I took delivery of my Maxima last week and love the car (and the color) but the paint is driving me crazy. It scratches, if you merely look at it. The plastic button on the cuff of my shirt scratches the finish. Is this normal? I am not talking trying to scratch it, only casually letting my sleeve touch the finish. I am taking it back to the dealer next Tuesday to get existing scratches removed and the have 2 paint flaws (lighter, hand sized spots) fixed. I would appreciate any input.

Thanks

 

Have had a LOT of black vehicles, still have a black 02' F250 4X4.. nature of the beast. When they are good, they are awesome (black cars)... but it doesn't take much for them to look like crap. Good luck.

 

Trust me....I love the way the car looks but man it's a pain to keep up with...the paint shows every imperfection....just wash it, polish it, and keep a good coat of wax on it at all times....

 

I am not an expert so I have no clue if this is normal. I have swirl marks and scratches like crazy and it is driving me insane. Mine is Majestic Blue and it shows every light scratch. I would also like to hear other comments. I also have four new chipped paint spots that I found this weekend while polishing and waxing. What gives it's only been off the lot for 4 months?!?!?!

 

this is why you can't let anything touch it except micorfiber towels (which need constant rinsing or dirt will scratch). check the detailing forum for more help:
http://forums.maxima.org/forumdispla...sprune=-1&f=69
all paints/clearcoats scratch this easily. it's just that black doesn't hide it at all.

 

This is my third black car. Like everyone says, black is the worst when it comes to imperfections. Dings, dents, scratches, and swirls all stand out. I've noticed that the paint on my maxima is softer than other cars that I've owned. This is why I take it to the pressure wash once every other week and just spray off the dirt in between washes. I'll wash it every two weeks. Lightly wax once every two to three months. Polish twice a year. It's a small price to pay for a sweet looking car. That usually takes care of most of the scratches and swirls.

Good luck!

 

3rd gen paint is very good, very thick. My mom has a 1994 and the paint has held up amazingly well. 4th gens hold up pretty good. But 5th and 6th gen paint seems to scratch very easily.

 

I have heard some say microfiber, some say chenille wash pads, and variety of other items. So you have a pretty black one what do you think of other items besides microfiber(I have been using chenille). Also what about a microfiber pads are they any count?

 

I feel your pain. The only way to cut down on the scratches is to polish them out and keep some good wax on the car. It is nearly impossible to have a flawless black car if it is a daily driver but you can keep it looking good with some work.

 

PSYKO,

Fellow Onyx owner here. Yep, install30 is right on. Black shows every little swirl especially under certain lighting so relax, you'll live longer.

 

Some of the acrylic finishes (Klasse AIO and SG) will help protect the finish a bit better than just carnuba wax. That's what I use, then top it off with the wax for a great shine.

I have to polish mine 2 times a year to keep it looking good. As said, black is the most difficult color to keep looking good, but when it's done right no other color comes close to it.