Any ideas what might have caused this?
 

So I was washing the 2 wk old FRS this weekend for the first time- it looks fantastic.. Only thing was, when I was quick waxing up by the upper back of the right back window I noticed this on the paint. It almost looks like bird crap that has been partially washed off, or even bubbles from something hot. I know I sure as hell didn't do it and it was done before I purchased the car. I called the dealership and they're having me bring it in tomorrow to have a look and see what they can do about it.

In the grand scheme of things, it's pretty minor and you have to be pretty close to the car to see it, but hey- this is my brand new baby and I want to get it addressed especially if the dealership will handle it for free. Just curious though if any of you have seen anything like this and what it might be- it sure as heck wasn't coming off with any of the products I was trying on it. When you run your fingers over it you can feel a texture. Almost seems like little bursted heat bubbles.. Hard to describe

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/.../frspaint2.gif

clay bar?

It may be worth a shot- but I'll see what the dealer says/does tomorrow. The thing is- and I forgot to mention this in the OP - but the same day I was washing the car a neighbor came over and we saw some some little scratches over both driver and passenger doors. He brought over some meguiars compound and within seconds the scratches were gone.. We tried the same compound on these "bubbles" or whatever they are and it didn't do a thing. It really appears like it may be a heat or chemical related thing. If dealer says they can't do anything though I'd definitely try the clay- it just really seems that these aren't contaminants, rather a true deep scar into the paint past the clearcoat.

Someone just started a thread about this a few hours ago I think. They were having the same "bubbles" issue on their hood. And another thread where they had these all over the roof. Not sure if they ever found a solution though.

I had scratches on my hood from before I bought the car. I washed the day I brought it home and I had two deep scratches on the hood. FML :thumbdown:

That blows.. I'll just have to see how it goes, but at least over the phone anyways they're acting like they're going to take care of it. I sure hope so- I'm driving 30 miles to go over there..

And to kALMIGHTY- I looked for other related threads after I read what you posted, but haven't been able to find it yet- thanks though

Get used to it. The paint on these cars is so thin you'll damage it with ANYTHING.... I'm sure a clean satin sheet would scratch the surface.

It's teh damn "eco"-paints they use today. It's like coloured water poured over the car, hoping some of the colour will stick. Mine is a year old and the paint looks like on a ten year old car!

I'm having mine painted properly this summer.

sap?

Just got back from the dealership and they agree it's serious and will cover under warranty. The paint is actually chipped on some or most of those little bubbles- the service manager said they will have to paint the entire side of the car- minus door I would guess.. He said it will look completely factory after the job- but I have my worries.. I'm just going to guess there are horror stories about color mismatch, etc etc..

What do you guys think- live with the little imperfection, or let Toyota fix the small area while having to touch a large part of the vehicle?

Considering how new your car is and the dealership agreed to fixing the issue, if you aren't happy with the outcome, I would have them do the whole car. None of this was your fault. This is a big investment on a new car and that is exactly what you should have gotten without the imperfections.

I'm sure they'll be able to match it well enough. If not, have them do the whole car.

That's why you get Opti Coat Pro installed as soon as you get the car. The paint doesn't look 10 years old. The clear coat does because it's so buttery soft from factory. Japanese paints are like that.

Opti Coat is a lifetime paint coating that is very similar to the factory clear coat but it's ceramic so it's tougher than factory coat. More scratch, sap and bird poop resistant as well as it makes your paint glossier.

Yep- I was actually calling opti coat installers the day before I washed my car and I intend on getting that done. It wasn't until I washed the car that I noticed these chips/bubbles that were definitely there when I bought the car (I just didn't see them until I washed the car). So getting opti-coat wouldn't have done anything until I get this fixed. It sounds like the consensus so far is that I should let the dealership do the paint job. Once that's done, and done right hopefully- I'll move on to the opti-coat.

That sounds like a solid plan. It's definitely a defect from factory, their rare but I've seen them on new cars. Yeah hopefully they do it right so that you can go ahead and get Opti Coat Pro installed.

Sadly dropped off the new FRS at the dealer today for the paint job.. I overheard them say they're going to drive it down to service king.. I've had mostly positive experiences with them in the past, so hoping for the best.. Forgot to look at the mileage on my car before handing it over- just hoping for no joy rides!

I had one of those bubbles on my roof, it popped, so now the grey primer under the paint is showing.

Well- I got the car back today and as far as I can tell, everything looks great! Bubbles or whatever they were are definitely gone. I'm still not sure if they ended up painting the whole panel or just touched up that spot... I was going to post a picture, but I'm a little scared that one of you with a more trained eye will see something I don't and it'll drive me crazy..

Ok- so I now have noticed something now since getting it back from the dealership/paint shop. How ironic that they have fixed the paint bubbles and created a new type of bubble.. It looks like they had to take off the clear guard under the door for the paint job, and when reapplying it, there's 2 nice sized bubbles of soap and/or wax inside the clear guard.. Is this stuff sticky and durable enough for me to peel it back, wipe that crud off and reapply? Or is it likely they will just disappear over time?

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...uardbubble.gif

You can try to work out the bubbles with a credit card if they are still fresh, pop the bubbles with a needle and work out the air or have them remove and reinstall new vinyl door protectors.

When you apply vinyl you first wet the surfaces with a soapy watery solution. This allow you to reposition the decal if needed. When correct you then squeege out the water from behind the decal working from the center outward. It appears to me like it is just some of the air/soap/moisture still trapped. It is hard to tell from the pictures. It also could be left over polishing compound but, it would be pretty hard to install clear vinyl over it without the tech noticing it...

Thanks for the suggestion I'll probably give it a week or so, then try popping em (as long as that doesn't create new problems from rain and other condensation).. From what I can tell it looks like they roughly peeled it off since one of the sides of the film looks a little bit torn and maybe they just didn't make a great effort to get it back on perfectly. I guess I could go back to the dealership again, but it's 30 miles away and not sure if it's worth it. Kind of annoying though.