Major rock chips - Paint Flaw?

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OafyC

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I have a 2005 Pontiac G6. I recently went on a trip (about 180 miles each way). When I washed the car after I got home, I noticed what I thought was dirt that didn't come off all along the lip at the rear of the rear door opening. I looked closer and noticed it was rock chips. It is on both sides of the car in that specific place. There are enough chips to look almost like the paint is just coming off.

I have gotten rock chips before, but this is literally around 100 or more small chips...from one trip! Does this sound like a paint or design flaw?
 
I will try, I only have a cell phone camera so I would have to get the lighting perfect for it to turn out.
 
I have the same problem with the flip headlights on my Trans Am. Will Scratch X or any product get these out? I tried the most agressive pad with menzerna intensive polish and it didn't quite make a big difference. Any suggestions?
 
GM is actually known for thick paint and heavy clears, so it sounds like you must have gotten stuck behind a convoy or something. I once had a Nissan, and it would scar the paint if a flower tapped it. Getting it repaired under warranty was NOT something I ever want to do again.
 
It was actually at a time of day when the highway was very clear, so I was well behind any other cars. It is in a specific enough place that it couldn't be from another vehicle. I think the way the car is designed throws debris from the front tires to this exact spot. A lot of debris.

DSCF0026.jpg

Yes, the car is pretty dirty right now. The thick line of white you see along the edge of the door jamb is the rock chips. It is like that on both sides of the car. The rest is just dirt.
 
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They suck but cant do much about them maybe u can fill it with touch up then wetsand and buff...
 
I know there isn't much I can do. However, if that is what happens after one highway trip, I can't imagine what will happen over time. I think if it is a design flaw or a paint flaw that Pontiac should do something about it. These aren't quite like the scattered rock chips that I consider to be "wear and tear". I am posting this to see if my opinion is out of line or if this is somehow a normal thing.
 
Wow, that's a lot of chips for a short drive! I just repaired some "very" serious stone chips on a black BMW that has 85,000 highway miles and it didn't have that concentration of wear. (There is a thread on AutoGeek someplace...)

It appears the design of the body sends stones right to that area of the door edge.

First, if you have any warranty, I would recommend you document exactly what happened: length of trip, highway type (concrete, asphalt, etc). Get someone with a high resolution camera to take detailed pics of the area and the rest of the car (to show GM that the condition is "localized" in that area of the door edge).

If GM fixes the edge with a re-spray and blend, or if you do that on your own, I'd recommend getting some Clear Travel Bra material and custom cut the product to fit that area.

That's some serious chippin'

Toto
 
Thanks, I thought it seemed prety unusual. I am going to take it to my dealer and see what they say tomorrow. If they won't fix it I will try to contact GM directly.
 
OafyC said:
Thanks, I thought it seemed prety unusual. I am going to take it to my dealer and see what they say tomorrow. If they won't fix it I will try to contact GM directly.
Click to expand...

Let us know.
That pics looks just like the way alot of C-5 Z06's look like from doing a little track events. Since the rear brake inlets are there. It gets pitted real bad
 
Oafy, it is a design flaw of the car. I have the Bonneville in my signature, and it has flares in front of the rear wheels as well, and they are littered with hundreds of white flecks on both sides. In the Bonneville forum there have actually been guys with the late 90's Bonnevilles where the paint actually ended up totally gone after several years on the flares. When I had my car in to the body shop to repaint my hood, I asked about it. The guy said it is also a problem on the Envoy. He actually told me that GM will pay for one repaint if the car is under warranty. He quoted me $200 to respray both sides, which I'm tempted to do. So I would suggest getting it done under warranty, and then get something like that 3M clear bra stuff and put it down there. That is my plan once I get around to fixing it.

p1000677oj1.jpg
 
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