanks.

 

[David99]

I'm not sure more layers of paint help. The paint itself makes all the difference. I hope the Model 3 will have better paint quality than the current Teslas.

 

[SlicedBr3ad]

I'm not sure more layers of paint help. The paint itself makes all the difference. I hope the Model 3 will have better paint quality than the current Teslas.

What's happening to current Tesla paint?

If it's anything like black Infiniti suv paint, it's total garbage though. Minor dings are causing paint to chip and break.

 

[Thomas Edison]

Well, considering they are made in California like the current Teslas I wouldn't count on it being any better. Environmental regulations in that state make the paint not so great.

 

[David99]

Well, considering they are made in California like the current Teslas I wouldn't count on it being any better. Environmental regulations in that state make the paint not so great.

That's the excuse, but I think Tesla's paint is just poor quality.

 

[cartwright]

My recent MS has been at a body shop for 2+ weeks now while they work on paint issues.

I had 5 tiny bubbles in the clear coat and 3 or 4 dimples/dents in the paint. There was also a build up of paint under the passenger door handle and flaws on the driver-side mirror. The guy at the service center even commented that it must have been a Friday when it was painted, he'd never seen so many flaws on a single car.

It is pretty frustrating, but I think it is important that they fix what they can. Besides the paint issues I haven't had any trouble, but for sure Tesla paint is on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of quality.

 

[SlicedBr3ad]

My recent MS has been at a body shop for 2+ weeks now while they work on paint issues.

I had 5 tiny bubbles in the clear coat and 3 or 4 dimples/dents in the paint. There was also a build up of paint under the passenger door handle and flaws on the driver-side mirror. The guy at the service center even commented that it must have been a Friday when it was painted, he'd never seen so many flaws on a single car.

It is pretty frustrating, but I think it is important that they fix what they can. Besides the paint issues I haven't had any trouble, but for sure Tesla paint is on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of quality.

What color is your mS? I wonder if the dings (dimple/dents?) you mention didn't damage paint by chipping it because it isn't base print. Are these dents from other car doors, or highway rocks?

 

[cartwright]

What color is your mS? I wonder if the dings (dimple/dents?) you mention didn't damage paint by chipping it because it isn't base print. Are these dents from other car doors, or highway rocks?

My car is black.

These weren't dents in the traditional sense. They almost looked like painted over spot welds. Slightly dimpled circles.

 

[Tiger]

Getting your car fully repainted is cheaper than wrapping it. Wrapping makes zero sense in paint protection ways.

 

[Uncle Paul]

I believe that Tesla just invested millions in a new, state of the art paint booth in Fremont.

My X has the standard solid white paint, and it is excellent. Hard with a nice gloss.

Believe the vehicles are painted by robots, with people taking over between coats to address quality and finish.

Think Tesla is better than most in the paint department.

While the environmental controls are pretty extreme for painting in the US and especially California, it is in keeping with the Tesla philosophy to provide a high quality standard with environmental considerations.

If you look close enough, all factory paint will have blemishes. It is just the nature of paint, however I feel that the product that Tesla is putting out is pretty good. Far better than I came to expect from my previous Jeep Grand Cherokees.

Those with ultra high expectations might consider a trip to a high end detailer and paint correction specialist, if they wish a show quality finish.

 

[shokunin]

If the base black is the same as the Model S, it's non-metallic black and the rest of the colors are metallic. It's the shiniest and deepest of blacks but also the most prone to highlight and show any defects, swirls, scratches, and dust.

The metallic paints help hide or conceal the scratches and swirls versus pure black.

 

[Ken7]

I believe that Tesla just invested millions in a new, state of the art paint booth in Fremont.

My X has the standard solid white paint, and it is excellent. Hard with a nice gloss.

Believe the vehicles are painted by robots, with people taking over between coats to address quality and finish.

Think Tesla is better than most in the paint department.

While the environmental controls are pretty extreme for painting in the US and especially California, it is in keeping with the Tesla philosophy to provide a high quality standard with environmental considerations.

If you look close enough, all factory paint will have blemishes. It is just the nature of paint, however I feel that the product that Tesla is putting out is pretty good. Far better than I came to expect from my previous Jeep Grand Cherokees.

Those with ultra high expectations might consider a trip to a high end detailer and paint correction specialist, if they wish a show quality finish.

I absolutely agree. I have a new silver S and the paint quality is excellent. Gloss and hardness are as good or better than prior Lexuses I’ve owned.

I’m not sure why some have the idea that the paint is sub-standard. It’s not.

 

[SlicedBr3ad]

I absolutely agree. I have a new silver S and the paint quality is excellent. Gloss and hardness are as good or better than prior Lexuses I’ve owned.

I’m not sure why some have the idea that the paint is sub-standard. It’s not.

We've got 3 input so far, white and silver print is great, black paint had issues. Sounds like exactly what I'm worried about.

 

[Ken7]

Then choose the upgrade paint. It will add $1,000-1,500. It will mitigate your anxiety and enhance your car’s look and quality.

In the context of the total cost of the car, that’s a small price to pay.

 

[Snerruc]

I have a white 2016 S. It is plain white and gloss reads 99 on my gloss meter. It has been abused a little and still has no scratches, chips other than a small door ding that just marked the paint a little. My daughter’s Lexus doesn’t look quite as good. MB paint is usually on the hard side and shows micro chips from stones, etc. BMW is middle of the road on hardness and tends to smear on small impacts. Tesla is in the range of BMW . Can’t speak to long term gloss retention yet. But no early loss

 

[speedy]

I have a midnight silver metallic S built in Sep 2017 and the paint has been excellent with no blemishes. Given it's all robot painted in an automated line, I'm not sure what would account for blemishes, etc...

 

[mspohr]

Well, considering they are made in California like the current Teslas I wouldn't count on it being any better. Environmental regulations in that state make the paint not so great.

This seems to be a TMC myth. Lots of complaints on TMC about "soft paint". I have researched this and none of the professional paint forums come up with these complaints about low VOC paints. In fact, these paints are being widely adopted outside California for the environmental, employee health, and quality benefits. Some manufacturers tout the benefits of their "soft paint" as being more durable, less likely to chip.
Hard Paint and Soft Paint – What are your polishing choices? | Ask a Pro Blog
"First of all there are a lot of trends from the manufacturers that we learn through experience in terms of paint hardness. We have come to learn that manufacturers like Audi, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes typically have hard paint, and Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus (most Japanese manufacturers), and Porsche have soft paints. As for the American manufacturers…they’re all across the board from soft to hard and can vary from factory to factory even when dealing with the same car. But these are merely guidelines because while most colors from BMW for instance would be hard paint, their Jet Black is very soft (most companies have at least one car / color that are on the other end of the spectrum than the rest). And the manufacturers can change their paint from year to year, so just because a certain paint code from one manufacturer is really soft for several years, it doesn’t mean that ALL years of that exact paint code/name will be that way. "

 

[David99]

It's not a TMC myth just because it is being reported here a lot. Just as much as frequent DU replacements are not a myth just because people are reporting it here. It was a very real thing until they fixed those DU once and for all.

My Model S paint looks much worse than my previous VW after the same time/mileage. Same with other cars I look at. Paint quality can be judged by many things. I don't know if it's softer or harder, I can just see that my front looks much worse (dings and chips) than other cars with the same miles and usage. Call it a myth if you like, it's real on my car.

 

[SlicedBr3ad]

It's not a TMC myth just because it is being reported here a lot. Just as much as frequent DU replacements are not a myth just because people are reporting it here. It was a very real thing until they fixed those DU once and for all.

My Model S paint looks much worse than my previous VW after the same time/mileage. Same with other cars I look at. Paint quality can be judged by many things. I don't know if it's softer or harder, I can just see that my front looks much worse (dings and chips) than other cars with the same miles and usage. Call it a myth if you like, it's real on my car.

Paint color for reference? Thanks

 

[David99]

Paint color for reference? Thanks

silver 2014