This is the first time I write in the forum and I need some recommendations.

Here is the story. I bought a Certified Preowned 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid in September 2007 from a Honda Dealer. I only put about 3k Miles since I only drive in the weekends and I take public transportation to work.

Monday while I was coming back from work I pass my car which was parked in the driveway and at the moment I saw the light reflecting from the rear bumper in a funny way. I placed my had over the spot and the paint crumbled in my hand at the spot I touched it and a 7 inch crack formed at the paint. It seems that the paint is peeling of like paper. The crack started to form in the surface below the impact surface so there is no way the car was hit from behind. I am located on the East Coast and we where experiencing very low temperatures during that day. Earlier this morning I started the car for 5 minutes in order to defrost the windows.

I have also uploaded a picture that shows the peeling.

The paradox is that I have 36,250miles which is 250miles above the new car warranty and I do not know if they will cause an issue. I already opened a case with Honda in order to report my current mileage and ask them for information. They told me to visit my local dealer at my earlier convenience in order to have a look and verify that the paint didn't peel due to collision damage since they will only take their word. Unfortunately I will have to drive the car to a training course for Thursday-Friday and I will put another 200miles on top of it. The car is still 0.5% above the new car warranty and within the 3% statistical mistake of the odometer.

I drove the car to a local Body repair shop and they told me that the bumper paint probably didn't have an additive called "Flex agent" which allows the paint to bond on plastic surfaces and due to the cold/hot temperature differences the paint cracked. It is not the first time they have seen this. The also told me to take the car for the dealer inspection ASAP and not to wash the car for any reason since they might blame the crack on the carwash machine.

I need to get recommendations of anyone with similar problem and what I can do to get this fixed. This is a preexisting problem with the paint and the car is in mint condition.

Thank you for your time....

Mike

 

my first instinct is that it was repainted. whoever sold you the vehicle (CPO) should stand behind it.

 

So do you recommend to take the vehicle back to the original dealer I purchased the car?
They sold me the car as never been to an accident. They never disclosed to me that the bumper was repaired/repainted.

I also never saw a paper giving me any warranty other the New Car warranty of the Vehicle.

And lastly I do not want to deal with these idiots...It took them 1 month to get me the License plates and I had to keep the car parked on the driverway for a few days since the temps expired. I had to file a complaint with the local authorities( I forgot which department) and THEY called them in order to have the plates the next day.

These guys might claim that the original owner had painted the car to avoid any responsibility.

Any other recommendations?

 

I would go back to the place I bought it and make them explain that. By telling you the car had never been wrecked, it is implied that all of the body panels are from the factory, paint and all.

 

Today I had the chance to take the car to a local body shop for a second opinion.
The guy who looked at it told me that this bumper is still with the original paint. He showed me the black primer which was underneath had some "contamination". They looked like white vains on the black primer, following the contours where the paint cracked. The black primer is the same where all factory bumpers are shipped with.

He also told me that the front and rear bumper had different quality paint than the rest of the car. He mentioned that sometimes the cars manifactured overseas come with the front and rear bumpers still unpainted and they finalize the painting here. This is the first time I hear this.

 

i hate body shops... they say whatever comes out of theirPOOPER the fastest most of the time... my 03 doesn't have a "different quality paint", and our accords are most likely made in ohio where their huge-POOPER**1.6 million square feet factory builds pretty much all of honda's lines.

sorry you're having your troubles... if you want it fixed then you're probably gunna have to bite it yourself cuz you know the dealer's going to be a jerk about it.. and like you said you don't want to deal with those tards.. SOOooooo, that's one option.. or just sand it yourself around the parts where it's cracking and buy some gloss spray of some sort just to seal it down and say screw it... and then wait till you can just buy a new bumper and paint it.

 

My Accord(Hybrid) is manifactured in Japan. According to some info I found on the Internet the Japan Accords have "better" quality paintjobs than the US made Accords.