PSA: Setting Expectations - Condition of your paint may disappoint you, but a paint correction/ceramic coat and a good detailer will fix your problem.

[1StunnaV]

The part of my job that I don't love to do...... Disappoint my customers and it this case, everyone else's customers as well.... However, I do always want to be transparent and set expectations properly...

As these vehicles sit for months in the land of the goats, the clearcoats/finish take a beating. I posted several photos of a couple of the last CT5-V's that have showed up, below...

Whether its from the weather, rail dust blowing in the air or being improperly washed prior to being shipped out, or all of the "above," its disappointing that a brand new vehicle would show up like this. While it doesn't make it better, my research, talking to people who work sell other brands, including even Ferrari, are having many of the same types of issues.....

A new process needs to be found. We are documenting every single vehicle that comes in. Photos before the shipping wraps are removed to photos/videos after and working directly with the manufacture showing them the problems on them and how much it cost's to get the vehicle back to a condition that is acceptable or better.

Keep in mind that while it is not the fault of the customer, it's also not the fault of the dealer. Please do not be upset with your dealer if your vehicle arrives in a condition similar to those seen below. Not every car shows up in this shape and its been more prevalent on the CT5-V Blackwings than the CT4-V Blackwings as the turn around time on the 4's has typically been less.

In the event a vehicle shows up in this condition, you should expect a $1500-$3,000 paint correction cost if the vehicle is a light color and $2,500-$5,000 if the vehicle is Black Raven.

Moving forward, until this problem is resolved, all customers that have an order with me who have Black Raven as there exterior color choice will be required to sign a document stating that they have been notified of the current production/manufacture problem and that if they decide to move forward with Black Raven , the understand that a paint correction/ceramic coat will likely be needed in order to bring the vehicle to the condition they expect or should be.

To be clear, we will not be forcing any customers to purchase a paint correction/ceramic coat, however, we will not be providing it at no charge either. All customers will have the choice to cover the paint correction/ceramic costs or not purchase the vehicle. Should a customer not want to take possession of their vehicle because they do not want to purchase a paint correction/ceramic coat, we will work with Cadillac on trying to expediate a new order, however, there is no guarantee that it will be fast or that it wouldn't be the same on the next vehicle..

For any vehicle is not purchased by the original ordering customer, we will apply a paint correction/ceramic coat and then make the vehicle available for purchase to another customer who has an order in with us. The cost of the paint correction/ceramic will be added to the vehicle's final purchase price.

We have been successful in bringing the vehicles to better factory condition with the paint correction/ceramic. Regardless of condition from the factory, my personal opinion is that a full paint correction/ceramic should be a requirement on any Black exterior vehicle as its a completely different car afterwards...

I recommend that everyone here take a look at @Kimkeys99 's post by clicking here. It includes before/after photos /video.... The photos of the black vehicle below were his...

I am unsure at this time if we will take orders for the future limited Maverick Noir Frost as you would not be able to correct issues like this without a full repaint. I have high hopes and feel confident that GM will be able to get this issue resolved in a timely manner. Its been a challenge for all manufactures for the past couple years and they just need to find a new process / adapt to make sure this doesn't continue to happen. I know they care greatly but you cant fix a problem if you don't know it exists.... We have made them aware.. I will do my best to update you all on any progress made..

 

[rubberduck]

That’s a very reasonable approach.

Seems like Cadillac needs to build a large open air roof structure (which is probably impossible because of all the cars already on the lot of doom) or cover each car with plastic. It will add cost to each car, but that cost will be much. less than trying to correct the problem after the fact.

Rail dust does some serious work on a white car. But that would only really happen over time, like the lot is fairly close to a rail line.

I bought exactly one black car in my life and never again, too much maintenance.

 

[jonnywaffles11]

Have you had any dents or dings on new arrivals? Those photos show some severe defects and while a paint correction is one thing, this is pretty severe and would require a decent amount of paint removal. Far more than should be removed initially. Has GM said anything about covering any costs? I know this isn't the dealer's fault, but this also isn't the customer's fault that is paying MSRP or above for a brand new vehicle. I've had 5 year old cars that have never been detailed look in better shape than that. Mine has been sitting for 3+ months now and this is just going to be the icing on the cake if I have to spend 10+ hours on a paint correction because GM wasnt competent enough to move cars out of their parking lots

 

[Jameson's Viggen]

My issues are AFTER paint correction, imperfections were found still. I also had two SMALL dings taken out by PDR.

What I learned is, they all have them to some degree.

I found out my car had an spec of dust in the clear that was polished out during initial post paint inspection. I had found 3 more little dust specs and they admitted sometimes they can get missed because different light sources can reveal different issues.

So I felt better. But I still want to have my dealer inspection to see if they think its enough to see if GM will cover a polishing out of the flaws.

My rear wheel well/arch down by the rear door/passenger side has kind of the lumpiest section of the clearcoat. This weekend, I got to see a Dustin car by a guy named Tim from the MIlford Proving Grounds in the same orange. I was told Blaze is a really challenging color to get right. Sure enough, that car had similar flaws at the lip of the wheels arch.

 

[Flyby763]

Not sure what mine looked like when it came in but the orange peel is pretty bad. Dealer swirled it up pretty good doing their work. There is a scratch on the roof I noticed the day after I picked it up.

 

[Slick Blackwings]

Our car came in unscathed, but orange peel is HORRIBLE! Hopefully detailer will smooth some of it out. It’s a shame Cadillac couldn’t get flagship car better than our Sierra Denali paint, which is near perfect.

 

[NorCal Blackwing]

It's hard to tell from this picture but it looks like the roof on mine was rubbed pretty aggressively somehow. I suspect it might have been the dealer trying to get the film off - I missed it during my own brief inspection on pick up, it only really showed well under a fluorescent light.

I told my dealer about it after getting it home and they offered apologies but not much else - disappointing considering the ADM, but supply & demand, amirite?

I took it to my local paint correction/ceramic guy and he was able to clean it up. I added ceramic coating and PPF so at least I'd get some added value out of the cost for the cleanup.

In any case, it doesn't detract from the car itself and now it looks top notch!

 

[Snowwolfe]

No offense to the OP who is just being upfront of this issue.
But no way in hell am I am going to pay for a paint correction on a car costing me roughly $100 grand. The dealer can pay for it and try to seek reimbursement thru GM or I will walk away.

 

[668LT4]

No offense to the OP who is just being upfront of this issue.
But no way in hell am I am going to pay for a paint correction on a car costing me roughly $100 grand. The dealer can pay for it and try to seek reimbursement thru GM or I will walk away.

Keep us posted when it arrives. I don't think you'll walk away on your order from last September. IMO, a large part of these issues is simply the GM paint process is not as good as other brands. You can't blame all the paint issues on the cars being outside for 2 months. Things like drips, that is from the paint booth. The assembly and fitment of panels and pieces is also subpar. But you think of the countless positive reviews that praise how these cars are 10-20-30k less than comparable models. You can't expect identical quality to those more expensive vehicles.

The essence of the Blackwings is the superior ride characteristics. If you want a perfectly cosmetic vehicle on arrival day, I don't think you can get that here (I have owned almost 10 GM vehicles and this is my opinion based upon those vehicles).

 

[tate]

Not giving me the warm and fuzzies since my car has been built and sitting in the lot since January 25th. Not sure how I am going to feel if it shows up like this. I get it....no such thing as a perfect car, but the cars in those pictures look beat. Hoping Rift is a little forgiving but yikes.

 

[NorCal Blackwing]

IMO, a large part of these issues is simply the GM paint process is not as good as other brands. You can't blame all the paint issues on the cars being outside for 2 months. Things like drips, that is from the paint booth. The assembly and fitment of panels and pieces is also subpar. But you think of the countless positive reviews that praise how these cars are 10-20-30k less than comparable models. You can't expect identical quality to those more expensive vehicles.

In my case, I acknowledge this and went in eyes-open -- even with ADM these cars are great value and like nothing else you can buy new in the market right now. However, it seems like GM is genuine in its wish to make Cadillac a premium brand on par with Ze Germans, and it boggles the mind that US manufacturers are unwilling to go the extra 10% to make that happen.

 

[strohw]

You guys need to temper your expectations

The 5BW is sprayed on the same line that all the other CT5 are which if anyone forgets, is a $37k car. Which is the same price BMW charges for their 2 series. Not only that but if any of you have sat in a base model CT4 or CT5 and then sat in various competitors cars that cost the same...you'll quickly realize the $34k CT4 and $37k CT5 are over priced.

You have to take them for what they are, low 30K cars that have 30-70k worth of performance parts and R&D put into them. There's nothing wrong with that but it's what it is.

 

[rdollie]

Wow, not pretty. I take small solace in that it looks like those are post painting incidents meaning the paint process itself isn't the problem. Manufacturers just need to figure out how to better protect cars from factory to delivery. Need some root-cause analysis for the paint issues seen first though.

 

[NorCal Blackwing]

You have to take them for what they are, low 30K cars that have 30-70k worth of performance parts and R&D put into them. There's nothing wrong with that but it's what it is.

Oh yeah, at least in my case, my expectations were set well going in. However, check out the paint on 'low $30K' VAG cars. It seems like the quality of their storage, transport, manufacturing processes and components for the higher-end cars filter down to the low end cars, rather than the other way around...

Again, no complaints, LOVE my Blackwing and it's definitely better put together than a Tesla. Just an observation...

 

[668LT4]

You guys need to temper your expectations

The 5BW is sprayed on the same line that all the other CT5 are which if anyone forgets, is a $37k car. Which is the same price BMW charges for their 2 series. Not only that but if any of you have sat in a base model CT4 or CT5 and then sat in various competitors cars that cost the same...you'll quickly realize the $34k CT4 and $37k CT5 are over priced.

You have to take them for what they are, low 30K cars that have 30-70k worth of performance parts and R&D put into them. There's nothing wrong with that but it's what it is.

I agree. Too many get bent on "I'm spending xyz dollars!!!!". Good for you. That guarantees exactly nothing. You need to know what you are buying. Here, it is some of the best driving characteristics ever available on sedans. It is not supreme quality or luxury that matches competitors.

I'll say it is sad they have mastered the hard part and gloss over the easy part (better build quality). I would have happily paid an extra 10k on my 4 for a more perfect and premium car.

 

[Ivy1Le]

think of the countless positive reviews that praise how these cars are 10-20-30k less than comparable models. You can't expect identical quality to those more expensive vehicles.

The essence of the Blackwings is the superior ride characteristics. If you want a perfectly cosmetic vehicle on arrival day, I don't think you can get that here (I have owned almost 10 GM vehicles and this is my opinion based upon those vehicles).

If GM wants their premium brands to actually be comparable to their competition then saying "it costs less isn't an excuse. I guarantee you a $35k 2 series looks better than this

In my case, I acknowledge this and went in eyes-open -- even with ADM these cars are great value and like nothing else you can buy new in the market right now. However, it seems like GM is genuine in its wish to make Cadillac a premium brand on par with Ze Germans, and it boggles the mind that US manufacturers are unwilling to go the extra 10% to make that happen.

It shouldn't be that mind boggling when you've got an entire forum of people saying exactly what's below "a 30k car with 30-70k of performance parts" why would they bother when they know people will still buy it

You guys need to temper your expectations

The 5BW is sprayed on the same line that all the other CT5 are which if anyone forgets, is a $37k car. Which is the same price BMW charges for their 2 series. Not only that but if any of you have sat in a base model CT4 or CT5 and then sat in various competitors cars that cost the same...you'll quickly realize the $34k CT4 and $37k CT5 are over priced.

You have to take them for what they are, low 30K cars that have 30-70k worth of performance parts and R&D put into them. There's nothing wrong with that but it's what it is.

it's not insane to expect higher quality when you spend more money.. I've always though GMs problem is that they work from the bottom up instead of top down.

 

[tate]

This post is going to have wildly varying opinions. I am sure this car is an engineering marvel and I am totally looking forward to driving it. What I don't get is how this get's a pass?? Never once mentioned price of the car. It is what it is. I am not buying this as a show piece, but my expectation is that is not look like crap off the showroom floor and I personally think what is being demonstrated in the photos looks terrible.

 

[Jameson's Viggen]

Let me also say, I had two CT4s a week apart. 1 was my wife's, 1 my blackwing, same color, same factory.

I spent nearly $3k on PPF and ceramic/paint correction on my car. Hers, just had dealer prep/detail/free. Her car looks completely fine. Have I had it under the harsh LEDs of my garage to inspect every millimeter like I did with my Blackwing, no. But cars that sat in Lansing clean up quite well. It's not all doom and gloom.

 

[Mike Martz]

You guys need to temper your expectations

The 5BW is sprayed on the same line that all the other CT5 are which if anyone forgets, is a $37k car. Which is the same price BMW charges for their 2 series. Not only that but if any of you have sat in a base model CT4 or CT5 and then sat in various competitors cars that cost the same...you'll quickly realize the $34k CT4 and $37k CT5 are over priced.

You have to take them for what they are, low 30K cars that have 30-70k worth of performance parts and R&D put into them. There's nothing wrong with that but it's what it is.

I am sorry but this argument, which I have seen repeatedly, simply doesn't hold water. Either you have a world class paint process or you don't. An Audi S4 or RS4 goes into the same paint process as an A4 and that holds true for all the Audi line. Audi does the same thing as Cadillac, takes a base model and adds thousands of dollars of performance upgrades to create a S or RS version. But a $35K A3 has the same quality paint as an $120k RS6 Avant because Audi has developed a great process. Having said that, my plan is to take my 5BW, when I get it (delayed), and go straight to my detailer for paint correction.
Doesn't mean I will not love the car but as others have said, if GM wants to take on the Germans, on a consistent basis, they have to improve their paint and other QC processes.

 

[shbox]

Not giving me the warm and fuzzies since my car has been built and sitting in the lot since January 25th. Not sure how I am going to feel if it shows up like this. I get it....no such thing as a perfect car, but the cars in those pictures look beat. Hoping Rift is a little forgiving but yikes.

The paint on my regular V Rift looks pretty good. It was built February 25th. I have not found any drips, orange peel or overspray. The light color probably makes defects harder to see. I fixed a slightly misaligned door and polished out a few scuffs on the front splitter that looked like they were attaching points for some protection that was slapped on it.