Paint blistering issue update

[Orchardbike]

I’ve been told by a paint shop and a PPF applier that 2 weeks is enough on fresh paint.

 

[Beachbum]

There is a famous (true) story concerning the engine failures on the Porsche 991 GT3 - Porsche Club America PCA basically kicked up a massive fuss, met with Porsche executives, and eventually Porsche granted a 10 year engine warranty - worldwide - on the cars. I think the same approach is required with the paint here. We need a co-ordinated response from Lotus owners clubs worldwide. At the very least it should be possible to negotiate a global honouring of the 5 year paint warranty that Lotus is trying to renege on. This will be good for their business as it will help support residual values once 3 yr warranty expires. If people are looking at new door replacements left right and center they are going to take a big hit after 3 years as it stands.

Whilst I agree about the 3yr/5yr issue with Lotus. I think that Lotus are trying to get out of it by saying the issue is not the paint, but the doors and that the paint is just a symptom, not the cause
The doors will have a 3yr warranty
The one thing that may prove impossible for Lotus to overcome though, will be the fact that this can be shown to be a manufacturing defect, that they know about, but continue to use, thus making warranties irrelevant. The Law, at least in the UK, will be very much in favour of the consumer in that case and Lotus will have to replace for years to come

 

[freefall_junkie]

Whilst I agree about the 3yr/5yr issue with Lotus. I think that Lotus are trying to get out of it by saying the issue is not the paint, but the doors and that the paint is just a symptom, not the cause
The doors will have a 3yr warranty
The one thing that may prove impossible for Lotus to overcome though, will be the fact that this can be shown to be a manufacturing defect, that they know about, but continue to use, thus making warranties irrelevant. The Law, at least in the UK, will be very much in favour of the consumer in that case and Lotus will have to replace for years to come

Lotus may well be on shaky ground legally, but the problem is that when they are already teetering on the brink financially it is going to be extremely difficult to force them to do the right thing for their customers by bearing even more massive warranty costs. If they simply refuse point blank to acknowledge that there ever was a 5 year paint warranty, which seems to be their current position (we are supposed to believe it was a 'mistake' on the website, just like I have fairies at the bottom of my garden...) , then what? Any owner taking action under civil law could very quickly rack up legal bills way more than the cost of replacing the doors and it could take literally years to resolve. Civil legal action in the UK is very slow, very expensive, very stressful, and potentially ruinous if you loose the case.

 

[geoffbland]

Lotus may well be on shaky ground legally, but the problem is that when they are already teetering on the brink financially it is going to be extremely difficult to force them to do the right thing for their customers by bearing even more massive warranty costs. If they simply refuse point blank to acknowledge that there ever was a 5 year paint warranty, which seems to be their current position (we are supposed to believe it was a 'mistake' on the website, just like I have fairies at the bottom of my garden...) , then what? Any owner taking action under civil law could very quickly rack up legal bills way more than the cost of replacing the doors and it could take literally years to resolve. Civil legal action in the UK is very slow, very expensive, very stressful, and potentially ruinous if you loose the case.

In the UK it would be a Group Litigation Order (GLO) for a manufacturing defect. The main issue would be getting enough claimants informed and to be part of the case but this forum and other Lotus forums would help considerably with that. If we have enough claimants it may be possible to have a solicitors firm bear the cost as long as they can claim back legal fees to reduce the financial risk to the claimants. We can also probably ensure that we are sympathetic to Lotus and just require "fair" treatment rather than a monetary outcome. It could take some time to resolve though.

This GLO would not be usable for owners outside of the UK but it would help any similar claims they made.

Note that I'm not a lawyer so don't take my word for it, this is just things I've heard and read about.