Poll for Those with Paint Blistering / Bubbling Defect

[Gooner]

How does a car company go from one generation (Exige) to the next (Emira) and not correct an issue like this? It must cost them millions in repairs and creates such negative customer sentiment. How hard is it to not have a faulty composite panel, and why do some seem to not have this issue when others do not (not trying to ask rhetorically, either)?

Honestly, this issue is my biggest fear with the car. Rest of the issues feel relatively minor or just inconvenient in comparison.

I couldn’t agree more with this and it’s really spoilt the enjoyment of the car (at least for the minute). I now have 2 doors that I’m hoping to get replaced (and I’m sure they will be), but I am aware that the rear quarter on some cars can also be affected. I’ll now forever be paranoid about them appearing there as well

 

[Magicman]

So I'd always thought it was moisture trapped before painting but was told today that it's down to the seal at the top of the door leaking and water sitting on a seam inside the door. Further that the replacement doors are a modified part

 

[Nick in Sydney]

So I'd always thought it was moisture trapped before painting but was told today that it's down to the seal at the top of the door leaking and water sitting on a seam inside the door. Further that the replacement doors are a modified part

Water sitting on a seam inside the door may explain most of the cases, but not all of them. For example, there have been blisters in the rear quarter panels.

 

[freefall_junkie]

So I'd always thought it was moisture trapped before painting but was told today that it's down to the seal at the top of the door leaking and water sitting on a seam inside the door. Further that the replacement doors are a modified part

This seems an important and rather worrying snippet of information. If the door has been modified at some stage, then it has to mean that ALL Emiras produced before a certain date are going to have the issue sooner or later. Given the reported production month of cars with blisters so far runs right up until late 2023 (i.e. many hundreds of cars in the UK, China, Europe, Oz, and the first US batch), this is going to be a massive issue for many of us and Lotus. Really begs the question of why Lotus aren't doing a large recall to modify the door in some way to prevent water sitting on the seam.

 

[kennyn]

The issue existed long before the Exige was introduced, it's an issue with fibreglass/composites that they have never managed to resolve.

 

[Rupes]

The issue existed long before the Exige was introduced, it's an issue with fibreglass/composites that they have never managed to resolve.

Aren’t the doors metal though?

 

[Hobiedick]

The issue existed long before the Exige was introduced, it's an issue with fibreglass/composites that they have never managed to resolve.

In general boats, even using polyester resins do not suffer from this sort of thing, yes osmosis was a problem but that now seems more under control. Bad process/design is probably to blame for these problems, not materials.

 

[Bulls-Vivid-Red]

I picked up my car on 6/18/24 and unfortunately didn't notice a bubble near the rear driver side taillight. Two days later I dropped the car off for PPF/tinting and less than 15 minutes later the shop called me to let me know they discovered a bubble.

Dealer says they'll take care of things, but need more pics and or to see the car in person before proposing the next steps.

 

[Rupes]

I picked up my car on 6/18/24 and unfortunately didn't notice a bubble near the rear driver side taillight. Two days later I dropped the car off for PPF/tinting and less than 15 minutes later the shop called me to let me know they discovered a bubble.

Dealer says they'll take care of things, but need more pics and or to see the car in person before proposing the next steps.

Vivid red too, so not fixed with newer / 2.0 models. This does look like a QC issue though and maybe not the same thing as the paint blistering others are seeing?

 

[SJW]

Vivid red too, so not fixed with newer / 2.0 models. This does look like a QC issue though and maybe not the same thing as the paint blistering others are seeing?

just went outside and found passenger door covered in micro blistering. this is my second Emira, first returned for numerous faults including door bubbling. Am i just extremely unlucky or is this a latent manufacturing defect most are going to experience sooner or later?

 

[Wonza]

just went outside and found passenger door covered in micro blistering. this is my second Emira, first returned for numerous faults including door bubbling. Am i just extremely unlucky or is this a latent manufacturing defect most are going to experience sooner or later?

This is why I rejected the Emira and never again. They are literally giving the Electre and Emira away with finance and lease deals at the moment. When will they learn.

 

[kitkat]

just went outside and found passenger door covered in micro blistering. this is my second Emira, first returned for numerous faults including door bubbling. Am i just extremely unlucky or is this a latent manufacturing defect most are going to experience sooner or later?

Still saying this — it’s a matter of when not if.

 

[SJones]

I picked up my car on 6/18/24 and unfortunately didn't notice a bubble near the rear driver side taillight. Two days later I dropped the car off for PPF/tinting and less than 15 minutes later the shop called me to let me know they discovered a bubble.

Dealer says they'll take care of things, but need more pics and or to see the car in person before proposing the next steps.

According to their website, Teijin Automotive Technologies only makes the doors, rear fenders and rear hatch on the Emira. The material of the rear bumper is probably something else. From the photos it certainly looks like the base material is degraded and moisture has compromised the finish

 

[Hell4Leather]

The only information I’ve had is that it seems to be affecting early Emiras. This is from 2 separate dealerships. How true that is

The poll here also shows issues with later cars, albeit it much smaller numbers. Could just be that the issue hasn’t had enough time to surface on newer cars, could be that it’s “fixed”.

I also noted that Lotus offers a 5 year warranty on paint, so at least there is plenty of time for issues to surface before it’s out of warranty.

Linking from the USA Warranty thread. Not sure what to Believe; will take someone with a car to confirm the warranty packet they received, But this info shows the extra 5 yrs and chassis warranty in Europe is not offered in North America.

In North America the warranty is 3/36 for everything. Paint, mechanical, etc…

Post in thread 'US warranty'
https://www.emiraforum.com/threads/us-warranty.4810/post-140655

 

[JimH]

Aren’t the doors metal though?

No…..

 

[Bulls-Vivid-Red]

According to their website, Teijin Automotive Technologies only makes the doors, rear fenders and rear hatch on the Emira. The material of the rear bumper is probably something else. From the photos it certainly looks like the base material is degraded and moisture has compromised the finish

Thank you for pointing that out, so maybe I'm "lucky" and this is some other defect that isn't as bad as the blistering documented on this thread. Most manufactures use plastics for the front and rear bumper covers, so it makes sense that this may be a different material than the doors/fenders/hatch. Regardless of the material, a deformity leading to bubbling paint means I will push for a replacement of the entire rear cover.

I'm back in town on Monday and will report what I see in person in greater detail later that day!

 

[Bulls-Vivid-Red]

Thank you for pointing that out, so maybe I'm "lucky" and this is some other defect that isn't as bad as the blistering documented on this thread. Most manufactures use plastics for the front and rear bumper covers, so it makes sense that this may be a different material than the doors/fenders/hatch. Regardless of the material, a deformity leading to bubbling paint means I will push for a replacement of the entire rear cover.

I'm back in town on Monday and will report what I see in person in greater detail later that day!

I'm back in town and was able to see things for myself and take my own higher resolution pictures. Good news is that after looking VERY closely this appears to be the only defect on the car. My eyes aren't what they used to be, but zoomed in there appears to be an indentation/deformity at the spot.

So for the sake of others I hope this FE2 issue is a one off and indeed different than the bubbling issue.

 

[Gizmo750]

Washed my car yesterday, which I picked up new in May 2023, so 13 months old. Yep, discovered new blistering / bubbling along the drivers door! It's only just appeared as I would have noticed it had it been there earlier (always wash the car by hand so I know every inch). A warranty claim for a new door will be going in shortly via my local dealer, who is fortunately excellent and somewhat offsets the appalling service from Lotus HQ.

 

[Gooner]

Washed my car yesterday, which I picked up new in May 2023, so 13 months old. Yep, discovered new blistering / bubbling along the drivers door! It's only just appeared as I would have noticed it had it been there earlier (always wash the car by hand so I know every inch). A warranty claim for a new door will be going in shortly via my local dealer, who is fortunately excellent and somewhat offsets the appalling service from Lotus HQ.

Sorry to hear this.

I’m adamant that this is going to affect a huge number of cars, it’s just a matter of time. Hopefully it’s limited to certain early vehicles (although the poll here does show issues on later cars too, albeit in lower numbers).

I had my warranty claim approved yesterday for blisters on both doors. I was one of at least 3 cars that had warranty claims for blistering put in last week alone by the dealer.

 

[SJones]

Sorry to hear this.

I’m adamant that this is going to affect a huge number of cars, it’s just a matter of time. Hopefully it’s limited to certain early vehicles (although the poll here does show issues on later cars too, albeit in lower numbers).

I had my warranty claim approved yesterday for blisters on both doors. I was one of at least 3 cars that had warranty claims for blistering put in last week alone by the dealer.

I originally hoped that the early cars were going to have the most problems with this issue, but seeing problems all through the manufacturing dates ( with the most recent having the least amount of exposure time) I am now concluding that the trigger is the environment the car lives in rather than manufacture date.
From what I understand the panels Teijin supplies are made somewhat like particle board, using pressure to form particles of the base material and binding them with a bit of resin. If water is captured and held against the panel, vapor pressure ( water’s vapor pressure is .2 psi if I remember my chemistry) will force itself through any microscopic porosity. Maybe we should be keeping track of the moisture that each victim car has experienced- driven in heavy rain, outdoor parking, lots of washing? Just a theory but I currently feel that almost all of these vehicles will succumb to this problem given enough time.