I have a 2001 Spyder Eclipse and the paint is fading on the hood and trunk. The guy at MAACO said this is typical for the 3rd generation Spyders (2000 - 2006). Has anyone been able to get Mitsubishi to do anything? Sounds like a defect to me.

My 2000 eclipse's paint is in great shape.
Even if its a defect in the paint its well past the warranty

people have reported this defect in the paint and Mitsubishi has replied and trust me i am paraphrasing this because of how we have all felt about their response but they have said, "go to hell and deal with it" However, do not under any circumstance take your car for a repaint to MAACO. you'll be wanting or needing a new paint job within 2 years anyways even with their top of the line paint jobs. i have a friend who paid MAACO $800 for their best service paint job on his car and 5 months after the warranty expired his paint started to crack and peel off.

you will hear nothing but horror stories about MAACO no matter where you look. if you decide to get your paint fixed or your car re-painted altogether take it to a local body shop that is known for good paint jobs. a simple visit to the local drag strip and asking around will easily get you information to a good one. Granted it seems like a good idea to get a nice paint job with sparkle paint or pearlescent paint for $800 from MAACO, but when it only lasts 18 months you will be punching yourself in the face because you didn't just go with just a straight gloss paint from a body shop that will make your paint job last 10 years. IMHO a a regular gloss paint job is easier to take care of than sparkle or pearlescent paint jobs anyways. cheaper to have touched up and matched if you need some deep scratches fixed.

Yup its very common on the 3G.. but alot more common on the black ones. Is yours black?
MAACO sucks.
Mitsubishi wont deal with it, its been discussed 10 million times.

Absolutely no problem on my Silver 2001 Spyder GS built at the USA Aurora Illinois plant. Maybe it's a specific paint color, drying process, or paint additive/coating for certain production runs. I can think of two older white GM cars I pass parked in my neighboorhood going to work where I see them peeling all over down to the primer and wonder how the he** could that not be a manufacturing problem.

Mine is also silver. It was built in Ohio if I remember correctly

Mitsubishi will never do anything about this problem. Either live with bad paint or go somewhere and have it taken care of.

Perhaps a little off topic, but the info applies nonetheless.

The paint on the body kit (front bumper, side skirts, back bumper, all OEM) of my 2003 Lancer OZ started peeling a month after I got it. A year later, I drive up to the dealership and tell them how poor the quality is and how unacceptable it is that the paint on my brand new car is of such poor quality and peeling already. A little persuasion got me a new paint job altogether. Free.

Maybe some people aren't sweet talking the manager, threatening no more business or perhaps calling the local news station. That always gets them. Threaten to call the news because "you know lots of people with the same problem and they'll back you up with visual proof at the news station"

That is, as a last resort and only if they get rude might I add. A poor review on the local TV station will mess them up bad and they sure as hell don't want that lol.

And the news station is always happy to put dirt out on someone.

Yea that's a last resort. And i wouldn't let Mitsubishi repaint it anyways. Cause they're the people that did a terrible paint job in the first place so what's gonna stop them from just doing the same paint job as before? i would just have Maaco do their cheapest paint job because it's better than a Mitsubishi crappy paintjob. That's my opinion anyways.

Well, the local dealership actually contracted a body shop to paint the car. They did a nice, BC/CC job AND gave me a rental car to boot. The rental car? Well it was a white 2003 Lancer LS from Enterprise. Made me appreciate the OZ trim even more.

Well then you got a good deal. I wouldn't even worry about when it happened to my car cause I would only blame myself for buying a mitsubishi. LOL.

I have a 2004 Black Mitsubishi Endeavor and the car paint began fading in the 4th year of possession. Now, 6 years later, the car has white patches all over the hood and the roof of the car. Mitsubishi Corporate pretty much told me to go "stuff myself" ... their exact words were ... "we release ourselves off all responsibility, once the car is out of warranty".

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