Found under the paint on new Avalanche

Shaners · March 13, 2013

The worst thing about it is until I found this F-up, the paint job on my truck is the nicest one I have ever seen from GM! No fish-eyes, no orange-peel just super smooth and glossy! I would put this paint on par with the paint on my BMW!

hzhardy · March 13, 2013

Maybe I should have a forensic guy lift the print and find the guilty party at the GM paint shop!

Hey it is your truck. I have been painting for over ten years and that is what paint does when it comes in contact with an oil substance and yes touching a preped surface bare handed will do that..

GMCustomerService · March 13, 2013

Thanks for all the interesting information. It scares the hell out of me having to have my brand new $52,000.00 truck repainted! I will have to talk to my dealer and see what he says... I know if I have it resprayed and iif it didn't blend perfectly I will be more disappointed than I am right now.

Keep me posted on your progress with the dealer as well. Feel free to contact me if you need more assistance. Thank you.

Tricia, GM Customer Service.

99silveradoz71 · March 13, 2013

I've got my powder and brushes in the office closet at the house. We'll dust that hood and find the culprit. Seriously though, that'd make me crazy. Hopefully they can repaint and get it done right for you.

SouthCo · March 13, 2013

Dang, that looks bad. I'm surprised you didn't see it before buying...

TJay74 · March 13, 2013

I would see if they can have GM ship them a painted hood directly from the factory, otherwise only option is complete repaint and blend like suggested. We had white diamond tri-coat on my wifes old Lincoln MKZ. She was side swiped, we had a very reputable shop try to repaint the area that was hit, in the end when the car was clean you see the difference.

Shaners · March 13, 2013

Dang, that looks bad. I'm surprised you didn't see it before buying...

When you buy a vehicle in the middle of winter it is very difficult to see things like this. The sun doesn't shine, it is always wet or snowing and the roads are always covered with slop. Other than running it through the touchless car wash every week I still have yet to give it a good hand wash...

dsmmace · March 13, 2013

I have seen this haze that gets trapped under the clear coat from moisture under the protective shipping film. Alwe had to do to fix it was put it under a heatlamp in the body shop for a couple hours and it disappeared.

Bad Bowtie2 · March 13, 2013

It's HARD to beleive this made it through GM's assembly line paint inspection station!!

Have anyone of you guys seen this area before??

There must be 1,000 bulbs shining on the vehicle from every direction imaginable. The inspectors wear sealed up, scratch resistant suits, gloves, hairnets, etc. Looks like a hazmat team "on the go".

pm26 · March 13, 2013

I wouldn't accept this flaw. Have them fix it...they can do wonders with matching the paint nowadays. Especially on a brand new vehicle without faded or sunbleached paint yet.

I wouldn't accept this flaw. Have them fix it...they can do wonders with matching the paint nowadays. Especially on a brand new vehicle without faded or sunbleached paint yet.

Saying it once should deliver the message.

pm26 · March 13, 2013

I had the rear quarter painted when the truck was damaged at dealership the day of my appointment. The detailer scratched the dually fender on the overhead door backing out...

The Facts: 3 paint jobs later with the chrome, lights , everything dismantled...The Paint STILL did not come out right.

I am not that fussy but fish eyes, runs, are not acceptable to anyones standard.

All said and done the fender ( silver birch metallic) is one shade darker than the rest of the truck expecially when the sun is out.

Painter whom is at the Dealership consided with me an told me that they would have to go right to the primer coat to make it match better. BETTER not get the truck like I received the Brand New 65,000 dollar truck back with the paint job XXXX !!

Good Luck, and check it out under all lighting conditions before you accept it.

Some paint shades are nearly impossible to match perfectly, silver being one of them. I have seen plenty of vehicles of light blue, light green, sand metallic, and silver colors that had one part repainted and it stood out like a sore thumb under the right light conditions. Sometimes it is best to have them repaint the entire side of the vehicle. Blending in the color into fender, doors, etc does not work very well for some colors.

Mich4x4 · March 13, 2013

Some paint shades are nearly impossible to match perfectly, silver being one of them. I have seen plenty of vehicles of light blue, light green, sand metallic, and silver colors that had one part repainted and it stood out like a sore thumb under the right light conditions. Sometimes it is best to have them repaint the entire side of the vehicle. Blending in the color into fender, doors, etc does not work very well for some colors.

I have been dealing with picky customers that get in car accidents for the last 13 years. I also deal with over 250 body shops in the territory I cover for the insurance company I work for. I inspect vehicles before and after body repairs. A good painter, using quality products, with a proper spray booth, mixing equipment, tints, spray out panels etc. can match colors quite well. As mentioned, Hardest are the lighter colors such as tan, silver and the Tri-coat like the OP has. Any reputable shop should be able to re-paint the hood, blend the fenders and make it very, very close to perfect. Also, keep in mind that painted metal (fender/hood) will almost always look a shade different than painted plastic (bumper facia/wheel opening flares/bumper end caps). If you don't believe me head out to a GM dealer on a bright sunny day and take a look at some of the brand new silver/tan vehicles on the lot. Pay particular attention to any area where a plastic part meets a metal part on a horizontal plane... If you have a good eye, you will notice a difference. My company vehicle is a 2012 silver Chevy Malibu. The front and rear bumpers are a completely different shade of of silver when compared to the rest of the vehicle in good light. And this is a vehicle that has never been in an accident and came directly off a GM lot...Brand new!

My advice.. Take the truck back to the dealer and demand that they fix it. If you have to get GM involved then do so. Heck, being a tri coat, I would go to a Cadillac dealer to have them paint it. There are A LOT of tri-coat caddys driving around and the painters at the caddy dealers definitely are used to painting tri-stage colors.

Lastly, at least in MI, a lot of the more technologically advanced body shops are switching to waterborne paint. All around a better paint, color match process... IMO..

Jeff

Shaners · March 13, 2013

Hopefully if I have time after work tomorrow I will head to the dealer to see what they want to do. They have their own body shop, but I will ask whether going to a Caddy dealer would be a better idea. I know if they repaint it and it looks worse than it does right now I will be very upset!

tobias · March 13, 2013

Thanks for all the interesting information. It scares the hell out of me having to have my brand new $52,000.00 truck repainted! I will have to talk to my dealer and see what he says... I know if I have it resprayed and iif it didn't blend perfectly I will be more disappointed than I am right now.

Scares me you actually paid $52,000 for an Avalanche.