Paint Chipping - Warranty or Recall?

Delgaty · May 5, 2017

I've had my Sierra for about 9 months now and it's got more chips in it than my 06 F150 I traded in for it. I have already touched up 4 chips and have another 8-10 already. The paint is paper thin. Worst part is the truck was stolen just after I got it and the only damage was a scuff in the bumper paint so it was repainted, and the dealer applied the same paper thin coat as the factory. I read on here some of you have gotten lucky and the dealers warrantied it. I'm going to pay the $500 to have the 3M film applied to my bumpers in the end, I just don't know if I should fight for new paint or just touch them up beforehand.

CounterMeasure · May 5, 2017

It never hurts to ask the dealer if they will cover it or not. It shouldn't be expected to, as there's no warranty that the paint is road-debris resistant.

That said, I totally agree with you that the paint on the bumper sucks. Its thin and its on a metal bumper, which has much less give than the paint on my '06 Tundra's front bumper. I had less than 10 chips in 10 years on my Tundra. I had 10 chips in the first two months on my Sierra.

O_J_Simpson · May 5, 2017

Fact of life. These trucks chip. Don't expect warranty coverage as it is road debris damage.

Delgaty · May 5, 2017

Is it too much to expect paint to be durable enough to take a certain amount of hitting before it chips though? Also, I have more chips on the rear than the front. Not sure how that's happening. Even got a couple on the tail gate.

Heavy 5.7 · May 5, 2017

Is it too much to expect paint to be durable enough to take a certain amount of hitting before it chips though?

Be sure to thank the EPA.

O_J_Simpson · May 5, 2017

Be sure to thank the EPA.

Please explain. EPA has nothing to do with it.

elcamino · May 5, 2017

No recalls for paint

A recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle, equipment, car seat, or tire creates an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet minimum safety standards. Most decisions to conduct a recall and remedy a safety defect are made voluntarily by manufacturers prior to any involvement by NHTSA.

powerhaulic · May 5, 2017

Please explain. EPA has nothing to do with it.

Actually they do.

Solvent based paint has been replaced with water base per the EPA.

O_J_Simpson · May 5, 2017

Actually they do.

Solvent based paint has been replaced with water base per the EPA.

You do know that the vast majority of the GM gull size trucks are imports, made in Mexico. Can you provide some direction on when the EPA took over Mexico production? I would love to learn more of how this happened.

newdude · May 5, 2017

You do know that the vast majority of the GM gull size trucks are imports, made in Mexico. Can you provide some direction on when the EPA took over Mexico production? I would love to learn more of how this happened.

"vast majority'? Its only crew cab 1/2 ton pickups that come from Mexico. I wouldn't call that a vast majority. Flint and Ft. Wayne would like to have a word with you...

Krusty · May 5, 2017

On my 2007.5 the paint didn't just chip - it exploded in tiny little craters - it would happen on the sides and where-ever not just the hood. I went around touching them up at first too - then gave up and lived with it. Better things to worry about - but yes I blame it on water based paint. Best thing you could do is have a clear urethane applied over the whole truck when new right off the lot.

Have not bothered to look for chips on the 2017 yet - heck I barely have bothered to wash it since the Seattle spring has been so wet - epic thunderstorm last night........ 1,222 miles on her when I parked this morning - probably a few chips by now........

Here's a close up of the 2007.5 hood from my for sale ad 10 years later. Yes there are chips all over - but that is to be expected - it's a truck - it got used daily......

Edited May 5, 2017 by Krusty

Donstar · May 5, 2017

I haven't had problems with paint chips on my vehicles since I traveled hundreds of miles of gravel roads on a regular basis in the 70's and 80's! The paint on my '09 was in good condition when I traded it in and my '15 is still chip free after 1.5 years. I believe eliminating solvents in paints in an effort to protect our environment for our grandkids as a small sacrifice. There was a time when we used oil-based paints for a major portion of our house painting needs. Advancements have made water based paints the popular choice and I am sure the same will apply to automobile paint. There were many upset people when the nation switched from leaded to unleaded gas! Blaming the EPA for chips in our paint is not right in my opinion. Finding ways to protect our vehicles from chips such as mud flaps, protective coatings, deflectors etc. is what we need to be doing if chipping is a problem.

O_J_Simpson · May 5, 2017

"vast majority'? Its only crew cab 1/2 ton pickups that come from Mexico. I wouldn't call that a vast majority. Flint and Ft. Wayne would like to have a word with you...

If it is not the half ton crew cab, so what model would you consider the vast majority of GM full size trucks produced?

ewiski · May 5, 2017

Actually they do.

Solvent based paint has been replaced with water base per the EPA.

yup yup and yup. paint quality had been getting better now its gone over the cliff. from a stand point of UV and fading its pretty good now but has no scratch and chip durability what so ever. Its kind of like oil based house paint is still better than all the new stuff. The other issue is they are using less and less paint making the coats as thin as possible to save money.

the problem with the EPA they base their decisions on junk and biased science.

Edited May 5, 2017 by ericw

Thomcat · May 5, 2017

You do know that the vast majority of the GM gull size trucks are imports, made in Mexico. Can you provide some direction on when the EPA took over Mexico production? I would love to learn more of how this happened.

EPA could likely not give a $hit what they do in Mexico as long as what happens in Mexico stays in Mexico. However they do give a$hit for products being sold, in use, and being disposed of in the US environment.

And here's how it happened....... The Government regulates everything including all the food, water and air you stick in your face and what exits your a$$. OSHA regulates environmental contaminants in the workplace and EPA regulates environmental hazards in air, water, soil and whatever else they can include at a future date. ALL products sold and/or in use in the US are subject to US laws as if they were manufactured in the US. Applies to Chinese dolls with lead based paints and similarly automotive products with petrochemical based paints that will end up in landfills and/or when their recycled chemical pollutants are released to the air. So whether produced by GM in Mexico, Canada or Australia you end up with asbestos free brake pads and vapor thin color coats and Jello hard - water based clear coats which pose less EPA and OSHA environmental threats to US employees when produced AND less EPA environmental threats and less employee environmental threats in the US when subject to accidental fires or dumped in rivers, when recycled, stored in salvage lots and/or eventual disposal in landfills. Answer = if a product is in use or sale in the US - it's a$$ is regulated in the US.

Of course in doing so vehicles are now more susceptible to chipping - especially the gloss black which may not be a polycoat - but that is the price you pay for living in the US - try to find solace that by your suffering chips in the paint, you are in reality a hero saving the Earth.