moonsky

I can't imagine even higher quality paint can do much when a rock hits your car at highway speed. Is it really the paint or rather how often you get hit?

KLB

It's the paint. I drove a Dodge Caliber for two years on the same route to and from Chicago that I now drive with my G. I then gave it to my step-daughter and she has driven it for two years. I was looking at the car last weekend, and there is only one small nick on the front hood.

My G has probably 30 or more, and I have a clear bra! I should have gotten the whole hood covered with the bra.

Whether it is the paint or the clear coat, something about the Infiniti paint is very fragile.

usrsld

iTrader: (2)

I had a 3M clearbra installed on my bumper/grill area a couple of months ago. It's the best mod I've done on my car. Highly recommended if you use a good installer.

moonsky

Interesting. So the paint seems to make a difference on whether a rock leaves a mark on the car. I will seriously consider dropping around a grand on a clear bra then.

movinon

I had a clear bra put on mine before it was a week old. Since then I've put almost 9,000 miles on the car and it still looks perfect.
Owner's that mostly drive in the city shouldn't get anywhere near as many chips as owner's that do mostly highway driving. Over 90 percent of my driving is on the highway.
When your going 80 mph and a vehicle in front kicks up a stone there is no way you will avoid a chip unless you have some type of protection on the front of the car.
I had a Porsche that I would wash weekly and every time I would have to use touch up paint to fill in new chips.
Since then I have a clear bra put on all my new cars.

Ladimer

I got the Visi Shield installed at the dealer when we bought our 09 new. I also got the 3M version on my C6Z06. The 3M version is allot better. Either way, the clear bras are a must, in my opinion.

Maxpilot

I don't think the paint quality is bad. In fact the paint on my 11 G37xS is the best I have had. I think how you drive has a lot to do with how many rock chips you get. If you tend to tail gate the car or truck ahead, you will get more chips. I have learned to back off of the car ahead for that reason. I hate it when a car passes me and then cuts in front of me close.

Creepers

i have a clear bra which has protected my front end. on the passenger side there are two gashes in the clearbra from some impact, but i believe the paint underneath is untouched - thank gawd.

however, i have one chip on the top of my car, right next to the sunroof. i cannot for the life of me figure out how something like that could happen?! so bizarre.

PascalT

Since the last update (Jan) I had someone nick the front of the car with theirs, and the bra saved it once again (3rd time now). The bra gets damaged but who cares, I just trim it off.

Just to repeat for new owners: get the bra done the same day you buy the car and cover everything you can cover ;P Maybe try to negotiate it as a part of the signing deal.

devil2k

Infiniti's paint is ****ty, same quality as my previous Mazda, difference is that it costs twice as much.

My fuel door wasn't aligned when I got my car and it scratched the inner side of the fuel door area a few times. I can already see the primer, the paint is really thin. My trunk lid rusted within 3 month of ownership. This car was brand new when I bought it. Went through a car wash and the rust came off along with the paint.

My Mazda, which is infamous for its crappy paint, didn't rust within 3 months of ownership, although it did rust shortly after.

ozzypriest

iTrader: (2)

My car - 2009 - has an unbelievable number of rock chips and nicks and gouges on the front bumper and a few on the hood. I should have sent 600 on the CB. Now, come trade in time, I'll either have to get the front and hood repainted or just suck on in during resale. The paint on the 2009s suck so bad, it is not even funny.

devil2k

2010 is not any better.

blnewt

iTrader: (13)

It almost seems like it's an ahesion problem, the paint just flies off the bare metal in chips, I know flying road debris starts the problem, but I've had 2 Gs now and have never seen paint leave the car as easy as it does in these cars. I really wish Infiniti would put a better effort in improving the paint, it really is unacceptable in a car stickered at 40k. Other than the indecisive transmission it's the only real negative I'll say about these cars, and ones that may make me consider a different make next time around.

PascalT

I don't know about you guy but under the front doors (near the wheels) there's a billion paint chips in that area from debris flying off the front wheel. I don't know if it's normal but it's pretty bad.

And myself within 6 months of owning the car i had like 8-10 paint chips on the front hood, and that's from 90% city.

Creepers

oddly enough, i dont have any paint chips there, and i didn't get that sectioned clear bra'd. maybe it was one incident from salt or pebbles?