Hi I am looking for some help with my 2020 CX-5 paint and clear coat. Clear coat actually scratches if you run your finger along it and the paint on the hood is chipping prematurely but what has me puzzled the most is the specks in the paint (not embedded) but under the clear coat any help will be appreciated, thanks!
2020 CX-5 Soul Red paint issues
- Thread starter Trouble
- Start date
CarpeDiem
Under Pressure
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- Superstitions
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- 2021 CE Turbo
Red color chipping concerns
Hello! I am getting a mazda cx5 and I was thinking about the red color. I have read some comments regarding “chipping’’. Is that chipping terrible? Should I consider another color?
2019 paint
New to this forum. I'm ready to purchase a new 2019 Red CX5 Signature very soon, maybe this week. I've been reading some unsettling posts about paint chip problems on all colors, especially the red color. Most of those complaints appear to be from the 2017 and maybe early 2018 model years. I...
Soul red touch up paint
Has anyone had any luck finding anything that closely matches the soul red? Some idiot decided to creep close into the rear bumper and scraped the paint off. I understand the paint used on the bumpers are softer so it has some ability to flex but looking for some ideas here to cover this up...
shopping for a soul red gt reserve. Is the red paint still a problem?
Hello. Currently shopping for soul red gtr for my wife. I read many times that the soul red color layer is very thin and chips very easily. If thats still a problem, we might go with the deep blue mica. Thank you
Thanks read them all before posting...My answer is not in these threads.Red color chipping concerns
Hello! I am getting a mazda cx5 and I was thinking about the red color. I have read some comments regarding “chipping’’. Is that chipping terrible? Should I consider another color?www.mazdas247.com
2019 paint
New to this forum. I'm ready to purchase a new 2019 Red CX5 Signature very soon, maybe this week. I've been reading some unsettling posts about paint chip problems on all colors, especially the red color. Most of those complaints appear to be from the 2017 and maybe early 2018 model years. I...
Soul red touch up paint
Has anyone had any luck finding anything that closely matches the soul red? Some idiot decided to creep close into the rear bumper and scraped the paint off. I understand the paint used on the bumpers are softer so it has some ability to flex but looking for some ideas here to cover this up...
shopping for a soul red gt reserve. Is the red paint still a problem?
Hello. Currently shopping for soul red gtr for my wife. I read many times that the soul red color layer is very thin and chips very easily. If thats still a problem, we might go with the deep blue mica. Thank you
NP I thank you for your help...I've seen problems like it in the forum but never read what the answer or the outcome was...
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- Canada
Did you buy it brand new, or used? Do you know if the car has ever been in an accident? Are the specks visible all over the car, or only on certain panels?
I haven't seen a soul red crystal metallic car up close, so I don't know if those are just paint flakes in the OEM paint. During the painting process, they are added to the paint to give it a sparkle effect, then the clearcoat is applied to seal everything in.
That said, it could be paint chips, or maybe water spots, or overspray.. what have you done to try and remove the specks? Have you tried lightly polishing the area?
It might be a good idea to have a professional independent detailer take a look at it.
I haven't seen a soul red crystal metallic car up close, so I don't know if those are just paint flakes in the OEM paint. During the painting process, they are added to the paint to give it a sparkle effect, then the clearcoat is applied to seal everything in.
That said, it could be paint chips, or maybe water spots, or overspray.. what have you done to try and remove the specks? Have you tried lightly polishing the area?
It might be a good idea to have a professional independent detailer take a look at it.
Thanks for the answer.. Claybar =no improvement buffing = no improvement spots are over 100% of the car spots seem to be under the clear coat or in the clear coat also I find the clear coat very soft rub your fingers on it and it has to be buffed out.. Took it to mazda and the service manager is going to be doing an investigation I just like to get a head start with knowledge thanks again... Also getting bad pitting on the engine hood
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- Plano, Texas, USA
How long have your owned your 2020 CX-5? And how many miles on it?
You should report the paint problem as soon as possible to your Mazda dealer asking for repair under new car warranty. From people’s experience Mazda North American Operations usually are hesitate to offer any help on paint problem unless you’re very persistent to get problem resolved. Even that, the best MNAO can do is re-paint the car, which definitely won’t be as good as factory paint, especially on longevity.
I remember one member here actually dumped his Soul Red Crystal CX-5 due to the paint quality and MNAO refused to offer any help. The choice is yours. Either fight for compensation on paint problem、live with it、or dump the car if you can’t stand the ugly paint.
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- Canada
Did you buy it brand new or used? Do you know if the car was repainted or not?
Modern paint in general is a lot softer than it used to be. Japanese paint has always been on the softer side as well. Not to make excuses for the soft paint/chips, it's just the way it is.
The ManLaw
The Manlaw of Want
- :
- 15cx5 soon 20cx9
From those pics, it really looks like overspray from someone painting something white. Overspray can be very hard to get out with most items that the normal person won't have.
As for the clear coat "scuffing" easily, it's most likely the wax or polish showing the scuff marks, not the clear coat. If you want to help your clear coat though, because it is very soft yes, use a ceramic or graphene hybrid wax if you do it yourself or take it to get ceramic coated.
I use Griots ceramic hybrid on most car colors if that's what finish they want. On black I use turtle wax graphene max wax.
As for the clear coat "scuffing" easily, it's most likely the wax or polish showing the scuff marks, not the clear coat. If you want to help your clear coat though, because it is very soft yes, use a ceramic or graphene hybrid wax if you do it yourself or take it to get ceramic coated.
I use Griots ceramic hybrid on most car colors if that's what finish they want. On black I use turtle wax graphene max wax.
Yes, the paint is a problem I wish I had known this before I bought mine. It’s already been stripped and repaint once.Red color chipping concerns
Hello! I am getting a mazda cx5 and I was thinking about the red color. I have read some comments regarding “chipping’’. Is that chipping terrible? Should I consider another color?
2019 paint
New to this forum. I'm ready to purchase a new 2019 Red CX5 Signature very soon, maybe this week. I've been reading some unsettling posts about paint chip problems on all colors, especially the red color. Most of those complaints appear to be from the 2017 and maybe early 2018 model years. I...
Soul red touch up paint
Has anyone had any luck finding anything that closely matches the soul red? Some idiot decided to creep close into the rear bumper and scraped the paint off. I understand the paint used on the bumpers are softer so it has some ability to flex but looking for some ideas here to cover this up...
shopping for a soul red gt reserve. Is the red paint still a problem?
Hello. Currently shopping for soul red gtr for my wife. I read many times that the soul red color layer is very thin and chips very easily. If thats still a problem, we might go with the deep blue mica. Thank you
1
181962
No answer from the OP. One I thing I notice in his first picture is the gap between the body panels is not even. Looks like the hood and a side panel. Perhaps that's a function of the camera angle but this does raise the question of a post-accident paint job.
At 18 months and 10.5k miles I've had no issues with the Soul Red except stones thrown at me causing a couple of tiny chips. That's any car. I bought a paint stick at the dealer for $12.
The OP also mentions specs in the paint. If you zoom in on his first picture you see a blackish mottling. I don't know if that's what he was referring to. Judging from the panel gap this a very close-up picture. What I've found is if I put my nose down in the Soul Red paint in the right light I see that same mottling though not as pronounced as in that picture. Again, that could be a camera thing. If I stick my nose in the red paint on my 7 year old Sienna with 95k miles it has similar mottling while having no paint issues other than imposed dings and scratches.
I conclude this a natural characteristic of some or all of the modern factory red paint jobs. I think if I had peeling red paint and that mottling characteristic was absent I'd question the paint or application process used.
It could be this Soul Red is a touchier bit of business back at the factory than with other paints where if a batch of red paint or the robot calibration is not "perfect", i.e., requiring and failing tighter tolerances than other paints, problems are more likely to show up. Not everybody has problems with the Soul Red. Again, beware the anecdotal fallacy. Still, the red may be somewhat more prone to a bad day at the factory.
That's a possibility.
At 18 months and 10.5k miles I've had no issues with the Soul Red except stones thrown at me causing a couple of tiny chips. That's any car. I bought a paint stick at the dealer for $12.
The OP also mentions specs in the paint. If you zoom in on his first picture you see a blackish mottling. I don't know if that's what he was referring to. Judging from the panel gap this a very close-up picture. What I've found is if I put my nose down in the Soul Red paint in the right light I see that same mottling though not as pronounced as in that picture. Again, that could be a camera thing. If I stick my nose in the red paint on my 7 year old Sienna with 95k miles it has similar mottling while having no paint issues other than imposed dings and scratches.
I conclude this a natural characteristic of some or all of the modern factory red paint jobs. I think if I had peeling red paint and that mottling characteristic was absent I'd question the paint or application process used.
It could be this Soul Red is a touchier bit of business back at the factory than with other paints where if a batch of red paint or the robot calibration is not "perfect", i.e., requiring and failing tighter tolerances than other paints, problems are more likely to show up. Not everybody has problems with the Soul Red. Again, beware the anecdotal fallacy. Still, the red may be somewhat more prone to a bad day at the factory.
I'm not sure if the other Mazda colors are as prone to this or not, but I traded a 2019 Mazda 3 Hatchback that was soul red for a 2021 CX-5 in soul red. I love the color, but the clear coat is not durable at all. I had issues that I brought up multiple times with the dealership on the 3, and I already have chips in the hood on the CX-5 in two months of ownership.
The ManLaw
The Manlaw of Want
- :
- 15cx5 soon 20cx9
I have a 2020 blue and the clear seems solid as can be on mine. Though I bought it new and laid on a hell of a waxing to keep it safe in the new England areas.
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- Toronto, ON Canada
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- 2017 CX-5 GT
Crystal Soul Red is a Tri-coat paint formulation.
Read more about it here: https://www.mazda.ca/en/inside-mazda/soul-red-crystal/
The problem with the color is that it seems to show chips and scratches in the clear coat more than any other color.
OP had stated "but what has me puzzled the most is the specks in the paint (not embedded) but under the clear coat".... This is the translucent layer and I know what you mean when you look at it in certain lighting. It appears the like the clear is cloudy with the specks not embedded.
This is what gives the paint that brilliance in bright sunlight as the Reflective/absorptive layer reflects the light at different angles.
Hopefully this answers some of the OPs questions.
Read more about it here: https://www.mazda.ca/en/inside-mazda/soul-red-crystal/
The problem with the color is that it seems to show chips and scratches in the clear coat more than any other color.
OP had stated "but what has me puzzled the most is the specks in the paint (not embedded) but under the clear coat".... This is the translucent layer and I know what you mean when you look at it in certain lighting. It appears the like the clear is cloudy with the specks not embedded.
This is what gives the paint that brilliance in bright sunlight as the Reflective/absorptive layer reflects the light at different angles.
Hopefully this answers some of the OPs questions.
Happens with all colors, which is why I only buy white (virtually invisible) Unless freshly detailed, look at near any car in the sun and see the swirls -couls never understand blacks, blues, and reds, but that's me
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- Plano, Texas, USA
And silver too. All new vehicles I’ve bought are silver color. Hides the swirls and scratches the best. And dirts too, so that I don’t have to wash my cars often ⋯
