BMW paint and stone chips

[elisiX]

I feel like I'm going mad here. My 4 week old car seems to be a magnet for rocks and stones on the road. This is just mind boggling when I've been driving the same roads for years with various cars and none have exhibited the damage my new Sapphire Black X5 has.

I had my last car, an Audi SQ5 in Glacier (Metallic) White for 2 years and 25,000KM. In that time I discovered 2 stone chips on the center of the front bumper, and no others across the entire car. I wash my cars myself so often get a chance to closely inspect the paint.

I can accept that clearly a white car is going to show less damage, but this is ridiculous. If the Audi had the kind of paint the BMW has, regardless of color, I'd have picked up on all of the marks on the paintwork. They simply weren't there as far as I'm concerned.

The roads I drive are basically motorways in slow traffic most of the time. I'm certainly not cruising around dirt tracks or unsealed roads, and we don't have winters like you see in Europe and the US. I just can't explain it and it's just got me pretty damn confused.

In 2500km;

Passenger door
2 nicks lower half
2 nicks upper half

Drivers door
2 nicks lower half
1 chip front corner of the hip line

Front bumper
2 small indentations in the paint/plastic

Drivers mirror
2 nicks on mirror housing

A pillar
1 small nick outside edge

I was planning on spending the $2k AUD to cover the front bumper, bonnet and front fenders with XPEL, but this would have done absolutely nothing for the drivers and passenger doors. Rant over - just disappointed that so many have happened in the first month of ownership.

Curious, can Black Sapphire be color matched easily or does it only end in a mess?

I'm just curious about whether or not, say a month from now, when there are another 10 stone chips, if it will even be worth re-painting a whole or part of a door/panel? Seems the only full proof say is to literally wrap the entire car in XPEL.

[MattBianco]

I added mudguards (removed the rears as they were hideous), painted, and the doors have done well. However, my wife too noticed the paint is soft. Just got two huge chips on the side, one down to the metal, thanks to people who can't open their doors mindfully. The front needs protection film.

[nyalpine90]

In general, bmw's paint is soft. I just see them as battle scars lol

I came across few threads with same issues.

[stewy604]

Sounds like the damage has already been done, but it might be time to invest in some paint protection film to prevent the damage from getting any worse. Stopne chips always make me cry, especially the first one. We're lucky here in Vancouver with decent roads and no sand put down during winter months.

[Terp335]

This thread makes me glad I got Expel...

[elisiX]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I think I might go ahead and get the full front done in XPEL Ultimate (bumper, fenders, bonnet). The doors I will either live with, or repaint in a year or so from now. For the meantime I may just do a toothpick touch up with Sapphire Black. I've done it already on the drivers door hip line edge chip, and while it doesn't have a smooth texture, there is no white undercoat visible anymore.

[gIzzE]

I have a sapphire X3, without doubt the softest paint I have ever had, terrible quality.

[JonoSS]

I used something similar to this in the past. Never used this one before but may buy for my new X5.

http://www.drcolorchip.com/

[yk1988]

i saw this tiny chip on front of the fog light on my F16 the 3rd day since i owned it. Not sure if the chip was already there when i pick up the car or it was chipped by a stone during driving.

there's small "tail" extended from the chip, which doesn't look like it was damaged from a stone. weird.

[Terp335]

Originally Posted by yk1988

i saw this tiny chip on front of the fog light on my F16 the 3rd day since i owned it. Not sure if the chip was already there when i pick up the car or it was chipped by a stone during driving.

there's small "tail" extended from the chip, which doesn't look like it was damaged from a stone. weird.

Definitely a stone. Give it 5 yrs and that little chip will have all sorts of friends all over the front bumper. My 5 yr old alpine white E90 (with 40k) has dozens (not many breaking paint like yours though). Your choice is to buy some touch up paint and accept it, invest in OCD stone chip repair and spend hours on every one, or buy some film. I opted for film on my f15, and depending on results will do so on vehicles going forward. It's soooooooo much easier to clean bugs and gunk off too.

[yk1988]

Originally Posted by Terp335

Definitely a stone. Give it 5 yrs and that little chip will have all sorts of friends all over the front bumper. My 5 yr old alpine white E90 (with 40k) has dozens (not many breaking paint like yours though). Your choice is to buy some touch up paint and accept it, invest in OCD stone chip repair and spend hours on every one, or buy some film. I opted for film on my f15, and depending on results will do so on vehicles going forward. It's soooooooo much easier to clean bugs and gunk off too.

I just want to make sure that chip was not done by a careless worker from BMW . I am leasing the car, so i don't want to spend the money on the film. Would definitely get film if i financed it.