I am so upset all the paint is blistering

[GrahamClark_60-68]

Steve, if your theory is correct, and thermal cycling can actually bring out these bubbles to the surface, would you believe cars that live in more "4 seasons" climates would be more prone to seeing this issue come to light? I'm concerned about my So Cal car that is garage kept, and hence sees very little temperature deltas, and what could happen if say I take a trip to 100+ degree Vegas and then back again to So Cal where I may see a 50 deg night.

 

[rjscharer]

Does this mean that 100% of the Emiras produced so far will sooner or later will have this issue?

 

[geoffbland]

Does this mean that 100% of the Emiras produced so far will sooner or later will have this issue?

I expected the issue on my Emira when I bought it - see my post here https://www.emiraforum.com/threads/paint-problems-with-lotus-emira-built-q1-2025.6621/post-180713
What is good to hear is that Lotus seem to be honouring the issue under the panel warranty, so 8/10 years of warranty. Also I assume the costs are passed on to Teijin - a much larger/richer company.

 

[Steve Tillett]

Steve, if your theory is correct, and thermal cycling can actually bring out these bubbles to the surface, would you believe cars that live in more "4 seasons" climates would be more prone to seeing this issue come to light? I'm concerned about my So Cal car that is garage kept, and hence sees very little temperature deltas, and what could happen if say I take a trip to 100+ degree Vegas and then back again to So Cal where I may see a 50 deg night.

I would think that with a climate that is more constant it would just take longer to appear. Both my sets of doors were exactly 9 months before the bubbles appeared. My next set are nearly nine months old and now out of warranty, so I find myself not looking too hard.

 

[seriously]

I would think that with a climate that is more constant it would just take longer to appear. Both my sets of doors were exactly 9 months before the bubbles appeared. My next set are nearly nine months old and now out of warranty, so I find myself not looking too hard.

My guess is that it doesn’t just prolong the appearance but may avoid it all together.

I think the temp and humidity cycling is what activates the defect for some.

 

[MajHall04]

I purchased my lotus emira in Dec24. No bubbling yet. It’s garaged kept. Do you think I’ll be ok? No bubbling yet.

 

[ffre92]

I’m excited to finally take delivery of my car next week. I don’t have enough garage spots for all my cars so was debating which to leave outside. This makes it easier for me, will just leave the lotus outside (with a sunshade to protect leather). If there are going to be blisters, I want to accelerate it so I can get it fixed within warranty.

 

[Zenoflotus]

How widespread is this problem?

I've been contemplating getting a 2026 V6, but kept reading about issues of one kind or another with the Emira post sales, which is giving me pause. I hate to have to deal with fit and quality issues on a $125K car.

 

[guardbuddy]

How widespread is this problem?

I've been contemplating getting a 2026 V6, but kept reading about issues of one kind or another with the Emira post sales, which is giving me pause. I hate to have to deal with fit and quality issues on a $125K car.

From looking at the forum, a LOT of cars have it. It seems more like a ticking time bomb as to when it'll happen.

 

[seriously]

From looking at the forum, a LOT of cars have it. It seems more like a ticking time bomb as to when it'll happen.

I think that's a bit overblown. Unverified root cause or fix and yes people have had it, but plenty haven't. It seems to come down to batch and how extreme the temps are for how you store your car.

 

[Orchardbike]

Last time I looked it was around 30% of cars. However, that was based on the pole on here. So some people won’t be on the forum and some that haven’t had a problem wouldn’t have voted. So I guess it’s relatively accurate or possible slightly lower.

 

[Steve Tillett]

I purchased my lotus emira in Dec24. No bubbling yet. It’s garaged kept. Do you think I’ll be ok? No bubbling yet.

My first set of doors went wrong when it was kept in a garage. The second set went wrong when it was left outside. Both at 9 months in the UK climate. I don't think you can do anything if air is in there, but a constant temp might slow it's appearance.

 

[geoffbland]

I think that's a bit overblown. Unverified root cause or fix and yes people have had it, but plenty haven't. It seems to come down to batch and how extreme the temps are for how you store your car.

From what we have seen on this forum alone there is no particular set of cars affected. 2022 cars have been affected, some it appearing on only recently yet new cars are also affected, including some new ones still at the dealerships. There seems to be some correlation with keeping the car in the garage reducing the issue - yet plenty of garaged cars have been affected. Polls here have suggested 30% of cars are affected, from meeting other Emira owners at Lotus meets here in the UK it seems to be more than 30% but that's a small sample of around 10 or so cars.

This thread is just regurgitating all that has already been discussed on this forum in a couple of other threads on the subject. We're just repeating the same stuff. These are the threads with all the details:

https://www.emiraforum.com/threads/poll-for-those-with-paint-blistering-bubbling-defect.3626/post-199554

https://www.emiraforum.com/threads/paint-blistering-issue-update.6632/post-196770

 

[Nelumbo nucifera]

I expected the issue on my Emira when I bought it - see my post here https://www.emiraforum.com/threads/paint-problems-with-lotus-emira-built-q1-2025.6621/post-180713
What is good to hear is that Lotus seem to be honouring the issue under the panel warranty, so 8/10 years of warranty. Also I assume the costs are passed on to Teijin - a much larger/richer company.

Lotus honouring the warranty is, as you allude to Geoff, a positive move. If indeed the costs will be carried by Teijin, Lotus will live another day, and we would hope, build confidence in their product by past and future purchasers.
Let’s hope Teijin don’t try a sneaky Lotus inspired way to get out of it, or should I say, try to get out of it!

 

[SimonT]

Crikey, this is starting to sound like a ticking timebomb that's becoming more a case of when rather than if. Repeat warranty claims do suggest Lotus don't have a handle on this.

Just found bubbling out on both rear quarter panels.

 

[SimonT]

I would think that with a climate that is more constant it would just take longer to appear. Both my sets of doors were exactly 9 months before the bubbles appeared. My next set are nearly nine months old and now out of warranty, so I find myself not looking too hard.

They are still in warranty, it is a panel issue not paint.

 

[ADC]

The panel is compression moulded. If you leave air in and cure it in the tool those bubbles are under compression. The door handle feature causes the fibreglass mush to trap the air which is why most of the problems lead from this area along the door. When the panel goes from hot to cold the bubbles come out. The more this is discussed the more convinced I am that this is the reason. Nothing else makes sense. These metal compression tools are expensive and the solution is perhaps an unaffordable re design using a different more expensive process.

As wonderful as it is that we all keep getting new panels thrown at us for the next several years, I wish Teijin would just get a bloody grip on their process already. I mean, at some point it has to be less expensive for them to re-tool or otherwise change how they are doing things... surely...

 

[chrisday1990]

I’m so disappointed I walked out to the car today to find that all the doors are blistering again and I was assured by the dealership which I won’t name that the doors have been done

Update lotus has agreed to repair the door as I had evidence from an old photo the line was starting and I did raise it but it was dismissed as “it will buff out” turns out it won’t, also turns out they only replaced one door and that door is fine

 

[jaycityatl]

As wonderful as it is that we all keep getting new panels thrown at us for the next several years, I wish Teijin would just get a bloody grip on their process already. I mean, at some point it has to be less expensive for them to re-tool or otherwise change how they are doing things... surely...

I think at this point they've had 4 years to resolve this without doing so. What that means to me is that the cost for these panel replacements has to be picked up by Teijin. With a 30% failure rate, Teijin is probably making enough money that they don't have an incentive to resolve the problem. This is a sunk cost issue. Lotus could invest in having another manufacturer take over the job, but sales figures of the Emira probably make than unattractive due to low volumes. Since Lotus isn't taking a financial hit, they're losing goodwill, and it this point in the company's existence, they care less about goodwill and more about staying in business. They likely aren't losing significant sales to this issue. Sucks for all of us, but I have to suspect this is the case.

 

[Orchardbike]

Still waiting for someone to manufacture carbon replacement doors…..