Paint issues? Does Your Car Live in a Garage or Outside?

[geoffbland]

The issue here seems to be result of a metal strip fitted to the inner door skin. Water is getting trapped between this and the door skin. This, in time, causes paint to blister. Hence new doors with a modified design, are fitted to solve this problem.

The only Emira I have seen in person with the issue had blisters all over the doors not just around a metal strip and also along both sides of the rear pillars along and below the First Edition badge.

 

[John_Matrix]

Maybe. Made sense to me. More so than ‘primer’. He manages after sales at a dealer and was matter of fact about it.

 

[John_Matrix]

The only car I’ve actually seen with the issue had paint that looked like a bad respray- orange peel effect. That apparently being the precursor to micro blistering.

 

[John_Matrix]

Wonder how many people have that without actually noticing?

 

[Man.v.Cars]

Maybe. Made sense to me. More so than ‘primer’. He manages after sales at a dealer and was matter of fact about it.

Not primer, the treatment given to the finished composite panels. All the composite panels are potentially affected, I've just posted that my rear hatch has started bubbling.

The manager at the dealers paintshop stated there has been no definitive answer from Lotus and it is likely the problem lies in the panel manufacturing process itself.

 

[cwfg]

Starting to wonder if the doors are just a precursor to wider paint issues further down the line - the doors just being a weak spot due to design flaws where it’s presenting sooner than elsewhere

 

[Man.v.Cars]

Starting to wonder if the doors are just a precursor to wider paint issues further down the line - the doors just being a weak spot due to design flaws where it’s presenting sooner than elsewhere

Composite panels only ie doors, rear 1/4s and rear hatch.

 

[Biggles of Norwich]

Composite panels only ie doors, rear 1/4s and rear hatch.

Curious - so what are the other panels made of if not composite?

 

[Nick in Sydney]

Composite panels only ie doors, rear 1/4s and rear hatch.

I'm pretty sure they're also composite, but they are supplied by a different company, not Teijin. The Teijing panels have been suffering the issues with osmosis.

 

[Man.v.Cars]

I'm pretty sure they're also composite, but they are supplied by a different company, not Teijin. The Teijing panels have been suffering the issues with osmosis.

Bonnet/hood aluminium? I can only find reference to doors, tailgate and rear 1/4 panels being composite.

 

[Biggles of Norwich]

Bonnet/hood aluminium? I can only find reference to doors, tailgate and rear 1/4 panels being composite.

No, they are all composite, definitely not aluminium. Chassis is bonded aluminium if that's what you are thinking of. That's made in Norwich by Lotus, a few miles away from Hethel.

 

[Man.v.Cars]

No, they are all composite, definitely not aluminium. Chassis is bonded aluminium if that's what you are thinking of. That's made in Norwich by Lotus, a few miles away from Hethel.

Yup, definitely a composite. Checked with JCT600 paintshop when I took mine in for the tailgate to be authorised for replacement and they confirmed all panels are composite but from a different supplier. Zero problems with the front half of the car.

 

[vision]

Hi All, Just had my second service (B) to day at £750, I asked enough the door part issue (mine is a early 23 plate with no paint issues at present). Within the door is a channel that collects water with no way of draining so remains dormant so osmosis takes place that breaks through the composite. In hindsight it apparently should have had drainage holes but until bubbling started there is no way Lotus could have predicted this.

The solution is to replace both doors, apparently they get scrapped bar the serviceable bits. I have been advised to book mine in 6 months time to get it reviewed and repaired as a warranty claim.

 

[Man.v.Cars]

Lots have said this, it was the 1st theory, but over time the issue is more a problem with the initial treatment/priming process. My tailgate has started and sure as heck it doesn't hold any water.

Until the paint actually bubbles Lotus won't do anything, if out of warranty, 3/5 yr is a bone of contention with them, then owners will have to fork out for the repairs. Both doors replaced and painted is in the region of £4,500.

 

[geoffbland]

Within the door is a channel that collects water with no way of draining so remains dormant so osmosis takes place that breaks through the composite.

Perhaps but the only Emira I have seen in person with the issue had blisters all over the doors not just around a "metal strip/channel" and also along both sides of the rear pillars along and below the First Edition badge, not somewhere you would expect water ingress or any water to persist without draining.

 

[vision]

Perhaps but the only Emira I have seen in person with the issue had blisters all over the doors not just around a "metal strip/channel" and also along both sides of the rear pillars along and below the First Edition badge, not somewhere you would expect water ingress or any water to persist without draining.

I must be stupid, clearly you know everything, I'm telling you what has been told to me by a Lotus Service Centre. Make of it what you want

 

[Blackthought_]

Silly question, would it possible to drill drain holes at the bottom of the door yourself? (Taking steps to make sure the holes don’t rust lol)

Years ago I had a Jeep TJ that was notorious for collecting water on the frame and owners were drilling small holes in the frame so the water could escape and I had the Jeep for years with no rust issues.

 

[Man.v.Cars]

I must be stupid, clearly you know everything, I'm telling you what has been told to me by a Lotus Service Centre. Make of it what you want

Pretty poor reply. Others are telling you their experiences, many from Lotus approved paintshops. No-one outside of Lotus and the manufacturer know the real reason as we aren't told, all speculation. But highly unlikely it is a drainage issue as the same problem affects the tailgate and rear 1/4 panels.

 

[cwfg]

Had an interesting chat today with the manager at the dealership where I’m buying my car. We talked about the paint issues as the car I’m buying has blistering on both doors. He acknowledged the 5 year paint warranty and suggested Lotus would honour it but that it was irrelevant because Lotus have already written off repairing all the stock they know is affected and will just deal with it as and when. I’m lost with what’s been diagnosed as the root cause at this point but he said there is a metal support bar inside the earlier doors that affected heat transfer during manufacture, which has now been resolved…. But, he also said he saw/heard of the first case of an i4 with blistering recently which should not have the problem due to build date. Also doesn’t explain the other panels. Needless to say, I don’t think this issue is going away any time soon.

 

[Man.v.Cars]

Had an interesting chat today with the manager at the dealership where I’m buying my car. We talked about the paint issues as the car I’m buying has blistering on both doors. He acknowledged the 5 year paint warranty and suggested Lotus would honour it but that it was irrelevant because Lotus have already written off repairing all the stock they know is affected and will just deal with it as and when. I’m lost with what’s been diagnosed as the root cause at this point but he said there is a metal support bar inside the earlier doors that affected heat transfer during manufacture, which has now been resolved…. But, he also said he saw/heard of the first case of an i4 with blistering recently which should not have the problem due to build date. Also doesn’t explain the other panels. Needless to say, I don’t think this issue is going away any time soon.

At the moment Lotus insist it is 3 years warranty, as my previous posts have stated. The metal strip again, it clearly isn't as the rear hatch and rear 1/4 panels are also affected. The rear hatch on mine had its first bubble appear and a replacement is on order.