100% agree. Doesn't even have to be a Mazda dealer, I got my last car repaired at a body shop attached to an Acura dealer. Just like with windshield repair, my insurance company has no interest in using a shop that doesn't do quality work. It's not in their long-term interests if they have to end up paying for the job to be done twice
RED paint not matching
- Thread starter Tonym2
- Start date
1
181962
That's certainly better than picking a name out of the phone book if there were still phone books.
I was suggesting going one better. If it's an Acura, go to an Acura dealer body shop or the one they use. If Mazda, same deal. That goes to my point of increasing the odds of getting experience with the particular vehicle and paint behind the work.
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- Canada
That's certainly better than picking a name out of the phone book if there were still phone books.
I was suggesting going one better. If it's an Acura, go to an Acura dealer body shop or the one they use. If Mazda, same deal. That goes to my point of increasing the odds of getting experience with the particular vehicle and paint behind the work.
I took my machine grey metallic CX-9 to a Honda dealer for some body work. They have a body shop that does work on all of the brands under that dealership owner's umbrella, which includes Acura, Mazda, Toyota, and Nissan. They have a good rep, but I decided on this shop because after talking to the service reps, they confirmed that they have painted the complex Mazda colours before with a lot of success.
The colour match is 99% accurate, at least to my eye.
1
181962
In that case you had a Mazda dealer's body show do work on a Mazda. That's what I would recommend.
HyFlyer
2019 CX5 sig 2.2 diesel / 2016.5 CX5 touring 2.5na
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- Southwest Ohio
I had the same problem with a red 2015 Mazda 3 ... Hit a raccoon and needed a new front bumper. Same mismatched paint problem as you (although not quite as bad). Complained about it and was given the same story of the bumper is different material than body and will look different. So I went and parked next to a used red Mazda 3 they had on the lot and pointed out that the factory bumper/paint wasn't mismatched. The shop "fixed" it in the same way yours is suggesting by "blending" it into the fenders which IMHO just screwed the fenders up and made them look crappy like the bumper. So, in a way, it was indeed "blended" . I finally gave up on it but always bugged me.
So long story short ... I though the blending fix made things worse and would suggest a hard no on that.
I don't know what the answer is to solve that.
So long story short ... I though the blending fix made things worse and would suggest a hard no on that.
I don't know what the answer is to solve that.
This paint color is a VERY specialized color that requires a specific process. It is very time consuming and needs many layers and spray outs at every step to insure color match. The shop needs to do research on how to mix and apply the different coats and blend. If they have no experience in painting soul red crystal, then they need to spend the time and research the process from PPG and implement or have another shop do it who has experience.
HyFlyer
2019 CX5 sig 2.2 diesel / 2016.5 CX5 touring 2.5na
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- Southwest Ohio
You can see back in Post #14 of this thread the similar mismatch problem was solved when the shop was finally able to paint it right. I believe your shop CAN do it right but just hasn't so far
1
181962
I believe that blending is typical. Fender blending was noted in the paperwork for a front bumper job on my red Sienna. In my case they did a good job. I would not have known they did the blending without that note.
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- Canada
^ I second this.
@TT_99 You shouldn't need to blend paint on a relatively new car. The OP was able to get a very close match on their rear bumper without a blend, as far as I'm aware. Maybe you can use the OP's experience as evidence that a match can be achieved without blending? I guess if the PPG rep is directing the shop to blend, you may have to proceed with that direction, but I would push for one more repaint without blending and hope for the best.
Thanks. I spoke with the shop again and was told the PPG rep will mix the paint and have it ready when he comes. He will direct the repaint/ or spray it himself. Is this typical to have the paint mix ahead of the job as i thought they mix the paint after seeing the car? or have a PPG rep doing the painting? I will drop the car off later in the week and will tell them again that I prefer not to blend and only repaint the bumper. They told me the paint was mixed by PPG the last time as well and the color is still very off. After watching various youtube videos and reviewing the PPG guidance, its either paint wasn't mix correctly, or their spraying process is off or both as the finishing product is so much darker than the original paint.
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- Canada
I'm inclined to believe that the problem is with the shop's process. That's good news if the PPG rep is coming and will be directing the repaint. Hopefully it works out!
Jack Rabbit
Banned
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- 18 Mazda CX5 AW
Will you be staying for the repaint or at least meeting the PPG rep before you leave the car? Ask them what time the PPG rep will be there so you can discuss beforehand. Decide if this is worth taking an hour or two off work for to meet with the rep.
Tony, I'm in the middle of this SS now. Here is a picture of the initial repair. I think it's a good shop, but they have little experience with this color and are treating it as just a normal paint match. They scanned the color currently on the car and are mixing the paint in house, using what they refer to as the Axalta color system. I don't understand why they don't buy the 46V from Mazda. They claim that painting plastic is different, but I agree with the comment that the color goes on top of primer and not raw plastic. They also think that the answer is to blend this repair into the adjacent panels. Really??
I showed them the PPG video and they were not moved. Do you know if PPG is the OEM paint supplier? I also sent an email to PPG's NEXA Refinishing group to ask them for a recommendation on a certified repair shop in Massachusetts.
My Mazda dealer has no answers and has given me the number for Mazda Customer Experience. I'm willing to try them but no one on these threads has indicated that they were of help.
Am I on the right track here and do you have any additional thoughts?
Thanks,
Bill Cavanagh
Attachments
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- Canada
Jeez, that shop is terrible.
Your dealer should be more helpful. They are supposed to advocate for you with Mazda Corporate. The fact that they aren't tells me a lot about them, but that's besides the point. Absolutely contact Mazda directly. Be thorough with your experience thus far. The picture you have shows a painfully obvious attempt at paint-matching. When they find out how the shop tried to paint this colour, I believe they will either send a PPG rep out or recommend a different shop, one with experience working with this colour.
Your dealer should be more helpful. They are supposed to advocate for you with Mazda Corporate. The fact that they aren't tells me a lot about them, but that's besides the point. Absolutely contact Mazda directly. Be thorough with your experience thus far. The picture you have shows a painfully obvious attempt at paint-matching. When they find out how the shop tried to paint this colour, I believe they will either send a PPG rep out or recommend a different shop, one with experience working with this colour.
Agreed the paint doesn’t match at all. Also, any shop that does not blend the paint with the other panels should be avoided in my opinion.
Of course, you don’t want a bad job done all over your fender. But even though a good paint job can be very close to the original, it is never a 100% match. Blending it in makes it looks seamless and impossible to see the difference.
The soul red is a very difficult paint to match, and it needs all the similar appropriate layers done like on the original. It is not just color matching, it is also the depth and reflection of the paint that needs to match. You need a good shop with experience with that paint color. Maybe see who local dealers uses for their paint work, they should have experience with this special color, it has been around for a while now.
Usually small paint variations are visible to the naked eye but hard to capture on camera. The exemple above looks terrible on photo, i can’t imagine how bad it must look in person.
Of course, you don’t want a bad job done all over your fender. But even though a good paint job can be very close to the original, it is never a 100% match. Blending it in makes it looks seamless and impossible to see the difference.
The soul red is a very difficult paint to match, and it needs all the similar appropriate layers done like on the original. It is not just color matching, it is also the depth and reflection of the paint that needs to match. You need a good shop with experience with that paint color. Maybe see who local dealers uses for their paint work, they should have experience with this special color, it has been around for a while now.
Usually small paint variations are visible to the naked eye but hard to capture on camera. The exemple above looks terrible on photo, i can’t imagine how bad it must look in person.
Hey sorry man. That looks like my front bumper after the first 2 times. I keep pressing after I wasn't satisfied and the shop I went to reached out to the PPG rep and they send someone over to oversee the respray. Took 3 tries and the 3rd isn't perfect too but it was a lot better than the first 2 attempt. In some angle it looks like its perfectly blended but in some, its still a shade off but I stare at it so much that my eyes is starting to see all the subtly of this shade. I also stare at any cx5 SCR when i see them on the street to see if the bumper and the fender has any noticeable color difference and even new one does have a slight difference if you look close enough. I will keep at it and ask the shop to reach out to their PPG rep and ask them to send someone who can oversee the respray. It could be the mixing of the paint or just the process itself, but it made a huge difference on my car. good luck
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- Mazda CX-9 Signature
Shade will be off at some angles even with factory paint because of the different material but it shouldn't be so obvious.
Yeah, my shop didn't achieved the same results as the OP but after 3 tries, i was happy enough as I don't think they will do it for the 4th time.
