Front end paint chipping- common or unusual so soon?

I think you probably answered your own question. You have a long daily commute and are constantly subjecting your car to the small stones/pebbles left on the road.

There are inherent problems with using those front end bras that you should consider too. The paint on your car is subject to the effects of UV radiation. If you cover up a portion, the UV effects on the paint job will be uneven.

 

Some of us are looking at bug deflectors as an alternative solution to this problem.

 

im afraid what you have does happen frequently in your situation. i have one chip so far but its just above the left front headlight on the fender. and i heard it when it happened.

kinda makes me mad because there was a truck hauling sand in front of me so i got 2 lanes over and was at least 10 lengths behind him when i heard the cracking of a rock hitting my car.

 

I have resigned myself to the fact that in a few years i will have to have the front end and hood repainted. Even our Chevy Venture with bug defelctor still hass a lot of stone chips in it's 145,000 mi. and the hood will have to be repainted soon. At least the Silver on my Prius makes the touch up paint blend in better than the red on our Chevy Venture.

 

Following trucks at a respectful distance helps but trucks going in the opposite direction are a worse threat. I have been driving for 5 years and have had 4 broken windshields in the last 7 years since moving to my present location. My last car had 4 windhelds in 7 yrs and my pickup now has a cracked windshield. All were from trucks going the other direction on a hard surfaced road.

The place that changed my windshelds said that, in our county, the average life of a windshield is 2 yrs. Most are broken in the winter.

By the way, I have a bug shield on the PU but it didn't help much.

 

There's no real way to avoid it all. All manufacturers use environmentally friendly paints now, it's not as it used to be.

If your color can be touched-up with the touch-up kit from the dealer, go for that and use some Langka to get rid of the blob once its dry.

 

A couple of weeks ago I was pissed when I found my first chip in the hood, then I saw this last week.

http://kcbs.dayport.com/viewer/viewerpage....&Category_ID=85

Unfortunate and sad.

 

i have a front end mask. there are good and bad sides to it. my car's black so there's obviously the fade factor- although i much prefer fade differences to chips since the primer shows very well on black paint.

the down side i've seen so far is the part of the mask that covers the lip of the hood can collect little sticks and leaves and things. i have started removing that part every time i wash, which is pretty easy. then i wash the cover, air dry it and replace it.

some people insist on removing the whole thing each time they wash... but the bottom part is a pain to put back on. there aren't many bits of debris that can get underneath that thing anyway, it's on there so tightly.

just my thoughts on the issue. you can see a pic of the front end mask installed on black in my album. good luck!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(savannahsixt\";p=\"82921)</div>

Passing traffic often kicks up loose road debris. The noise made by the smaller stones that hit your car is muffled by tire, wind and other traffic sounds.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(savannahsixt\";p=\"82921)</div>

I too have chips . . . even on the sides, on and near the back door. :x

http://www.chipmender.com/

The same stuff I see on the counter at my dealer. I’m just waiting for the inevitable next few chips so I’m not constantly chasing one-zies and two-zies.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy\";p=\"83139)</div>

I too have chips . . . even on the sides, on and near the back door. :x

http://www.chipmender.com/

The same stuff I see on the counter at my dealer. I’m just waiting for the inevitable next few chips so I’m not constantly chasing one-zies and two-zies.[/b][/quote]

That looks like it's worth a try. I could never do a decent job with the brush in the bottle types.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(savannahsixt\";p=\"82841)</div>

Rather than a bra, which will inevitably scratch the paint, you might consider a hard plastic rock and bug protector which you can order from Toyota Town in Langley, BC, or elsewhere. Not sure if it's sold in the US. I got one and mounted it (not difficult, but does take some careful centering) and have had great results. It sits on little gummy feet which are affixed to the hood with a kind of removable adhesive so they won't damage the paint. The feet keep the guard off the painted surface, so it won't scratch the paint the way a fabric cover would. The bug/rock guard covers the area between the headlights, just above the grill opening, where most of the gravel, etc will likely hit. It's a dark almost black plastic, so it will fit with any color. There is one in the album section shown on several cars.
Bob

 

I've had my prius go through hail and jumped on by a goat a few times and only left surface stratches. the worse is done by rocks and although I wouldnt get a bra, touch up paint should work well, I dont know if they would have it in salsa red though

 

After reading the many postings here at PC, I have made an almost daily effort to keep the car washed and waxed. I wax the front end and the front of the side mirrors.

The front bumper and hood both have nicks from stones - hard to avoid even with consistent cleaning, waxing and avoiding hazardous "stony" situations. At some point will have to repaint the front end - bumper and hood. I have a bra on order.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(reesdude\";p=\"83159)</div>

They stock every Toyota/Lexus color since the 1997 model year. . . including Salsa Red (or else I would have been mad and not posted their link.)

They also stock every Honda and Acura colors from 1999 through the current year.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy\";p=\"83202)</div>

oh I didnt know... maybe if I get enough I can turn my white into seaside or salsa. lol just kidding super white rocks.

 

I noticed a few paint chips on the hood, plus some cuts and one manufacturing-related dimple in the bumper while washing the car last evening. Nothing awful, but now I'll have to wonder what cut into the bumper material like that, when I don't recall hitting anything and the cuts don't look like another car hit me.

I might get some touchup paint, but past repairs have shown I haven't got the right touch so the job isn't noticeable. Not sure I'll pay someone to do it until it looks necessary...