Help Please MG4 Xpower (paintwork issue)

[CG86]

Hello

Looking for help, please. I got my Black MG4 Xpower back in December 2023. From 2-3 months in there have been excessive stone chippings on the bonnet, a very thin layer of paint and going through to what I think is white primer or maybe the metal, I'm not sure.

I have complained and they have sent a report to MG, and they said it's my driving and won't be covered under warranty. I have had cars for 6 years, a lot older than this model. I have driven the same way and there have been no signs of stone chippings. I've seen 16-year-old cars that don't have the damage I have. I'm not saying there won't be some, but I mean this is horrible. It's now 7 months old and needs a respray! I look after the car. I polish it every week, and it's just depressing the conditon it's in already. It's a leased car and I dread to think what it will look like in 3 years time and I will be made to pay for the respray because of poor workmanship.

I have images of their courtesy car at the dealership. It has done the same amount of miles and has no such damage. But they said it's down to driving conditions and they can't tell why mine looks like it does. I basically commute to work and back on the motorway. They also had the cheek to ask me if I drive off-road or on dirt tracks?!?

I'm looking for your help, if anyone could send me any images regardless of colour of the front bumber and mileage similar to mine to help my case that this is not normal and is a paint defect. Anything above 7K+ miles - this would be very much appreciated.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

9500 miles and 3 tiny stone chips on mine.
Two on the bonnet and one left side front bumper.

Par for the course afaic.

You seem to definitely have a major issue.

I can only recommend that you go to a bodyshop and ask for a professional report.

They will have a paint depth gauge and can hopefully give you something to take back to MG if they think anything is sub standard.

 

[Rolfe]

I've moved this to the X-Power forum because I think you might get more help here.

This sounds absolutely terrible. Do you have any pictures? For what it's worth (I have a blue SE) I don't have a single chip that I've seen in over 16 months and 12,600 miles, and I don't hang about. (I do have tar spatter.)

How can they possibly say it's your driving? Have they watched you drive? It's absolutely unacceptable.

 

[Johnny boy]

9500 miles and 3 tiny stone chips on mine.
Two on the bonnet and one left side front bumper.

Par for the course afaic.

You seem to definitely have a major issue.

I can only recommend that you go to a bodyshop and ask for a professional report.

They will have a paint depth gauge and can hopefully give you something to take back to MG if they think anything is sub standard.

I have only had mine 7 months (Dynamic Red) and have a few stone chips, I never had this problem with my previous Nissan Leaf which I had for 4 years

 

[CG86]

I've moved this to the X-Power forum because I think you might get more help here.

This sounds absolutely terrible. Do you have any pictures? For what it's worth (I have a blue SE) I don't have a single chip that I've seen in over 16 months and 12,600 miles, and I don't hang about. (I do have tar spatter.)

How can they possibly say it's your driving? Have they watched you drive? It's absolutely unacceptable.

Hi

Thanks for your reply. I need to get better pictures but here are just a few. They clearly don't want to respray or claim responsibilty. These aren't to the point where I hear the stone when I'm driving, but the damage they're causing for little stones! A car should be able to withstand a few stones without looking like this every time I drive. The front, near the headlight, is even worse, but I've not had a good day to get images without glare.

 

[CG86]

9500 miles and 3 tiny stone chips on mine.
Two on the bonnet and one left side front bumper.

Par for the course afaic.

You seem to definitely have a major issue.

I can only recommend that you go to a bodyshop and ask for a professional report.

They will have a paint depth gauge and can hopefully give you something to take back to MG if they think anything is sub standard.

Hi

Thanks for your reply. I have asked MG Preston for the report but they aren't providing it to me. They have said the paintwork depth was checked and it's within specification. I can't even see any paintwork depth. I've attached some images to my original post. It's the thinnest layer of paint on a car I have seen. The top bonnet one is also going to flake. I've asked the lease company for an independent check but her words were, I doubt it will make much difference.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

Hi

Thanks for your reply. I have asked MG Preston for the report but they aren't providing it to me. They have said the paintwork depth was checked and it's within specification. I can't even see any paintwork depth. I've attached some images to my original post. It's the thinnest layer of paint on a car I have seen. The top bonnet one is also going to flake. I've asked the lease company for an independent check but her words were, I doubt it will make much difference.

You won't see any depth unless your vision can stretch to microns, which is what we're dealing with here.

It does look like you've sat behind a winter gritter!

That does look like a lot for a short amount of time.

I still say independent report, but that's up to you.

Whatever you do I'd get a touch in paint to cover the worst of them.

The last thing you need now is the deeper ones starting to rust.

 

[Rolfe]

I've got some photos of mine, although I had to wipe a lot of rain off it. Here is the front bumber, and you can see the age from the number plate. It has over 12,600 miles on the clock.

Wide view of the bonnet.

Closer in view of the bonnet.

As I said, there were a lot of bugs on it, but being wet they were easy to wipe off (except more kept landing!) I discovered one "bug" that wouldn't wipe off and appears to be actual paintwork damage. It seems that I have a black undercoat/primer. However I don't think this is a stone chip, it's right on the leading edge of the bonnet and looks as if it was caused when I got just too close to something when parking. I will touch it up with a touch-up pen when it's dry.

I did see something else that wouldn't wipe off and might have been a chip, but then I couldn't find it again! But honestly, this car is pristine apart from that small scuff that isn't even a stone chip. I'm thinking that as you can see that blemish on the wider shots, it's some evidence that there are no others. Anyway, if my car was actually covered in stone chips, why would I be trying to pretend it wasn't?

The car is an SE SR. If they can deliver the base model with decent paintwork, I think they could manage to do the same with an X-Power, no? If you want any other views I can try to take more pictures. They'll just say I'm not driving the same as you are, but the car has been through a full winter, in Scotland, and it has followed and passed gritters from time to time - you can't really avoid it. And it's absolutely stone-chip free.

 

[CG86]

I've got some photos of mine, although I had to wipe a lot of rain off it. Here is the front bumber, and you can see the age from the number plate. It has over 12,600 miles on the clock.

View attachment 29820

Wide view of the bonnet.

View attachment 29821

Closer in view of the bonnet.

View attachment 29822

As I said, there were a lot of bugs on it, but being wet they were easy to wipe off (except more kept landing!) I discovered one "bug" that wouldn't wipe off and appears to be actual paintwork damage. It seems that I have a black undercoat/primer. However I don't think this is a stone chip, it's right on the leading edge of the bonnet and looks as if it was caused when I got just too close to something when parking. I will touch it up with a touch-up pen when it's dry.

View attachment 29823

I did see something else that wouldn't wipe off and might have been a chip, but then I couldn't find it again! But honestly, this car is pristine apart from that small scuff that isn't even a stone chip. I'm thinking that as you can see that blemish on the wider shots, it's some evidence that there are no others. Anyway, if my car was actually covered in stone chips, why would I be trying to pretend it wasn't?

The car is an SE SR. If they can deliver the base model with decent paintwork, I think they could manage to do the same with an X-Power, no? If you want any other views I can try to take more pictures. They'll just say I'm not driving the same as you are, but the car has been through a full winter, in Scotland, and it has followed and passed gritters from time to time - you can't really avoid it. And it's absolutely stone-chip free.

Thank you very much for taking the time to send some photos. As someone else advised above I will get an independent check done. If I don't get much luck from that I will take it further. At the end of the day the car should be fit for purpose. I don't feel this is, the only way I can avoid any more damage is if I lock it in the garage for the next 3 years and not drive it. It's a shame because I like the car. I feel you're right, when I sent them images of their courtesy car, same mileage, they said it's irrelevant, different driving conditions. I just feel like this is a cop out to blame me. I wish I had been near some gritters, it would maybe explain the damage, but I honestly just commute to work a back in it which is mainly motorway driving. Thank you once again

 

[CG86]

You won't see any depth unless your vision can stretch to microns, which is what we're dealing with here.

It does look like you've sat behind a winter gritter!

That does look like a lot for a short amount of time.

I still say independent report, but that's up to you.

Whatever you do I'd get a touch in paint to cover the worst of them.

The last thing you need now is the deeper ones starting to rust.

Thanks, appreciate your advice. I will look at getting an independent report done, as they aren't willing to let me see their report. It definitely looks like I've tailgated a gritter, it would explain the mess but I've not even passed one since owning the car.

Do you know the best place to get the touch-up paint? Wasn't sure whether to use it in case I made it worse, but don't think it could get any worse at this stage.

 

[Rolfe]

Thank you very much for taking the time to send some photos. As someone else advised above I will get an independent check done. If I don't get much luck from that I will take it further. At the end of the day the car should be fit for purpose. I don't feel this is, the only way I can avoid any more damage is if I lock it in the garage for the next 3 years and not drive it. It's a shame because I like the car. I feel you're right, when I sent them images of their courtesy car, same mileage, they said it's irrelevant, different driving conditions. I just feel like this is a cop out to blame me. I wish I had been near some gritters, it would maybe explain the damage, but I honestly just commute to work a back in it which is mainly motorway driving. Thank you once again

The thing is, I have been near gritters! I try not to tailgate them, but if one passes in the other direction there's not a lot you can do about it. No damage. The one blemish I found, which you can barely see other than in the close-up view, clearly isn't a stone chip.

I drive the car in all weathers, and I live in the Scottish borders hills. I have driven it on the motorways all the way to the south coast of England three times. I've played switchback games on exciting roads in the Yorkshire Dales. I'm finding the paint more durable than the paint on my old Golf. (The Golf was metallic and the MG is a solid colour, I don't know if that's anything to do with it.)

I think it's absolutely appalling that they're not prepared to believe you, and repeatedly accuse you of bad driving. It's shockingly bad customer relations.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

Thanks, appreciate your advice. I will look at getting an independent report done, as they aren't willing to let me see their report. It definitely looks like I've tailgated a gritter, it would explain the mess but I've not even passed one since owning the car.

Do you know the best place to get the touch-up paint? Wasn't sure whether to use it in case I made it worse, but don't think it could get any worse at this stage.

Just enter your registration. ?

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madpaints.co.uk

 

[Ian Key]

Paint on new cars can take up to 6 months to fully harden which is probably why some owners are getting stone chips on their cars more easily.

 

[ilukey77]

another option while i guess a little late now to stop but if you get them touched up them get a clear 3m wrap done on the front will help reduce / protect the front from any more damage !!

 

[QLeo]

Hello

Looking for help, please. I got my Black MG4 Xpower back in December 2023. From 2-3 months in there have been excessive stone chippings on the bonnet, a very thin layer of paint and going through to what I think is white primer or maybe the metal, I'm not sure.

I have complained and they have sent a report to MG, and they said it's my driving and won't be covered under warranty. I have had cars for 6 years, a lot older than this model. I have driven the same way and there have been no signs of stone chippings. I've seen 16-year-old cars that don't have the damage I have. I'm not saying there won't be some, but I mean this is horrible. It's now 7 months old and needs a respray! I look after the car. I polish it every week, and it's just depressing the conditon it's in already. It's a leased car and I dread to think what it will look like in 3 years time and I will be made to pay for the respray because of poor workmanship.

I have images of their courtesy car at the dealership. It has done the same amount of miles and has no such damage. But they said it's down to driving conditions and they can't tell why mine looks like it does. I basically commute to work and back on the motorway. They also had the cheek to ask me if I drive off-road or on dirt tracks?!?

I'm looking for your help, if anyone could send me any images regardless of colour of the front bumber and mileage similar to mine to help my case that this is not normal and is a paint defect. Anything above 7K+ miles - this would be very much appreciated.

We've had something similar on Goth Leo. They all happened over winter, when we passed gritters several times. I asked for advice here, and the general consensus was that modern vehicle paints aren't as immediately hard as they may once have been. The further advice was just to get some touch-up paint. I did that, and it's OK, and it was easy to get the exact colour match because the door pillar names the type of paint, as I recall. I'm not aware of any more chips since winter, so I'm wondering if modern cars need a year or so of paint hardening time.

To be fair, I have seen this before, on my brand new Land Rover Heritage 90 model year 2000. That also suffered in the first year, but got better after that. And as I recall, they made big thing at the time of saying that the solvents used for the Heritage models weren't as unpleasant and fierce as previous paints.

I know it feels awful to find those chips on your pride and joy, but the problem can be solved I think.

 

[sparkwon]

I have a black Xpower as well, lower mileage however (~4k). I don't have stone chips per se (since last weekend anyway), but I have noticed that it seems that the (black?) paint is relatively fragile. I'm cautious about it and still have a few large imperfections, one on the edge of the hood from barely touching with the wiper (before learning about the release process) and another decent scratch on top of the A pillar from an unknown source. Couple this with the very soft exterior plastics that are completely swirled and it doesn't look like a well maintained newer car. Disappointing for sure.

 

[extendedrangeMG4]

I made the mistake of using a machine polisher on mine and ended up with a white patch (looks like primer). Never seen such thin paint in my life.

 

[GlobalHealer69]

I have only had mine 7 months (Dynamic Red) and have a few stone chips, I never had this problem with my previous Nissan Leaf which I had for 4 years

I have one too on the bonnet, looks exactly the same shape and size as yours AND in Dynamic Red ( a Nov '23 EX model with 4,000 mls. ) I wonder if it's a common paint problem, being Acrylic that's used these days ?

 

[salty]

Would be interesting to take them to a professional Detailer. And let him put one those Paint thickness gadgets on it. ?

 

[Watty MG]

I am restoring a classic car and bought a paint thickness gauge before I started to machine polish. You can pick them up on eBay not expensive.