05 C6 Victory Red paint problem

Bought an '05 C6 from dealer in April of '05 here in Maine. Stored it Oct-June, got it detailed in June at the dealership where they found "environmental" damage to the paint that GM won't cover after 12 months. They pushed an aftermarket coating "Touch of Class" that I bought, TOC offered me $600 to buff the car. Any suggestions. Anyone else with this problem? Dealer passing the buck... Buyer beware of Marc Motors in Sanford ME.

Reply to
mr_scott
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BS! Somebody is loading your drawers big time. My guess is that unless it is kept in a bubble all of its life there will be environmental damage. What the hell is that? You've been had.

Reply to
Dad

Reply to
mr_scott

What exactly is this "environmental damage" that they say is wrong w/ your paint?

Reply to
Shane

Over the last decade there have been some specific paints that have been susceptible to "environmental damage." I had a white '96 that developed speckles from atmospheric fallout. GM gave everyone one free refinish since some of those failures may have been triggered during transport. Mil-yellow was susceptible to UV damage and owners had to sign a waiver for a couple of model years of that color. I had a Guards Red 911 that reacted to the seams in the bra that the dealer sold as a Porsche accessory. Porsche America and the dealer both kissed me off.

First thing is to check the service bulletins on that color. Another question, is TOC a Chevvy approved supplemental finish on new cars?

Reply to
PJ

Environmental damage is another word for acid rain, bird poop, etc. It's not a defect in the paint which would be warrantable. It is an outside factor that has damaged the paint which is not warrantable.

This distinction is very clearly laid out in your owner's manual. It very clearly states that environmental damage is not a warrantable item, but in the interest of customer satisfaction, Chevrolet(GM) will correct such damage during the first 12 months of ownership. The dealership is merely telling you what the Chevrolet(GM) policy is. They aren't trying to blow smoke up your butt as you allege.

Touch of Class is an aftermarket paint sealant. It has no connection to GM nor Chevrolet, but is sold by many new car dealerships as an inflated package. It is good stuff, but doesn't perform miracles. It is a paint sealant. No more, no less. By itself, it will not correct any environmental damage. Buffing the paint is the usual method of removing mild acid rain and mild damage from bird poop. The TOC is merely to seal and help protect against future damage.

$600. for a buff and TOC application is pretty much a ripoff.

Reply to
Yeni Penny

Reply to
RicSeyler

Quote:My dealership tried that on me one time when I had the car in for a fender bender (err cracker lol), got it back and there was a rough feel and very small debris on one side..... They hollered Environmental Damage...... I went to my shop got out a 25x Loupe and lo and behold it was metal shavings embedded into the paint, from some dumbass doing grinding and the sparks hitting the paint. You could see the rusted metal and the small burn around each shaving, and they all were in one direction..... not from the top... LOLOL They had to completely cut and seal the car after I proved my case to the Service Manager.Unquote

It troubles me that a reputable(maybe they weren't) dealership bodyshop wouldn't get the electronic loupe that any decent shop has and confirm or deny the condition you described. BTW, "rail dust" from transport isn't usually considered environmental damage. However, it's rarely present on a Corvette since they are usually delivered by truck transport rather than rail.

Reply to
Yeni Penny

The paint has barely noticeable divits about dime sized in many different spots on the car where the clear coat appears to have "peeled". Under a magnifying glass the dealer says it's trough th clear coat. The paint doesn't seem to be bothered, but there are spots on my Lexan top and Headlamp and tail lamps as well that won't come out. And BTW: GM regional manager says he won't touch it because TOC was put on, the dealer never mentioned that to me while trying to sell me the stuff. If TOC went on the inside of the car as well, not just the outside, how could it be a paint sealer??. I am wondering if something was wrong with the TOC they put on the car, but I could never prove it. Maybe litigation through the State? Really bummed and am damned sure not going to buy GM ever again if this doesn't get fixed soon. "Makes ya wanna cry man...", I love this car.

Reply to
mr_scott

The paint has barely noticeable divits about dime sized in many different spots on the car where the clear coat appears to have "peeled". Under a magnifying glass the dealer says it's trough th clear coat. The paint doesn't seem to be bothered, but there are spots on my Lexan top and Headlamp and tail lamps as well that won't come out. And BTW: GM regional manager says he won't touch it because TOC was put on, the dealer never mentioned that to me while trying to sell me the stuff. If TOC went on the inside of the car as well, not just the outside, how could it be a paint sealer??. I am wondering if something was wrong with the TOC they put on the car, but I could never prove it. Maybe litigation through the State? Really bummed and am damned sure not going to buy GM ever again if this doesn't get fixed soon. "Makes ya wanna cry man...", I love this car.

Reply to
mr_scott

I just re-read the Warranty on my '02 (page 12). That 12/12000 applies to "atmospheric" effects -- sounds very much like "environmental damage." For the '02 there's no limitation on paint colors as there was in 1989 or 1996.

If applying TOC voided that warranty then it's reasonable that TOC or the dealer repair any paint damage, replace the clear coat and do the job right.

-- PJ '89 Hookercar '02 e-blu coupe

Reply to
PJ

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