Being from the UK it is interesting reading through your forum to find that our fellow Z owners in the US have hte same probleme that we do with paint chipping.

The response that we have received from Nissan has been one of well what do you expect with such a big bumper go away and stop complaining.

I notice that a lot of owners seem to be getting their bumpers resprayed. I would be interested to hear what kind of response owners in America have had when raising this issue with both Nissan or there local dealer.

We are currently trying to get the Number 1 Motor Magazine in the UK, Autocar involved in this issue, and have so far got a letter published, with the magazine saying they would be interested to hear from other owners who have encountered the same problem. Fellow UK forum members have this week been sending in their stories and complaints about the quality of the paint on the Z, and the lack of customer service we have received from Nissan.

It would be good if one or two of our US colleges would back this up with your own experiences, and from reading the forum there seems to be plenty of them. The e-mail address is below.

richard.bremner@haynet.com

 

Nissan is not the only company having this problem as all manufacturers have had to change the way cars are painted due to dangerous emissions released during the the painting process.

I doubt there is much you can do as far as Nissan is concerned. 3M makes a transparent film that works great to protect against paint chips, you already have some on your car just ahead of the rear wheels near the rocker panel. Bet you don't see any chips there.

In the UK, try http://www.secureonlineshopping.biz/paintshield/ and those of you in the US can find an installer at http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/_...8912/_l/en_US/

I know its not a Nissan, but here is a picture of an 05 Boxster with the film applied to the front. Porsche is aware of the problem and gets its cars patterned before they are released to the public. The new Boxster won't be available for a couple of months but Porsche knows that this is the best alternative available under the current environmental laws concerning automotive paint.

 

How is washing the car, once that film is applied? Is there moisture buildup?

Sully

 

There will be some moisture under the film just after the installation similar to window tint, but once it has had time to "cure" ( time will vary due to the temperature, but usually between 72 hours to a few weeks ) no moisture will get under the film. Just wash and wax it like its not there. You may get some dirt or a wax buildup along the edges but that can be easily removed with a detail brush, just like along a pin stripe.

More information is available here:

http://www.speedfilm.net/faqs.html

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/_...2/_s.155/98916

 

This is the email response that I received. Keep in mind that it took over 2 weeks for them to reply. And, I asked them what their advice was and please don't just tell me to take it to my local dealership.

"Thank you for taking the time to personally contact us about the paint
issues with your 2003 350Z. As various factors can contributet to paint
damage, it is imperative that all paint concerns are reviewed by the
dealership for proper diagnosis and coverage. In review of your vehicle,
I have found there to be no open recalls on your vehicle. Your local
Nissan dealership is the best place to get information about your paint
concerns. For your nearest Nissan dealer, visit our Dealer Locator:
http://www.nissan-usa.com. Thank you for taking the time to personally
contact us with your question. At Nissan, we strive to provide the
highest level of customer service.


File number # xxxxxxxx has been created to document this concern. We want
to keep you happy, please feel free to email me back or call
1-800-647-7261 (Nissan Consumer Affairs) with any additional questions or
comments.

Sincerely,

Angela S.
National Consumer Affairs
Nissan North America, Inc."

 

Here is a link explaining the reasons for changing the way cars are painted
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/es/etb/cetc/c..._paints_e.html

 

Speed 2000 is spot on ! Paints just do not have the hardness of years ago , and it is prevalent elsewhere with other manufacturers. Also , I know this is old by the now , but I was one of the original preorder people and by not waxing right away I still feel that my chips have been minimized , as to trying to allow this paint to harden as hard as it was capable of doing . Two years later I have chips ( no Armourfend , mate ) but they are not that bad . Nissan's claim , " hard as diamonds " must have been written under the influence of LSD !If you really want it free of chips , and Nissan probably will never do anything about this , although they did in one or two of our UK members cars and that was like pulling teeth and another long story , get it Armourfended ! Cheers !


FrankieZZ
USA Correspondent
350Zuk.com