So, I purchased a 2011 Maxima SV on August 11th. The color of the car is charcoal which looks like a very dark maroon metal flake in the sun.

Several days after I bought the car the weather cleared and I had the opportunity for the first hand wash. After washing the car and carefully drying with a chamois, noticed what appeared to be stubborn water spots on much of the horizontal surfaces. I then resolved to get the car professionally detailed.

I asked the dealer to recommend a detailer and my sales guy got wind of my request and said "Bring the car in and we will do a detail, we want you to be absolutely happy with the appearance of the car".

So I bought the car in, and they drove me to work, late in the day the service managed called to explain that the car has "acid rain" pitting in the clear coat. and there was little they could do about it. When I picked up the car, the service mgr. explained I should discuss the issue with my sales guy.

In any event, my sales guy called late last week asking me to bring the car in Monday morning and they will give me a loaner car and "make the situation right".

He says they may have to remove the clear coat and respray it. I just noticed that the loaner car paperwork says a one week duration.

I'm kinda surprised (but feel fortunate) that they are doing this, has anyone heard of acid rain damage? I live in NE Ohio and the car was originally sold at a dealership in central Pa. The dealership owns a body shop so hopefully the work will be done correctly.

I'm glad they are addressing the issue but am completely nervous about how it will turn out.

 

You should be nervous. Most dealerships not have the proper equipment to do this type of job. Ask them if they have people to do it correctly. Ask if they ever did a whole car refinish. If you are not satisfied with their work can it be redone at the proper place with the dealership footing the bill for the redo. This is a job that will effect the look of your car. I would not trust a dealership to do it correctly as it requires equipment most don't have.

 

The fact they are willing to even consider respraying the car for you is a big deal and I am amazed that they are doing that. Acid rain can be a B!tch but make sure that you get your car coated with a quality sealant such as Meguiars M21 sealant and a quality wax. It's an inexpensive sealant but it hold it own against the sealants that are 2-3 times the price.

Looking forward to the pictures of the finished product.

 

id be a little hesitant that a dealership could do this to your satisfaction

 

Yeah, I would ask them if they would pay for a "real" paint shop to do the work and see what they say. If it's etched into the clear they will have to pretty much sand the clear away.. Good luck looking forward to the outcome.

 

The dealership did send it to a body shop. They have had the car now one week (gave me a loaner, so I'm not rushing them). I will post pics. when I get the car back. Hoping it's a positive sign that it's taking this long.

 

Actually, I am surprised and a bit amazed that they are dealing with it.
I'm just hoping it's a quality job.

 

Got the car back from the dealer who took the car to local auto body shop to resolve the issue. Turns out that the issue was NOT acid rain damage. The auto body shop buffed out the car with a soft pad and waxed it. All the hard water spots (which look like acid rain damage apparently) are gone, the car looks great. I went to the auto body shop and spoke to the guy who did the car and he had no idea why the initial diagnosis was acid rain damage.

 

Lemme help you with that, feller.

It's because the stealership has no idea what they are talking about much of the time.

I'm glad they paid for it, but most stealership shops don't have or do paint work. When I picked up my brand new Max, one of the rocker panels had a gap. The dealer ordered a new one and when it came in, it wasn't painted, so they sent it to a paint shop. I was glad they fixed it, but I'm sure the wheels were greased by the owner of the dealership, who has a close relationship with the guy (who is like an uncle to me) that sent me over.

Glad you got it resolved. Enjoy the car!

 

And the simple thing to remedy this entire situation: vinegar.

Water spots are just part of life. If you don't dry the car immediately and end up having water drying and leaving spots behind (which darn near always happens if you wash it during the day and it's warm), use vinegar. I 1:10 solution of vinegar and distilled water. Spray it on, use one cloth to wipe it off, then use another to wipe it dry. If you're real crazy about it, have another bottle of just distilled water and spray, wipe and dry. Probably won't need it, though.

I've done this for years and it's worked superbly.

Late,
Trav

 

Trav thanks for the trick with vinegar. I'm going to have to try that on my old max that I gave the wife. There are water spots around the SAT nub on the roof. Vinegar works because it calcifies the water? Fascinating. Will let you know results. Plain white distilled vinegar I assume... Not the kind you put on fries!!

 

I don't think it's water spots that is his problem but Etching of the clear coat. If the clear coat is etched this isn't going to work as it is now bonded to the paint clear coat. It's like if you leave bird poop on your car for to long, it's there in the paint now.

 

I've heard of etching and how bad it is but if they buffed it out how come it came out then? I've heard that bird poop can literally ruin paint if left on because of the protein and other chemicals in their excrement. Interesting to know that it worked out for the guy. Most dealers wouldn't go the extra mile but if it was bad enough they would have to.