Honda Motors Defective Paint Job – Honda Accord’s Clear Coat Peeling

by Michael Sheehan on May 4, 2009

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I’m typically not one to complain out things. Bad things happen and I frequently find it better to just look at the bight side of things. Sometimes this gets me into hot water though, as I miss opportunities to make things (including myself) better. To that end, I’m hoping that the end result of this negative blog post will result in something positive.

Back in December of 1997, my wife and I bought our first car together, a 1998 Honda Accord 4-door EX Sedan. I traded in my beloved cherry red Honda CRX-si for a car that was more practical, and, unfortunately, more boring. But this was ok. We planned on having a family and a 2-seater car (the CRX) was just not very safe or convenient for a family. So we settled with what then was a beautiful dark green color Honda Accord.

As time passed, the car became mine and my wife got a Honda Odyssey which was a much better “mommy taxi.” She shuttled kids to and from school, play dates, activities, etc. I used the Accord to drive a few minutes a day back and forth to the train station. As of this writing, the 11 year old car has only 58,000 miles on it while our 2001 Odyssey has about 105,000.

A few years ago, I noticed that my Accord was starting to show some odd discoloration on the roofline. I thought this was odd because I took pretty good car of the car, with regular waxings and cleanings. It was, however, parked outside. We needed to have the Odyssey in the garage to allow for easy kids and grocery schlepping.

What started as a discoloration (a patchy whitening) then turned into a full fledged peeling of the clear coat surface. The surface just started to flake off, easily exacerbated by a fingernail, leaving underneath a dull metal surface. This erosion of the clear coat surface continued to spread, but interestingly, not to all parts of the car. Specifically affected were the: roof, trunk and hood (in order of magnitude), but the side panels or bumpers seemed to be fine.

I have seen many old cars, including older Honda Accords, that show not signs of deterioration of the clear coat. When I confronted my local Honda dealership, they, too were a bit surprised but had to go to a Regional Manager to even consider doing anything about it. In the end, they did acknowledge that this was not normal wear & tear and offered to pay for a portion of the paint job.

I decided not to take the partial acknowledgement or payment. In my mind, this is something that is defective and Honda Motors needs to step up to correct this.

I have done some research and have found others with the same circumstances and characteristics. So I ask, it this just a coincidence or was there truly something wrong with that year’s application of clear coat and paint? Here are a few listings of people with similar complaints:

Carcomplaints.com – multiple complaints on 1998 clear coat peel
Allexperts.com – complaint of clear coat peel; (lame) answer, keep out of sun
Honda-Tech.com – thread that shows the EXACT SAME thing as my accord with pictures; another thread about factory green Honda Accord X clear coat peel; thread that discusses how “cancerous” the clearcoat peel actually is (funny too); another thread on a Technical Bulletin on peeling paint.
Yahoo Answers – thread about peeling clear coat

There are other complaints of this nature as well if you search for them.

Some pictures

First, back in 2006 or so, I was considering selling my 1998 Honda Accord EX (something I really didn’t want to do). I’m actually glad I kept it. It runs great and aside from the clear coat, I have no other complaints other than basic wear-and-tear. However, here are some pictures that I took of it long before the peeling started.

Just a few years later, here is what it looks like:

The passenger’s side looks ok.

Another shot of the passenger side.

Driver’s side looks ok as well. The sides of the Accord actually look pretty good.

Hood line starting to show the clear coat peel.

Roofline shows the clearcoat peel better. Down to the metal.

More on the roofline. It’s pretty bad.

Another shot of the roof.

There is very little clear coat remaining on the roof.

One more shot of the roof.

Here is the trunk peeling.

Another shot of the trunk.

You can see how the peel starts along the trunk lines.

Close-up of a peel in progress.

One last shot of the front.

And, of course, I have to throw in a picture of my vanity plate. “T3CHDAD” = Tech Dad in l33t speak. Details on that here.

So, why did I take time to post this article? Mainly because I wanted to raise attention of this Honda clear coat issue. Also, I wanted to see if the powers of Social Media and networking can eventually get the eyes and ears of Honda Motors, some dealerships or an auto paint company who wants a bit of publicity helping out a cause. Personally, I think that Honda Motors should step up and 1) acknowledge that there WAS an issue with this year and this color (or dark colored cars around this time) and 2) that they should do something about it. Offering to pay for part of the expense and only at certified auto body shops is not what I’m looking for. My car has been treated well, frequent washes and waxes and has extremely low mileage on it. Again, I have seen older Honda Accords that do NOT exhibit this type of corrosion or deterioration. There is something definitely wrong here and there should be some full retribution.

Note: I just uploaded these photos to Flickr. If this is happening to your Honda Accord, please upload your photos and tag them with the following tags: HONDACCPEEL, HONDA, ACCORD, CLEAR COAT, and PEEL. Thanks for your help!

If you are reading this post, thanks for taking the time to do so. If you have connections in the auto industry, please make sure others see this. If you are connected to the powers that be at Honda Motor Corporation, PLEASE get this in front of them. It is a shame to their brand (of which I have been extremely loyal). However, I’m ready to jump brands if this is the type of durability that Honda has. The motor is great, but that is only part of the equation.

HTD Says: Please help me spread the word about this clear coat peeling issue of Honda Accords. It has to stop or be acknowledged and corrected.

Below are some of the images that have been uploaded to Flickr using the tag “HONDACCPEEL”. Want your picture there? Just upload public images with the tags: HONDACCPEEL, HONDA, ACCORD, CLEAR COAT, and PEEL

Tagged as: Accord, clear coat, fix, Honda, paint, peel

Ellen Tyner
I have a 2002 black Accord SE coupe that I bought used (one owner) in 2007 with 100k miles. I have put about 32k miles on it since then and I have not had ONE problem with anything. Yesterday I took my car to the car wash and when I got out of my car back at the office, I was shocked to notice these same white patches! At first I thought it was something from the car wash, but after a quick google search I found out it was this problem. I am incredibly frustrated! I am about 6 payments away from paying off my car…I don’t plan on selling it any time soon!
Joann in NY
I have a 2003 Accord V6, bought it new, with 107,000 miles on it. I was shocked when my transmission just went on it and cost me $2700 to have it rebuilt. I was also noticing the paint on my roof and trunk getting these gray patches. I brought it to a local auto body shop and he told me the same thing – the clear coat is defective and would cost $800 just to do the roof and trunk, which included stripping and repainting. Between my husband and I, this is the 3rd Honda we’ve owned. I had a 1992 accord that had 258,000 miles on it and had no problems – just did my usual maintenace on it. That’s why I went and bought another Accord. After reading all of this and having to deal with the transmission (which I also feel was defective – I just had it serviced in January by Honda), I’m done buying Hondas. But in the meantime, this issue has to be addressed. What about reporting this to the Better Business Bureau or a Department of Consumer Affairs. If Honda keeps hiding and claiming they have never heard about this, I think publicizing like they have done with Toyota would hurt their pockets. I am also going to go through the local dealership and see what they have to say. Just disgusted with Honda after spending money on a transmission and now this.
Mabk4mk
I agree the transmission is defective. I have a 2002 Accord V6. I have the paint issue big time and had to replace the transmission in March 2009 when I had just over 100,000 miles on it. I had the repair work done by a private mechanic not Honda and did not use a Honda transmission to replace the original one. There is definitely info out there on the defective transmission but I have just lost all confidence in Honda. The defects that we are experiencing are not considered safety issues so no one in the government is interested.
Pingback: Terror suspect a quiet, suburban dad | Daily Honda Accord Blog
Mary Shellman
Put a sign in the window. That is all I can come up with. The paint on my car looks exactly like yours. I have a 98 Accord LX with forest green paint. It blistered up, peeled and now it’s down to the metal on all of the horizontal surfaces. I was in a wreck last week and about to take it in to be repaired so I asked if they would repair the defective paint. They told me to call corporate Honda who replied that it is out of warranty (3 yrs on paint) & they have no complaints or recalls so they wouldn’t be able to help me. I would be willing to sing a joint letter. Other than that, maybe if we all put signs in our rear windows that say ‘HONDA Uses Defective Paint – Buyers Beware!’
Anonymous
I’ll upload some photos from my 1999 Accord, looks exactly the same. If we need an online petition, I’ll be happy to create it. Are people still working on this?
Tylene Warner
I don’t know if people are still working on it, but I’ve gone as far as I can with my 2002 black Accord….met with a Honda rep at my dealer and talked to someone at Honda in Torrance who told me there are no recalls and they don’t know about any problems with their paint! I’m willing to help with anything else everyone does as a group. My trunk lid and roof are getting worse and worse. Occasionally I see another car that looks like mine only worse, and I cringe thinking how it is going to look eventually!
MadinOrlando
You have posted so many of these Mary Poppins replies I think you work for Honda, Its a lie they dont know about it the same ole consumer screw..
Kate Bruns
Here’s my peeling car. Just started this summer after six happy years of ownership. http://www.flickr.com/photos/28024289@N07/ Shame on Honda for refusing to take care of their customers.
98EXCoupe
I own a 1998 black Accord V-6 EX and have the same clear coat problems. Started several years ago, was advised by Honda at one point that I needed to “take responsibility for my own vehicle.” Since it stated happening to my car, I keep an eye out and see this same problem on many dark colored Hondas. I too would probably never buy a Honda again (also have had transmission problems, but that’s another story).
Maybe a Honda Paint or Honda Clear coat facebook page?
Clc9231
Add me to the list. Mine is a 2002 Honda Accord V6 EX, Honda’s top of the line car at the time I bought it. The dealer blew me off to American Honda Customer Service who blew me off as well. I have owned Hondas my whole life. No more. I’m getting it painted, selling it, and removing Honda from my current and all future driveways. Not because of the car — because of the customer no-service.
Suelpd
I have 2002 Honda Accord and the roof, hood, and truck been peeling for at least 2 years. The dealer I bought the Honda from informed that I could make with a Honda dealership and if they would repaint my Honda free of charge. It is a defect on the manufactures part and it would up the value on my Honda. I have to pay higher car taxes for the Honda and I would like to make it look good the way it should look before it started to peel. The peeling on the car makes it look awful and people may not want spend that kind of money on a Honda and it end up looking like mine. I can not afford to get it done.
Distillery2551
We need answers to this problem. Not just consistent stories of everyone’s individual car.
Yes I fall into the category with a 2001 Accord. But I’m ready for the company to take action. We need answers. You see all the complaints and this is ridiculous.
Honda…your company is in shambles with this problem unresolved.
T Warner
They don’t care….they are too big. We are just a small group of car owners with a problem that only occurred on a “few” cars during a certain time frame. Obviously they have solved the paint problem. People keep buying Hondas. What do they care?
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Terryandgail
I have the identical problem with my 2004 honda accord, clear coat peeled from roof, down the side wings of the roof line..Because the run around I knew I would get from honda – starting with denial. I decided to just get the car repainted..I knew that after the run around for 6 months or more ..I would at best get a pro rated offer from Honda dealer – in the end it would have been more than it cost me to get the job done..so I saved the frustration. I have had quite the history with this car ( could be classed a piece of junk) The vehicle (2004 accord 4 cyl ) had serious engine problems ie oil consumption (100k km 60 K miles) they tried to tell me that 1 liter per 1000km 600 miles was normal – that would not allow me to get from oil change to oil change.. dah…in the end i won the argument and they rebuilt the engine (I am not alone on that one). at the time they replaced the clutch – at my cost-(800.00). I have replaced O2 sensors at $300.00 (ps: not covered on warranty) the ac went last year. Had that repaired at a local garage My last trip to the dealer for routine service the service tech informed me that the steering rack needed replacement (cost $1100.00. (however second opinion no problem) The other day the car died – no ignition lights when key turned – car would turn over but not start . found out that this too is a problem – need new ignitioin harness cost to fix est $200.00.) ps I had bought the extended warranty
About am a retired – not a hot rod type. the car 2004 Honda 4 cyl standard with currently 140,000 kms (84,000 miles) I know i am forgetting other issues with this car.
Would I buy another Honda…hmmmm what do you think
Good Motoring and happy New Year
Kuitran1
i’m having the same problem with my Honda Accord 01 the paint is fading and peeling from all different places, i take good care of the car but it doesn’t help
T Warner
My 2002 black Accord is just getting worse and worse. The roof right above the windshield was turning a grayish-white and now it is starting to have a more mottled surface. The trunk lid is also developing more and more white areas just below the back window. I’m going to have to get those areas painted because it just looks so bad! I can’t buy a new car now, and I really like everything else about it. Every time I look at it, I cringe! It looks like I don’t take care of my car.
ANNCAROL51
i also have a green 2003 honda accord and same thing has happened. I am disgusted. My first new car and it looks like garbage. Ihave tried stuff from a Car place to take care of the “oxidation” I tooke it to a Auto Paint place and they said there was nothing they could do, but paint it for $3800.00. I cannot do it. YES LET US FILE A LAWSUIT!!!!!!
ANNCAROL51
IT IS GREAT that you got somewhere. I bought the extended warranty, they told me that paint was not covered. They refuse to do anything. I ALSO WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER HONDA
Anncarol51
good idea, did you do it.
Anncarol51
I think we should get together, in every area that we live, and on weekends, park in the honda lots so prospective customers can see what we are living with. I am just glad that i found this page,
Anncarol51
hightechdad,
I do not know how to post pictures to flicker. Can you guide me?
Anncarol51
Greg,
In Maine? maybe you and others can post just who the reps were that finally assisted you to take care of the problem. Maybe we can let Honda corporate, or our local Honda dealers know that we know that it can and is being taken care of.
thanks
BeckyD
I have a 2001 Honda Accord V6 – green – SAME thing…. the paint job looks awful!
CodyB
Agreed. My ’97 Accord Special Edition is looking BAD. It’s a good car, and it’s a shame that it has to have such an unappealing exterior.
There should be something done about this.
Ritti2008
I have a 2000 accord coupe that is doing the same thing, HELP!!
Kms40719
Just so you know you are not alone, I just started having the same problem with my 2006 Hyundai Elantra. The clear coat is peeling on the hatchback. I am so frustrated, as I just noticed it today.
guest
I have a black 2003 Honda Accord EX and the clear coat has failed on the trunk and the roof. As I drive around town I’ve noticed quite a few other Honda Accords like mine that are doing the same thing. I too talked to my dealer about it and they refused to do anything for me. Said it was out of warranty.
Mel
My husband and I bought a 1998 Honda Accord EX new from the dealership. It is also dark green. It started to peel clear coat approx 7 years ago. So, the car was out of warranty and about 6 yrs old. Needless to say, it looks terrible now. We do live in AZ – so it does get a lot of sun exposure. Which is probably one of the reasons we didn’t get too upset about it. But, seeing that there are people in other areas that have similar issues – it is very upsetting. We have loved our Honda, it runs great, now at $120K. We Don’t love the paint! And, it is embarrasing to drive. When we are going somewhere nice, we opt to take the 8 yr old VW Passat that still has great paint! It is sad, since we are looking at buying a new car to replace the Passat (not the Honda – since it still runs great…you have to love it, one car is great mechanically so far, the other has great paint!) and I would love to buy another Honda, but if I have to factor in a new paint job done the road at $3500 – that has to play into the decision process. I thought that if it was garage kept (mostly) and we kept it waxed that would be enough. But, I have read several different excerpts on line and it seems there are other paint issues with Honda through the years including the mismatched plastic bumpers of more recent models. It would be great if we could get a lawyer/class action interested in this cause. Maybe we could recoup SOME of the lost value and Honda would take notice and FIX their paint issues before it totally ruins their reputation.
Keisha
I live in GA and i’ve had the same problem. My 98 accord coupe is a deep purple color and it’s doing the exact same thing. My roof and trunk hood looks absolutely horrible!
T Warner
A question and a comment. A friend said they saw a couple of Acuras with the same paint peeling problem. Has anyone else seen it on an Acura?
I was thinking about getting one of those huge advertising for cars and putting it on my Honda saying the paint looks bad because of Honda, not me!!! A lot of people think you don’t take care of your car when they see all of the splotches!
Cariboy69
Im having the same problems, BUt, its on my 2007 Honda Ridgeline RTL. I bought it brand new in 2007 and now its Mar. 19, 2011. The roof and hood are showing signs of clear coat failure. I dunno what to do because, you see, i live in the Caribbean. The truck was bought brand new in Florida and shipped to me. Because of that, i have no warranty. so, am i just out of luck?? theres no dealers down here also.
mike
thenevisian@gmail.com
HELP!!!
Rickb
I have a 2001 black Accord in South Carolina doing the same thing, clear coat pealing off. In the mid 90s I bought a used 80s model Honda for my son that had the same problem. I thought that is was because the previous owner parked under trees. After looking a this log, I think that Honda may have paint problem dating back to the 80s.
93Acura Legend 4DR LS
Not to be rude but some of you folks really crack me up. First anybody that works for Honda that says they’ve never heard of this is full of sh*t. It is so well known that when I mentioned it to a customer of mine(who turned out to work in an independent auto body and paint shop) in passing he knew what color each of my cars was by my description of the problems with the paint. And Honda is NOT alone in this respect. I have seen it on Nissan, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Mazda and every single domestic car company in the USA. Everybody in the auto body industry and car industry knows that clear coat will peel or discolor eventually. The people that officially represent Honda won’t admit it to you because admitting it means you have something to use against them to try and make them pay for it. They will stone wall you forever on this(or at least until any warranty that might cover paint is expired) if you try to get them to pay for a new paint job.
The second part of this though is that everybody needs to realize that paint wears out, especially if you don’t garage your car, and especially if you live in the southern or south western USA. Oh and if you drive your car to work I hope you can get covered parking there too, because it doesn’t do much good to garage your car at night and leave it out during the day. This is why people with restored classic cars use car covers, and garages to keep their paint jobs in good condition. Most everybody that is talking about this has a car that is 8 9 10 and even as much as 15 years old. If you were in the sun every day of the year for a full 12 hours a day for 10 years or more your skin wouldn’t look so great either. I really think some of the expectations here are a tad unrealistic when it comes to the life expectancy of a car paint job. If you want your car to look nice longer buy a house with a garage and a car cover if you don’t have covered parking at work. If you already have a garage but don’t use it for your car then sell, give away, or throw out some of the junk in your garage (that probably doesn’t have a total value over $1000 anyway) and use your garage in the way it was intended to be used, to store your vehicle that costs tens of thousands of dollars and not your all your junk instead.
Ashmehta
I’m in Columbus Oh and have the same issue you guys are addressing. I have a 1998 green honda accord LX – that runs great but the exterior paint work makes it extremely embarrishing to drive. Has anyone had any luck with this issue other than a $2000 re-paint quote?
TRW
No luck at all! Some other people commenting on here have stated that all car manufacturers have these problems. It’s interesting, but I don’t see too many other cars with this problem in exactly the same way…and believe me, I have started looking closely at paint jobs now for over 2 years. I’ve had a VW, Mustang, Camaro and a Mazda MPV with no paint issues. The Hondas I have seen with this problem are roughly the same age and dark in color. I garage my car and it is not parked outside for very long. Those in the auto paint industry know that during the late 90′s and early 2000′s that Honda contracted with outside companies who did slipshod work….it’s coming to light now. It’s unfortunate that we Honda owners have to suffer.
Mikiet2000
I have a 2002 Accord green in color. I love my car but after the first 7 years the clear coat started to peal. Right now the car has 85000 miles on it and is in really good shape except for the clear coat. The clear coat is comming off the hood, roof, trunk and on the doors. I love my Honda but if this is what i have to look forward to if i buy another Honda I will look at other auto makers. Honda really needs to step up to the plate and fix this issue. Contacting the media is a great idea. I love my car but it is embarrassing to drive with the paint issue.
Alberta Adams
After being told that the peeling paint on my Honda Accord was due to its exposure to the sun, (it has spent about 2/3 of its life in the open. I decided to see if other owners had similar problems.) Now that I have read your post, I am convinced that the paint is and always has been defective.
And by the way, my car is a 2003, younger than yours by five years. What will it look like in five more years?! The car’s other good qualities do not make up for the company’s refusal to take responsibility for its defective product. Absent some relief from this problem, I, too, will purchase a non-Honda vehicle when the time comes.
Raylouie123
I bought my 1998 Honda Accord new. About 6 years ago. In 2005, I noticed the roof’s clear coat and paint started to become different from the rest of the car. I wanted to get together with our Honda zone rep. to document this issue. But I was unable to meet with the rep because of my work schedule. As time went by, the entire roof, trunk, and hood clear coat blistered and peeled off the metal. My Accord’s color is Heather Mist (champagne color). I also own a 1998 Honda Civic (Silver color) which does not have this paint problem. Both cars are in the same area. I have noticed many Honda Accords (1998) with the same paint issue as my Accord, along the same lines, I have noticed other cars that were produced during this time period (1998) to have the same problem. Yesterday there was a 2 door red convertible Mercedes (1998) that had the clear coat peeling off it’s trunk. I believe that the clear coat formula was compromised and the company that was supplying Honda Motor Company should be responsible for correcting their defective product. Honda Motor Company should step up and help to address this issue. I understand that this is not a safety issue. Honda Motor Company should be embarrassed by so many Honda Accords out on our roads with the paint clear coat blistering and peeling off, and what people may think of Honda quality.
http://profiles.google.com/eric.shinn Eric Shinn
Wow. I can kinda see a 1998 or even a 2002 starting to show wear on a car as it’s currently 2011 – but mine is a 2008 and it’s showing wear right between the sun roof and front windshield. It’s a black Civic EX. I only noticed it two days ago. Have tried buffing it, everything. Nothing doing it – and I think I’m right outside of the warranty window too. Bought it Dec 2007. It’s now Apr 2011.
Unhappy Honda Owner #8,642
We have a 2007 dark blue Civic EX. Same thing; roof by the sunroof & other places too. Honda offered to pay 1/2. When asked why just half the Honda USA lady hit me with HUGE attitude and said if that was not going to make me happy they would just rescind the offer. Then she admitted that if it happened to her she would be just as mad.
Unhappy Honda Owner #8,642
http://www.hondaproblems.com/problems/peeling-paint.shtml
- I printed this out & am taking it into the dealer. Both the dealer and Honda USA said they have not seen or heard of this problem before.
I am a signmaker. I will get a blank window sunscreen and make as large a sign as I can on it and it will not be flattering.
Unhappy Honda Owner #8,642
What color is yours? Our 2007 Civic is Atomic Blue.
Mikanelli
i have an 2001 accord coupe. same thing happened to me. how is this not covered or recalled??
Copandrea
I have a 2004 Honda Odyssey. It has less than 100,000 miles and I have had no problems other than paint peeling off the top of ALL of the doors. I took it in today to get an estimate and the guy at the shop said that it is extremely rare for a car that new to have that much paint chipping off. After doing some research online, I see that it is rare in the auto industry but quite common for Honda owners. I agree that Honda needs to take responsibility for this before they lose thousands of loyal customers.
Debbie
This could be our 2000 Honda Accord in 2 years! We have taken very good care of it (original owners), but ours started the paint problem several years ago- the trunk and rear part of the roof are really bad now, I suspect next it will be the rest of the roof and gravitate to the front of the car very soon. I heard there was a recall out there, that is what I am in search of- let me know if you hear of it!!! I see many cars similar to ours on the road, and every one of the darker colors has this problem, although the black seems to get the worst of it! Sad because it is an otherwise great vehicle!
Twarner
Good luck if you think there is a recall out there!
JCTay
I too have a similar problem. I have a black 2002 Accord EX and I’ve always taken care of it since I got it in 2008. Like previously said, the sides are fine but any spot where there can be direct sunlight it is either faded or the clearcoat on the roof or spoiler is beginning to chip and cause huge white blotches. Also, the edges around the windows are chipping as well.
poster
Must be a Honda Rep…