2016~2023 Paint Issues

Just bought my second Mazda (First was a 2012 3 Hatch). I loved my little 2012 Hatch with the then New Skyactive engine and 6 speed Manual Transmission. So when I got married and had a kid, time to get a big Mazda.

So I bought a new 2019 CX-9 GT with the Gray. After I got it home, I washed it again to put a coat of Wax on the paint before heading into the mtns. Then noticed that I had what seems to be rock chips on the hood, and paint missing from a part on the hatch just behind the roof rail. Also paint run on the front passenger bumper.

I called the dealer, they said they would fix it, but Should I be worried that something happened to the car that the Dealership isn't telling me about?

Thanks!

Cb, Seatle East-Side
 
Some states do not require dealers to disclose any repair work done to a brand new vehicle if damage was under x amount. Perhaps something happened during transport or test drive?
 
Some states do not require dealers to disclose any repair work done to a brand new vehicle if damage was under x amount. Perhaps something happened during transport or test drive?

That would be my guess as well (especially considering the visible paint run). That said, the chips may just be rock chips. Japanese paint is very soft, so it is more likely to chip and scratch compared to some other paints (like German, for example). If the dealer is fixing everything, including the paint chips, I would suggest having some paint protection film installed on the entire front clip of the car (after the paint has has sufficient time to cure). I did the bumper, mirror caps, and parts of the fenders and hood, but I should have done the whole hood, both fenders, and both A-pillars. The protected portions look brand new, but the unprotected parts have a few rock chips from daily driving.
 
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I've read a number of complaints on the forum about the CX-9 paint being especially fragile and took this into consideration before purchasing my 2019 GT in March. I don't drive a lot and have about 5.5K miles on it so far and the optional Snowflake White Pearl Mica paint is holding up very well. I live in rural Texas and have a 2.3 mile dirt road to negotiate going to and from my ranch and thus far no chips or notable wear. Prior to the CX-9 I had a 2013 Toyota Venza in silver and the paint on the front of that vehicle was incredibly thin and was constantly in need of touch up paint. Maybe there's a difference between the colors? Overall most of the cars I've owned in the past 10-15 years seem to have less durable paint finishes than those from the 60's, 70's and 80's.
 
I had a 2014 Mazda 6GT that was black and I had so many rock chips on the front it looked like someone spilled salt all over the front and hood. When I bought my 2016 CX-9 Sig I had the clear film put on the front, hood and side mirrors. Not one chip yet. As far as CoreyB and the Machine Gray. PPG puts out a long video on how to paint the car. The color is basically black. Once they shoot the black the tricky part comes. They add a metallic that looks like a brick that has to be shoot to lay flat and not at an angle otherwise the color won't match. I don't know how they do that so good luck.
 
I am doing some reading about Mazda's paint process. Looks like they are being more environmentally friendly but at a cost to quality. Thin layers and not very strong. Is this a fact? Any opinions as i am looking to buy my first CX-5. Thanks
 
I am doing some reading about Mazda's paint process. Looks like they are being more environmentally friendly but at a cost to quality. Thin layers and not very strong. Is this a fact? Any opinions as i am looking to buy my first CX-5. Thanks

Quoted from an article written by a professional detailer:

First of all there are a lot of trends from the manufacturers that we learn through experience in terms of paint hardness. We have come to learn that manufacturers like Audi, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes typically have hard paint, and Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus (most Japanese manufacturers), and Porsche have soft paints. As for the American manufacturers…they’re all across the board from soft to hard and can vary from factory to factory even when dealing with the same car. But these are merely guidelines because while most colors from BMW for instance would be hard paint, their Jet Black is very soft (most companies have at least one car / color that are on the other end of the spectrum than the rest). And the manufacturers can change their paint from year to year, so just because a certain paint code from one manufacturer is really soft for several years, it doesn’t mean that ALL years of that exact paint code/name will be that way. Just to repeat…these are merely guidelines and there are many, many exceptions which is why a thorough test section on each car needs to be performed to determine just how hard or soft a paint is and to establish your proper combination for paint correction.

Source

To answer your question, yes Mazda paint is soft, like most Japanese paint is soft. This means that it will scratch a little easier than most German brands by comparison. Rock chips are more likely, but to be fair, any paint will chip if you're on the highway and the car in front of you kicks a pebble into your bumper/hood.

IMO the paint is worth the extra care. If you're worried about keeping it pristine, I would invest in paint protection film (PPF). It isn't cheap, but it provides a physical barrier from rock chips and minor scuffs.
 
I am doing some reading about Mazda's paint process. Looks like they are being more environmentally friendly but at a cost to quality. Thin layers and not very strong. Is this a fact? Any opinions as i am looking to buy my first CX-5. Thanks

That is across the whole car universe dude. I have been a member of many car forums and paint issues are a common complaint.

Ever since many countries passed environmental laws regarding paint the quality of paint has gone down hill. If you own a house you notice it for sure, paint doesn't sink into the wood like it should, it sits on top because it is all water based and it just sucks.

But....we are doing better by the enviroment.
 
Or doesn't suck (into the wood, that is). :)

Also frustrating that one cannot even purchase a pint can of decent oil based paint, anymore. I still haves some of those small oil based cans in various colors. I treat them like gold by making sure the lids and tops of cans are totally free of paint before resealing them and try to keep all of them in a somewhat controlled environment. No extremes of heat or cold areas for storage.

IMHO, this isn't really making much of a difference regarding the condition of mother earth.

Nature, like most other things is cyclical.
 
That is across the whole car universe dude. I have been a member of many car forums and paint issues are a common complaint.

Ever since many countries passed environmental laws regarding paint the quality of paint has gone down hill. If you own a house you notice it for sure, paint doesn't sink into the wood like it should, it sits on top because it is all water based and it just sucks.

But....we are doing better by the enviroment.
In our house, I painted some interior doors and trim with water based paint. I did this because the guy at Sherwin Williams guaranteed me, “This paint is much improved over the older versions of water based trim.”

Not only could I NOT get the paint to flow worth a rats ass, this crap didn’t hold up two years before it started breaking down.

That being said, there’s another thread where I posted a pic of large splotchy paint flaws across the roof of my 2018 CX-9 sig. I guess I’ll need a ladder to view the top when buying a car from now on.

Other than that and the mile wide, sight blocking A pillars, (for my safety of course... it’s safe to block vision) the car has been great.
 
In our house, I painted some interior doors and trim with water based paint. I did this because the guy at Sherwin Williams guaranteed me, “This paint is much improved over the older versions of water based trim.”

Not only could I NOT get the paint to flow worth a rats ass, this crap didn’t hold up two years before it started breaking down.

That being said, there’s another thread where I posted a pic of large splotchy paint flaws across the roof of my 2018 CX-9 sig. I guess I’ll need a ladder to view the top when buying a car from now on.

Other than that and the mile wide, sight blocking A pillars, (for my safety of course... it’s safe to block vision) the car has been great.
Agreed!

I am an artist (painter), 5 years of art school and then after college I painted houses and refinished floors. I know paint! :)

Of course auto paint is a slightly different animal. ;)
 
I bought a charcoal gray CX-9 in Jan 2019. New. I also I have a metallic gray CX-9 from 2008 that my daughter drives. Her car has less paint issues than my new one. My 2019 car is made of plastic, the bumpers have mylar shrink wrap (you can run your hand under the bumper on the inside and feel the pucker ripples from where the mylar shrink wrap adhered to the plastic bumper. I had a monster bird poop on the hood and the poop actually "ate" into the paint and left a corrosion looking "scar". Mazda ended up re-painting my car to cover up teh unsightly poop demarcations. I now drive with a chamois cloth to remove bugs and poop DAILY so I won't get splotches. Ridiculous and exhausting. I live in Florida where bugs outnumber stars and the sun cooks whatever lands on the car. Had I known I would have issues and need to baby my car due to the inferior paint- I would NEVER have bought the car. I hear ppl say the paint is more environmentally friendly- but if you are constantly cleaning and getting new paint jobs -- its not so friendly. Too bad for Mazda I wont be a repeat customer... and yes- paint nicks and all sorts of paint failures are visible. I even scratched under the door handle with my nubby fingernail.
I am doing some reading about Mazda's paint process. Looks like they are being more environmentally friendly but at a cost to quality. Thin layers and not very strong. Is this a fact? Any opinions as i am looking to buy my first CX-5. Thanks
 
I bought a charcoal gray CX-9 in Jan 2019. New. I also I have a metallic gray CX-9 from 2008 that my daughter drives. Her car has less paint issues than my new one. My 2019 car is made of plastic, the bumpers have mylar shrink wrap (you can run your hand under the bumper on the inside and feel the pucker ripples from where the mylar shrink wrap adhered to the plastic bumper. I had a monster bird poop on the hood and the poop actually "ate" into the paint and left a corrosion looking "scar". Mazda ended up re-painting my car to cover up teh unsightly poop demarcations. I now drive with a chamois cloth to remove bugs and poop DAILY so I won't get splotches. Ridiculous and exhausting. I live in Florida where bugs outnumber stars and the sun cooks whatever lands on the car. Had I known I would have issues and need to baby my car due to the inferior paint- I would NEVER have bought the car. I hear ppl say the paint is more environmentally friendly- but if you are constantly cleaning and getting new paint jobs -- its not so friendly. Too bad for Mazda I wont be a repeat customer... and yes- paint nicks and all sorts of paint failures are visible. I even scratched under the door handle with my nubby fingernail.

Your experiences aren't unique to Mazda paint. Bird poop and bug guts can etch into any paint if you leave them on there long enough.
 
Just bought my second Mazda (First was a 2012 3 Hatch). I loved my little 2012 Hatch with the then New Skyactive engine and 6 speed Manual Transmission. So when I got married and had a kid, time to get a big Mazda.

So I bought a new 2019 CX-9 GT with the Gray. After I got it home, I washed it again to put a coat of Wax on the paint before heading into the mtns. Then noticed that I had what seems to be rock chips on the hood, and paint missing from a part on the hatch just behind the roof rail. Also paint run on the front passenger bumper.

I called the dealer, they said they would fix it, but Should I be worried that something happened to the car that the Dealership isn't telling me about?

Thanks!

Cb, Seatle East-Side
Your issue with paint is factory related. My paint is also showing inferior quality since day 1 when I bought my 2019 CX9
The dealership paid a vendor of their choice to repaint my hood after bird poop “ate” the top layer of paint. You will find your old Mazda paint job is holding up better than your new one. I actually have a cloth and cleaner with wax in my car that use daily to remove bugs and bird droppings. Without this tedious, ongoing and oh-so fun manual work I would have a polka dotted car.
 
I bought a charcoal gray CX-9 in Jan 2019. New. I also I have a metallic gray CX-9 from 2008 that my daughter drives. Her car has less paint issues than my new one. My 2019 car is made of plastic, the bumpers have mylar shrink wrap (you can run your hand under the bumper on the inside and feel the pucker ripples from where the mylar shrink wrap adhered to the plastic bumper. I had a monster bird poop on the hood and the poop actually "ate" into the paint and left a corrosion looking "scar". Mazda ended up re-painting my car to cover up teh unsightly poop demarcations. I now drive with a chamois cloth to remove bugs and poop DAILY so I won't get splotches. Ridiculous and exhausting. I live in Florida where bugs outnumber stars and the sun cooks whatever lands on the car. Had I known I would have issues and need to baby my car due to the inferior paint- I would NEVER have bought the car. I hear ppl say the paint is more environmentally friendly- but if you are constantly cleaning and getting new paint jobs -- its not so friendly. Too bad for Mazda I wont be a repeat customer... and yes- paint nicks and all sorts of paint failures are visible. I even scratched under the door handle with my nubby fingernail.
Ask the dealership about paint complaints and see what they say. The red paint seems to be the most underwhelming performer. My gray paint is awful. I had it repainted and still get splotches where bugs or bird poop have landed. I can’t imagine anyone not knowing this at the dealerships... see if you can talk to the mgr and get a commitment that if the paint is clearly not holding up then they repaint it. Just ask Santa Claus to bring you a chamois cloth and bottle of cleaner to use on the daily since it’s pretty much guaranteed you will become a slave to your car paint.
 
Your experiences aren't unique to Mazda paint. Bird poop and bug guts can etch into any paint if you leave them on there long enough.
One day for the bird poop. One day. Went to beach, came home... Washed next day and the poop left a mark in the same manner it landed. Bugs get wiped off daily. All leave a mark. I really take good care of my car as I am OCD about it.
 
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