This past weekend I finally got a chance to wash, wax, etc. my car for the first time in ~3 months and I was extremely disappointed in the quality of the paint and the bumper. Looking at the damage the winter season took on my car, I noticed that although the paint is soft and chips easily, the biggest problem was that my front bumper had a ton of indents in it. In many cases, whatever hit the bumber didn't actually chip the paint, but pushed it in due to the bumper being so soft. In most cases, however, whatever hit the bumber pushed in far enough to leave a cratered black plastic mess since the paint couldn't give any more. I know some are pursuing litigation, but this doesn't seem to be a problem that can be solved with a repaint. As long as the bumper is soft, its going to deform and the paint will give way when this happens. I don't even know why I bother trying to keep my car clean and waxed b/c it seems my work had little or no effect on minimizing damage. Even after waxing the bumper, it felt like sandpaper when I brushed my hand over it. This is only after 1 yr/15000 miles (mostly highway). I don't even want to know what it will be like once the car is actually paid off in another 2 yrs. I love my car, but this experience is really getting to me. What solutions are available, and body kits are not an option?

All in all, this is just another area where the Max is lacking. I know no one wants to hear another "my max sucks story", but it really does seem that we didn't get our money's worth. Between the squeks and rattles to the notchy gearbox to the crap paint to the inferior rear suspension to the poor resale, I am left wondering what is left that I actually enjoy on my car. Don't get me wrong, when I'm driving on a smooth road on a nice day, I couldn't love my car more, but with that love comes greater disappointment when I see how much annoys me with it. If only the TL had stick shift, I would have bought that. Now I'm stuck with this car for the foreseeable future b/c I can't in good consciousness sell it after only a yr. Oh well, I had to vent and I'm sorry about that. I guess I should just treat the max for what it is, transportation and nothing more.

 

You're right the bumper is kinda soft but I think the real problem is ppl hitting the F'ing car.

At one point I was tempted to get a license plate with spikes to send a message but I figure they would just F'up my car more when they backed up into my car and punched a hole in their bumper.


solution: one force field, If I find one I'll let u know.
SHIFT_woosh

 

Replace your old bumper with the soon-to-be-released custommaxima front bumper and 3M bra that sucker. I'm toying with the idea. I'm looking into having the 3M bra stuff installed on my rear bumper as well. My research so far has lead me to believe that it will be a custom job but oh well. It's worth it to not have my front and rear bumpers ALL scratched up.

I'm moving into a highly congested, predominantly parallel parking only city within a month or two.

 

clear bra'ing the back bumper sounds interesting. Do you know if this will actually prevent scratching? The current film that they use is too thin to protect from another car tapping it.

if this IS possible though, I'd be down to do it as well. I go out of my way to avoid parallel parking nowadays.