Take it from someone who has done even just a small amount of automotive paint work, it’s a time consuming process and thus one that can be pricey to do right. As such, you want to avoid problems with it, from paint that easily chips to clearcoats that start peeling, because it’s a pain to fix. Consumer product testing and advising publication Consumer Reports tracks issues with paint as part of its vehicle surveys, and it ranked the 10 vehicles with the most paint problems, so you have an idea of what models to be particularly wary of. They’re listed below
- 2016 Chevy Suburban
- 2015 Hyundai Genesis
- 2016 Ford Explorer
- 2022 Toyota Tundra
- 2022 Tesla Model X
- 2017 Hyundai Sonata
- 2014 Ford Taurus
- 2020 Ford Mustang
- 2016 Hyundai Elantra
- 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
Most of those models are 7 to 10 years old at this point, and while they shouldn’t necessarily be showing problems, they are getting on the old side. It is a little concerning that the Toyota Tundra and Tesla Model X are just 2 years old and showing up so high on this list. This seems to support what Consumer Reports notes about high levels of paint issues often being specific to a model year, particularly the first year of a new generation. That’s the case with the Tundra, which was completely redesigned for the 2022 model year.
It’s also interesting that three Hyundais and three Fords appear on this list. But as this list is specific down to the model year, you can’t draw any broad conclusions. Even companies known for extremely high quality and reliability can have a year where something went a bit wrong. To have any broader sense of brand weaknesses would require more information on more models and years.
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