Bad Paint....New Thread !

[MichaelG]

Admittedly, I am a lot HOT under the collar right now, because I just got off the phone with that (&*%&^%$%^) Randy from Honda Customer Service.

After our last phone conversation, I had asked him to refer me to his supervisor, as it does NO good to speak to Randy at all. Why he decided to waste my time calling me again, is one of the points of contention here.

His telling points...Honda Customer Service is NOT going to contact the factory line, and even bother mentioning to the build line that there is a problem with the paint, because...Honda Customer Service has no proof that the problem is on the part of Honda...rather than the customers just being idiots and not knowing how to wash and wax their motorcycles.

His second point...Honda Customer Service is NOT going to waste one second of their precious time reading this forum, to read all the posts that riders have submitted about the bad paint on their bikes, because...they give no value or credence to these posts, because they are just gossip. If a customer really does have a problem with bad paint on their bikes, then they need to call Honda Customer Service (866) 784-1870, and make a complaint, but...more importantly, the bike owner needs to take their bikes to a Honda dealer, start a warranty complaint, and have pictures taken of the bad paint.

According to this (^&^$^&) Randy, he says that less than a handful of riders have filed complaints about bad paint on their bikes, and that Honda Customer Service has NOT received any pictures of this (so-called) bad paint issue from any dealerships.


I AM ASKING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO PLEASE CALL HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE ( 866) 784-1870, AND MAKE A SPECIFIC COMPLAINT ABOUT THE BAD PAINT ON YOUR BIKE, AND...THEN TO TAKE YOUR BIKE TO WHICHEVER HONDA DEALER YOU WANT TO, HAVE THEM WRITE UP A WARRANTY SERVICE COMPLAINT ON THE BAD PAINT, AND TAKE PICTURES OF THE BAD PAINT.

Several of us have asked this same thing before...and at this point not enough people have been following through on this. If we allow Honda to become complacent, or...even worse...allow them to formulate an opinion and final decision that there is NOT a problem with the paint on these bikes, then it will be VERY difficult to get Honda to reverse their decision.

I am DONE talking with (&*&%& Randy). In the future, I will only speak with someone up the ladder. As I told him, if I need to bring my bike down to Honda's offices, in person, and show his supervisors what bad paint looks like...I can and will do that.

As I have said in the past, I am NOT looking for answers and a resolution to this issue overnight. The bikes are still under warranty. But with a FEW complaints in...Honda is ready to dismiss this issue with the notion that WE simply do not know how to care for the paint on our bikes.

PLEASE...do not allow them to get away with that.

[MNF6B]

I was at my Honda dealer today getting the 4 k service done. My Honda dealer said that Randy called them and ask for my complaint and pics again. Randy talked to me last week and gave me the same song and dance that he gave Miles. My dealer said he would resend and could not believe that Randy said they never received my complaint and pics. I left for the day and returned at 5 to pick up my bike. My dealer met me and introduce me to the local Honda rep. The Honda rep looked at my bike and gave the same song and dance that Randy gave. He said that the first step that I should take is to let my dealer rub some 3M shit on my bike to see if this resolves the issue. I calmly explained to him that folks on this forum have been there and done that. Result is no fix just a shine until you touch it again. He would not move from this point. I told him that I could run my finger on my bike and scratch it. I also told him that the new F6B on the floor does not seem to have this issue....i tried it. My parts rep pulled me aside and said that they have had a few honda models from Honda with this issue. I told the rep that I would go with his step by step prog as long as the issue gets resolved. He said that Honda was not just going to replace the plastic as a first step. Next week is step one.....again!

[unsub]

I also told him that the new F6B on the floor does not seem to have this issue....i tried it.

I completely understand how sensitive this issue is to those that are experiencing the problem.

Although this is only my second day I tried to replicate the paint-on-cloth issue on my bike and could not. At least not with the wash and wax products I used. After washing with an automotive soap I used a spray on cleaner/wax. Does anyone know if the paint issue might be related to specific VIN runs thus allowing some with the issue and others without?

Sorry if this seems like this question has an obvious answer but I have no clue how the paint process works. I ask because my VIN is below 50 and comparing the VIN registry here with consumer complaints here the vast majority have much higher VINs

Maybe paint and assembly are not tied together and the shelter pieces are painted at a different time and or place, so there goes the VIN theory.

[Steve 0080]

Welllll my vin # is 80 and the paint is trash...I have met with my Honda Rep and he DID take pics...and He DID rub the 3M shit on my bike as well...A warranty claim was filled out as well.... I will be going by the Honda Shop in the AM and speak to the Service Manager....

[Bike44]

Miles, your frustration is real and suggestion of starting a complaint process a good one. For support I'd contact a professional painter and/or paint supplier familiar with whatever process Honda currently is using. An example from another thread: http://www.uspaint.com/paints/Honda-Gold-Wing-F6B.asp There may be others.

I'd want to know if the soft paint issue is a function of Honda's painting process and materials that mar easily despite being correctly applied. I'm not a painter but my F6B has softer paint that's subject to scratching and swirls more than any vehicle I've previously owned, with the possible exception of my former 2012 red Goldwing Level III. The current finish may be all Honda is capable of, or willing to produce.

I'd never use an abrasive wax or polish on the F6B, and only a scratch and swirl reducer if required.

Edit. As many here have already discovered, the soft paint issue has been discussed on other Forums for 2012/13 Goldwings. I agree that there's no clear surface coating typical of modern shiny paint we've grown to expect from quality manufacturers. I installed a fender extender tonight, and in cleaning the fender with isopropyl alcohol per Honda's recommendation I easily pulled a very little red paint from the fender. The finish was unmarred by the alcohol and no protective clear coating over the paint.

[SpeedyWho]

I've stayed out of the paint talk for a while now, it just gets my blood pressure up. Here's a quick bit of info I have for you guys.

As seen in the other thread where I posted the rags turning Red while I waxed my bike. I mailed all that's stuff to Honda. They contacted me and asked me to bring my bike to a dealer and they where going to replace my panels with new ones and use mine to test the paint issue on a bike with some miles( about 10k at that time) and thats what they did. I have new panels and Honda has my originals. That's all I know as of today

By the way the new panels are the same as the old ones. I was told they havnt changed anything yet and these will be the same paint quality as first set. But they wanted mine

That's my story

[jkelley]

I too have talked to customer ( lack of ) service, Been to the dealer, jumped through all of the normal hoops and even sent a letter to the big dog in Cali whose name and address were in another thread.

I don't in any way claim to be an expert in paint but have been involved in manufacturing processes all my life and some experience in testing.
Honda knew long before they released any of these machines what the quality levels were. To think a major corporation did not perform mill thickness, abrasion, adhesion, aging, curing, and gloss testing is absurd. They allowed a product into market assuming the buyers would accept this quality level, and hope to continue the same production without the cost of change well into the future. Hopefully those of us that are making noise will be heard and something done, but I would not hold your breath. They know using the rock solid platform affords them some leniency
in other areas to control costs. However, in my opinion a 20K bike should be high end and personally I want mine to look great most of the time with little effort in regards to polishing and buffing. I also agree with Miles and am not a happy camper. If I choose to keep this bike it will be repainted with a quality finish. If I decide otherwise, I will go another direction and never look back all the while knowing my personal decision is hardly of any concern to Honda.