99alta

This is my dealers idea of color matched license plate holder plugs they put on my car.
This car came out of a province that requires a front license plate and we don't need one in our province. So I don't know if it was originally shipped with the proper color plugs or not ? But in any case this is my dealers fix.

Needless to say they don't match and I have a dirty car
(Note: how that dirt and road salt just bead up on Xpel Ultimate PPF )

Sooo I need to paint these plugs and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for success.

Do I use a spray or brush, do I sand and prime, do I need a base coat and clear coat?
Or just go to an online store like "Paint Scratch.com" buy a can of spray paint,lightly sand and spray them?

TIA

ItzFilyO

Damn I would rather put a black LEXUS plate instead of having that!

So instead of having 2 holes u now actually have 4 holes, the 2 in the middle aren't really holes but I see the dealer just drilled them anyway.

Try some touch up paint or a spray can from an auto parts store and clear coat it. Sand it down a little first.

99alta

Yup I've got the dealer from hell!

The "paint matched" plugs they promised are just the tip of the ice berg!

You should have seen the line they cut through the paint on the hood when they installed a partial hood PPF. Nobody knows how or why, but the whole top edge of the PPF was trimmed on the car and the knife went right through the clear coat. Along with a few knife slips just to add insult! Why they would even try and trim it is beyond me? The patterns are pre cut on a plotter!

Does anyone know if paint matched plugs for the two pre drilled holes come with the car when delivered?

Bottom line is they damaged my car even before I took possession ! And it's been a nightmare ever since! They ( and others) say all they could do is repaint the hood and blend in the fenders, but that would screw with the original paint job. So I'm better off just leaving it now that they sent it to the Autobody shop to buff out as much of the scratching as possible, without going through the clear coat.
Hence me wanting to take care of painting those plugs.

And I'm mad at myself as I didn't lease the car like I usually do.
Many moons ago I got a lemon ( we don't have lemon laws) so my last 5 vehicles were leased and bought out early as the cars where good. This time I was so excited about being able to pay cash for the car I didn't even consider leasing And what happens ?

bclexus

File a formal complaint (in writing) with Lexus about their dealer you dealt with. They'll respond... Lexus expects, and wants, you as a customer to be happy with the car and the buying experience.

ItzFilyO

Damn that is hell. I'd prefer rock chips than cuts in my paint! I wouldn't take that car if I were u and yes that is why I lease first then buy if I like the car and if it's been good throughout the lease.

tknx

If they cut my clearcoat - I'd be like, "well that is great. While you are repainting my car you can fill those holes in and repaint that too"

bclexus

Any repainting takes a lot of value from the car.

ItzFilyO

Yes and aftermarket paint will never match OEM 100%. Others may not notice it but u will know the difference and u will know that ur car is damaged for life.

I bought a brand new bumper cover from Sewell before and their paint match is near perfection but I can still see the difference in the metallic pattern compared to the OEM paint. I wouldn't mess with the paint on a brand new car like this, unless it's over 5 yrs old with a lot of damages that can't be fixed.

Try using Sractch-X 2.0 to blend the cuts a little bit, sometimes it makes it less noticeable.

tknx

Well, you could just ask for a new OEM hood and let them take the damaged one. I would definitely write a very very nasty letter to Lexus corporate about this.

99alta

I was thinking about filing a complaint with Lexus. But didn't think it would change anything as the only option that will make me happy at this point is a new car. The car I actually paid for!!
And of course there are no more new 2014's in Canada like the one I bought.

This dealership is so incompetent, it boggles my mind! I had it in writing they were to put color matching plugs in those holes that I didn't expect to be there in the first place. And what do they do, just fill the holes with something, anything will do.
"Oh, and those knife marks on your paint are barely visible now that we've buffed the crap out of the clear coat, so what's the problem? Because if we paint it, the new paint won't be as good and the color won't match as we will have to blend in the fenders."

I mean I have the service manager telling me he is personally making sure my car is perfect.
He calls me to tell me my car is ready and he has personally inspected it and it looks great.

Drive 150km to pick it up and have to ask him why there is a long cut in the paint along the whole hood?
Initially I didn't know the huge cut was there. Just some smaller deep one's around the top of the PPF. But told him I was concerned there may be more damage underneath the PPf when they remove it because it didn't make sense why someone took a knife to it in the first place (everything is precut on a plotter). Sure enough he looks at me and say's "honestly I looked at it but didn't see that!"

WTF I'm thinking!!! I asked you to look at the hood and bumper after the PPF was taken off. And now your telling me you didn't see that obvious deep knife cut all along the whole hood? So off I go home again with the RX loaner, again!

I mentioned several times to the service manager that I just wanted a new car. But each time I was ignored and he just kept talking. Telling me at one point that accidents do happen and we are doing everything we can to make it right!

I'm sorry if this post seems disjointed. It really does upset me thinking about the whole situation!!

Anyway, does anyone know which department or whom I should contact at Lexus Corporate? I see on the Canadian site they only have an on-line form to fill out for contacting them. I'd like to contact someone in charge, that cares about customer service and can get things done! The last thing I need is for someone at Lexus Corporate to tell me "they did their best".

99alta

I asked the service manager about that and he told me that's not possible. Didn't give me any good reason, but now that you mention it. Why not? And while they find a Liquid Platinum Hood they might as well replace the hole filled bumper. I know my last two cars didn't have any holes in the bumper.

Oh and they will have to pay to have the Xpel Ultimate replaced that I just had applied to the whole hood and bumper ( had the whole car done).

tknx

You made 1 key mistake - taking delivery. Yes you wanted the car. But now you are basically going to have hell to get anything done. I would probably tell them to make it right or sue them for their shoddy work, but I am willing to go to court and a lot of people don't like to do that.

bclexus

How and when did you make payment for the car? If by personal check - has the check cleared the bank yet? Any chance to stop payment on the check?

The Lexus dealership did NOT fulfill their promise to you, nor did they provide you with an undamaged new vehicle, which you expect when buying a new vehicle from a Lexus dealership.

99alta

Yup, so true! Even though my pickup time was 2pm the car wasn't presented to me unti 4.

So when they finally brought it to the show room all the paperwork had already been completed and everyone was in a hurry to go home.

I noticed the license plate holder on the car and a piece of fuzz under the PPF, that's it. Salesman apologizes telling me he was too busy to look it over before we came. They rushed back into the shop to deal with the piece of fuzz under the PPF. Salesman keeps checking the status and then says we will have to wait while he replaces the hood PPF as it won't adhere properly, now.

Car finally pulls into the west show room. I look don't see the fuzz and it looks ok with the evening sun beaming off the car and in my eyes.
Drive home and park in the garage. While walking by the car I look at the hood and immediately see three large scratches and the PPF looks crooked along the top edge. Called the Salesman the next day to tell them my car is scratched up, and it looks like someone took a knife to the hood. His response, no they won't use a knife on you car and I'm sorry I was too busy to look at it before you left.

That's when the fun started! It snowed the next day, took the car for a ride. On my way into our crescent I was rounding the last corner coming home and took the corner wide, touched the gas and the *** end kicked out, rim hitting the curb. Parked the car and had a look at the wheel which was cracked
Call the dealership first thing Monday morning to order a new wheel, and it would be here next Monday as it had to come out of the U.S. Also phoned service dept. to let them know the car would be at the dealership and confirmed what work needed to be done to the car.

Called Lexus Road Assistance and they promptly had the car brought to the dealership.

I'm literally working every day for the next two weeks. So I call the dealership Monday ( two weeks later) and ask if I can pickup my car. They have no idea where my car is and if any work has been done! I almost loose it and ask to the Service Manager. He finally calls back later and is so sorry it's not done and doesn't even know what is supposed to be done!!
Words and emails fly! He tells me he is personally handling this gong show now. I tell him I need a loaner on Wednesday as that's the only day my wife can take the day off work to drive me the 150 km to the city.
He agrees and apologizes profusely. Get to the dealership late in the day and the service manager is not in. How convenient I think, do you have my loaner that I just drove up for?
Nope we don't have any loaners available!! Well just like the Champ, I loose it! The service department people run around trying to find a loaner. Finally some guy comes out of the service managers office with paper work and a set of keys. Says Hmm looks like the service manager has an RX for you, all surprised and confused.
I ask to see my car as the PPF was supposed to have been removed and I want to see for myself if there was more damage underneath it. The three ring circus goes into action trying to find my car. 1/2 hour later they don't know where it is, so I can't look at it!! My Champ routine has run its course and I leave the dealership in disgust and amazement with the incompetence!

You know the rest, four weeks to the day and I was finally able to pick up my screwed up vehicle.


They wouldnt take my personal cheque, so I had to get a bank draft to pay for the car.

Still have not recieved my refund cheque for the PPF job they did!

ItzFilyO

I hate a gong show like this. This is why sometimes I just take the loss and try to fix the car myself cause I know I will get it right and wouldn't be wasting time with those clueless people.

I got lucky when my wheel repair job came out great and no issue with the loaner or turning the situation into a circus. It was still less than I expected though and I was going to buy a new wheel instead of going back to the dealer, but I can live with the repaired wheel.