2017 CX-5 Soul Red Crystal Metallic

BaseballGrassGy said:
The "holdup" is that each SCR repaint involves four layers of paint, all of which have to be applied in the right amount for the finished job to have proper brightness of the color, and to get the level of metallic appearance consistent across all the panels. It is not easy. The paint has to be applied differently for metal panels and plastic because the paint settles at a different rate based on the differing temps of the panels to get similar appearance.

This stuff is programmed into the robotic paint process at the factory, it is much more difficult to do in the field.
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A perfect account of the process and the difficulties BUT when they launched the colour, they should have first made sure that it was entirely doable out in the field.
 
paris1 said:
These things don*t take a month and a half to get right. I*d prefer a response from SweetPete as to why he would settle for six weeks of second-hand information rather than going directly to the source to find out what*s going on with his $30k car.
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I simply haven't had the time to worry about the car. Between work, pre-launch prep of a tech startup, family and life in general, I've just got too many more important things to worry about. On the other hand, both my wife and my father think I should be absolutely livid about the car and how long it's taken. Oh well. I'm supposed to get it back either tomorrow or Tuesday as I mentioned a few days ago. If that doesn't happen, then I'll try to find some time on Wednesday to take a long lunch and go over to the body shop to check things out for myself. Regardless, I plan on asking how many times they had to paint it to get it right, which I'm assuming is why it's taking so damn long :)
 
SweetPete said:
I simply haven't had the time to worry about the car. Between work, pre-launch prep of a tech startup, family and life in general, I've just got too many more important things to worry about. On the other hand, both my wife and my father think I should be absolutely livid about the car and how long it's taken. Oh well. I'm supposed to get it back either tomorrow or Tuesday as I mentioned a few days ago. If that doesn't happen, then I'll try to find some time on Wednesday to take a long lunch and go over to the body shop to check things out for myself. Regardless, I plan on asking how many times they had to paint it to get it right, which I'm assuming is why it's taking so damn long :)
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Indeed. No use worrying about something you can't control, or really even affect. As long as they gave you an equivalent loaner, it doesn't matter if it takes 2 weeks or 6.

What matters is that they get it right.
 
We got our car back from painting last Thursday. They had it for just under a month. It looks good to my untrained eye. They only painted the front half which was showing the defect. We were told a lifetime warranty on the newly painted section. I am guessing we purchased our car from the same dealership as 17CX-5GT. The service person told us to contact the corporate office and to ask to get something in writing for the back half of the car that still has the original defective paint on it. We have asked Lexi twice on this and just get the run-around. We will ask a third time.

This is the second Mazda CX5 we've owned. We have had zero problems with either of them other than this paint. That being said, we are not buying another Mazda again. We have owned this car a little over 6 months and it feels like it has been 6 years. The reason we buy a new car instead of a used car is to have the peace of mind of no hassles for 3 years/36,000 miles. This has been a hassle for six months as outlined in my original post.

It is a shame. They have a reasonable priced well designed product. However, they have a culture of trying to sneak issues by their customers instead of fixing them. I don't like supporting companies with this line of thinking. Another example of this is when we went back to our sales guy to see if they would buy the car back. He tried to compare the paint issue with another issue they have. He told us about some sort of rubber engine support on the car that gets hard in the cold weather. Apparently if you let your car set in freezing weather outside overnight and start it, your car shakes violently because rubber becomes rigid. He tried explaining to us how Mazda doesn't see the need to recall them because it only affects people in cold climates that leave their cars outside overnight (or long periods of time). I disagree with this line of thinking. To me customers shouldn't have to beg, plead, or threaten to get the quality of product they originally thought they purchased. A good company will take ownership of these issues and offer valid solutions (KIA Stinger).

Good luck to everyone with the paint issue. Hopefully the repaint goes well and holds up.
 
car man said:
We got our car back from painting last Thursday. They had it for just under a month. It looks good to my untrained eye. They only painted the front half which was showing the defect. We were told a lifetime warranty on the newly painted section. I am guessing we purchased our car from the same dealership as 17CX-5GT. The service person told us to contact the corporate office and to ask to get something in writing for the back half of the car that still has the original defective paint on it. We have asked Lexi twice on this and just get the run-around. We will ask a third time.

This is the second Mazda CX5 we've owned. We have had zero problems with either of them other than this paint. That being said, we are not buying another Mazda again. We have owned this car a little over 6 months and it feels like it has been 6 years. The reason we buy a new car instead of a used car is to have the peace of mind of no hassles for 3 years/36,000 miles. This has been a hassle for six months as outlined in my original post.

It is a shame. They have a reasonable priced well designed product. However, they have a culture of trying to sneak issues by their customers instead of fixing them. I don't like supporting companies with this line of thinking. Another example of this is when we went back to our sales guy to see if they would buy the car back. He tried to compare the paint issue with another issue they have. He told us about some sort of rubber engine support on the car that gets hard in the cold weather. Apparently if you let your car set in freezing weather outside overnight and start it, your car shakes violently because rubber becomes rigid. He tried explaining to us how Mazda doesn't see the need to recall them because it only affects people in cold climates that leave their cars outside overnight (or long periods of time). I disagree with this line of thinking. To me customers shouldn't have to beg, plead, or threaten to get the quality of product they originally thought they purchased. A good company will take ownership of these issues and offer valid solutions (KIA Stinger).

Good luck to everyone with the paint issue. Hopefully the repaint goes well and holds up.
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I am curious, what would have been your most desired resolution to the paint issues on your car?
 
mazdadude said:
I am curious, what would have been your most desired resolution to the paint issues on your car?
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I would have been pleased with what KIA offered on their Stingers. They offered either a buyback or a lifetime paint guarantee on the whole car. I would have been happy with either option. I tried asking for a buy back even with the understanding that we would buy another CX-5 in a different color. It didn't go well (see my original post on page 29).

So far no one from Mazda will even tell me what kind of warranty I have on the remaining unpainted section of the car with the original defective paint. A letter from Mazda saying hey sorry for the paint issues, don't worry we will cover any issues you will have from this while you own the car would have left me very pleased. Instead we were told we were to blame for the the chips.
 
car man said:
I would have been pleased with what KIA offered on their Stingers. They offered either a buyback or a lifetime paint guarantee on the whole car. I would have been happy with either option. I tried asking for a buy back even with the understanding that we would buy another CX-5 in a different color. It didn't go well (see my original post on page 29).

So far no one from Mazda will even tell me what kind of warranty I have on the remaining unpainted section of the car with the original defective paint. A letter from Mazda saying hey sorry for the paint issues, don't worry we will cover any issues you will have from this while you own the car would have left me very pleased. Instead we were told we were to blame for the the chips.
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OK, thank you. I know that I would have wanted the buyback option if I had defective paint. There is no way I would be wanting a body shop respray on mine if it was a factory defect. While some painters can do great work, it is an art, and quality varies.
 
car man said:
The service person told us to contact the corporate office and to ask to get something in writing for the back half of the car that still has the original defective paint on it. We have asked Lexi twice on this and just get the run-around. We will ask a third time.
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Lexi told me in an email early on (upon me asking) that Mazda's standard warranty would apply to those panels that weren't repainted. I'm now wondering about the panels that weren't chipped but were partially painted to blend in with the panels that were fully repainted - who will be responsible if that panel(s) chips, Mazda or the body shop? I'll ask. BTW, today is week 7 for me, still no car. Service manager told me yesterday it might be today.

>> I am curious, what would have been your most desired resolution to the paint issues on your car?

In my case, a FULL repaint with LIFETIME warranty a la the Kia Stinger deal. The fact that I'll be getting my car back with defective paint still on it is infuriating. Over the vehicle's lifetime, aren't the original unpainted panels going to fade (from UV light) faster than the newly painted panels? And if it's visibly obvious, is Mazda or the body shop going to fix THAT? And if new chips develop on the original panels, will Mazda step up to the plate again and repaint? And if so, how long will it take THIS time?
 
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mazdadude said:
I am curious, what would have been your most desired resolution to the paint issues on your car?
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Easy answer as already supplied by Kia. They had the same problem and made a fair set offers to their owners. Repaint whole or partial car (customer's choice), with a cash payment as compensation for the trouble of dealing with it and the reduced value of owning a repainted car, or exchange for a new vehicle a different color, or buy back.

Anything less leaves the customer with damaged goods, after having dealt with a lot of trouble along the way.

Just noticed our local dealer, CJ Wilson Mazda of Ventura has closed. Their lot is empty and their sign has been taken down. Kia dealer around the corner seems to be doing great...
 
So, today marks week 8 for me. The body shop contacted my dealer's service manager last Thu to tell him my car was done. My service manager went to pick it up, but refused to bring it back -he said they were various problems, including a door panel issue and paint overspray. Later that same day, I went to the body shop to see my car for the first time since handing it over. I immediately noticed lots of swirls on the newly painted hood - some in the clear coat, others that appeared to be in the paint beneath the clear coat, including a paint flaw (smudge? too much paint?). AND there was a chip/indent on the leading edge of the hood! Apparently I have a new hood, so I have no idea how a chip/indent on the hood happened. Feeling along the front edge of the hood, it didn't feel very smooth either.

Needless to say, but I'm very unhappy. This morning I sent a long email to the lady at Mazda (Katherine) expressing my very negative feelings and anger about the entire situation. Now awaiting Mazda's response.
 
SweetPete said:
So, today marks week 8 for me. The body shop contacted my dealer's service manager last Thu to tell him my car was done. My service manager went to pick it up, but refused to bring it back -he said they were various problems, including a door panel issue and paint overspray. Later that same day, I went to the body shop to see my car for the first time since handing it over. I immediately noticed lots of swirls on the newly painted hood - some in the clear coat, others that appeared to be in the paint beneath the clear coat, including a paint flaw (smudge? too much paint?). AND there was a chip/indent on the leading edge of the hood! Apparently I have a new hood, so I have no idea how a chip/indent on the hood happened. Feeling along the front edge of the hood, it didn't feel very smooth either.

Needless to say, but I'm very unhappy. This morning I sent a long email to the lady at Mazda (Katherine) expressing my very negative feelings and anger about the entire situation. Now awaiting Mazda's response.
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Wow, so sorry to hear this. I really hope everything works out for you. I would be livid at this point...
 
SweetPete said:
So, today marks week 8 for me. The body shop contacted my dealer's service manager last Thu to tell him my car was done. My service manager went to pick it up, but refused to bring it back -he said they were various problems, including a door panel issue and paint overspray. Later that same day, I went to the body shop to see my car for the first time since handing it over. I immediately noticed lots of swirls on the newly painted hood - some in the clear coat, others that appeared to be in the paint beneath the clear coat, including a paint flaw (smudge? too much paint?). AND there was a chip/indent on the leading edge of the hood! Apparently I have a new hood, so I have no idea how a chip/indent on the hood happened. Feeling along the front edge of the hood, it didn't feel very smooth either.

Needless to say, but I'm very unhappy. This morning I sent a long email to the lady at Mazda (Katherine) expressing my very negative feelings and anger about the entire situation. Now awaiting Mazda's response.
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How awful. Really sorry to hear you have had to go through this.

Sounds like body shops are having a very hard time with Soul Red Crystal.
 
I really feel bad for you guys. Mazda owes you guys a buy back, no question. It*s costing you good money, Time, and tarnishing the brand from your eyes. Who could blame you for spreading your story or not recommending Mazda to anyone. If it was my first Mazda experience, I*d be one and done for sure, if I was a fanboy, I*d be bandwagon to something new...

Once again, I feel bad for y*all, and glad SRC wasn*t an option for me to purchase, because they*d be buying mine back...

Good luck, and I hope you finally get the results you*re looking for...
 
SweetPete said:
So, today marks week 8 for me. The body shop contacted my dealer's service manager last Thu to tell him my car was done. My service manager went to pick it up, but refused to bring it back -he said they were various problems, including a door panel issue and paint overspray. Later that same day, I went to the body shop to see my car for the first time since handing it over. I immediately noticed lots of swirls on the newly painted hood - some in the clear coat, others that appeared to be in the paint beneath the clear coat, including a paint flaw (smudge? too much paint?). AND there was a chip/indent on the leading edge of the hood! Apparently I have a new hood, so I have no idea how a chip/indent on the hood happened. Feeling along the front edge of the hood, it didn't feel very smooth either.

Needless to say, but I'm very unhappy. This morning I sent a long email to the lady at Mazda (Katherine) expressing my very negative feelings and anger about the entire situation. Now awaiting Mazda's response.
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Seems like a really bad body shop. I know Mazda reps read this forum - but I would say if you are truly pissed and I would be too - Make a YouTube video and market it really well. Like go on multiple forums and document your struggle with Mazda Corporate. Put it on Twitter - Contact various car reviewers because a video titled "Why you should not get Mazda Soul Red Paint" will be a click magnet and many would probably want to do such a video. Maybe the classy ones would not do this - but there are tons of clickbaity type content makers who would love this.

If you decide to keep this long term - If you are a good detailer - first thing would probably be a Ceramic Coating - ask Mazda to pay for it. It will protect the paint for a year or two and then you decide if it was worth it.
Total cost of Ceramic coating to the front should be around $100 or less if you detail your cars regularly. If you go to a shop - around 250-300. Cheapest one on autopia that I like is 35 bucks. But is a bit tedious to use. The 55 bucks one from Opti Gloss would be my choice. Even if the body shop fixes it correctly you will still doubt it and this has ruined your ownership of a Mazda vehicle. Mz Corporate should compensate you well enough for the long term angst and check if this comes up on carfax as well.
 
ColoradoDriver said:
How awful. Really sorry to hear you have had to go through this.

Sounds like body shops are having a very hard time with Soul Red Crystal.
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I heard from a local body shop that the painting process for the tri-coat Mazda paints is difficult and labor intensive. They have to do hand-sanding in between each layer application and special surface prep for each of the three hand painted layers. Apparently if its not done by somebody with a lot of experience or practice it's hard to get it to come out decent.
 
I'm sorry to read all this news about the paint issue. I plan on getting Soul Red Crystal as well, but with all my cars, i always opt to fully clear bra the front hood of my newly purchased cars.
I have yet to see any chips what so ever, and for a few hundred $ it protects your investment.
Definitely a good practice if you plan on owning your car for a while.
 
NelsonLewis said:
Once again, I feel bad for y*all, and glad SRC wasn*t an option for me to purchase, because they*d be buying mine back...
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That's what should happen, but how exactly would you make that happen, Nelson?
 
Very sorry to hear your experience mirrored mine SweetPete. The sound of my wipers clearing the dew off the windshield in the morning as they scrape across over spray from multiple repaints sounds like they are dragging over sandpaper, not glass.

And for all of you suggesting "making" Mazda do this or that, STFU. They. Don't. Care.
 
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