Paint blistering on the Rear Quarter Panel...!!! Am I the first??

[Barrybarrybarry]

Rear fender removal is not bad, a bunch of bolts and clips. Honestly you can remove it within 30 minutes if you know what you’re doing.

Fair enough in that case it stands to reason it should get sorted properly.

 

[Wonza]

Your absolutely spot on with this!
I store mine in a garage which undoubtedly slowed the blistering down.

I am genuinely fed up now.... its weird how we cut this car/Lotus so much slack.

I would have keeled over by now if my car was out of warranty!

I made a massive complaint yday and was promised a call from somebody senior from Lotus warranty...

Guess what..... No phone call this morning! 😡

Let me put it to you this way. No one will want to purchase your car in the future if it’s a late 22 car and it’s been resprayed. You can tell, it won’t be perfect. People know that early adopters will have issues.

Either reject now and get most of your money back or wish your money away. Auto trader late 22 is prob £69k right now if you’re lucky.

 

[Yas.totti10]

I mean replacing the rear quarter panel would be one hell of a job, no? Changing the door is just unbolt it and remove some wires.

I am in total agreement that getting half a respray is not going to cut it for an adequate repair but will see what the dealer says, will chase them up Thursday for an update.

There has to be an element of positive progress with any repair.

Giving into the cheapest budget solution from the warranty team

Surely sand and paint is PAPERING OVER THE CRACKS!

 

[Yas.totti10]

Let me put it to you this way. No one will want to purchase your car in the future if it’s a late 22 car and it’s been resprayed. You can tell, it won’t be perfect. People know that early adopters will have issues.

Either reject now and get most of your money back or wish your money away. Auto trader late 22 is prob £69k right now if you’re lucky.

That's the worry!

I dont believe that you can blend the paint on a car that has 60% coverage.

I am going to stand firm to have the whole car re-sprayed and rear panel replaced.

If they don't want to give me my money back I think it's a fair compromise.

Or am I deluded???

 

[scc.131.fe]

Or am I deluded???

Not deluded, and we all need to speak firmly with Lotus that the warranty has to address the known root cause, not a symptom.

 

[Wonza]

That's the worry!

I dont believe that you can blend the paint on a car that has 60% coverage.

I am going to stand firm to have the whole car re-sprayed and rear panel replaced.

If they don't want to give me my money back I think it's a fair compromise.

Or am I deluded???

No you’re not deluded. You ask for a new rear quarter panel to the replaced/fixed at the factory or a replacement vehicle.

 

[Porter]

Guys, this isn't a unibody car. Every panel on the car other than the roof (and A/B/C pillars) are a removable panel.

When Lotus paints them, they do it on a metal stand, as a set. They don't paint them on the car. They bolt the finished, painted panels to the car after they're painted.

Now, that's a lot of work... there are a lot of electronics, trim, plastic bits, etc that have to be attached to the body panels once they're installed on the car, and it's labor-intensive, expensive work. So I get why they would be resistant. But still, it's not the same as a unibody car that has integral panels that can't be unbolted. On the Emira, literally the whole exterior skin below the windows is a bolt-on.

For example, here's a blue car in mid-production, with the upper black pack. Note the roof and A pillars are already painted and installed permanently (bonded) on the hoop structure. Even cars in a solid color are done this same way, which is why sometimes the A pillar and the fender aren't an *exact* match to one another. All the body panels are hung on the car after this, and they don't paint the whole thing together. Every system on the car would end up with paint on it, which obviously isn't happening. The panels are pre-painted as a set on a painting jig, cured, and then installed as a set.

 

[Porter]

Here's the part in Harry's factory video where he discusses how they paint the panels on a jig. It's at 8:24 if the time code link doesn't work.




Direct link to paint process section.

 

[Porter]

And here's a still from the video, showing the step in the production process where they're actually hanging the painted panels on the "bare" car. I've drawn an arrow to the rear left quarter panel on its stand, ready to be installed.

You can see the car that's further forward in the line already has its panels on, but the one they are working on does not.

 

[Yas.totti10]

Not deluded, and we all need to speak firmly with Lotus that the warranty has to address the known root cause, not a symptom.

I dont think it's a nice problem for car owners or Lotus HQ to encounter

But our cars should be rectified with best interests of the customer in mind

 

[Wonza]

And here's a still from the video, showing the step in the production process where they're actually hanging the painted panels on the "bare" car. I've drawn an arrow to the rear left quarter panel on its stand, ready to be installed.

You can see the car that's further forward in the line already has its panels on, but the one they are working on does not.

View attachment 37680

Interesting that coloured body panels can be just bolted on. I just don’t why Lotus couldn’t sent coloured panels and bolt them on the cars with defects.

Instead they sent out blank panels for dealers to paint and blend in. Some have reported that the factory had fixed it for them ( if you know the right person). Some have reported that existing panels to be stripped, primed and resprayed. Would’nt it easier for coloured panels just be replaced like you said. Lotus are very reluctant to accept cars back to the factory for bodywork repairs, I asked many times.

It’s all down to costs, Lotus says it’s down to the dealer to sort out and unfortunately the customers loses out.

 

[Porter]

Interesting that coloured body panels can be just bolted on. I just don’t why Lotus couldn’t sent coloured panels and bolt them on the cars with defects.

Instead they sent out blank panels for dealers to paint and blend in. Some have reported that the factory had fixed it for them ( if you know the right person). Some have reported that existing panels to be stripped, primed and resprayed. Would’nt it easier for coloured panels just be replaced like you said. Lotus are very reluctant to accept cars back to the factory for bodywork repairs, I asked many times.

It’s all down to costs, Lotus says it’s down to the dealer to sort out and unfortunately the customers loses out.

They can't be sent as individual painted panels, they won't match. The whole car needs a matched set. That's why they want the dealer to paint to match.

The solution, in my mind, is for Lotus to take the car back and put a whole new set of body panels on it, complete. That's more expensive for Lotus in materials, but WAY less complicated and expensive for everyone else. I don't understand why they don't perceive that as an option.

I would personally refuse the car and force Lotus to take it back, rather than accept a random body shop's respray of the car. Lotus should know better, they aren't selling Vauxhalls.

 

[kitkat]

Interesting that coloured body panels can be just bolted on. I just don’t why Lotus couldn’t sent coloured panels and bolt them on the cars with defects.

Instead they sent out blank panels for dealers to paint and blend in. Some have reported that the factory had fixed it for them ( if you know the right person). Some have reported that existing panels to be stripped, primed and resprayed. Would’nt it easier for coloured panels just be replaced like you said. Lotus are very reluctant to accept cars back to the factory for bodywork repairs, I asked many times.

It’s all down to costs, Lotus says it’s down to the dealer to sort out and unfortunately the customers loses out.

You're never going to get a good color match that way, you need the same panels painted together on the rig.

 

[Yas.totti10]

Not deluded, and we all need to speak firmly with Lotus that the warranty has to address the known root cause, not a symptom.

I dont think it's a nice problem for car owners or Lotus HQ to encounter

But our cars should be rectified with best interests of the customer in mind

 

[dgrace]

Aerie full carbon bodywork kit in 3.... 2.... 1...

 

[Yas.totti10]

Aerie full carbon bodywork kit in 3.... 2.... 1...

That was my next move as well!

Minus the spoiler....!

They can't be sent as individual painted panels, they won't match. The whole car needs a matched set. That's why they want the dealer to paint to match.

The solution, in my mind, is for Lotus to take the car back and put a whole new set of body panels on it, complete. That's more expensive for Lotus in materials, but WAY less complicated and expensive for everyone else. I don't understand why they don't perceive that as an option.

I would personally refuse the car and force Lotus to take it back, rather than accept a random body shop's respray of the car. Lotus should know better, they aren't selling Vauxhalls.

This is the only true solution for the problem at hand I feel.

I dont quite understand the unwillingness to recognise that the problem lies with the manufacturer of these body panels in France.

It's unacceptable to be left without my Emira for over 4 weeks as it is.

Lotus customer service should recognise that pretty much half of the car now has defected panels and a proper resolution is necessary.

It's troubling to realise that it will be difficult to sell my car in the future.... any perspective used Emira buyer will be looking to avoid an earlier build.

Which means ultimately I will be left severely out of pocket when looking to sell my car in the future.

It will be interesting to see what is proposed by Lotus HQ....
The most frustrating part though, is how customer service play dead amd your left in a vicious circle of chasing them for answers.

Very deflating!

 

[Wonza]

You're never going to get a good color match that way, you need the same panels painted together on the rig.

I don’t disagree with you. I have previously heard from an Emira owner that his front bonnet was fully replaced from the factory. He said they just swapped the bonnet over. Customer was happy with the outcome.

 

[Whitey]

That was my next move as well!

Minus the spoiler....!

This is the only true solution for the problem at hand I feel.

I dont quite understand the unwillingness to recognise that the problem lies with the manufacturer of these body panels in France.

It's unacceptable to be left without my Emira for over 4 weeks as it is.

Lotus customer service should recognise that pretty much half of the car now has defected panels and a proper resolution is necessary.

It's troubling to realise that it will be difficult to sell my car in the future.... any perspective used Emira buyer will be looking to avoid an earlier build.

Which means ultimately I will be left severely out of pocket when looking to sell my car in the future.

It will be interesting to see what is proposed by Lotus HQ....
The most frustrating part though, is how customer service play dead amd your left in a vicious circle of chasing them for answers.

Very deflating!

Hi OP, I have sent you a private msg re my own experience, guess you have not seen it yet.

 

[Yas.totti10]

UPDATE

Hi OP, I have sent you a private msg re my own experience, guess you have not seen it yet.

Got in from work not long ago.... Thanks for the message!

I read through it all properly, it has really helped!

 

[Yas.totti10]

QUICK UPDATE

Lotus CS called me AM this morning and were more willing to replace the Rear Quarter Panel.

They are not committed to it as of yet because the Lotus Warranty Team would have to approve it.

I made it clear to them today that under NO CIRCUMSTANCE my car should be painted at a bodyshop.

It is to much of a large area I'm my mind to paint and blend with a different batch of Nimbus Grey Paint.

I have expressed to them that my Emira should go back to the factory for the paint warranty repairs. Possibly replace all the panels to get the right match.

If not Refund or Replace the car.