Stone Chips/ Paint

6334 Views 12 Replies 0 Participants Last post by Guest, Mar 24, 2002

Discussion Starter · Mar 3, 2002

I just finished washing and waxing my prius and noticed a huge number of stone chips on the front bumper and lower hood. I have a brilliant blue (you can see it's picture on the logo or on the home page.) Has anyone else noticed extreamly easy to chip paint on their car? I am planning on talking to the dealer about this when I go for my first service next month, and would like all the facts I can have when going in.

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Discussion Starter · #2 · Mar 3, 2002

I have had an '02 Super White since December. I also already have a couple chips in the paint on the hood. This is a topic that has come up several times over on the "tiny wireless camera" Prius group.

I seem to recall the problem is the environmentally friendly paint used on the Prius chips easier than those nasty tough paints of days gone by.

I'm expecting the problem to get much worse when we get into "chip seal" season this summer. I plan on picking up a bottle of touch up paint from the dealer when I go in for my first service. I understand that some Toyota dealers will give you a free bottle of touch up paint for your car.

Ed

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Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 5, 2002

Yep. Lots of road stone damage already. THanks for the tip about touch-up paint. I will ask for mine this week.

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Discussion Starter · #4 · Mar 5, 2002

Also had a noticeable sized chip the first weekend. Managed to take a chunk out of the edge of a door by just clipping the corner of my briefcase with the door when closing it. The paint is definitely fragile.

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Discussion Starter · #5 · Mar 5, 2002

Yes, a lot of owners mentioned this as a problem. I lost a good-sized chunk of paint off the hood (almost 1/2 inch long, and about 1/8 inch wide) my first week. I wash the car a lot so I can check for new chips, I currently have about 5 dings on my hood of various sizes after about 1.5 months. I am using some wax stuff that came with my environmental package, until I can get my touch-up paint. I will try to get it free, I am sure I could have had a free bottle when I bought the car but now that I have the car I am not sure they will still do so.

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Discussion Starter · #6 · Mar 5, 2002

I guess I should be glad I had the X-PEL film on the front end. I have two chips so far just above the film line. (10k mi) I can see some areas on the film where some stones would have chipped the paint.

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Discussion Starter · #7 · Mar 16, 2002

I have about 3200 miles on my Prius since Dec 14th and have not had any trouble with chips. I use the car mostly for local trips but when I am on a limited access highway I am very careful to stay well behind and away from big trucks. I have my 99 Buick Regal all messed up in front including windshield damage from stones from taking hi-speed trips on interstate highways. I don't think it's a problem with the paint. It's how you drive and where that's important!

regards,
Don Good

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Discussion Starter · #8 · Mar 16, 2002

I had XPel applied within about a week of delivery, and I see no chips on Lux. I do notice a couple of grooves in the XPel on the hood which may be from rocks hitting and doing no harm.

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Discussion Starter · #9 · Mar 17, 2002

For Henry Lister

Definitely off topic, but Lister in my maiden name!

Henry, where are you from? Got any relations out of Long Island, NY?

Dianne (nee Lister) Whitmire
Carson Toyota
California

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Discussion Starter · #10 · Mar 18, 2002

Re: For Henry Lister

Dianne, Most of my kin are from Alabama. I once lived in NJ (20 yrs ago). If you want to contact me directly I am at [email protected] . I also have non-Lister kin in California.

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Discussion Starter · #11 · Mar 19, 2002

I own a 2001 Prius and have many chips on the hood and front bumper. What is this X-Pel film that you mention? And does anyone know if Toyota makes a "bra" for the Prius?

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Discussion Starter · #12 · Mar 20, 2002

Ron,

Toyota does make a "bra".

XPel is a third-party product. It made from a plastic film from 3M. The company XPel ( http://www.xpel.com ) is sort of a software/data provider. They provide the patterns for wholesalers to cut out the plastic to fit a particular car. I think they can also provide the plastic retail.

In any case, the stuff covers the most vulnerable parts of the car: The front of the hood, the front of the bumper, the front of the mirrors. You can also get headlight covers.

It is applied wet and sticks on like plastic wrap; no glue. It is nearly completely transparent. You can barely see the edges of it. You can wash the car, or do anything you like (probably not repaint) without removing it, unlike the bra.

It's pretty expensive, especially to have someone apply it, but I would not personally want to do it myself. I can't say yet whether it has been worthwhile, but I did mention the dents which might represent chip saves.

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Discussion Starter · #13 · Mar 24, 2002

Thanks for the answer about X-Pel. I'm not sure what I'll do yet. It probable is not worth putting on now since I have many paint chips and other scratches from road kill (bugs).
Ron

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