How much will this paint chip cost me?

[Nick6]

I was cleaning my car and noticed my paint had chipped. Can anyone give me a quote on how much it might cost to get it fixed?

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[tacthecat]

You do it or just noticed?
New car - ask dealer to fix if you didn't do it,
It looks more like a rub - if it is a good wax polish should remove it.
Otherwise, just get the paint touch-up bottle and do it yourself. Should be under $15.

 

[Nick6]

You do it or just noticed?
New car - ask dealer to fix if you didn't do it,
It looks more like a rub - if it is a good wax polish should remove it.
Otherwise, just get the paint touch-up bottle and do it yourself. Should be under $15.

Yeah new car. I’ve had it for about 2 months with 1700 miles now. I had noticed it when I went to wash my car. I’ll ask the dealer but if not I’ll go ahead and look into what u suggested thank you.

 

[julianzh]

https://www.drcolorchip.com/

Try that

 

[IronFusion]

Honestly, with the jagged edges and it being elongated, it could be a paint defect. Can you post a more focused image? If there is no scratch in the paint around, or to the area where the paint came off, that me be an indication of a bubble or unset paint that lifted.

Also, can you measure the rough size? It may be at the cusp of being too large for touch-up to work well. You want to take something thin and non-metallic, like an ID card holder (plastic is better than paper for this) and see if the edges of the paint there easily come off. That would be a further sign of a paint defect. I've seen touch-up directions that recommend abrasing off jaggies to get a transition and smoother edges for the area; this helps overlaps not add a layer too much and also aids in blending the edges.

Did you take any pictures of the car upon receiving it? Even if you don't see a defect in early pictures, try applying a image filter like negative effect or different color/gamma tones. There may be a visual inconsistency that becomes more apparent.

If you try to touch it up on your own.. I suggest getting a few things...

• Factory paint pen per your VIN
• Aftermarket paint matched to your vin
• A foam sponge brush-just get some of the smaller sizes. IMO bristles make it harder to get a consistent and smooth application.
• Some small paint mixing cups (or a condiment cup that won't melt when paint thinner/spirits are applied)
• Some mild gloss picture strips (like for printing wallet-size photos)
• Top-coat gloss (spray or liquid is preference)
• Lots of low-tack painters tape
• Some clean cardboard (from Amazon box or similar)

Find a spot under the hood (the black metal brace atop the radiator may be a good spot), inside the door, or on the body under the car (listed last bc ergonomically this would suck). Your looking for somewhere unpainted, or unexposed with the paint tapering off from factory spray.
Practice applying on one of those spots. Try taped-off spots about a half-width of a postage stamp. Treat it like you are doing this for real- clean and prep-spray the area, and mix your colors. I found the factory-match Honda paint did not actually match my color well: it was too dark going on, and most paint will only look darker after a topcoat gloss is added. So I mixed it in a little cup with a color-match paint from Duplicolor, and applied some mineral spirits to help smooth the top surface as it dries (I also have metallic flake coloring so this helped more evenly disperse the sparkles). Try to record the ratios of everything going into the cup for each trial, and label each one with a chalk pen off to the side. You want to get good at it. Then you want to remix the winning combo you chose and paint the photo paper. If it matches your test spot and the paint around your area to repair, you're good to go. The tape and cardboard is keep paint where you want it, while letting you take some wider sweeps with gloss coat spray (if you go that route).
Follow the directions for how long the component paints and coating need to be left alone. Then, clay bar the whole area followed by a good glossy polish. Those last steps should help the gloss coat blend better, smooth invisible irregularities, and leave the whole area equally protected so that it all ages at around the same rate.

Depending on how much you car, how OCD you will get, and how upset you'll be staring at that spot every single time you get in the car.... It may be simpler to take it to a well-rated paint shop.

 

[Nick6]

Honestly, with the jagged edges and it being elongated, it could be a paint defect. Can you post a more focused image? If there is no scratch in the paint around, or to the area where the paint came off, that me be an indication of a bubble or unset paint that lifted.

Also, can you measure the rough size? It may be at the cusp of being too large for touch-up to work well. You want to take something thin and non-metallic, like an ID card holder (plastic is better than paper for this) and see if the edges of the paint there easily come off. That would be a further sign of a paint defect. I've seen touch-up directions that recommend abrasing off jaggies to get a transition and smoother edges for the area; this helps overlaps not add a layer too much and also aids in blending the edges.

Did you take any pictures of the car upon receiving it? Even if you don't see a defect in early pictures, try applying a image filter like negative effect or different color/gamma tones. There may be a visual inconsistency that becomes more apparent.

If you try to touch it up on your own.. I suggest getting a few things...

• Factory paint pen per your VIN
• Aftermarket paint matched to your vin
• A foam sponge brush-just get some of the smaller sizes. IMO bristles make it harder to get a consistent and smooth application.
• Some small paint mixing cups (or a condiment cup that won't melt when paint thinner/spirits are applied)
• Some mild gloss picture strips (like for printing wallet-size photos)
• Top-coat gloss (spray or liquid is preference)
• Lots of low-tack painters tape
• Some clean cardboard (from Amazon box or similar)

Find a spot under the hood (the black metal brace atop the radiator may be a good spot), inside the door, or on the body under the car (listed last bc ergonomically this would suck). Your looking for somewhere unpainted, or unexposed with the paint tapering off from factory spray.
Practice applying on one of those spots. Try taped-off spots about a half-width of a postage stamp. Treat it like you are doing this for real- clean and prep-spray the area, and mix your colors. I found the factory-match Honda paint did not actually match my color well: it was too dark going on, and most paint will only look darker after a topcoat gloss is added. So I mixed it in a little cup with a color-match paint from Duplicolor, and applied some mineral spirits to help smooth the top surface as it dries (I also have metallic flake coloring so this helped more evenly disperse the sparkles). Try to record the ratios of everything going into the cup for each trial, and label each one with a chalk pen off to the side. You want to get good at it. Then you want to remix the winning combo you chose and paint the photo paper. If it matches your test spot and the paint around your area to repair, you're good to go. The tape and cardboard is keep paint where you want it, while letting you take some wider sweeps with gloss coat spray (if you go that route).
Follow the directions for how long the component paints and coating need to be left alone. Then, clay bar the whole area followed by a good glossy polish. Those last steps should help the gloss coat blend better, smooth invisible irregularities, and leave the whole area equally protected so that it all ages at around the same rate.

Depending on how much you car, how OCD you will get, and how upset you'll be staring at that spot every single time you get in the car.... It may be simpler to take it to a well-rated paint shop.

Wow thank you! I wasn’t looking for such a response. I’ll definitely look into what you told me and let you know in the future what happens

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