Pitted trim

[engineerjim]

My 6 month old pride and joy has started showing signs of "pitting" to the small piece of trim above the tail pipe. See attached photo. It appears to be a breakdown in what appears to be a plastic coating.

Is this piece of trim plastic or is it lacquer-covered aluminium? Does anyone know if this is normal for a car of such young age or is it back to the OPC to deal with under the body warranty?

 

[Charlie_McLaughlin]

jim,

Thats got to be a warranty item...... however they do tend to ignore trim bits when it comes to 10 body warranty

 

[engineerjim]

Thanks

It looks like a trip to Reading next weekend

 

[channella]

I had this trim replaced under warranty in the first year. It is painted aluminium.

Second one has gone the same way, and I was thinking of asking whether anybody else had the same problem. Clearly they do. (If you get it replaced then part of the rivets seem to stay in the valance - you can't hear them rattling from the drivers seat though[]).

I could get the second one replaced (still under warranty), but was wondering whether to bother. Is there another option?

Andrew

 

[Ivor]

I have the same problem on my 03 Boxster, under two years old. I wonder if waxing the replacement would prevent it happening again........

 

[Guest]

I have the same problem on my 2003 Boxster, the paint bubbling and peeling off (aluminium corrosion?) along the top edge. I was just going to touch it up with a bit of silver paint, but another bit came off when I cleaned it on the weekend, so a few inches of the tope edge is now bare.

Do you think it would be covered under the second year of the warranty? In my experience beyond the statutory 12 months manufacturer's warranty the extended warranties seem to be less extensive, especially minor stuff like interior trim etc.

If it was screwed rather than riveted I would have taken it off and re-sprayed it myself. I'm comfortable with using rivets but not my Porsche!!

Would have been more sensible if it was bare stainless steel like the exhaust tip, as I guess it's to protect the bodywork from exhaust heat, seems rather silly to paint it!

 

[channella]

Paint peeling off aluminium above a hot exhaust outlet - surely not []

Tempted to leave mine and accept a "patina" of use, to balance the stone chips on the front of the bodywork and on the windscreen.

Alternatively if anyone knows of a stainless alternative as Mark suggests that would be interesting...

Andrew

 

[Physci]

I've now found this on my 2004 Boxster - is this really a common problem or something we just need to accept (paint etc near hot exhaust...)

 

[engineerjim]

Just to give a report on the outcome.

Visited OPC Reading. No problem covered by waranty and booked in for a while you wait the following week.

Turned up but the replacement part has some small blemishes which was spotted by the technician fortunatley before the old one was removed. This week another trip to Reading and success. Trim fitted while I waited.

Good quality control and service from Reading but one wonders if there is a qualtity control problem at Porsche?