Car paint-peeling problem affecting thousands in Florida | firstcoastnews.com

NORTH PORT, Fla. — Drivers across Florida and even the country report alarming paint‑peeling problems on their cars. There are thousands of complaints from owners saying sheets of paint, not just small chips, are flaking off, exposing bare primer.

“My daughter’s hood basically just flaked completely off, probably maybe 10% of the paint was left on it. And then my wife’s car started, and that was probably 30-40% that was coming off. And we traded both those cars in,” said Ed Rinkewich, whose third Hyundai has suffered the same fate.

“This is how it starts. You get a little chip. It looks like a chip, but it’s actually a flake,” Rinkewich explained, pointing to bubbling paint on his vehicle. “It starts out just like...a stone chip. But then it, like, bubbles up and then it starts coming off like in sheets.”

A search of Facebook groups uncovered thousands of members nationwide reporting the same issue on models from a variety of manufacturers, from Hyundai and Kia to Toyota and Chevrolet, most commonly on white cars.

That’s the color of Rinkewich’s first two cars, which were 2015 Hyundai Elantras, and he took them both back to the car dealer.

“If you want, we can, you know, send you to a body shop and you can get painted. And I was like, I don’t think that’s right,” he said.

Customers have filed class-action lawsuits claiming their paint literally peeled off, prompting some manufacturers to extend warranties. Hyundai recently announced an extension for eight different models, including Elantra, Sonata and Santa Fe. One Toyota Corolla owner says she was informed her warranty had expired last year, and now she can’t even wash her car without risking more paint loss.

“If you get denied a warranty claim, that’s not the end of the road for you,” consumer attorney Charles Gallagher said. “First off, the most wise thing to do is to ask the manufacturer for an extension of warranty. What’s being found is this paint issue is a defect in manufacturing.”

Rinkewich admitted, “I guess there’s some hoops you have to jump through to see if it’s a warranty issue.”

Rinkewich plans to return his 2020 Hyundai Kona to the dealership in hopes they will fix the paint once again.

“These are all brand‑new cars from the dealers, so you can’t really say, ‘Oh, somebody else did something to it,’” he said. “You know, it’s just annoying, to say the least, that the paint comes off that quickly. And why it’s coming off… I, for the life of me, I’m 70 years old. I’ve owned cars since I was, like, 16 years old. I’ve never had a car where the paint flaked off like that.”

Our team contacted several local body shops about the issue. Shop owners believe the problem stems from a defect in the primer used before painting.

A Kia spokesperson said, “The New Vehicle Limited Warranty covers paint repairs due to non‑impact discoloration, fading, cracking, chipping, or flaking for the first 36 months or 36,000 miles. There are many factors that could impact the paint on any vehicle including environmental conditions. Kia dealerships are available to assist customers with any concerns related to paint. If a Kia customer’s concern has not been addressed to their satisfaction, they are encouraged to contact Kia’s Customer Care Center using our toll‑free number: 800‑333‑4KIA.”

A Hyundai spokesperson said, “Hyundai is dedicated to providing an outstanding experience for all our customers. We have support options available in the rare event of a paint issue with Hyundai vehicles. Owners experiencing paint issues are advised to visit our dedicated customer website: https://autoservice.hyundaiusa.com/Z05. By entering their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), customers can check if their vehicle qualifies for support. If eligible, customers can use the dealer locator to schedule an appointment. We encourage customers to visit your local Hyundai dealership or contact the Hyundai Customer Care Center at (800) 633‑5151 for additional assistance.”

If you feel like the manufacturer isn't taking care of this for you, you can report the problem to the Florida Attorney General's Office.