Poll for Those with Paint Blistering / Bubbling Defect

[Orchardbike]

@geoffbland apologies, I’ve pinched your photo!

My bubbling was slightly higher up on both of my doors, in the area circled in green. I’ve also seen a number of pictures of other people’s cars with bubbling in the same area as mine.

I don’t think water can collect behind the panel in the green area as it’s the very top of the door and it’s angled so water would run down the door.

 

[geoffbland]

I'll also try and get some more pictures when I take mine in for replacements, that is if I'm allowed to.

 

[virtualmacho]

My bubbling was slightly higher up on both of my doors, in the area circled in green. I’ve also seen a number of pictures of other people’s cars with bubbling in the same area as mine.

Mine is also in the green area, but I don't have a picture from the other side.

 

[F1 SML8R]

This is a picture of the unpainted door taken from a low angle looking up. You can see a seam between the inner panel and the outer "skin". The inner structure has drain holes, but they are tiny. Maybe this is an updated design? I am asking for a picture of the removed door from the same angle to compare.
View attachment 77570

I think what all of us want to see is what is happening on the other side of that area (that is where my blisters are), and that is why I am asking the dealer / body shop for a picture of the outer skin removed. I don't know if they can do this for me, but will let you folks know how it goes.

This is a great pic, thank you. The fact that there are drain holes confirms they are there to extract moisture. My theory now is that water gets in from the top where the rubber seal meets the actual glass from the window (i.e., top of the door where the glass slides up and down). Water seeps in and collects in the what is likely a super narrow cavity between the exterior skin and ends where you see the seam. That's probably why the drain holes exist in those small blocked areas right above the seam.

That skin removed pic will be insightful, for sure.

 

[F1 SML8R]

BTW, I'll just add, behind those drain holes and above them would align with where most are seeing damage. The suspense to see that pic!

 

[virtualmacho]

There seems to have been a mixup of photos. The door with the round brown inspection sticker is my old door (Dark Verdant paint overspray on white-ish panel), and the door with the round green inspection sticker (unpainted white-ish outer shell on new(?) dark gray inner side of external skin panel) is my new unpainted door.

They both have drain holes, so the fundamental design looks the same, but the color of the insides of the external skin panel is different.

<old door>

<new door>

 

[geoffbland]

They both have drain holes, so the fundamental design looks the same, but the color of the insides of the external skin panel is different.

As I understand it they changed the binding paint used on the panels some time ago - that explains the colour differences. I assume your car was an fairly early manufactured one?

 

[virtualmacho]

As I understand it they changed the binding paint used on the panels some time ago - that explains the colour differences. I assume your car was an fairly early manufactured one?

Sep. 2023, so fairly early car.

 

[Beachbum]

Been giving this some more thought recently as it relates to the Warranty and the reduction in Warranty for cars after Aug/Sep 2024

Paint was reduced from 5 years to 3 years and if memory serves body work was reduced from 12 years to 8 years. Reason I include the body work duration is, I think we have been worrying about the wrong warranty.
The issue is not the paint, that is just a symptom. The issue are the panels beneath the paint i.e. the body work. Given that, we have a minimum of 8 years before we need to worry about this and for those with early cars, as much as 12 years.

Anyone disagree with this logic?

 

[cwfg]

Aligns with a what I’ve read, here and elsewhere. It also aligns with the narrative from B&C recently. Personally I’m not as concerned about it as I once was.

 

[geoffbland]

Been giving this some more thought recently as it relates to the Warranty and the reduction in Warranty for cars after Aug/Sep 2024
Anyone disagree with this logic?

This is what we were discussing on this thread about 20 posts back - it would be good news if this was covered under the panel warranty rather than the paint warranty but we are still waiting on some clarity on this - some kind of confirmation from Lotus.

 

[Beachbum]

This is what we were discussing on this thread about 20 posts back - it would be good news if this was covered under the panel warranty rather than the paint warranty but we are still waiting on some clarity on this - some kind of confirmation from Lotus.

Dont see how it cant be.
Lotus would not be replacing panels at great cost to them/their supplier, if they thought it was something else. I mean, if it were just the paint, they would just respray.

 

[FlashingBlade]

Just cleaned by car for the first time in a few months and noticed that I've got new blistering in two places on the drivers door. The door was originally replaced for blistering about 18 months ago. I hope this isnt going to be a recurring issue.

 

[SimonT]

Just cleaned by car for the first time in a few months and noticed that I've got new blistering in two places on the drivers door. The door was originally replaced for blistering about 18 months ago. I hope this isnt going to be a recurring issue.

Mine lasted 12 months, new passenger door has been put on order. I'm out of the' 3 yr' warranty but threatened legal action if they didn't abide by their original terms ie, 5 Yr and 12 Yr for panels, they have.

 

[Biggles of Norwich]

Mine lasted 12 months, new passenger door has been put on order. I'm out of the' 3 yr' warranty but threatened legal action if they didn't abide by their original terms ie, 5 Yr and 12 Yr for panels, they have.

Good to hear that you have got them to do a door after 3 years warranty on paintwork has expired, although we all know it's not a fault in the paint. Please keep us updated on progress!

 

[FlashingBlade]

Mine lasted 12 months, new passenger door has been put on order. I'm out of the' 3 yr' warranty but threatened legal action if they didn't abide by their original terms ie, 5 Yr and 12 Yr for panels, they have.

It doesn’t fill you with confidence that they’ve resolved the issue when the replacement parts are behaving exactly the same. Fortunately, I’m just inside their three years so hopefully it won’t be an argument over what was stipulated when I bought it (5/12).

 

[SimonT]

It doesn’t fill you with confidence that they’ve resolved the issue when the replacement parts are behaving exactly the same. Fortunately, I’m just inside their three years so hopefully it won’t be an argument over what was stipulated when I bought it (5/12).

They don't have a leg to stand on in England and Wales and they know it. In my email I told them to confer with their legal department before making a decision as it would be them defending in Court. It isn't a paint issue but a panel fault which is covered for 8/12 years depending on when the car was manufactured/1st sold.

 

[FlashingBlade]

Mine was manufactured/delivered to me as first owner in 2023.

 

[SimonT]

Mine was manufactured/delivered to me as first owner in 2023.

Mine was manufactured November '22, delivered to Tom Hartley Cars by the owner who made a slight profit on it in January' 23. I'm the 3rd owner but it only had 24 miles on it when I acquired it in April '24.

The car had the warranty not the 1st owner, by replacing so many panels on so many cars Lotus have admitted there is a manufacturing fault and so cannot point to their limited paint warranty as an excuse to not replace.

 

[cst]

How prevalent is the problem really? They must have sold thousands of emiras over the years and if the only ones that bubble are on the Facebook and Emira forums then the percent affected is really really small. Who knows?....but if it's the start of a bigger issue then I'm surprised there is no class action lawsuit yet.? If your dealing with this outside of warranty it's big bucks....they need to fix the problem and extend the paint warranty. Like Porsche did with the gt3