Poll for Those with Paint Blistering / Bubbling Defect

[tankski]

I was speaking to the operational manager the Beaconsfield Workshop this week and he mentioned that he's seeing lots of cars returning after door replacements. We talked about the changes in warranty and it turns out that Lotus are currently honouring out-of-warranty warranty repairs for blistering. To me, you could squint at this and thing that they (Lotus) might have realised that they've got no leg to stand on for late-'22 until mid-'24 registered cars. There was a healthy £50k worth of warranty repairs authorised for the next few weeks at the paint shop so I suspect business is booming for them.

The shop have found some paint blistering on the A pillar of one car but that seems unrelated to the usual suspects and maybe an isolated case.

 

[geoffbland]

To me, you could squint at this and thing that they (Lotus) might have realised that they've got no leg to stand on for late-'22 until mid-'24 registered cars. There was a healthy £50k worth of warranty repairs authorised for the next few weeks at the paint shop so I suspect business is booming for them.

In theory, I don't think it should cost Lotus anything in the end - assuming they are passing the cost of repairs back to the Teijin the company that manufactured the 5 TMC body parts with the issues. Obviously we don't know the actual commercial arrangements in place here.

Teijin is a massive company with a billion £ market cap - they can probably afford this work.

 

[SimonT]

I was speaking to the operational manager the Beaconsfield Workshop this week and he mentioned that he's seeing lots of cars returning after door replacements. We talked about the changes in warranty and it turns out that Lotus are currently honouring out-of-warranty warranty repairs for blistering. To me, you could squint at this and thing that they (Lotus) might have realised that they've got no leg to stand on for late-'22 until mid-'24 registered cars. There was a healthy £50k worth of warranty repairs authorised for the next few weeks at the paint shop so I suspect business is booming for them.

The shop have found some paint blistering on the A pillar of one car but that seems unrelated to the usual suspects and maybe an isolated case.

Dealers are raking it in even though they get a lower rate than if it was a customer coming off the street. JCT600 in Bradford have been looking at 2 months in advance for bookings for warranty work.

 

[rjscharer]

So is the consensus that a ‘25 built in August of that year will be free of the paint issue?

 

[geoffbland]

So is the consensus that a ‘25 built in August of that year will be free of the paint issue?

I don't think so, at least there's no evidence that the issue is fixed as far as I know. Keep a good eye on the body work of your car. Also this particular issue is not with the paint but with the panel underneath.

 

[912Matt]

For those folks that are long term Emira owners (2-3+ years), how’s your paint doing? Any bubbling?

I’m 2 yrs 10 months in, with 12k miles on the clock, including a couple of European road trips. Car has been garaged from new, but is driven in the wet. N/S door replaced due to bubbling May ‘25, and currently waiting for replacement O/S door.

 

[Enut]

Two and a half years and all fine here too. Garaged and 7 year ceramic coating. I don't think I've seen any other comments about ceramic coating but I'm hoping the extra 'rigidity' on top of the paint maybe helps protect against the bubbling.

 

[Briggo]

Sadly, ceramic coating does not stop the paint issues. My Emira will be 3 years old in April. Purchased new and has 16k miles on the clock. Used in the wet and not always garaged. Ceramic coated from new. Both doors replaced due to blistering. Ceramic coating applied to new doors and I now have paint crazing on the drivers door! Awaiting a decision on whether it will require a second new door or back to the paintshop to rectify.

 

[geoffbland]

Two and a half years and all fine here too. Garaged and 7 year ceramic coating. I don't think I've seen any other comments about ceramic coating but I'm hoping the extra 'rigidity' on top of the paint maybe helps protect against the bubbling.

I doubt it will. Plenty of cars with PPF have been affected.

 

[Enut]

I doubt it will. Plenty of cars with PPF have been affected.

PPF is different to ceramic coating though, I wouldn't expect PPF to offer any protectionn against bubbling.

 

[geoffbland]

PPF is different to ceramic coating though, I wouldn't expect PPF to offer any protectionn against bubbling.

I realise they are different - but you mentioned "extra rigidity" as a possible cure. I expect PPF to give virtually no "extra rigidity" as apposed to the almost certainly non-existent "extra rigidity" you would get with ceramic coating. Wishful thinking maybe?
Not that any kind of "extra rigidity" would likely fix the problem anyway.
Anyway - as reported above, it has appeared on cars with ceramic coating.

 

[Enut]

I realise they are different - but you mentioned "extra rigidity" as a possible cure. I expect PPF to give virtually no "extra rigidity" as apposed to the almost certainly non-existent "extra rigidity" you would get with ceramic coating. Wishful thinking maybe?
Not that any kind of "extra rigidity" would likely fix the problem anyway.
Anyway - as reported above, it has appeared on cars with ceramic coating.

Understood. I have a 7 year Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra ceramic coating on my car, which apparently is one of the most hard wearing ceramic coatings available, but you are correct, it is definitely wishful thinking

 

[cwfg]

I’m still waiting for the door replacements. What is odd is that some of blisters have now disappeared and I have to hunt to find them. Before, they were embarrassingly bad.

Side note, this may have been said somewhere else already but I’ve been offline for a while. I had it confirmed by Bell & Covill last week that this issue will be covered by extended warranty as it is not a “paint” issue but a part issue.

 

[Snozcumber]

Was cleaning my car yesterday and noticed the passenger side door has some fairly substantial bubbling, with a couple of minor blemishes on the drivers side door too. I bought 2nd hand last February and it had already had the doors replaced once so I had been hoping that was it. Time to sort out the warranty work before it expires in July!

 

[geoffbland]

I’m still waiting for the door replacements. What is odd is that some of blisters have now disappeared and I have to hunt to find them. Before, they were embarrassingly bad.

It's to do with temperature. The issue will show up more on a warmer day as the gas expands.

 

[SimonT]

I’m still waiting for the door replacements. What is odd is that some of blisters have now disappeared and I have to hunt to find them. Before, they were embarrassingly bad.

Side note, this may have been said somewhere else already but I’ve been offline for a while. I had it confirmed by Bell & Covill last week that this issue will be covered by extended warranty as it is not a “paint” issue but a part issue.

I've put a few options to Lotus today, including the 'it's a panel problem not a paint problem', they are sending to Escalations and warranty.

 

[geoffbland]

Side note, this may have been said somewhere else already but I’ve been offline for a while. I had it confirmed by Bell & Covill last week that this issue will be covered by extended warranty as it is not a “paint” issue but a part issue.

Wait.... just checking what you mean here by "extended warranty". Are you talking about the longer Lotus Warranty covering this - or is this the Bell & Covill Extended Warranty that is covering body panels? That would be big news as none of the other third-party extended warranties will cover bodywork - for the obvious reasons.

 

[cwfg]

Wait.... just checking what you mean here by "extended warranty". Are you talking about the longer Lotus Warranty covering this - or is this the Bell & Covill Extended Warranty that is covering body panels? That would be big news as none of the other third-party extended warranties will cover bodywork - for the obvious reasons.

Good question. I forget there are "versions" of the extended warranty. I was gifted an extended warranty by Endeavour after they messed me around when buying approved used from them - the car was 2 years old at that point. This is the car care warranty that I was told at the time would be after-sales - not the one sold at purchase. I'm not sure if B&C offer the same warranty as Endeavour but my car is going in to B&C for the doors and when I asked specifically about the paint/doors and extended warranty, they suggested that Lotus had confirmed the issue is a panel issue and not a paint issue and to quote what I was told over the phone "while paint is not covered under any extended warranty, the panels will be".

I would assume given it was B&C that told me this, that the warranty they sell is what they based that advice on. I didn't question it until now, but there is always a chance I was just being fed conjecture.

 

[geoffbland]

they suggested that Lotus had confirmed the issue is a panel issue and not a paint issue and to quote what I was told over the phone "while paint is not covered under any extended warranty, the panels will be".

That's very good news if correct. That would mean we have 8 years warranty for this issue - https://www.lotuscars.com/en-GB/lotus-warranty/emira

 

[SimonT]

That's very good news if correct. That would mean we have 8 years warranty for this issue - https://www.lotuscars.com/en-GB/lotus-warranty/emira

12 years if owned before November 2024 when they changed both the paint warranty and chassis and panel to 8 yrs from 12 yrs.