Car of the Day - 2003 Honda Civic with Peeling Clear Coat

Delaminating Paint

Does your car look like this? A lot of our customers ask if this condition is caused by either a manufacturer's defect or from something that happened to their car.

Most likely you didn't do anything wrong and neither did the manufacturer. The paint is just showing its age. We call this condition delaminating paint. It is caused mainly by ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun, the same thing that causes sunburn on humans and the deterioration of your lawn furniture. Chemicals and other environmental factors also contribute to the paint's decline.

In the 1960s & 1970s it was normal to expect to paint a car every 5 years or so. And the average car did not last as long as they do now. Bodies and engines were typically worn out at just 100k miles.

Much has improved since then. Cars often last well over 15 years and 200k miles. Because of this, more people notice paint failing on cars even though the paint is much better than it was 30-40 years ago. Factory paint jobs typically last 7-14 years depending on color, chemistry and environmental conditions.

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