# 2011 Chevy Cruze LT Turbo---Paint problem



## shawn672 (Oct 31, 2010)

Over 4,000 miles and no major blemishes. A couple minor rock chips on the front fascia


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

what is road abrasion - never heard of it before. it sounds like you scraped the side of your car on the road. and I think you would know if you flipped your car on the side.


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## TSURacing (Jan 1, 2011)

Cash_ola said:


> I bought my car exactly two months ago. I noticed the other day the paint is coming off on the panels near the back doors on both sides. I took it to the dealer and they told me it is "road abbrassion." Apparently this isn't covered in my warranty. I don't feel I should be paying for this, seems like a defect when they painted the car.
> I was just wondering if anyone else has noticed this???
> I've driven vehicles for 8 years before the paint chips off.
> This is absolutely ridiculous!


Can you post pics so we can see the severity of the chips. The splash guards may help it from getting any worse.


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## Aeroscout977 (Nov 25, 2010)

Sounds like the dealer is BSing you IMO. Post pics though.


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## cruze 2011 (Oct 20, 2010)

its from all the salt and small rocks the states are using on our roads for traction in the winter months when you hear the salt pounding the bottom and sides of your car trust me its chipping the paint off your car there are rocks all over the roads here in illinois the roads are falling apart also .some counties are mixing salt and small gravel or pebbles and spreading it on our roads its really hard on our cars paint.


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## cruze 2011 (Oct 20, 2010)

i wouldnt be calling that a cruze paint problem its from the roads your driving on. ive got almost 5000 miles on mine no paint abrasion at all


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## Danman1453 (Feb 24, 2011)

Have you tried kissing the "boo-boo" and putting a little mermaid band-aid on it?  

I have never heard the term "abrasion" used in reference to this until now.


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## ALiCE (Jan 15, 2011)

If the problem is where the red line is in the next picture, then yes, it's a design/manufacture (door alignment) problem.
A friend had a lot of chips on that parts (both sides of the car) in only 10.000 miles, there was almost no paint left . It was re-painted on warranty.

That's because the door and the back pillars are not properly aligned, so that that part of the back pillar it's just a little outside of the car, this way all the chips gets kicked into the margin of it.

I'm sorry, I don't know how can I explain it better.


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## Gritts (Jan 23, 2011)

This sort of damage is nothing unusual. Every vehicle I have owned over the last 10 years had suffered from this. The abrasives put down in winter esentially act like flying sandpaper and eat paint off the lower body panels. It was extremely severe on my 08 Charger. The dealer repainted the affected areas under warrenty. Unfortunately, the damage will return if you drive on salt/abrasive treated winter roads. Mud flaps might help, but I seriously doubt it.

If you can get the affected area repainted ask about a paint-on chip guard or consider a clear protective film.


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## Aeroscout977 (Nov 25, 2010)

I've had no issues with winter road conditions causing paint damage on either of my cars. One has mud flaps and the other doesn't.

Edit: in the areas we are discussing. Obviously the chips up front have happened.


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## Cash_ola (Feb 24, 2011)

*You are exactly right...*



ALiCE said:


> If the problem is where the red line is in the next picture, then yes, it's a design/manufacture (door alignment) problem.
> A friend had a lot of chips on that parts (both sides of the car) in only 10.000 miles, there was almost no paint left . It was re-painted on warranty.
> 
> That's because the door and the back pillars are not properly aligned, so that that part of the back pillar it's just a little outside of the car, this way all the chips gets kicked into the margin of it.
> ...


 
The picture you posted is exactly where the paint is chipping off...the dealer told me this is not covered under warranty. BUT, they told me today they would fix it because I am a good customer of theirs.


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## TSURacing (Jan 1, 2011)

> If you can get the affected area repainted ask about a paint-on chip guard or consider a clear protective film.


Some people swear by that stuff, some ppl think its the devil. I am considering it.


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## lorik (Feb 17, 2011)

It's partially because of the design of the car. Notice how the body flares out a bit in front of the back wheels? When the front tires spit rocks, etc back they hit the flared out part of the rear doors and behind the doors. I have the red crystal paint on mine and I have some major chips on mine. My dealership that I work at told me to install the mud guards and if I continue to get the chips, they can go back and get it fixed under paint warranty.


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## Aeroscout977 (Nov 25, 2010)

Cash_ola said:


> The picture you posted is exactly where the paint is chipping off...the dealer told me this is not covered under warranty. BUT, they told me today they would fix it because I am a good customer of theirs.


Great news! Glad to hear it man. Hopefully they have a good body/paint shop.


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## cruzeguy1977 (Feb 20, 2011)

I have had the same paint chip issue on my car in only 4000 km. dealer informed me not coverd undermy warantee.I had mud gaurds put on and some thin 3m strips put on the affected areas. I will be contacting GM Canada about this.


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## cruzen (Mar 3, 2011)

Same here. 3000 km and the paint is almost gone. Ya bad design and lots of sand/rocks on road in Alberta , Canada. Had mud flaps put on but they look small do not know if they will help. If someone knows for sure if this is covered under warantee let me know


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## cruzen (Mar 3, 2011)

Just left the dealer. They took photos and are taking them to a meeting next week to discuss issue with upper management at GM. The paint on the door is also getting sandblasted where it flares out. The small splash gaurds they call mud flaps do not help. My car is Black garanite metallic so it shows real bad. Tell all Cruze owners that if they drive on any gravel or have roads that are sanded look close at rear doors and the edge previously mentioned earlier. Definite design issue and should be warranty. I will not stop until it is resolved ie. repainted for free and proper mud gaurds... stay tuned........


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## gfxdave99 (Feb 26, 2011)

i wonder if something like this would reduce the issue 

Chevrolet Holden Cruze,Captiva Sound proof strip 2M - eBay (item 310301445308 end time Apr-04-11 01:24:23 PDT)


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

gfxdave99 said:


> i wonder if something like this would reduce the issue
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It may reduce the issue if it sticks out far enough, but if it does it will probably look really bad.

A "3M Clearbra" type of clear plastic shielding film applied to the leading edge of the rear fender/wheel arch panel would be a much better option.

I've never owned a brand new car before, but if I did buy one I'd cover the whole bottom half of it with protective film. Most cars will show wear in the same/similar areas, and the leading edges of rear doors and fenders are usually prime candidates. The Cruze might be enven more-so due to the "flared" bodywork in that area.

I worked for Transport Canada up until January and they have a Tesla Roadster in their test fleet. I estimate about 60% of the paint on that car has protective film on it right from the factory... pretty impressive.


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## HSR (Jul 5, 2011)

Same problem, dealership took pics, got a call the next day and they said GM wont cover it because its due to rock chips...so I called GM said some nasty words and now they're going to review the problem...find out what happens in a day or two.


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## LDancey (Feb 1, 2012)

Rear doors are misaligned causing a protrusion on the door pillars that catches road abrasion. If the doors were aligned properly, this would not happen. If they paint the abrasion and not fix the alignment, you'll be back in two months with the same problem.


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## cindy (Mar 10, 2012)

I have the same problem, bought in Sept. GM is fixing it under warranty, it is their problem. Take it back. Others have been returned also I was told. They said something about the back doors scratching it. Sounds weird. But won't have my car for 3 days, they are also giving me a courtesy free of charge. By the way I did not buy any extra warranty on the car.


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## Jowsey (Mar 12, 2012)

I bought a 2011 Cruze. It has 20,000km on it and the paint is terrible. Chips all over it. The hood and just behind the rear doors. At this rate it will no longer be a red car, it will be white. The paint looks very thin. Even when I've used the brush at the car wash, rinsed out prior to use, it shows scratches.
My dealer said "it was because of gravel on the road, it's winter".
I have a 2010 Dodge pick up, it is also red. I use it on the same roads, even more gravel roads, same car wash, no chips on the truck.


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## camoman61 (May 30, 2012)

we have 2011 cruze with same problem was told same thing at dealer and it is ridiculous.


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## Ninety8NeonACR (Dec 25, 2010)

I watched this video before I bought my cruze. I also have the paint chip problem on the leading edge of my rear fender where it meets the door. I drove my previous car for 14 years and it doesn't have one paint chip on it. I feel like the Chevrolet needs to watch this video and then cover these repairs under warranty.

Chevrolet Cruze Durability Paint Finish - YouTube


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

Ninety8NeonACR said:


> I watched this video before I bought my cruze. I also have the paint chip problem on the leading edge of my rear fender where it meets the door. I drove my previous car for 14 years and it doesn't have one paint chip on it. I feel like the Chevrolet needs to watch this video and then cover these repairs under warranty.
> 
> Chevrolet Cruze Durability Paint Finish - YouTube


Just watched this video and well...somebody at Chevy needs to get fired for lying through their teeth and over this horrible paint quality of the 2011/2012 Chevy Cruzes! Chevy says the doors are misaligned which is causing it but still, the paint should be strong and layed and able to withstand rocks and debris no matter if doors are misaligned or not. I have a 1999 nissan altima with 197,000 miles on it and live down a gravel dirt road and have little no no paint chips!


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## NYCruze2012 (Jan 16, 2012)

As of right now I just finished watching that video. Because I live in a watershed area my town only uses a gravel mixture on the road with low salt. This past winter here in New York we had no snow at all where I live which is about 50 miles north of New York City. After reading everyone's posts I'm a little scared about next winter and what will happen to my 2012 Cruze. When you drive locally in my town it sounds like the bottom of your car is being sandblasted. 

Sent from my DROID3


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

NYCruze2012 said:


> As of right now I just finished watching that video. Because I live in a watershed area my town only uses a gravel mixture on the road with low salt. This past winter here in New York we had no snow at all where I live which is about 50 miles north of New York City. After reading everyone's posts I'm a little scared about next winter and what will happen to my 2012 Cruze. When you drive locally in my town it sounds like the bottom of your car is being sandblasted.
> 
> Sent from my DROID3


So are you saying your Cruze has no paint chipping up to this point though?


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Ninety8NeonACR said:


> I watched this video before I bought my cruze. I also have the paint chip problem on the leading edge of my rear fender where it meets the door. I drove my previous car for 14 years and it doesn't have one paint chip on it. I feel like the Chevrolet needs to watch this video and then cover these repairs under warranty.
> 
> Chevrolet Cruze Durability Paint Finish - YouTube




Ninety8NeonACR,
Have you taken your vehicle into your dealership to have this looked at yet? If you would like me to contact your dealer to set up an appointment for you please send me a PM with your name, phone number, VIN, and the days and times that you are available. Either way, please keep me posted on this issue.
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## ssaunders (Oct 12, 2012)

I purchased my 2011 Chevy Cruze new in October of last year immediately I notice problems with the (road abrasion) problem so I took it back to the deal. The dealer told me that is bullshit it’s a new car and you should not have any problems with it and they sent me car out to have it repainted which was paint early this year in April after winter was over and salt was off the road. Since then I have continued to have the same problem again and now it is even worse (mud flaps did nothing) so I contacted GM to complain and they will not admit to a problem even though it is a design flaw. What needs to happen is everyone who drives a Chevy Cruze needs to complain to GM about the problem until it gets resolved we spent good money on these cars we shouldn’t have problems like this. So if you have a Cruze or know someone who does complain to your deal and especially complain to GM about it, call, email, fax whatever you can until they do something to help remedy this problem. Sounds dumb but if enough people complain they will have to do something about it I have contacted GM a couple times already and they claim no one has complained about it so let’s all start.


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

Just curious, what state are you located in? Reason I ask is I know of someone who bought a Ford Expedition in Hawaii, had major corrosion/paint peeling problems, then after dealing with Ford warranty on getting it repainted etc and having the problem come back, he traded it in on a new Flex which then had the same problem happen. His F-250 is seven years old and has no such problems. They never did find out why that was happening.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

ssaunders said:


> I purchased my 2011 Chevy Cruze new in October of last year immediately I notice problems with the (road abrasion) problem so I took it back to the deal. The dealer told me that is bullshit it’s a new car and you should not have any problems with it and they sent me car out to have it repainted which was paint early this year in April after winter was over and salt was off the road. Since then I have continued to have the same problem again and now it is even worse (mud flaps did nothing) so I contacted GM to complain and they will not admit to a problem even though it is a design flaw. What needs to happen is everyone who drives a Chevy Cruze needs to complain to GM about the problem until it gets resolved we spent good money on these cars we shouldn’t have problems like this. So if you have a Cruze or know someone who does complain to your deal and especially complain to GM about it, call, email, fax whatever you can until they do something to help remedy this problem. Sounds dumb but if enough people complain they will have to do something about it I have contacted GM a couple times already and they claim no one has complained about it so let’s all start.




ssaunders,
I would like to apologize for the issues that you have experienced with your Cruze. I understand your frustrations with this issue. I would like to look into your concerns further. Can you please send me a PM with your VIN? I look forward to hearing back from you.
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## marc8896 (Oct 18, 2012)

oh yeah,we have a 2012 lt and the rear doors are not lined up properly we took this to the dealer and then to the body shop the 1st time warranty covered it,then the paint was chipping again and they put on a small amount of tape the body shop paid for it the 2nd time, if it does it again we were told the warranty does not cover it. more or less they are saying you pay for it! NOT!! it's a brand new car with 16,000 miles on it and it should be bumper to bumper warranty!!! my wife is not impressed she is a dodge person and i talked her into buying a chevy...bad idea!! i have been a chevy man since i was 17 years old and i never seen anything so cheap!!! so she is going to sell this car and go back to her chrysler products and i'm getting my 1983 chevy scottsdale pickup out of storage and run that. never buying new anything ever again it's just JUNK. i would rather spend 30,000 for an older chevy at least they have full frames under them!!!


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## marc8896 (Oct 18, 2012)

check your doors to see if they line up, ours don't and all the debris from the tires are being thrown on those panels.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

Can anyone get pics of the cruze's misaligned doors? Is it easy to see when they are misaligned or do you have to have a really keen eye to notice it?


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## Mattburgess (May 29, 2012)

Just my driver side rear is getting all chipped up. The passenger side is perfect , but as sum of you mentioned the door allignment issue is true.. The driver rear door is pushed in more than the passenger causing that edge too stick out. That will cause small rocks / sand that is flowing down the side of the car to smash into this panel.. 
All gm has to do to solve this is pay attention to the allignment of the doors and put a strip of 3m tape on that edge..


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