Why Does Your Car Have Peeling Paint?


Peeling Paint

If you have a car with peeling paint, it can be incredibly frustrating (on top of being an eyesore). While modern cars are engineered to avoid having paint problems, any vehicles from the 80s or 90s are at an elevated risk of peeling paint.

What Causes Peeling Paint?

On most cars, there are three layers of coatings: primer, paint and clear coat. Just like when you paint your home, when you paint your car the primer serves as a base layer for paint through improving adherence, ensuring an even underlying color and protecting the metal underneath. The paint adds color to the vehicle. Finally, a clear coat is placed on top to make a hard shell that stops the paint from small scratches, oxidation and wearing off quickly. Peeling paint most frequently happens when one of the three layers stops adhering to the surface underneath. When one layer stops functioning properly, big sections of paint or small chips can flake off.

So, what causes the bond between primer and car, paint and primer or clear coat and paint to stop? One reason is improper preparation of the car surface. Many major manufacturers had problems in the late 80s and 90s due to alterations in the auto painting process. Another common reason is a chip or scratch that compromises the integrity of the primer, paint or clear coat. Once one barrier has been compromised, debris and moisture can sneak their way into the coating and start the delamination process.  

What Can You Do About Peeling Paint?

Today’s vehicles typically do not struggle with peeling paint, but it can occur. When your car has a paint issue, you should always work with an experienced auto body shop like Maven Motors. We know how to carefully remove all damaged paint, clear coat and primer and build up the area to seamlessly blend into existing paint. From scratches to fading and from peeling paint to delamination, our professionals can ensure your car looks great on the road.

Keep Your Car in Excellent Condition with Maven Motors

Maven Motors auto body shop is dedicated to helping every customer find the car of their dreams, and keep the cars that they have in great shape. From auto sales to collision repair, we can meet all of your car buying and maintenance needs. We pride ourselves on honesty and integrity and always doing what is right for you. To learn more about our services, contact us today by calling (410) 358-1114 or visit our body shop in Baltimore.


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