[FASTLIFE]

Today while browsing YouTube, I saw a video that was eye opening and sad reality altogether. Paint quality of new age cars is going down the drain even after so many price increase per quarter rather than a yearly basis and we thought cost cutting was just in car features (Ford) or in sheet metal (build quality) (Maar-uti) pun intended. We know that Hyundai Creta(earlier or maybe today's models too) is famous for paint chipping in the white shade , tbhp'ian vinair earlier posted in 2019 , so I'm posting one of his pics and the link : https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...-affected.html (Paint peeling off on a 3-year old Hyundai i20 Active. EDIT: Many more Hyundais affected)

and now today's Blue Tata Safari pics courtesy of Bromotive's Youtube channel :-

https://youtu.be/Kha4M3tlE80

There's multiple dust particles , pinhole embedded in the paint of a brand new Safari, I'll let the pics do the talking.

Moderator please merge with appropriate thread.

[sarwahi]

Something feels off over here. A brand new car having these many types of paint defects in one example is rarest of the rare case. Either there has to be other examples as well (in which cas manufacturer would definitely know) or this car is repainted before delivery to the customer.

[Black_Star]

Originally Posted by FASTLIFE

and now today's Blue Tata Safari pics courtesy of Bromotive's Youtube
.

No way that Safari would pass the quality inspection, and paint quality is one of the first things they check. Heck even dealership have good paint booth to make sure the original paint quality and consistency is maintained. It looks more like someone had repainted the car in open air. If this was done by the manufacturer the owner can take Tata to consumer court for the botch-up work they did.

[Captain Slow]

Originally Posted by Black_Star

No way that Safari would pass the quality inspection, and paint quality is one of the first things they check. Heck even dealership have good paint booth to make sure the original paint quality and consistency is maintained. It looks more like someone had repainted the car in open air. If this was done by the manufacturer the owner can take Tata to consumer court for the botch-up work they did.

You are 100% correct, No way this car left the factory in this condition.
But yet this *FAMOUS* youtuber says they have CHECKED it and found it to be factory original paint?

Looking at his videos - he skips several steps in some videos and then says it's the proper way to do it and in other videos, he does something else and says the same thing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNPbyd51hPo&t=630s

You can still see there is plenty of rust in the boot area - What happened to this ?
These guys will become the sai colorium of Pune soon.

[Kosfactor]

^ The Safari in our family too came with a decent sized paint blot right on the bonnet itself. It also had plenty of wax or polish resides on all door jambs. I'm sure I'll find more if I look under a few 1000 watts of inspection lights.

Most mass market cars will come with small paint defects here and there , I don't think it's something you'd notice usually.

What is a problem these days is unsuspecting car owners who wants 'Car Show' level mirror finish on their mass market barely adequate paint job on their daily driver cars. Once the detailing heroes finish grinding most of the paint away, they will apply some magic coating which is supposed to be more durable than the factory paint.

By the way, factory paint is - factory paint! It is very rare for a very talented paint specialist to work for peanuts in a dealership - unless he is doing it as a hobby. Dealership paint booths are often a showpiece, it's there because it's needed for approval , just like the alignment rig!! Painting is an art , a good painter who can come close to a factory finish or better can only be found in independent paint shops / body shops.

[sarathlal]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Most mass market cars will come with small paint defects here and there , I don't think it's something you'd notice usually.

I always thought its the other way round. Factory lines gives one of the best paint job quality compared to any other mode since its a facility set to achieve a certain level of quality throughout batches, unlike the paint booths where each job is an independent task with its own set of variables involved.

Painting is an art , a good painter who can come close to a factory finish or better can only be found in independent paint shops / body shops.

Absolutely! It's quite obvious to see the difference once you meet and see such an artist at work at least once.

[poloman]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

^
Dealership paint booths are often a showpiece, it's there because it's needed for approval , just like the alignment rig!! Painting is an art , a good painter who can come close to a factory finish or better can only be found in independent paint shops / body shops.

I think this is a misconception. I have tried out all major independent paint booths in Bangalore. The best quality and paint matching I got was from VW dealerships. Some of these so called experts were pathetic. Misaligned panels, heavy metal paste, poor paint matching, major overspray issues etc. Average customers may be happy with the quality, but not for people who have an eye for details.

[JoshMachine]

Not denying that the paint quality is wanting, but makes me wonder if this ceramic coating is really a factory issue (as made out in the video) or something that the dealership has botched up.

Last year, Tata Motors did launch this in-house service for ceramic coating, details here.

Paint quality issue at the factory is actually a very rare phenomenon, considering that the paint shop environment on the premises is virtually a dust-proof chamber.

[AutoNoob]

Originally Posted by FASTLIFE

Today while browsing YouTube, I saw a video that was eye opening and sad reality altogether. Paint quality of new age cars is going down the drain even after so many price increase per quarter rather than a yearly basis ... We know that Hyundai Creta(earlier or maybe today's models too) is famous for paint chipping in the white shade...

There's multiple dust particles , pinhole embedded in the paint of a brand new Safari, I'll let the pics do the talking.

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

Not denying that the paint quality is wanting,...

Paint quality issue at the factory is actually a very rare phenomenon, considering that the paint shop environment on the premises is virtually a dust-proof chamber.

Going by the thread title and the subsequent posts, I think two things are getting mixed.

1. Paint Quality (more to do with paint defects)
2. Cost cutting

The examples quoted are of Paint defects. The cost savings vs. bad publicity equation is not good enough to 'implement' this.

Major cost cutting comes via entirely different route (which average customer is not able to identify). Key approaches are :
1. Reduction paint coat thickness
2. Reduction is number of paint coats

Originally Posted by Captain Slow

You are 100% correct, No way this car left the factory in this condition.
But yet this *FAMOUS* Youtuber says they have CHECKED it and found it to be factory original paint?

I haven't seen the video, so commenting blindly. A paint thickness meter gives an idea whether the painting is OEM or re-work. OE paint is typically 70~80 microns; whereas re-work is usually more than 100 microns.

[GTO]

Happens to the best of them. My BMW has a defective paint area - a droplet like this - on the C-Pillar. Don't remember what it was, but somewhere on the bottom of the car, I think my C-Class (or was it the Honda??) had a minor paint defect too.

Look at the orange peel effect on our brand-new test Innova:


My attitude toward this is the same as that for rattles & nicks / scratches. Don't sweat the small stuff, ignore and enjoy the drive instead. It's anyway impossible to keep your car aesthetically "perfect" on Indian roads.

Don't be too particular; you'll only create unnecessary stress & agony for yourself. Rather, buy a car with the right engine + gearbox and go out for an early morning highway run. You'll have a smile that'll last a couple of days at least.

Of course, do the basic 101-level stuff listed here to keep your car clean & shiny. But don't sweat it.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by GTO

....
Don't be too particular; you'll only create unnecessary stress & agony for yourself. Rather, buy a car with the right engine + gearbox and go out for an early morning highway run. You'll have a smile that'll last a couple of days at least.
...

This is so perfectly said! While I completely appreciate the urge to keep ones prized possession spic and span and in top shape, the time and effort spent on it shouldn't hinder the real aspect, which you were in love with the first place.

I'm one of those 'use and enjoy' your car instead of 'see and enjoy' types.

[fiat_tarun]

I have noticed such inconsistencies in my Ecosport paint too. You really need to look closely, but when washing and detailing the car yourself you will find the odd pin hole, or a spec of dust trapped in the paint, etc.

[iamahunter]

Who knows, one gets a fabulously finished paint job and detailing and a flying stone causes a small dent on some part of the car while on the way back!

What I mean to say is, our peace is in our control, such minor things should not bother us.

A vehicle belongs on road and its bound to have some or the other things here and there. So unless one plans to keep it on exhibition these minor things should not really matter.

And coming to these "famous" youtubers, they are here to get views and expand their business! So don't get so influenced by these so called "influencers"!

[sgm]

Originally Posted by iamahunter

Who knows, one gets a fabulously finished paint job and detailing and a flying stone causes a small dent on some part of the car while on the way back!

Agree with you here.
After every couple of highway runs, I notice new tiny stone chips in my car. How much ever care you take, minor issues are bound to happen as the vehicle ages. I have learned to live with it rather than fret over it

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by Captain Slow

These guys will become the sai colorium of Pune soon.

This had me in splits

Is the sai colorium still dishing out sub standard paint jobs? My bad experience with them was almost a decade ago. Thought things would have improved over the years