Hi,

I picked up my Carpathian Grey MY17 RRS HSE Dynamic in May. The first time I washed it I noticed what appeared to be a tiny dent in the bonnet. I contacted the dealer and they asked me to return it to them so they could resolve. It was with them for about two weeks whilst they sent photos to LR technical. It was eventually towed to a LR approved body shop to be inspected and turned out to be an imperfection in the lacquer which they were able to polish out. The car came back to me and looked great so I didn't think any more of it.

However, when polishing the car a few weeks ago I have noticed the same issue, this time on the rear quarter panel. DOes this sound like a dodgy paint job? It's not really what I expected on an £80k car! Does anyone have any experience of similar issues or advice on how to handle this?

Unfortunately the imperfections are so tiny that they don't show up in any photographs.

Thanks,

James

I would do some research online and have a look for some professional Detailers around your area and ask if they would be prepared to have a look over the car and hi light any faults. They will have the correct lighting to inspect your paint, which I guess will be covered in swirls, sanding and even left over hologram tails from the dealerships poor polishing.
Then ask fir a quote and take it back to the dealership, to see if they will pay for it or at least compensate you something towards it.
Or just book it in get it rectified yourself and get some ceramic coatings applied.
It may need wet sanding and polishing to get physical imperfections out of the top coat, but only in a few places where a good cut, polish and refine will bring the paint back to its best.

These guys have a very good reputation and are based in Kent
https://www.kdskeltec.co.uk

jd2uk wrote:

Unfortunately the imperfections are so tiny that they don't show up in any photographs.

Thanks,

James

Because it's an £80k car and it should be perfect

Yes it should be but the reality is it won’t ever be.....my Svr was pretty good but wasn’t perfect...

I ve had Ferrari’s with crap paint before now , more than one, plenty of BMW’s with orange peel paintwork, my R8 wasn’t great either. Your ll drive yourself mad backing the car to the dealer for every tiny imperfection.

Send to it to a detailer and for a couple of hundred quid it ll be perfect (for about 2 weeks)

Don’t let it get you down.


Regards 2019 Svr and 2019 R35 GTR

jd2uk wrote:

Because it's an £80k car and it should be perfect

Wow - unreasonable to expect a decent paint job on an £80k car? I’ve never had paint issues with any other car I’ve purchased and they’ve all cost a lot less than £80k. Maybe I should just get a refund and buy a Kia

It depends how pedantic you’re being as to whether it’s unreasonable or not to be honest.

As others have said including myself get it into a detailer, the time and aggro of backing it to the dealer for retification won’t be worth it.

Is this your first car at this sort of price point?!

To expect it to not to have the slightest imperfection at all, isn’t necessarily unreasonable but it’s probably unrealistic......

Regards 2019 Svr and 2019 R35 GTR

You should get it into the dealership asap if you have had it less than 6 months, but leaving it longer than 6 months then you cannot reject the car IIRC. I now know of 15 cars (Disco5's FFRR's RRS's Evoques and several Velars) that have been rejected because of poor paint finish, imperfections and general poor QC on mostly Solihull products. Most have been rejected within 2 months of delivery and LR had accepted that there is a problem on those cars - 2 of the owners were also rejecting cars that were replacements for rejected cars......... There is a huge QC problem with paint finish at Land Rover and they don't like to acknowledge it. I agree with you that the paint job and everything else on an £80000+ car should be £80,000's perfect it is a huge amount of money for most people to be spending on a car, however if you leave it too long you reduce your chances of redress so get it into them first, then take it to a detailer for a 2nd opinion or to see if they can correct the faults, I'm not sure many LR bodyshops are up to the standard of most detailers when it comes to paint defect correction. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

I think with LR you only get a decent paint finish if you have one of the special colurs, which will cost thousands of pounds more, undertaken by the specialist paint division, which is nothing like the way they paint/polish/check etc on new cars churned out. Always been a problem unfortunately, but surprising to find that one of the highest paint faults on cars as a % of those sold, is Lamborghini cars, and they cost three times ours. More expensive cars you would think are better, what's happening?
I will admit all makes seem to suffer paint faults, and aren't quick about sorting them out.
Is it because it's a British built car disease?  John

RRS MY12 SDV6 HSE. Sumatra Black/Ebony & Walnut + Dynamic Pack, + Cold Climate Pack + Memory Pack, Digital TV/DVD, Premium Leather, Cornering Lights, Cooler/Fridge Box, & most Options.

I've only owned 2 Land Rovers -- a 2010 Range Rover Sport and now a 2018 first edition Velar. The Sport had perfect paint in Santorini and the Velar in Corris Grey is also perfect, and I go over every square inch washing and waxing them. I once had an Audi with a fair bit of "orange peel" in the paint. My Velar has the best paint and finish I've ever seen. So I think it's unlucky if you get one that isn't flawless from the factory.

Having said that I don't think I would really get too upset about it having a minor flaw. They don't stay perfect for long and it's usually just a matter of time before you get a door ding, scratches, stone chips or other wear and tear. And a few years later you end up getting another vehicle and repeat the experience. I suppose the older I get the less I obsess about keeping them in showroom condition as it's a losing battle. And I'm happier for it. 2018 Range Rover Sport SVR – Bosphorus Grey

Unfortunately cars are painted in sealed rooms but contamination can still happen, unless they go all NASA and have a fully sealed rooms they make satellites in

If it’s so small you can’t photograph it, its something I wouldn’t be bothered about

Was only £30K but I wanted perfection. I didn’t get it so took upon myself to amend. It’s still not perfect but 60+ hrs detailing it then a final finishing polish and ceramic coating and it was very good. It’s now got some swirl marks on it from washing as even the most pedantic washer will still inflict marks at some stage but it won’t take long to get them out and if I decide to keep I will put a different hard ceramic coating on probably fromGTechnic. Like others said u will never get perfect from any dealer in reality so just find a good detailer i

I agree with scouse get good detail done on it and you will be happy.
I do agree with you though that these cars should be perfect from the factory even though i have been happy with all my RRS. As James says i have had new Ferraris that have had some bad imperfections.
My Abarth has perfect paint though, go figure! SVR 2018 in Santorini Black.

jd2uk wrote:

Wow - unreasonable to expect a decent paint job on an £80k car?

Quote:

Unfortunately the imperfections are so tiny that they don't show up in any photographs.

Are at odds, to me at least. If the only "imperfections" are so small you can't photograph them then I'd say that's a "decent paint job".

Don't ever drive your RRS out on the road - there are stones and bird crap and all sorts of things that create "imperfections" out there!!

On second thoughts - take it out on the road and give it a good drive. Perhaps take it along a muddy track or two. Drive it and enjoy it for what it is - a brilliant 4x4. It's not an oil painting to be admired from outside: it's a vehicle to be admired from the inside, sat in the driver's seat, revelling in its poise and ability.  2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed