I have thought about it but I know what will happen, I will tool up and they will solve it themselves. One thing is for sure, there would be no bubbles.
I am so upset all the paint is blistering
- Thread starter chrisday1990
- Start date
I think you might find there’s a demand for them. Folk who eventually might have to pay for corrective work themselves aren’t going to buy doors which might blister again.
Would they be lighter than the originals?
Would they be lighter than the originals?
They could be, I don't know what the original mouldings weigh. I would expect them to be stronger, as the fibres would be longer and of course, air free
. Our process is not as quick, more labour intensive and therefore costly but the advantage is that we can use many different materials.Noticed these on mine few weeks ago. 2 year old mostly garaged but deliberately left it out this winter to see what happens. Dealer has agreed to replace both doors. Going in today. I am assured that the replacements are the "very latest" so issue should not reoccur. Lets see.
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I want someone to make carbon fibre after market replacements. I'd be on them like a shot given I'm now having to have both doors replaced for the second time.
I'm on the cusp of buying a new 2026, but this issue is extremely concerning--enough to make me very possibly not buy the car at all. My guess is we're seeing perhaps less prevalence here in the U.S. only due to our cars beginning deliveries much later than the U.K., though one would think with the failures even on recently replaced doors in the U.K. that we would see more of this issue here. Hmmm.
I'm not convinced there has been a resolution. My gut feeling is that lotus will pass the cost back up the supply chain and so will just live with the issue.
From the poll and posts on here, it looks like approximately a third of cars where affected and it appears to be the same for the replacement doors, about a third of them re-bubble.
Yes. What is unknown is whether this means only 1/3 of all panels are affected or whether all panels are affected and it has only shown up in a 1/3 of them so far. Probably somewhere in between.
The evidence from owners on this forum alone shows there's not been a resolution. As far as I know the cost is being passed on to Teijin.
I can offer a suggestion if the 'bubbling' has been cleared by the dealer for warranty. Put a small, fine pin prick in the lowest part of the bubble and the moisture will run out. I did this after about a month, Lotus agreeing to cover, and the paint went back mostly but because the paint had clearly stretched there was some that couldn't be flattened.
Not as noticeable while waiting for your replacements, 4+ months.
Not as noticeable while waiting for your replacements, 4+ months.
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Wondering if here in Florida keeping it in an AC garage and using a waterless wash instead of
a hose wash will make a long term difference. I also can’t understand why a manufacturer
would not have to reveal the possibility of this occurring at the point of sale.
a hose wash will make a long term difference. I also can’t understand why a manufacturer
would not have to reveal the possibility of this occurring at the point of sale.
While there is no doubt Lotus/Geely are aware of the harm this issue is having on the reputation of the Emira, their simply not ‘coming clean’ and clearly acknowledging what’s happened and more importantly how they are or intend to solve the problem will be there biggest downfall.
They talk about a new model with hybrid this, fantastic that, all packaged in a body that equates to a problematic equivalent ‘rust bucket’. The more they attempt to deny legitimate claims, the more they distance themselves from the market place.
Their problem becomes our problem. No one wants to buy either new or used a vehicle no matter how good they once were that has a poor record, despite the fact that polls reveal 75% are unaffected (presently).
A class action might bring results, but the fallout from notoriety in the press and motoring fraternity will not go unnoticed.
Lotus/Geely be proactive rather than attempt to deny or fob off, hide from the actual issue and obvious responsibility.
Mine were approved last November but have still not been done, the dealer blames Lotus and Lotus blames the dealer for the delay. Both parties make the right noises when challenged but I never seem to hear, I’ve given up for now as I don’t want it disappearing for 4/5 weeks over the summer months.
I'm guessing there are air bubbles trapped within the composite during manufacturing. Maybe when exposed to intense heat the air expands and forces its way to the outside making the paint blister.
It’s moisture trapped in the panel during manufacture.
Pretty much but unless it is somehow wet inside the Teijin manufacturing plant this is unlikely to be moisture. It is more likely air (or fumes from the resins) getting trapped when the panels are compressed and moulded (a common problem with composites - see previous posts). The gas then expands (and contracts) under temperature changes which leads to blisters. This also causes micro-fractures (a known-issue that Teijin has and had been trying to resolve - see their posts about the gas bead filler) and this could/would let water ingress into the blisters.
Note that the thermal expansion of air is ten times that of water and the trapped gas would already be under pressure from the compression.
But until Lotus, Geeley or Teijin confirm anything - everything is just a guess from available evidence.
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