What’s so special about the Tesla paint?

[Pemple]

My BMW 330e lease is up next month and I’m ordering a M3 LR+ in gray once battery day wraps up. Very excited!

Anyway, the BMW is 3 years old and the paintwork is fine, a few dings but nothing to worry about. I’d I never considered the need to wrap it up in vinyl, apply ceramic, or have the equivalent of an Italian grandmothers plastic sofa covers because...it’s a car and I’m driving it at 65 mph+ into bugs, stones, deer, etc.

So why are these forums full of people obsessing about protections? (I’ve searched but can’t find a succinct answer.) is it because we are all just so enamored with these works or art, because the factory colors are a bit dull, or is the paintwork quality just a bit substandard?

thanks in advance!

 

[Big Dog]

So why are these forums full of people obsessing about protections?

Bcos they have the money, and don't want to see a "few dings" in three years.....

 

[destructure00]

The paint/clear coat on my car seems to be softer and scratch more easily than any other car I've owned.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

The real reason is that Tesla stinks at paint, and it's very soft. It needs a lot of work from the factory to look good, including sometimes a respray, and it damages very easily.

For example, I took my previous Jag through a high-end brush car wash several times a month for 8 years, and the paint still looked great when I finally sold it to get the M3. I took my new red M3 through the same car wash 1 time, and ended up spending an entire day polishing out all the scratches. It looked like it had been covered in spiderwebs. Then I cancelled my car wash membership and now I hand wash it

Sandy Munro is considered a god for evaluating the quality of cars, and when I saw this video, it confirmed what I have been saying about their paint and build quality - Elon absolutely doesn't give a crap, and the problems are systemic. The fanboys are going to hate this video because they won't be able to argue with Sandy:

Skip to 10:32

 

[glide]

Because Tesla’s paint is absolute garbage. Coming from BMW where the paint is exceptional, you may want to set your expectations accordingly.

And queue the Tesla fanbois to disagree.

 

[Scrannel]

I'm far from anybody's fanboy. But as far as I know, Tesla uses Glasurit paint, and not guessing the exact nature of this particular version of Glasurit, it certainly must be used on other cars. Sandy -- with all respect -- looks like he comes from the days when Ford used to shoot basically a Sherman Tank grade enamel on their cars, while GM was shooting -- poorly finished -- lacquer. Anyway, here's another point of view on hard/soft paint from a detailer's perspective.

Hard Paint vs. Soft Paint

 

[UncertainTimes]

They also don’t know how to use buffers. Mine came with a lot of buffer burns. And some what I assume is adhesive residue that’s etched into the paint below the chrome window trim.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

I'm far from anybody's fanboy. But as far as I know, Tesla uses Glasurit paint, and not guessing the exact nature of this particular version of Glasurit, it certainly must be used on other cars. Sandy -- with all respect -- looks like he comes from the days when Ford used to shoot basically a Sherman Tank grade enamel on their cars, while GM was shooting -- poorly finished -- lacquer. Anyway, here's another point of view on hard/soft paint from a detailer's perspective.

Hard Paint vs. Soft Paint

Silly comment about Sandy, and you clearly missed the point. The point is Tesla isn't doing it right, and they don't care. If they cared, they would fix the problems. They don't care.

 

[cucubits]

Because Tesla's paint will scratch and chip even if you look at it in a way it doesn't like it. It really is that bad and with the cars costing as much as they do, people try to keep them at least looking good for as long as possible.

I've driven my Model S for 3000 miles and I honestly have more rock chips on the nose than I had with a 2016 Mazda 6 which I've driven on the exact same routes for 36000 miles. It's mindblowing how bad Tesla's paint it.

 

[duanra]

Well, in Canada Tesla is giving mudflaps for free because of issues with the paint due to the Winter season.

 

[TW14 9LF]

Wonder whether California's strict environmental regulations have any impact on the quality of the paint, I don't think anybody else is making cars in California except for Tesla.

Agree that the paint on this car requires more care to keep looking nice than any other car I've owned.

Keith

 

[Scrannel]

Silly comment about Sandy? I'm from that era and used to paint cars and bikes. I do believe the comment is appropriate. Almost all car companies (not just in the states) are using water base paint (not enamel or lacquer). Some may be having issues with it, unclear. My car has had no problems at one year. But the thing I can see Tesla is "doing wrong" is using the "old school" painted rockers and lowers instead of an alternative material.

 

[Scrannel]

BTW here's a supposed spread sheet on car paint hardness.

PAINT HARDNESS

 

[glide]

Wonder whether California's strict environmental regulations have any impact on the quality of the paint, I don't think anybody else is making cars in California except for Tesla.

Agree that the paint on this car requires more care to keep looking nice than any other car I've owned.

Keith

Yes it has a huge impact. Vehicles produced in Texas, China, and Berlin will not have these issues.

 

[asian_xl]

My car spent a week in the tesla body shop to correct the paint on Day 1. Then I drove 20 miles hwy to have the car wrapped with PPF, upon arriving the PPF shop, there were already countless scratch on the front, it was worse when the shop put spotlight on the car, I could see all the vertical hairline scratch on the hood, bumper and fenders.

 

[UncertainTimes]

It all looks the same 10 feet away who cares.

 

[holmgang]

Because some people enjoy their cars and want to preserve them meticulously?

Who am I to judge. I treat my cars as cars, including BMWs, so I take general good care of them, but not to museum-grade concours level.

The Tesla paint came from the factory with more blemishes than other - the common paint nibs, imperfect finishing around edges, etc. But actual paint durability has been fine so far.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Silly comment about Sandy, and you clearly missed the point. The point is Tesla isn't doing it right, and they don't care. If they cared, they would fix the problems. They don't care.

Tesla cares, but the problem is that the fix would require them to do a very expensive replacement of the Frenont paint shop.

Instead, they'll replace Fremont.

 

[XLR82XS]

The paint/clear coat on my car seems to be softer and scratch more easily than any other car I've owned.

+2. It's not great compared to other vehicles in my stable. Apparently the paint issues are being addressed for the Berlin factory.