Flaky Paint

[Alfart]

Hi, I have read several posts about the Alphard 20 series, (mine’s a 2013 petrol), having paint problems with code 070 pearlescent white paint coming off, warnings not to use car pressure washing machines, and masking tape removing poorly adhering paint. How bad is this, there was mention of a large recall of these vehicles by Toyota in Japan, but my VX report didn’t list this recall. Does this mean that they sorted this out by 2013, or do I have a potential problem?

I have gained so much information from this great community forum since my Alphard purchase last February. Any firm suggestions about maintaining the finish without damaging the paint, or if I’m worrying unnecessarily, would be greatly appreciated.

TIA

[CamelX]

I have encountered this. Very flaky and a car wash destroyed the roof paint, requiring a respray. Light hand-wash every now and then seems to be the best thing for it.

 

 

[turnerjr]

I have a 2012 in white and researched this myself. I think it affects the earlier models between 2008 and 2010 which I think are classed as pre facelift. 
To be honest I wouldn’t worry about it until something happens, then get it sorted asap ( repaint the damaged panel )

I would never use a pressure washer to clean my car, it forces water into areas that it wouldn’t normally go.

My best advice is to treat your cars paintwork the same way as you would your skin. Keep it clean and use something with good protection from sunlight / uv rays and you should be fine. 

[Alfart]

9 minutes ago, turnerjr said:

I have a 2012 in white and researched this myself. I think it affects the earlier models between 2008 and 2010 which I think are classed as pre facelift. 
To be honest I wouldn’t worry about it until something happens, then get it sorted asap ( repaint the damaged panel )

I would never use a pressure washer to clean my car, it forces water into areas that it wouldn’t normally go.

My best advice is to treat your cars paintwork the same way as you would your skin. Keep it clean and use something with good protection from sunlight / uv rays and you should be fine. 

Thank you John,

Your response has put my mind at rest. Thankfully nothing to touch-up paint wise at the moment, (long may it continue), but I will look into the right products to keep it pristine, especially the sunlight/uv protection. What do you recommend.

[turnerjr]

I bought some oem touch up paint which I’ve applied to the odd stone chip which I’ve picked up. The colour match isn’t great but it should stop any issues before they occur. 
I use soft 99 Fusso coat which is a 12 month protection wax. It’s amazing ( and Japanese 😁 ) and then I use autoglym polar seal once a month. I apply this with a small foam gun at a distance of about 3 metres so you just spray a mist over the car, then rinse and dry (not the windscreen ) 

For regular washes I use autosmart auto wash, 5 litres for about £30 and it lasts ages as you don’t need a lot. 

Some people love ceramic coats. I hate them and think they are over priced (and can be applied badly even by ‘professionals’)

That’s just my opinion, there’s lots of info, reviews etc out there

 

[Alfart]

3 hours ago, CamelX said:

I have encountered this. Very flaky and a car wash destroyed the roof paint, requiring a respray. Light hand-wash every now and then seems to be the best thing for it.

 

 

Ouch! Yours is a 2014 and it suffered this? Thank you for your reply. I will be extra vigilant cleaning mine in future. 

[Alfart]

42 minutes ago, turnerjr said:

I bought some oem touch up paint which I’ve applied to the odd stone chip which I’ve picked up. The colour match isn’t great but it should stop any issues before they occur. 
I use soft 99 Fusso coat which is a 12 month protection wax. It’s amazing ( and Japanese 😁 ) and then I use autoglym polar seal once a month. I apply this with a small foam gun at a distance of about 3 metres so you just spray a mist over the car, then rinse and dry (not the windscreen ) 

For regular washes I use autosmart auto wash, 5 litres for about £30 and it lasts ages as you don’t need a lot. 

Some people love ceramic coats. I hate them and think they are over priced (and can be applied badly even by ‘professionals’)

That’s just my opinion, there’s lots of info, reviews etc out there

 

John, thank you for such a comprehensive response, I was going to try Autoglym Ceramic, but will definitely look out for the options you suggest.

[Jimmympv]

I've got a 2012 Alphard from Sep onward. I made the mistake of jet washing under the rear spoiler as I couldn't get up there with a cloth and noticed some flakes come off, that was the  last time I did that. I used some touch up paint since it's not visible unless you climb up on the roof. 

 

The more concerning issue I've come across is a nice  stone  chip size patch  just  about the windscreen. Other than that it's been ok being clay bared etc. 

[Alfart]

1 hour ago, Jimmympv said:

I've got a 2012 Alphard from Sep onward. I made the mistake of jet washing under the rear spoiler as I couldn't get up there with a cloth and noticed some flakes come off, that was the  last time I did that. I used some touch up paint since it's not visible unless you climb up on the roof. 

 

The more concerning issue I've come across is a nice  stone  chip size patch  just  about the windscreen. Other than that it's been ok being clay bared etc. 

Hi James, it seems I was right to have concerns about this issue. I will check under the spoiler, as I have used a high pressure rinse from an automated DIY forecourt machine, and TBH didn’t check afterwards. Sorry to hear about the stone chip, too easy to get on our atrocious roads. What is “clay bared” not something I’ve heard of before. Thanks for your reply.