I have this weird formation, its like little pin size rust spots all across my back bumper, and i was and wax my car every week, i like in fl so there isn't honestly any road debris, so what is causing this garbage, also i have chips on driver side side skirt, which i noticed a week after getting the car. I haven't even had it for a year yet, we gotta get something going here.

 

I had sever chiping on my side skirts dealer repainted them now i have noproblem though i now have a large chip next to my grill wich has some definit rust any ideas on what to do to stop the rust in mean time??? I noticed it bout a week ago

 

I also have chipping on the side skirts. It does appear to be an inferior paint job.

 

I wash my car by hand, and if I do go through a wash, its brushless...no debris has ever hit my car, not even a rock. So this is just a case of terrible cheap paint.

 

Mods, can we get this as a sticky, and merge the other forum into it?

 

class action lawsuit? Sign my *** up!!

 

I HAVE RUST PIT MARKS! IM GETTIN THEM ON MY TRUNK AND ROOF!

 

the paint is cheap i have seen in this forum paint chipping brought up acouple times. i have several spots where my paint has chipped for no reason that i can think of. also when i bought the car it had paint chips on the front bumper. we saw i b4 we signed it and they repainted it. i agree mitsu sucks

 

Hi, guys and gals. This is Mark at Quantum-Racing.com. I am new on the Lancer forums here. We have been a vendor on NASIOC and i-club for some time. I have modified many DSM's, mkiv's, WRX's etc. I can tell you that the WRX's have the same poor paint job. It chips very easily. The DSM's do not have that problem.

While we do have a brisk business is designing, developing, manufacturing and selling aftermarket parts (our new focus will be on the EVO; you guys need some more knowledgable guys to make parts for you ), our primary business is Tier 1&2 automotive painting (we paint parts for the factory; not Mitsu, though). Having heard your complaints and seeing the photos, I can hopefully give you a few ideas as to what's up with your cars.

If the color is not the same between metal and plastic parts, that is because the plastic parts are usually painted separate at the factory, ie., on another paint line, and they are not controlling the color match very well.
The chipping all seems to be at the edges of panels which also tells me they either have poor prepping procedures or they aren't being followed correctly.
Overall, I would anticipate that they are either neglecting to spend enough time and money on the paint process to meet budget or they have poor paint standards at the facililty. Is it just either plastic or metal parts that have the flaking problem or does the problem occur just as frequently on both surfaces?
It seems this sort of paint (which chips easily) is prevalent on these models wherein they are trying to save some money. The WRX is the same way. I've seen countless WRX's with severe chipping on the front and sides. It seems to have rather brittle paint.

Anyways, I don't really know what to say about trying to get it fixed. It sounds like a combination of cheap paint and poor prep practices. The chipping will probably not be rectified but the car should not have prep flaws which will instigate flaking paint within a year. That will have to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, I'm afraid.
Attached is a photo of the old project car and the replaced paint job (due to chips, like the Lancers).

Hope this helps,
Mark
www.Quantum-Racing.com

 

I don't know about you guys, but I don't want cheap dealer paint again, I want my body shop to paint it. i'd even be willing to just get a ck for what it costs to repaint the whole car on average and just eat the additional cost required for my shop to do it. Which ask any bodyshop, and the don't just add a clearcoat. they repaint the whole car

 

yeah i think its going on with me too....i have chipping on the 2 back doors...WHICH I NEVER OPEN

 

werd. i only have a few paint nicks, which are on the trunk, they are maybe a centimeter at the most. i can fix mine with touch up paint tho...but yea, i would get i touch with an attorney and take some legal action. the warranty should cover all paint related garbage like that.

 

I had chipping on the side skirts within a few days of having bought it... they gave me **** that it was from my feet... so I said screw em and didn't worry about it... got a bottle of touch up paint that one of these days I'll actually use to paint over the chips... but the rest of the body is doing ok.

If you have rust.. you are in great shape because we have 7 year corrosion warranties... if it corrodes.. they repaint.... plain and simple it is in your dealer contract.

I think that you/we have a reasonable claim toward class-action on the paint if they refuse to do a voluntary recall or the like... lawyers are probably the best resource on this one.

 

Is there anyone out there without a OZ that has this problem?? My car has no chipping at all... but then again I'm a professional detailer.. BUT I wash my car with a PRESSURE washer also which should be harsh on our paint, if our paint is so bad. I keep it waxed, and buff it every once and awhile also.

:EDIT: I have a ES also.

 

A 17,000 dollar car and I have 20,000 miles, paint is not supposed to just chip away. My friend has a 94 golf vr6 yellow with 110,000 miles, and the paint is in better shape.