chemister

Hello All,

As stated in other threads, I picked up my 2013 RX350 silver CPO from the dealer yesterday. While picking up I noticed minute rust dots less than 1 mm size throughout the edges. This concerns me a little bit that a car this new is showing paint problems. These small spots can grow over time. Also noticed a few scratches here and there.

When I pointed it out to the dealer, they accepted that they should have cleaned and touched it up better. They are going to touch up and fix the paint. Anybody else observed such problems?

I asked about Xzilon, the dealer said it would cost $700. They would clean up, touch up and apply it outside and inside. This should protect the paint. It also comes with 5 year warranty and any blemishes and scratches will be fixed by the dealer for free. I am planning to keep the car for at least 10 years. Is Xzilon a good investment?

I would greatly appreciate some input from experienced Lexus owners.

Thanks for your time.

chemister

For whatever reason my message does not appear above. So I am entering it again in this reply below....

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Hello All,

As stated in other threads, I picked up my 2013 RX350 silver CPO from the dealer yesterday. While picking up I noticed minute rust dots less than 1 mm size throughout the edges. This concerns me a little bit that a car this new is showing paint problems. These small spots can grow over time. Also noticed a few scratches here and there.

When I pointed it out to the dealer, they accepted that they should have cleaned and touched it up better. They are going to touch up and fix the paint. Anybody else observed such problems?

I asked about Xzilon, the dealer said it would cost $700. They would clean up, touch up and apply it outside and inside. This should protect the paint. It also comes with 5 year warranty and any blemishes and scratches will be fixed by the dealer for free. I am planning to keep the car for at least 10 years. Is Xzilon a good investment?

I would greatly appreciate some input from experienced Lexus owners.

Thanks for your time.

kitlz

chemister, sorry you're having problem posting. I'm looking into it.

Are you sure it's rust and not paint contamination? I have silver too and get rust colored spots here and there. It's something claying or Iron-X can remove. As far as Xzilon, I'd suggest checking the automotive care and detailing forum. There's mention of it in a few threads including this one. Lots of option out there.

chemister

Kitlz, thanks for the response. I will take a look at those threads. What is a paint contamination? How can I find out what it is? These rust looking spots appear on the edges of the body paint, inside the lexus logo, etc. There are to many small ones ones. They are only visible from within 1-2 feet.

I also looked under the car there seems to be some rusting. But this could be normal under Ohio weather / salting etc. Are there any options to protect the underbody?

kitlz

Again, the automotive care and detailing forum is a great resource. Inside this thread is information about pain contamination by our resident expert Zach. Underbody rust is hard to avoid with all the salt used on the roads. Just try to rinse it off as soon as you can.

chemister

I am looking through that forum. Great resource.

The dealer explained it to me that it was rail dust. When I wipe it with some pressure the spots reduce in size and eventually go away. So that's a bit of relief.

But what puzzles me is that this car must have been transported by rail in 2012. Since then it has been in Columbus through personal lease. How can rail dust stay on this long? Or am I missing something.

kitlz

Rail dust is just one of many things that can embed into the paint and cause spots. Some of it may have come from when the RX was transported. But more likely it accumulated over time. Next time your RX is clean, put your hand in a plastic bag and rub along the paint. I like to use my bare hand. If it catches or doesn't feel smooth, you have paint contamination. To remove it, use the steps Zach mentions. Otherwise you risk dragging the contaminants across the paint and causing scratches. Instead use a product like Iron X. The steps are outlined in the Wash & Dry, Iron Removers section of DI's Detailing Guide.