Martin J Stirling

Ok guys, I'm pissed off.

I've had my P1 for just over a month now and despite driving it like an old woman (running in) the front of the car is already looking decidedly tatty. I really can't believe that after only 900 miles I've got more stone chips than I had on my Evo after 9000 miles.

I realise that many P1 owners are already experiencing this and that a few of the more determined owners have had their bumpers etc, repaced under warranty.

Well that's just not good enough! All they'll do is keep replacing the bumpers/spoilers until the paint warranty runs out (1 year) and then we're stuffed. What I want from Subaru is some sort of ultimate rectification of the problem.

I have spoken to a local bodyshop that I use that deal with performance cars and they have advised me that the paint used on vulnerable areas such as bumpers is normally loaded with plasticiser which allows the paint to resist chipping more than normal - this is obviously not thew case on the P1! The manager there was very surprised at the level of stone chips on my car and the fact that the paint had flaked not just chipped normally.

There is definately a deficiency in the paint on the front of the P1 and it is this that needs to be rectified - numerous replacements will not solve this.

This level of stone chips on a £30K car is unnacceptable and I think that we should collectively get something done about this. Surely the pure fact that Subaru are now fitting Armourfend to the lower spoiler on P1's can be considered as a part admission to the problem?

Only if enough people complain about this will anything be done to resolve it.

What do you guys think?

Phew - I feel a bit better now :-)

Let's get something done about it..

MS

Gastro

I'm with you on this.......

Gastro

paulmon

Martin,

You have mail.

Cheers
Paul

Gastro

Banshi,

The P1's spoiler is not armourfended as standard. Only the very bottom lip of the spoiler is coated with plastic/armourfend.

There is clearly a balance between a car that attracts stone chips more frequently and that of paint that flakes off. Ever seen a Porsche 911 after 12 months of motorway driving - they are - by their sheer design very prone to stone chip damage......and most are repsrayed every couple of years etc.

Dont get me wrong - I'm not making excuses for Subaru UK - flaking paint is an instant warranty claim & replacement - no doubt. Unfortunately, stone chipping will always be a problem with a deep spoiler like this & will always be unavoidable irregardless of what you spray on it........ If there were a perfect car out there for £30K we'd all be buying it wouldnt we.......???
If you want a better paint job, better build quality and lesser performance etc for £30K there are many other cars you can choose.......

At this point - I'd like to ask pslewis to shut up - before he spouts his usual <yawn> stuff......

Gastro

[This message has been edited by Gastro (edited 23 May 2001).]

Martin J Stirling

Banshi,

early P1's seem to have suffered so badly from stone chips that Subaru resorted to fitting Armourfend to the lower front spoiler . This still leaves some of the spoiler exposed and of course the front bumper too.

If this was a normal problem faced by all cars then I would accept it, but the fact that none of the other cars that I have owned have suffered anywhere near this level of chipping makes it very hard for me to just sit back and say nowt. For god's sake, I've barely had it a month and it's already looking shabby from the front!

I can't see how Subaru can see this as an acceptable solution to an obvious problem?! If for some reason the paint is flaking unusually then they should try a different type of paint or even another type of plastic. Just fitting an aftermarket film is a bit of a lazy solution to say the least. Armourfend isn't that brilliant anyway and the parts of the spoiler with it on also look tatty as it has been badly fitted, allowing dirt to get under it and start to peel off.

Can you imagine any other manufacturer fitting this stuff instaed of sorting the paint quality - I don't think so.

It can't be that hard to do, all they need to do is spend a little time on the paint job and do it properly.

Gastro, how is your car bearing up to the chipping? Have you spoken to your dealer about it?

There must be quite a few P1 owners on here, what are your experiences of this guys?

Sorry for my gloomy mood, but after sheeling ot a few notes it's a bit hard to stomach.

Anyway Banshi& Gastro what are you doing up at this hour!

MS

[This message has been edited by Martin J Stirling (edited 23 May 2001).]

Dave Mackey

Guys,

I am with you all the way not enough time to explain fully now but all the same problems as you a collective assault could be the best way forward. All I have had from the dealer is well excuses for Prodrive. They not happy as my car has spent more time in their workshop than on the road sorting out Prodrives F$%k ups.

Dave

Mellow Yellow !

iTrader: (1)

Marting, I'm with you on this.
After 6 weeks of ownership the front looks like it's been peppered with a machine gun, the lip spoiler being the worse affected area.
My local scoob dealer has just had confirmation that I am to have a new bumper complete with lip spoiler, I dont know at this stage if it comes painted, has to be painted or what so cant comment on the quality of the replacement.
What I do know is that once replaced if it happens again the car will go into a local bodyshop for a quality front repaint and the bill will be sent to IM.
The bonnet also has a few chips that again I find unacceptable.

rob barron

Martin,
I'm also with you on this.
However, I decided to spend an additional £700.00 and have all the vulnerable stone chip areas of my P1 Armourfend protected before I took delivery.

After 19K miles (mostly motorway miles)and I don't have any stone chips
OK you can see where some of the larger stones have hit the Armourfend but it hasn't damaged the paint work.

I know that spending an additional £700 is not the point & at the end of the day when you pay 31.5K on a car you would expect Subaru to use the correct type of paint!

I took the view in the end, after hearing about the paint problems that the P1's were suffering from and that Subaru did not seem to be doing much about it, that I would bite the bullet and spend the additional money to try and protect my 31.5K investment.

Cheers,

Rob

ARRON BIRD

I`m on my second bumper and lip spoiler after 13000 miles and need another one in a month or so

paulmon

Bring it On,

I have had the same problem with mine since day 1. I now live in fear of hearing stones chattering down the side/across the bonnet. After 5000 miles the front spoiler and lip don't look to clever, don't even mention the orange.

Maybe if we all collectively sign a letter to Subaru then maybe something will get done.

Arron,
Did you get your replacements done under warranty or did you have to shell out the cash yourself. If they were replaced under warranty then surely that sets the precedent to allow everyone with this problem to get theirs done.

I know having replacements fitted is not the answer but it's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick

BTW Arron, I though you weren't posting on here anymore

Cheers
Paul

Martin J Stirling

Right! Looks like we're all in agreement then.

What I propose is to write a stonking letter of protest to Subaru/IM with the names of as many P1 owners as possible and see if we can sort this out properly. I don't want to have to keep going back for a replacement every few weeks.

Can all of you in favour please supply some details in an email to me (name,etc) and I'll do the rest.

I'll see what I can do..

MS

banshi

Martin
Excuse me for creeping out of paupers corner,I don't have a P1
But are you saying the spoiler is still shot to bu$$ery after the armorfend treatment, or is the rectification simply another coat of paint?

I was informed that the problem originates from the type of plastic used for the spoiler, paint just doesn't stick.

"To use the proper material would have been to expensive for a run of 500 cars" quote from Sales manager at a major P1 retailer NOT a wind up. "Customers just have to accept they need to touch it up for eighteen months then get it sprayed" end quote.

Now remind me how does it go erm..... you pays you money and you takes your choice. Yep thats it, you've had your car four weeks the problems were well documented before that. I think it maybe "a feature of the car", now where have i heard that before.

B

Mellow Yellow !

iTrader: (1)

Ditto.

ARRON BIRD

No major posts Paul. And yes all replacements under warranty. I have it from IM that they will continue to replace them as and when????

Martin J Stirling

That's five names so far - Arron may I include you on the list, would you care to supply a few deatils to me for the cause?

Cheers lads, keep 'em coming,

MS

robin lowry

Hi chaps.

I've also had the old paint problem with my P1. But not at the front, since it's been Armourfended. But as some quite rightly pointed out,why should we have to pay to fix a Prodrive problem. Anyway It's the rear spoiler that the paint has fallen off, with no help from stones just gravity!!!

RussP

Slightly off topic but....

is the P1 a different colour to the Sti Sonic Blue? If not, it's odd, as the paint on my Version 5 is fine after 15k of mixed use, no marks or paint problems at all.

I wonder if the P1 is painted with some crappy water based Eco-friendly paint, whereas the jap stuff is oily, thinner based, sod-the-environment type stuff.

And wasn't the original P1 white? Wonder if all the cars gained a second coat rather tahn applied directly to the undercoat?

Russ

Chip

I haven't got a P1 but I was at Prodrive two weeks before the first car was sent out.

I was told then(last Feb/March) that Prodrive knew of the paint problems at that particular time and were considering holding back on delivery of the first cars until the problem was sorted out.

This obviously was not done and the cars were sent out with the paint problems still there.

I was also told that the cars weren't actually prepared by Prodrive which I think was true as I only saw one P1 on the premises. This was P1PVP which is well documented as their test car.

Not much help but any info might help you with your battle.

Chip.

Martin J Stirling

Russ,

the P1 is basically a Prodrive tweaked STI V type-r so the paint on the car will be the same as on standard STI's. The problem is that the front and rear spoilers were fitted in this country by Prodrive so the paint problem will originate from them.

Chip,

cheers for the info it might prove useful. Can you elaborate on it at all (names, dates, anything to substantiate the story) Email me if you want to..

Ta,

MS

ozzy

Hi guys,

I don't have a P1, but my RB5 was very prone to chipping, especially if hit with anything about 60mph.

After a year and half I decided to have the bonnet resprayed and the front bumper was needing repaired anyway after an incident on the motorway; so it seemed about the right time.

I considered getting the Armourfend stuff as well, but as it didn't protect the whole panel I was convinced it would be worth it, especially after I only paid £150 to get almost the whole front of the car sprayed.

My dealer did a great job and gave it some extra coats of the lacquer. In the 6 months since getting it done, I don't have a single chip.

If IM are admitting that they have a problem, then I'd get them to respray the car and get some additional coats of lacquer applied. If they use good tough lacquer you shouldn't be so vulnerable to stone chips.

Is it just the front spoler that chips easily, or is it the bodywork as well ?

Stefan

Martin J Stirling

Stefan,

so far I have a chip on the bonnet and one on the mirror, but these have chipped normally rather than flaking like on the front lip

The Prodrive fitted trim seems to be more vulnerable than the original Subaru parts.

MS

Martin J Stirling

Now we're getting somewhere, 10 replies and rising.

Keep 'em rollin'

MS

Chip

Martin, You have mail

Chip

Mellow Yellow !

iTrader: (1)

Just a thought.......if anyone has finance with IM and you can't get any resolve regarding this particular problem, I believe a friend of mine had his P1 re-painted to his satisfaction then literally knocked it off 2 or 3 of his re-payments and was happy to go to court, IM didn't want to, I dont want to open any floodgates but only availing you all of a factual situation that occured.

Martin J Stirling

13 replies now. I was hoping for at least twenty! Come on ladies, there must be a load more P1 owners on here - don't be shy..



MS

banshi

May I reiterate a couple of key points:
1.
Chips comments, to some degree validate the dealers statement, i.e. that there was and still is a KNOWN problem.

It is further substantiated by the fact that the areas affected are only those added by Prodrive.

I have a three year old Sonic Blue car, whilst the spoiler is of different design there are v.few marks on it. The rest of the car is similarly unmarked despite winter exposure to Motorway Gritters, Salt and anything else Dept of Environment/ Northern Weather has thrown at it.

2
Unlike the RB5, which as far as I know, did not develop an aversion to its' given colour. The P1 paint is reputed to peel/flake/chip due to incompatability with the composition of the plastic. If it's an adhesion issue it won't be resolved by application of further layers of laquer.

After all how much gavel rash do you expect on a rear spoiler!

Armourfend, at least in one case appears to provide a solution. But should you/do you want to part with £700 to drive around with half a roll of hight tec cling film on your bonnet?

The planned action is compromised by the fact that the P1 is no longer a flagship, it's already an IM White Elephant.
Little if any sales revenue will be lost by adverse publicity, they've already moved remaining stock to the dealers!

Is another "suitable for purpose", Anne Robinson Expose on the horizon?

banshi

May I reiterate a couple of key points:
1.
Chips comments, to some degree validate the dealers statement, i.e. that there was and still is a KNOWN problem.

It is further substantiated by the fact that the areas affected are only those added by Prodrive.

I have a three year old Sonic Blue car, whilst the spoiler is of different design there are v.few marks on it. The rest of the car is similarly unmarked despite winter exposure to Motorway Gritters, Salt and anything else Dept of Environment/ Northern Weather has thrown at it.

2
Unlike the RB5, which as far as I know, did not develop an aversion to its' given colour. The P1 paint is reputed to peel/flake/chip due to incompatability with the composition of the plastic. If it's an adhesion issue it won't be resolved by application of further layers of laquer.

After all how much gavel rash do you expect on a rear spoiler!

Armourfend, at least in one case appears to provide a solution. But should you/do you want to part with £700 to drive around with half a roll of hight tec cling film on your bonnet?

The planned action is compromised by the fact that the P1 is no longer a flagship, it's already an IM White Elephant.
Little if any sales revenue will be lost by adverse publicity, they've already moved remaining stock to the dealers!

Is another "suitable for purpose", Anne Robinson Expose on the horizon?

Gastro

e-mail awaiting you.......

Gastro

rob barron

Martin,
You have mail.

Cheers,

Rob

MrData

Count Me in.

I too now have the problem. Was not too bad at first, but has deteriorated recently.

Cheers

Kurt