Panel colour difference

[Boris77]

I've had my Leon st about 5 months. I washed and waxed it yesterday and spotted the off side front wing is a slightly different shade of candy white. I thought it was off before last time I waxed it but it didn't seem so obvious. It's a 2017 approved used, the dealer never mentioned accident damage when I asked before buying.

Anyone know if candy white is difficult to paint match? I'm debating getting it sorted out or if to just leave alone. (The fact I didn't see it til I cleaned it, a nice coat of dirt might help!)

 

[Lmbarrett83]

Is this the non metallic white colour or the metallic Nevada white?

If it's the non metallic it's easier to colour match. The Nevada white will be more difficult.

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[Boris77]

Is this the non metallic white colour or the metallic Nevada white?

If it's the non metallic it's easier to colour match. The Nevada white will be more difficult.

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Candy white, non metallic. More Google searching seems to indicate there are a number of different shades for the same paint code. A number of messages saying it's difficult to match. One saying 10 different shades from one paint supplier!

Wish I hadn't washed it now, ignorance is bliss.

 

[russbellrfs]

Does it look different from the door, bumper or both?

Not sure whether the wings are plastic on the Leon, i dont think so tbh.

Ive had a white car previously and comparing wing to bumper there was ever so slight difference. I put that down to the bumper being plastic and wing metal

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[Boris77]

Does it look different from the door, bumper or both?

Not sure whether the wings are plastic on the Leon, i dont think so tbh.

Ive had a white car previously and comparing wing to bumper there was ever so slight difference. I put that down to the bumper being plastic and wing metal

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Wing is metal, it appears a tinge more yellow in the white than both the bumper and door.

Had a better look and can feel edge of paint. Wondering what happened as near side paint fine but notice door and wing bolts been touched and panel gap not constant. No sign of frontal damage though. Possible transport damage I guess. Now I've found it despite car driving fine it's put me right off it. Really annoying as I went over the car before buying it.

 

[SRGTD]

I've had my Leon st about 5 months. I washed and waxed it yesterday and spotted the off side front wing is a slightly different shade of candy white. I thought it was off before last time I waxed it but it didn't seem so obvious. It's a 2017 approved used, the dealer never mentioned accident damage when I asked before buying.

Anyone know if candy white is difficult to paint match? I'm debating getting it sorted out or if to just leave alone. (The fact I didn't see it til I cleaned it, a nice coat of dirt might help!)

@Boris77; Are there any other tell tale signs that the wing might have been repainted or replaced?

• can you see any evidence of overspray where the wing is attached along its top edge when you lift the bonnet, and where it’s bolted to the A pillar near the door hinges?
• are there any ‘hard edges’ to the paint on panels adjacent to the wing where areas not to be painted were masked off?
• what is the paint finish like compared to the paint finish on the rest of the car?
• is the paint finish on ‘hidden areas’ on the offside consistent with the same ‘hidden areas’ on the nearside (wing attachment points to the car body; where it’s bolted to the car near the door hinges, to the inner wing along the top edge and the lower attachment point with the sill)?

If the dealer sourced the car through the trade, if the front offside wing had been repainted it’s possible they weren’t made aware of this by the seller. Similarly if the car was part exchanged by a previous owner, it’s always possible that previous owner didn’t declare the repair. It’s also not unknown for brand new cars to be damaged in transit after leaving the factory. If this happens, then they’re usually repaired before they get to the dealer, and it’s possible this isn’t recorded against the car on Seat’s car history database.

If the slight difference in colour / shade you’re seeing is between the wing and bumper, slight colour differences between plastic bumpers and adjoining panels is normal. When new car body shells are painted, the plastic bumpers are usually painted away from the body shell - quite often in a different part of the factory and possibly painted with paint from a different paint batch. Additionally, because the plastic panels can’t withstand the paint baking process used for metal panels, the different process used for painting plastic panels can result in a slight colour difference.

As for whether or not Candy White is a difficult colour to match - paint matching technology should be pretty good these days. Many high quality, reputable body shops will use photo spectrometer analysis technology to get an exact match with the existing paintwork, rather than just rely on the manufacturers paint code. A solid white should be one of the easier colour to match.

Good luck if you decide to get the panel repainted. Let us know what you decide and what the outcome is.

 

[zedlor]

I bought my Cupra from SEAT Stockport and they never told me either that the car had had a repair done on the front wing (I'm not 100% sure they didn't know).

Colour was different, and the bonnet sits lower down than it should do. They said that they had no idea, but they "resprayed" it again last year because I complained that the panel was a different colour. Now whoever did that has got it bubbling up on the front bumper so after many trials and tribulations someone's coming next month to sort it finally.

Trouble is if someone gets a smart repair done themselves before they trade it in, most of the time they're never going to tell the dealer so they don't get the price knocked down so they would never know.

 

[martin j.]

Regard of any damage repair a competent paint shop should not release a repair until the job is right, do not accept second best, kick up **** until it’s right.

 

[SRGTD]

I bought my Cupra from SEAT Stockport and they never told me either that the car had had a repair done on the front wing (I'm not 100% sure they didn't know).

Colour was different, and the bonnet sits lower down than it should do. They said that they had no idea, but they "resprayed" it again last year because I complained that the panel was a different colour. Now whoever did that has got it bubbling up on the front bumper so after many trials and tribulations someone's coming next month to sort it finally.

Trouble is if someone gets a smart repair done themselves before they trade it in, most of the time they're never going to tell the dealer so they don't get the price knocked down so they would never know.

You would hope that if you were buying an approved used car from a Seat dealership, one of the checks carried out under the multi point check would be to visually inspect for repairs and uniformity of paint colour/finish. Does anyone know what checks are carried out by Seat before a car is officially given ‘Approved Used’ status? Assume checking the condition of the bodywork is one of the checks done?

Maybe the Seat technicians that checked your car and the car bought by the OP as an Approved Used car were colourblind, so missed the paint colour difference on the wing?

 

[Boris77]

Thanks for responses. The car was an ex seat UK car with 5k miles on it when I got it. Be interesting what approved used checks are made, and if the fixes are noted anywhere. I doubt I'll ever find out.

Tbh I've only just noticed the difference, I thought it looked different a few months ago but assumed it was the light. Since waxing it, it's made it more obvious and it shows up more in dull light. And now i know its there I see it. On the plus side I can't find evidence of major crash damage and under bonnet part labels all have dates in the same time span when it was built.

From what I've read I don't have come back on the dealer (its a visible part so I should of seen it). So debating options; leave, paint ( what if they make it worse!), or sell ( not really gelling with car anyway).

 

[Bedlam]

Maybe go and see the Dealer....You do have a 12 month warranty after all, also Seat blow their trumpet very loud re Used Car Sales
e.g. "Choose your approved used car with complete confidence, knowing that you’ll get a full history and comprehensive multipoint check with every car"

 

[Boris77]

Maybe go and see the Dealer....You do have a 12 month warranty after all, also Seat blow their trumpet very loud re Used Car Sales
e.g. "Choose your approved used car with complete confidence, knowing that you’ll get a full history and comprehensive multipoint check with every car"

Checking the approved used small print bodywork is excluded. However, the car was ex seat UK. So it must of been repaired by them so it should be an approved Seat repair. Online claims state they use the same parts and paint. So might be an avenue to try.

Just to add, it would appear the paint on the respray panel is very soft, a finger nail can mark it. No other panels mark with a finger nail. Wonder if it's a sub standard repair, along with shade out in colour. Smart repair perhaps?

 

[SRGTD]

Checking the approved used small print bodywork is excluded. However, the car was ex seat UK. So it must of been repaired by them so it should be an approved Seat repair. Online claims state they use the same parts and paint. So might be an avenue to try.

As your car was previously registered to Seat UK, there’s s fair chance it was repaired in a Seat dealership body shop, rather than an independent Seat approved body shop not connected to a dealership, as Seat UK would have ready access to the Seat dealer network facilities. From what I’ve read on various (mainly VW) forums, repairs carried out by franchised dealership body shops can sometimes be a bit hit and miss in terms of the quality of repair. Irrespective of whether it was repaired by a Seat dealership body shop or an independent Seat approved body shop, there should be a record of the repair held on Seat’s on-line systems for the corrosion warranty to remain valid. I’d ask the dealer you bought the car from to confirm this.

If you know someone with a paint depth gauge, it will be possible to measure the thickness of the paint on the wing which appears to have been repaired and also take paint thickness readings on other panels for comparison purposes. This will should confirm that the wing has been repainted.

I would certainly be discussing the undisclosed repair with the selling dealer, bearing in mind you said in your first post in this thread that you asked about any accident damage when you bought the car and none was disclosed. I’d be aiming to get the dealer to agree to the wing being repainted and the paint being blended into the adjoining panels at a Seat approved repairer of your choice at no cost to you, or at heavily discounted rates.

If you do get the wing repainted, be sure to check the quality of the work very carefully from different angles and lighting conditions for accurate colour match and finish, ensuring there’s no overspray on adjoining panels or trim and there no ‘hard’ lines where areas not to be painted have been masked off. Also, ensure you get something in writing to the effect that the repair has been carried out by an approved repairer to keep the corrosion warranty valid. If possible, take someone wth you to give an objective second opinion on the repair.

Good luck, please keep us updated with progress and the outcome.

 

[Boris77]

As your car was previously registered to Seat UK, there’s s fair chance it was repaired in a Seat dealership body shop, rather than an independent Seat approved body shop not connected to a dealership, as Seat UK would have ready access to the Seat dealer network facilities. From what I’ve read on various (mainly VW) forums, repairs carried out by franchised dealership body shops can sometimes be a bit hit and miss in terms of the quality of repair. Irrespective of whether it was repaired by a Seat dealership body shop or an independent Seat approved body shop, there should be a record of the repair held on Seat’s on-line systems for the corrosion warranty to remain valid. I’d ask the dealer you bought the car from to confirm this.

If you know someone with a paint depth gauge, it will be possible to measure the thickness of the paint on the wing which appears to have been repaired and also take paint thickness readings on other panels for comparison purposes. This will should confirm that the wing has been repainted.

I would certainly be discussing the undisclosed repair with the selling dealer, bearing in mind you said in your first post in this thread that you asked about any accident damage when you bought the car and none was disclosed. I’d be aiming to get the dealer to agree to the wing being repainted and the paint being blended into the adjoining panels at a Seat approved repairer of your choice at no cost to you, or at heavily discounted rates.

If you do get the wing repainted, be sure to check the quality of the work very carefully from different angles and lighting conditions for accurate colour match and finish, ensuring there’s no overspray on adjoining panels or trim and there no ‘hard’ lines where areas not to be painted have been masked off. Also, ensure you get something in writing to the effect that the repair has been carried out by an approved repairer to keep the corrosion warranty valid. If possible, take someone wth you to give an objective second opinion on the repair.

Good luck, please keep us updated with progress and the outcome.

Thanks for that. I didn't know the repair would be registered centrally, I've sent an email off to the dealer and will look to make contact. I asked a couple of people is there anything wrong with the car and both pointed out the cream wing. So at least it's clear to see.

 

[Bedlam]

Thanks for that. I didn't know the repair would be registered centrally, I've sent an email off to the dealer and will look to make contact. I asked a couple of people is there anything wrong with the car and both pointed out the cream wing. So at least it's clear to see.

Sadly the dealer may accuse you of having the work done, so somehow be prepared for that

 

[SRGTD]

Thanks for that. I didn't know the repair would be registered centrally, I've sent an email off to the dealer and will look to make contact. I asked a couple of people is there anything wrong with the car and both pointed out the cream wing. So at least it's clear to see.

It must be recorded somewhere centrally by Seat (assuming it was repainted by Seat or a Seat approved repairer), otherwise Seat wouldn’t know whether or not bodywork repairs had been carried out by themselves or one of their authorised repairers if an owner made a claim under Seat’s corrosion warranty at some point in the future.

 

[Oldbutswift]

If the paint is soft my money would definitely be on a "smart repair".
They use solvent based paints because modern body shop paints are covered with two pack lacquer that dries very hard,but can only be used in controlled shop conditions.
Such a repair should not be acceptable on a manufacturer approved used car,I believe.

 

[Boris77]

If the paint is soft my money would definitely be on a "smart repair".
They use solvent based paints because modern body shop paints are covered with two pack lacquer that dries very hard,but can only be used in controlled shop conditions.
Such a repair should not be acceptable on a manufacturer approved used car,I believe.

That would make sense. The clear coat is fairly poor, orange peel effect. Wonder if smart repair could result in colour getting creamer? Can't believe it's taken me this long to really see it. (Convinced myself last time I waxed it it was fine, couple of months after I got it).

 

[Boris77]

Small update. The dealer has agreed to look at it (sorting date out as they are not local to me), history check comes up clean and dealer reports they didn't do anything to the body work so it all happened whilst seat owned it.

Checking the car over I've found the nearside door has been removed at some point (removing rubber caps reveals missing paint) and I believe a paint less dent removal done on the door and wing. Just need to determine if panel gaps being out are due to iffy fitting or mount points out of position. So fingers crossed all damage was cosmetic.