Need Advice On Paint
 

Here's the story of my 8. I ordered one in august, which is still sitting in Japan at this time due to the alarm upgrade problems. My dealership found me one like it in Dallas so I agreed to let them get me that one.

En route to SA, a truck drop a rock on the hood, which chipped the front bumper next to the Mazda symbol, dented the hood, and cracked the windshield.

Since then, they replaced my hood with another Titanium and fixed the windshield, but I'm getting harrassed about the front pain chip.

I picked the car up yeaterday and they colored the chip silver and gave me a bottle of touch-up pain, but you can still see an indention.

Here's my question, since they damaged the vehicle, shouldn't they fix it properly. How hard can it be to fix a chip 5x3 mm in size. They told me it would interfere with the "seal" of the paint. I think they just got lazy.

Any advice would be helpful.

Request a new front bumper. Don't settle for anything less than that. Don't accept a touched up front end, that is a crap solution and that dealer needs to get their butt kicked.

I would not accept their solution unless they gave me a discount. You deserve some compensation, don't accept a bottle of touch-up paint as compensation. Touch-up paint costs less than 4 bucks a bottle. To hell with touch-up paint...I would push for a new front bumper or a new vehicle. I know you've been waiting forever, but wait a little longer rather than take a crappy fix.

Re: Need Advice On Paint
 

First off - your dealer is lying. No way is an ordered car sitting in Japan due to an "alarm upgrade problem". Either they never ordered your car, or your car was delivered to someone else, but that story they told you is complete BS.

Second - you accepted delivery? Signed the papers and drove off? Big mistake. You just gave away any negotiating power you had. If the car was not satisfactory, you should not have accepted it. Period. Then the car is theirs, and it's up to them to make it satisfactory before you take possesion. Now the car is yours, and it's your problem, not theirs. Not sure what to suggest that would help at this point... Sorry.

Regards,
Gordon

I inspected my 8 upon delivery and found no obvious flaws. About a week later, I removed the license plate frame on the front of the car and found a 3 mm diameter chip in the paint. I phoned the dealer and took it that afternoon for a repair. The guy did what's called a spot and blend and I'd pay money if you or anyone else on here could see that it's been fixed. It took him all of 30 minutes (if that) and the repair is perfect. I doubt seriously that you could get them to spring for a new bumper unless they figure they could dump yours on some unsuspecting sap down the line. But I think they should spend the $150 or so that a decent body-man would charge them to fix the chip. Get the new bumper if you can but my recommendation would be, whatever you settle for, don't make it a bottle of chip-fix paint.

Re: Need Advice On Paint
 

Oh how right you are... I would not accept the touch-up, or the pain.

Since you say the dent is still there, then they haven't completed the job. You bought a new car. That's what they owe you.

But don't settle for less than what puts it right. It'll bug you the rest of the time you own it if you feel taken.