Yaris paint / finish looks poor - not holding up through the winter. - Toyota Yaris Forums

chriswb · 01-15-2010, 04:03 PM

Hey guys. My Yaris does not seem to be handling the winter well. Here's what I've noticed:

1. The paint is worn through in a few areas.
2. The car is rusting inside the flap that covers the gas tank hole.
3. There are scratches all over the side of the car from driving on the highway.
4. There are black streaks in the paint on the side of the car.

I purchased the car new five months ago and have put only 3000 miles on it. Most of those miles are highway miles. I am one of the slow, cautious drivers of the world so the car gets treated quite nicely. It's never been above 80 mph on the highway (average speed is 60-65mph). The car is parked in a private lot during the day. I try to baby the car since it's the first new car I've owned. The car was washed and waxed professionally right after I bought it.

Is this typical of the Yaris? I was visiting my family last week and every family member's car was in better shape than mine. It made me more than a little upset!

DerFlosser · 01-15-2010, 04:06 PM

Ironically enough...I gave mine a full detail today and it looks better now than the day I bought it. It's all about maintaining it like a fanatic. I do it to all of my cars by nature. A lot of people complain about the Yaris paint but mine has held up extremely well. I have 9,100 miles on my car and purchased it at the end of 2008 around Thanksgiving. Never bring it through car washes and only wash it by hand (often). My car could pass for being brand new if not for the mileage on the odometer.

Kal-El · 01-15-2010, 04:11 PM

You have environmental whack jobs to thank for that.

A main reason is that automakers must now use soft paint that is deemed cleaner for the environment.

That said, I don't find the paint that bad. Mine has 70,000 miles and still looks new in the northeast.

*tomato* · 01-15-2010, 04:18 PM

Paint is thin. Common complaint. Keep it waxed

chriswb · 01-15-2010, 04:23 PM

Just to be clear - the car drives fine in the snow. I'm actually comfortable taking it out in the snow, whereas I would never have driven in the snow in my old BMW.

I've been driving in the snow, sleet, and etc. so that probably has something to do with it, but I still find the appearance disappointing. The rust is what caused me to post here. Rust on a five month old car? When I take it in for the six month maintenance next month I'm going to complain about that for sure.

If it wasn't so expensive I'd get the entire car re-painted with a few coats, plus clear coats to make it nice and protected. Any paint studios in Indianapolis want to give me a nice discount?

Thanks for the comments, guys.

cali yaris · 01-15-2010, 05:00 PM

Quote:

You have environmental whack jobs to thank for that.

You're welcome.

devinlamothe · 01-15-2010, 05:19 PM

You may have a crappy factory paint job. I've had my car since 2006, and gone through 3 winters with lots of salt/sand/etc and I've had no rust, streaks or anything.

advocate · 01-15-2010, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomato

Paint is thin. Common complaint. Keep it waxed

At the risk of saying exactly what Tomato said but with more words I'll just quote.

Hershey · 01-15-2010, 07:19 PM

this paint / clearcoat does chip , scratch , and get swirls in it easy . I've had to use touch up paint from TOYOTA on the YARIS we have ( '08 sedan ) . The rocker panels are very prone to chipping from gravel , road salt , etc.. Looking into use of SCOTCH GUARD film ( clear / colored ) for the rocker panels . The mud guards do help some . Only use front mud guards for L.B. and all four on sedan . Very easy install for fronts . Rears little tricky . Especially for the L.B..

DerFlosser · 01-15-2010, 07:24 PM

You know....I totally missed the part about the rust. That is not at all acceptable. I would actually bring it in now for that. Rust on a 5 month old car...def something not right.

Kal-El · 01-15-2010, 07:32 PM

The warranty covers rust. Definitely bring it the dealer.

chriswb · 01-15-2010, 07:44 PM

Disappointing! I guess I have to be resigned to accept that my car will look unkept even if I treat it with care.

Honestly, I wish I hadn't purchased a Toyota. The Yaris' mechanics are well-designed and the contour of the hatchback makes it visually appealing. That being said, I have had nothing but bad experiences with Toyota since buying the car.

1. The dealership was bad from the start. I should have bought the car elsewhere. My family's never been treated so poorly by a dealership.

2. The dealership lost my plates. I had to call everyone up the chain to the licensing manager (who was never there when I called) before they finally found the plates at the cashier's desk. They had been sitting there for a month.

3. The dealership wrote the wrong owner on the title. When I asked about this they said I could change it by calling Toyota Financial. I called Toyota financial and they flat out refused to change it, even if I paid off the car. Consequentially I don't get the benefit of having the loan on my credit report which was the only reason I financed the car rather than purchasing it outright. I could pay the car off and transfer the title to myself, but that seems like a waste of money since the car has 0% financing.

4. The paint. I can just imagine the hassle I'm going to have to go through at the dealership to get them to fix the rusting.

I should have bought a used Honda or even a non-Japanese car. It would be worth it to have a less reliable car if the customer service behind the car was better. My hubris caused me to purchase a new car, and I don't even get the benefit of having the car look good.

chriswb · 01-15-2010, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DerFlosser

You know....I totally missed the part about the rust. That is not at all acceptable. I would actually bring it in now for that. Rust on a 5 month old car...def something not right.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kal-El

The warranty covers rust. Definitely bring it the dealer.

Thanks, guys. I'm going to bring it to a different Toyota dealership.

*tomato* · 01-15-2010, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chriswb

Disappointing! I guess I have to be resigned to accept that my car will look unkept even if I treat it with care.

Honestly, I wish I hadn't purchased a Toyota. The Yaris' mechanics are well-designed and the contour of the hatchback makes it visually appealing. That being said, I have had nothing but bad experiences with Toyota since buying the car.

1. The dealership ...

2. The dealership ...

3. The dealership ...

4. .... I can just imagine the hassle I'm going to have to go through at the dealership to get them to fix the rusting.

See, all your complaints are about the dealership. You can't honestly blame Toyota because you did business with the wrong dealership.

Honestly, I went to 2 Toyota dealerships before I bought my Yaris. The first one had the Yaris I wanted, color and all, but the guy was a a jerk and I got a bad feeling right from the get go, so I walked . I forget what was wrong with the second Toyota dealership. Attitude, I think.

Also went to a Honda dealership near me, negative experience as well, I walked. I wanted that FIT so much I could taste it, but you got be able to trust the guy you're doing business somewhat. Plus it was expensive.

Finally, I found my Yaris 50 miles from where I live, out in the country, and had a decent transaction there.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't blame Toyota. Toyota makes good cars, everyone knows that. Keep in mind that the Yaris is their entry level car, doesn't have the luxury of higher end models, yes the paint is thin, but it's a good value.

Quote:

I should have bought a used Honda or even a non-Japanese car.
... It would be worth it to have a less reliable car if the customer service behind the car was better. My hubris caused me to purchase a new car, and I don't even get the benefit of having the car look good.

perish the tought!!!

I would give the dealership a ration of you-know-what about the rust. I agree with you, a 6 months old car should NOT have rust.

Hershey · 01-15-2010, 08:04 PM

we had rust form on a '03 MATRIX few years into ownership . Rust developed around driver side rear door handle and on part of the hatch door .

DerFlosser · 01-15-2010, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chriswb

...The dealership wrote the wrong owner on the title. When I asked about this they said I could change it by calling Toyota Financial. I called Toyota financial and they flat out refused to change it, even if I paid off the car. Consequentially I don't get the benefit of having the loan on my credit report which was the only reason I financed the car rather than purchasing it outright. I could pay the car off and transfer the title to myself, but that seems like a waste of money since the car has 0% financing...

I would be all over somebody's ASS for this. Totally unacceptable. Have you contacted your lawyer or a lawyer?

Hershey · 01-15-2010, 08:09 PM

we've had spats and got attitude with many TOYOTA dealers ( salespeople ) and service centers . Not as bad as HONDA dealers . Found PONTIAC dealers to have worse attitude . May be part of reason why they're kapoot

.

supmet · 01-15-2010, 08:37 PM

I know how you guys feel about winter.. these 75 degree highs all week are killer

My 3 year old paint with 80,000 miles looks new except for a shopping cart ding or two.

01-15-2010, 04:03 PM	#1
chriswb Drives: 09 Yaris Liftback Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chicago, IL / Indianapolis, IN Posts: 41	Yaris paint / finish looks poor - not holding up through the winter. Hey guys. My Yaris does not seem to be handling the winter well. Here's what I've noticed: 1. The paint is worn through in a few areas. 2. The car is rusting inside the flap that covers the gas tank hole. 3. There are scratches all over the side of the car from driving on the highway. 4. There are black streaks in the paint on the side of the car. I purchased the car new five months ago and have put only 3000 miles on it. Most of those miles are highway miles. I am one of the slow, cautious drivers of the world so the car gets treated quite nicely. It's never been above 80 mph on the highway (average speed is 60-65mph). The car is parked in a private lot during the day. I try to baby the car since it's the first new car I've owned. The car was washed and waxed professionally right after I bought it. Is this typical of the Yaris? I was visiting my family last week and every family member's car was in better shape than mine. It made me more than a little upset!

01-15-2010, 04:18 PM	#4
tomato Super Moderator View User's Garage Drives: Yaris 2DR LB 07, MT, Abs. Red Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Posts: 5,155	Paint is thin. Common complaint. Keep it waxed __________________ Follow Bamboo the YarisWorld Traveler here

01-15-2010, 05:19 PM	#7
devinlamothe Drives: '07 Yaris HB Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Sudbury, Canada Posts: 520	You may have a crappy factory paint job. I've had my car since 2006, and gone through 3 winters with lots of salt/sand/etc and I've had no rust, streaks or anything. __________________

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01-15-2010, 04:06 PM	#2
DerFlosser Drives: Yaris Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Posts: 355	Ironically enough...I gave mine a full detail today and it looks better now than the day I bought it. It's all about maintaining it like a fanatic. I do it to all of my cars by nature. A lot of people complain about the Yaris paint but mine has held up extremely well. I have 9,100 miles on my car and purchased it at the end of 2008 around Thanksgiving. Never bring it through car washes and only wash it by hand (often). My car could pass for being brand new if not for the mileage on the odometer.

01-15-2010, 04:11 PM	#3
Kal-El Drives: 07 Yaris S Sedan 5-Speed Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 2,179	You have environmental whack jobs to thank for that. A main reason is that automakers must now use soft paint that is deemed cleaner for the environment. That said, I don't find the paint that bad. Mine has 70,000 miles and still looks new in the northeast.

01-15-2010, 04:23 PM	#5
chriswb Drives: 09 Yaris Liftback Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chicago, IL / Indianapolis, IN Posts: 41	Just to be clear - the car drives fine in the snow. I'm actually comfortable taking it out in the snow, whereas I would never have driven in the snow in my old BMW. I've been driving in the snow, sleet, and etc. so that probably has something to do with it, but I still find the appearance disappointing. The rust is what caused me to post here. Rust on a five month old car? When I take it in for the six month maintenance next month I'm going to complain about that for sure. If it wasn't so expensive I'd get the entire car re-painted with a few coats, plus clear coats to make it nice and protected. Any paint studios in Indianapolis want to give me a nice discount? Thanks for the comments, guys.

01-15-2010, 07:19 PM	#9
Hershey Drives: 08 Yaris sedan auto / Fit auto Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: northeast Posts: 2,897	this paint / clearcoat does chip , scratch , and get swirls in it easy . I've had to use touch up paint from TOYOTA on the YARIS we have ( '08 sedan ) . The rocker panels are very prone to chipping from gravel , road salt , etc.. Looking into use of SCOTCH GUARD film ( clear / colored ) for the rocker panels . The mud guards do help some . Only use front mud guards for L.B. and all four on sedan . Very easy install for fronts . Rears little tricky . Especially for the L.B..

01-15-2010, 07:24 PM	#10
DerFlosser Drives: Yaris Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Posts: 355	You know....I totally missed the part about the rust. That is not at all acceptable. I would actually bring it in now for that. Rust on a 5 month old car...def something not right.

01-15-2010, 07:32 PM	#11
Kal-El Drives: 07 Yaris S Sedan 5-Speed Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 2,179	The warranty covers rust. Definitely bring it the dealer.

01-15-2010, 07:44 PM	#12
chriswb Drives: 09 Yaris Liftback Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chicago, IL / Indianapolis, IN Posts: 41	Disappointing! I guess I have to be resigned to accept that my car will look unkept even if I treat it with care. Honestly, I wish I hadn't purchased a Toyota. The Yaris' mechanics are well-designed and the contour of the hatchback makes it visually appealing. That being said, I have had nothing but bad experiences with Toyota since buying the car. 1. The dealership was bad from the start. I should have bought the car elsewhere. My family's never been treated so poorly by a dealership. 2. The dealership lost my plates. I had to call everyone up the chain to the licensing manager (who was never there when I called) before they finally found the plates at the cashier's desk. They had been sitting there for a month. 3. The dealership wrote the wrong owner on the title. When I asked about this they said I could change it by calling Toyota Financial. I called Toyota financial and they flat out refused to change it, even if I paid off the car. Consequentially I don't get the benefit of having the loan on my credit report which was the only reason I financed the car rather than purchasing it outright. I could pay the car off and transfer the title to myself, but that seems like a waste of money since the car has 0% financing. 4. The paint. I can just imagine the hassle I'm going to have to go through at the dealership to get them to fix the rusting. I should have bought a used Honda or even a non-Japanese car. It would be worth it to have a less reliable car if the customer service behind the car was better. My hubris caused me to purchase a new car, and I don't even get the benefit of having the car look good.

01-15-2010, 08:04 PM	#15
Hershey Drives: 08 Yaris sedan auto / Fit auto Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: northeast Posts: 2,897	we had rust form on a '03 MATRIX few years into ownership . Rust developed around driver side rear door handle and on part of the hatch door .

01-15-2010, 08:09 PM	#17
Hershey Drives: 08 Yaris sedan auto / Fit auto Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: northeast Posts: 2,897	we've had spats and got attitude with many TOYOTA dealers ( salespeople ) and service centers . Not as bad as HONDA dealers . Found PONTIAC dealers to have worse attitude . May be part of reason why they're kapoot .

01-15-2010, 08:37 PM	#18
supmet Banned View User's Garage Drives: 2007 4 Door Yaris Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,357	I know how you guys feel about winter.. these 75 degree highs all week are killer My 3 year old paint with 80,000 miles looks new except for a shopping cart ding or two.