Not so sure BMW won't try to make it right... (archive)

As you probably know, BMW recently went through a horrible lawsuit in Alabama that went all the way to the Supreme Court which started over a bad paint job. If you have the stomach and time, I would take this up as high as possible with your dealer and BMWNA. I don't think they want another black eye over a bum paint job. You should have some say over where it gets repainted. I agree with Mark not to repaint unnecessarily, but if it's ruining the experience of owning the car, which is not a cheap experience, something needs to be done. Good luck on whatever you decide.

At the factory, car bodies/parts are treated with special anti-corrosive coating/primers then paint is applied via static electricity (to eliminate runs, sags, orange peel etc.). To save money, the dealer will likely send it to a body shop who does work at whole sale prices. Some kid may power sand it (and sand deep, removing the anti-rust coating the bare metal hood received at the factory...So in two years there will be rust coming through) OR (more likely scenario) , an old guy will use just paint thinner, to give the current paint a bit of a 'bite' for the new paint to adhere to (which the new paint will initially, but will flake, chip and peel in a couple of years and your dealer will not cover it under warranty). Then there is the issue about color match. I suspect that to a casual observer they may not notice, but once you wax your car (seeing it up close), you will notice the difference. Then every time you approach your car you will see that different hue/shade of color of the newly painted hood vs. the rest of the car. Then there is the issue of the orange peel effect, and over spray on some little rubber parts of the window (if the hood was not removed from the car for painting) and over spray on the rubber on the front of the hood, or the insulation under the hood. The edges of the hood will have a slight paint build up too. Anyone looking at your car when it comes time to sell/trade will notice the re-paint (especially highly experienced car wholesale buyers). To many, repaint = crash repair and crash re-pair = a car worth far less than a non-crashed car.
Yes, when I was young I bought a crash-repaired car that never drove right...I ended up trading it in a few months later for a loss of nearly $3,000 (this was a $10,000 car). From that experience I will never ever buy a late model car that was repainted unless I know for absolute certainty it was not due to accident repair and that the quality of the paintjob is first class (I've seen too many peeling-after-a-couple-years paint jobs).
I had a three year old SAAB that sustained hail damage. The dealer suggested that the dents on the roof be pushed out, sanded, Bondoed (two-part epoxy filler) and repainted. the hood would be new and painted at a paint shop....With visions of my car in two years later having rusty colored spots on the roof and with the Bondo popping out leaving big rusty craters I declined (I�ve seen cars in that condition from hail damage repair). I never had it repaired, and I never had a paint problem.
Can your hood be repainted to the same standards as the factory? Sure, I suspect it could, but it would cost far, far more than what your dealer/BMW NA will pay. I'd say if it was a 15 year old car, then sure, go ahead and get it painted, but not on this new of a car (just my -long winded- opinion).
MarkC

Follow Ups:

[ Follow Ups ] [ 7-series Message Board ] [ Msg. Board FAQ ]

Questions, comments, or problems, please visit the Roadfly help desk.