Hyundai owners say the paint on their white cars is flaking off

Armando Toossi says he began to notice small fried potatoes in the painting of his car about seven years ago.

He bought his new Hyundai Sonata 2.0T Blanco in 2016. But after taking the vehicle to a car wash without touch, large sections of paint began to take off.

“The painting has just begun to fly from the car,” said Toossi, from his home in Angus, Ontario.

He said that the same began to happen to his mother’s car, which was the identical model in 2015 of his vehicle.

“Actually, it’s quite crazy how many people are being affected by the same problem,” he said.

There have been reports from Peeling, White Hyundais in commercial publications and news in the United States, South Africa and Australia.

There are also numerous Facebook groups, with thousands of people who face the same problem and a proposed class action demand in Quebec.

Painted Painting ‘Extremely Rare’, says Hyundai

In a statement sent by email to get public, Hyundai Canada saying These problems They are “extremely rare.”

According to the Hyundai Canada guarantee program found online, the paint is only covered for three years or 60,000 kilometers.

However, Hyundai USA is offering a Extension of the White Painting Guarantee For certain Sports vehicles Elantra, Sonata and Santa Fe of 2017 and 2018 that “exhibit peel or bubble from white paint … more commonly in or around the hood, fender and ceilings.”

When he communicated with public, said Hyundai Canada models sold here Within a range of specific production date, they are also eligible for an extended guarantee, aligning with the American program.

The car manufacturer also said that the durability of the paint in certain white vehicles is a problem throughout the industry and that the owners must communicate with their local concessionaire or the Hyundai customer service center.

In fact, in 2020, Toyota offered a Extended guarantee For certain models of its vehicles with “Blizzard Pearl” or “Super White” paint manufactured since 2008.

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Toossi, whose car is not covered by Hyundai Canada’s offer, said he is not very lucky receiving help.

When he contacted customer service in Hyundai Canada, he said they sent him to the concessionaire, but none offered a solution.

“Nobody wants to take possession,” he said.

A potentially expensive solution

The chemical engineer Stephen Gaiski has investigated the peeled paint in white vehicles and said that the source of the problem was with the application of the paint.

Gaiski works for Zestar Corp., a firm in Novi, Mich., Which specializes in the durability analysis of automotive painting. He says that the paint work of a vehicle should last a minimum of 10 years and up to 15.

“The brightness, how brilliant is, the image of the mirror … That is what really sells the vehicle. There is the emotion. That’s where the owner attaches to him,” he said.

But the appearance can be misleading, Gaiski said, since some will confuse a high brightness finish.

“Not only a finish has to look very good, but also last the number of years,” he said.

Chris Wood, with Leons Auto Body in Toronto, agrees.

“I think the paint work should last as long as I own the vehicle,” he said.

Wood said that solving the problem could be expensive because the whole vehicle, not only peeling sections, would need to be treated. He estimates that an “appropriate renewed” could be $ 8,000 to $ 10,000, depending on the materials and labor costs.

“I would have to take that paint, all that base layer, the white color, outside the vehicle,” Wood said, because if it happens in one place, it will eventually take place in another area.

“It’s the best way to do it.”

Looking at a photo of Toossi, Wood said the problem seems “classical deamination”, when a layer of paint separates from the other.

“It is definitely alamination,” Gaiski said. “It could be happening from the formulation … the preparation or application of the paint.”

Gaiski said that automotive paint normally consists of four coatings: the e-coat (or electrocotas), the cousin, the base and a transparent layer. He said that if the coats do not apply correctly or if the incorrect formulation is used, one layer can be separated from another, which results in peeling, peeling or blisters of the paint, as well as other problems, such as corrosion.

Look | Hyundai owners frustrated by bubbling painting, peeling:

Peeling Paint has Hyundai owners to demand answers | Publicize

Hyundai owners around the world say that painting in their white vehicles has taken off in large pieces and tells CBC that Go public that the company has not been very useful to find a solution.

Automobile manufacturers must be transparent about their paint tests and quality control processes, he said.

“A car manufacturer should not lose a client for a paint problem. And the owners change the brands due to the defects of the paint.”

Hyundai Canada said that their vehicles are subjected to rigorous durability and performance evidence and that their “multi -layer paint application is designed to ensure long -term protection and aesthetic attraction.”

‘It has been a global problem’

On the opposite side of the world, Emma Nixon, in Melbourne, Australia, has also frustrated trying to repair her car’s painting.

“I do not feel protected as a consumer,” said Nixon, who was advised to take his vehicle to a dealership to file a claim.

“None of that came from that,” said Nixon.

“It is reflected in me. People look at all the time in the car,” he said. “The other day, a child passed by the car and told his mother: ‘What about that lady’s car?'”

Jo Ucukalo, with Handle my complaintHe calls him a “catastrophic paint failure.”

His complaint management company has been helping hundreds of Australians repair their Hyundai cars.

“We have been dealing with this problem for two years,” said Ucukalo, from Sydney.

“It has been a global problem. The surprising thing is the difficulty in obtaining some results for people during that period.”

The law firm behind the proposed class action in Quebec said that hundreds of people face the same problem.

“We are presenting that it is not normal for the vehicles produced by Hyundai, that the painting of these vehicles begins to escape after only a few years of use,” said Philippe Brault, with Lambert Avocats in Montreal.

Toossi agrees that the situation is “horrible.”

“Where is the responsibility? Where is the property of this product?” said.

“A car is not an investment for a year or two. It is a long -term investment, right? And when it comes to manufacturing problems, these expenses begin to accumulate.”