[jasonion74]

Been to Bmw again about the quality of the paint, I have 3 bmw's my x3 being 2012 and has done 30.000 miles. The paint has a lot of stone chips and the clear coat I can scratch with my nail. I am not happy with the paint at all and Bmw say that it is bad but all there paint is like that now. I am thinking of selling up and getting a Audi.

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by jasonion74

Been to Bmw again about the quality of the paint, I have 3 bmw's my x3 being 2012 and has done 30.000 miles. The paint has a lot of stone chips and the clear coat I can scratch with my nail. I am not happy with the paint at all and Bmw say that it is bad but all there paint is like that now. I am thinking of selling up and getting a Audi.

I am surprised at you getting bad chips and can scratch the soft clear coat. Mine is a 2013 (63 plate) and there is only one chip on the front and the clear coat is definitely hard. I just wonder if yours has a general paint process defect, or you drive on roads that are in worse condition than Oxfordshire. Although I doubt the later with pot holes everywhere in the countryside.

Having said that, I understand that all manufacturers have been forced down the environmental paint route, so I cannot see how Audi will be any better.

[ianfp]

The clear lacquer was quite hard on my car, but now the BMW dealer has crashed my car and is repairing it, I will be interested to see how soft it is; interested, but not happy!

Beware of Audi lacquer as it is similar to that used by BMW and I know of three Audi owners who are less than happy with their paint finish!

[Tjalle]

Painting is a process - shit happens - even in the US of A

My paint/clear coat is OK.

I have seen no previous complaints during my 1 year monotoring of this site.

[f4780y]

BMW paint + clear coat has the reputation of being one of the hardest around. You certainly shouldn't be able to scratch it with your nail! This sounds like a defect in the process for your car (or the batch at that time), as previously suggested.
I'm on my 5th BM and whilst I've had plenty of stone chips doing > 24,000 motorway miles a year, I would never suggest any of mine have been "soft". My X4 is brand new and I'd describe the paint / clear as a typically "hard" combination.

[Polo08816]

Try this: http://www.staples.com/Sharpie-reg-F...product_752356 It should be able to fill in those stone chips and there's enough colors to match any BMW paint out there.

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by gitmo234

that's a good option but I'd strongly recommend using a trick my mechanic showed me that will actually enhance the value. If the OP takes a bit of silver touch up paint or a silver marker and colors them in, it becomes a metallic paint job which normally are more expensive and adds to resale value

Not just your mechanic either. We have been doing this in the family for years.

[ecsw]

My theory is the paint is not complete dried out when being delivered and it's easy to get chipped with minimum effort.

Got my X3 at the end of Feb 2015. I have 6 stone chips within first 2 months. All of them I could see the aluminum/base under the paint. 3 on the hood (2 by the edge, 1 in the middle front of the hood), 1 at the front passanger fender panel, 1 at front bumper, 1 at the rear bumper.

I quickly touch them all up but it's not perfect....
Another 5 months pass, I haven't got another stone chip and cross my finger there will not be another one....

[gIzzE]

I have never even considered the quality of paint on any car I have owned before, however, the paint on my X3 is terribly soft.

I am going to speak to BMW about it as I am not sure it is right.

[ecsw]

I had a few other cars in my life, they all had stone chips from time to time. But never as bad as my X3. It's usually 5-6 chips after 5-6 years where as my X3 gets 5-6 in the first 2 months.

I understand it's unavoidable to get stone chip from high speed, but because most of other cars I had were all purchased off the lot and none of them were custom made to order like this. From the time the production starts for my X3 to the time I received my order (well less than 2 months), even tho the paint was baked in oven, it's just not completely adhere to the panel IMO and hence the soft paint especially in the beginning.

Those are just my 2 cents

If I ever get another custom made BMW in the future, I will try to avoid hwy for the first 2 months.....

[Speedbird1]

After reading this thread, and fearing the worst, I thought I'd nip out and check the paint on my 2014 LCI Carbon Black 30d M Sport. However, I was only able to find ONE stone chip (about 1mm across) on the bonnet and one 2mm scratch, probably caused by a stone striking and skipping off, on the front bumper. I have driven in excess of 15000 miles in the last 12 months, including trips to the Alps from the UK to ski, and an 1800 mile tour of Scotland in the summer. In addition, this vehicle is my daily driver and subject to all road / weather combo's. The ONLY preparation I have ever put on my car is a coat of BMW nano-wax every other month. Perhaps that's just very good at protecting the paint and/or I've been quite lucky.

However, don't get me started on the windscreen which has lots of chips,and appears quite vulnerable, but that's a whole different story!

[ecsw]

Originally Posted by Speedbird1

After reading this thread, and fearing the worst, I thought I'd nip out and check the paint on my 2014 LCI Carbon Black 30d M Sport. However, I was only able to find ONE stone chip (about 1mm across) on the bonnet and one 2mm scratch, probably caused by a stone striking and skipping off, on the front bumper. I have driven in excess of 15000 miles in the last 12 months, including trips to the Alps from the UK to ski, and an 1800 mile tour of Scotland in the summer. In addition, this vehicle is my daily driver and subject to all road / weather combo's. The ONLY preparation I have ever put on my car is a coat of BMW nano-wax every other month. Perhaps that's just very good at protecting the paint and/or I've been quite lucky.

However, don't get me started on the windscreen which has lots of chips,and appears quite vulnerable, but that's a whole different story!

I have got 1 chip on windshield as well within 2 months.
Friend who got X3 few weeks after me also got one few weeks after me.

I got luck that I was able to fill it quickly and leave only tiny mark....

[3002 tii]

I've been applying paint protection film on all my cars and I have to say it's worth every penny. The areas most prone to damage are front bumper, headlights, mirror caps and side skirts. You can do the bumper on lower cars but don't find that to be the case on the X3. Prior to installing clear bras I used to get my bumpers resprayed once every 2-3 years...

[gIzzE]

It is not the front that bothers me so much, just the paint in general, I have never known a car get swirls so easy.