Do all Forester XT's have these ugly paint defects ?

C

chester

I've been looking at a red Subaru Forester 2.5 XT
at a local dealership.

One day I noticed what appeared to be a long scratch
in the paint on one side just above the front window
(or just below the edge of the roof) about 1 foot aft
of the windshield.

The next time I went back to look at it I noticed that
there was a similar mark on the other side. So I knew
that these are not scratch marks but irregularities in
the paint caused by the manufacturing process.

After looking around more carefully I found two more
similar marks in the back less than 1 foot from the
rear glass window.

I've placed an order for a silver Forester XT and now
I'm wondering if it's going to have the same problem.

The other Foresters (X and XS) that I looked at don't
appear to have the same problem.

I usually go to this dealership in the evening after
they close so I haven't had a chance to talk to anybody
about this problem. So if anybody else has seen similar
marks on other Forester XT's please let me know.

Thanks,
Chester
 
it's quite easy, Chester... if the Silver XT you have has similar defects,
note the VIN, and refuse delivery of that particular vehicle.
 
Andrew Morris said:
it's quite easy, Chester... if the Silver XT you have has similar defects,
note the VIN, and refuse delivery of that particular vehicle.

Is this a known problem with Silver? Just wondering cause this
weekend I was waxing my WRX (silver) and noticed some *strange* paint.
Can you fill us in ???

Thanks

Mark
 
Is this a known problem with Silver? Just wondering
cause this weekend I was waxing my WRX (silver) and
noticed some *strange* paint.
Can you fill us in ???

Thanks
Mark

I think this defect is caused by a small gap between
two pieces of metal that join underneath the paint.

If the gap is a little larger than it should be or
if the surface of the two pieces are not perfectly
aligned then the paint can crack along this gap
resulting in what looks like a deep scratch mark.
 
I've been looking at a red Subaru Forester 2.5 XT
at a local dealership.

One day I noticed what appeared to be a long scratch
in the paint on one side just above the front window
(or just below the edge of the roof) about 1 foot aft
of the windshield.

The next time I went back to look at it I noticed that
there was a similar mark on the other side. So I knew
that these are not scratch marks but irregularities in
the paint caused by the manufacturing process.

After looking around more carefully I found two more
similar marks in the back less than 1 foot from the
rear glass window.

I've placed an order for a silver Forester XT and now
I'm wondering if it's going to have the same problem.

The other Foresters (X and XS) that I looked at don't
appear to have the same problem.

I usually go to this dealership in the evening after
they close so I haven't had a chance to talk to anybody
about this problem. So if anybody else has seen similar
marks on other Forester XT's please let me know.

Thanks,
Chester


they are not paint defects. they are remnants of the adhesive used to
hold on the protective plastic/paper guards to prevent damage during
delivery.

rub them with a bit of wax and you will see they disappear. i had
them on my black 03 rex wagon.

jm2c
ken
 
Ken is right. I had the same thing on my '04 XT in Java Black. I freaked
when I saw it but the dealer used wax and wiped it off.
No harm done.
 
That's we thought it was on my '02 WRX until the dealer's detail guy
agreed it was definitely a scratch into the paint totally across the
roofline just behind the upper windshield gasket...not a raised ridge
that could be polished out. Guessing it was a cut in paint from when
protective covering was taken off.

They sent it to a local paint shop to be taken care of...looks fine 20K
sunny AZ miles later. Now I couldn't say the same about the rock-
chipped bumper cover, hood, fenders, doors, etc...

Brent.
 
same here on black forester, it shows up more after it gets dirty, the
adhesive attracts dirt, polished it all off I thought but still seeing a
little here and there, hehe I panicked too.

L1
 
And my brand new 04 OBW LLBean has these same lines just aft of the rear
moonroof. The are perfectly straight and go accross the roof. Dealer says
it's glue lines, thought they look like scratches to me. He seemed like, "Oh
yeah, another one with the glue lines." It's there today for a trailer
hitch, differential protector and (a full) re-detailing to remove the lines.
I'll let you know what happens...
 
brentlz said:
That's we thought it was on my '02 WRX until the dealer's detail guy
agreed it was definitely a scratch into the paint totally across the
roofline just behind the upper windshield gasket...not a raised ridge
that could be polished out. Guessing it was a cut in paint from when
protective covering was taken off.

They sent it to a local paint shop to be taken care of...looks fine 20K
sunny AZ miles later. Now I couldn't say the same about the rock-
chipped bumper cover, hood, fenders, doors, etc...

Brent.

I also noticed the chips on the hood of my WRX. I thought maybe it's
because the low hood line and it's easier to get rock hits than my
wifes Forester. However, I'm starting to wonder if the paint Subaru
uses is crap. Oh well, guess I have to live with it.
 
I got by bonnet re-sprayed, but i had to write a letter to subaru australia
head office requesting it. It got done at a professional spray-painter, so
i'm not expecting the flaking to re-appear (fingers crossed)
 
Just accept it as Subaru thin & brittle paint. FWIW, My '93 SE-R with
85K+ miles has almost no chips when compared to my '02 WRX (only
noticeable chips on the SE-R are along the hood leading edge). 'Tis
especially annoying in a local where replacing the windshield every
other year is a simple fact of life. Guess I should start setting aside
a repaint fund...

Brent.
 
Got the car back from the shop. The lines are gone. No trace of any defect.
I don't know if they were glue lines or scratches, but the car looks perfect
now, except that red really shows the dust! I had a tan car before, and it
never looked dirty (tan is the same color as dirt, I guess).
 
Alan said:
Got the car back from the shop. The lines are gone.
No trace of any defect. I don't know if they were glue
lines or scratches, but the car looks perfect now, except
that red really shows the dust! I had a tan car before,
and it never looked dirty (tan is the same color as dirt,
I guess).

Thanks for all the responses. Now I just have to wait for
the dealer to call me when they have a silver or white one.
 
Hi Guys,
I work for GM Holdens here in Australia in a Process control group in the
Paint Shop.
Firstly i agree that the thin plastic adhesive type of covers used when
exporting will leave some gum marks.
If the Paint is enamel (which most factorys are) and metallic, it has both a
basecoat and a clear coat.
If small scratches appear in the clearcoat , it can be finessed out by fine
rubbing with a fine grit paper and buffed to smooth over the clear.
Most small defects can be finessed out.
KC

Holden worker , Subaru owner.
 

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