Clear Coat Fade

I've been doing a lot of reading here on the topic of clear coat fading. We are progressing in our research prior to finding our desired Tundra, and I'm trying to determine the level of routine maintenance to be prepared for. Several questions: Is this problem any different, more frequent, higher incidence than similar issues with GM or Dodge? Is it something that occurs in recent model years, Gen 2.5 or newer, or is it primarily in older model years? Does routine waxing/sealing/ceramic coat application prevent it or slow its onset? My reading makes me believe that it isn't much different than other manufacturers' products and that application of wax/sealants/coatings tends to prevent it. Am I wrong in my conclusion?

 

I recently purchased mine and it will be parked 100% outside in the AZ sun.

Usually ceramic coating is your best bet. However if you're planning on doing off roading I've read a ceramic coating is a waste of money since it'll get wrecked (scratches, pinstripes, etc.).

A wash once/twice a month to remove bugs and bird droppings with a wax or sealant works too.

 

@glassJAW Thanks for your response--and WELCOME!! Weekly wash and ceramic coating are my routine. Just wondering if that was sufficient to prevent the fading that I have read about. Both of us are retired so vehicle won't be outside except when being driven. Off road excursions will be limited to outings when we visit family in Utah. Thanks again.

 

Did ceramic coating on mine back in Sept 2022, dealership washed it once about a month ago...

No fading yet, looks brand new

 

I made friends with a guy who did body work years ago. We ended up building a show car together and he taught me a lot about paint and bodywork. From what I’ve learned, you’re dealing with two issues here.

The first issue is color. Look at any red car that has been on the road a bit and I promise you will see clearcoat issues, if not early signs of some. Remember that color is the illusion of refracted/absorbed lights, so different colors correlate to different levels of light exposure. Because of the color/toners in red, this leads to issues with UV rays that almost always result in eventual clearcoat failure. I also notice this on navy-blue-ish Toyotas too. White seems to fair the best.

The second issue is thickness. Paint and clearcoat thickness have notoriously been thinner on Toyota than many other manufacturers. I guess it’s an example of saving a $1 on a million cars makes you a million dollars.

so how do you fix this? Well… you kind of can and can’t. Some factors we can control; keep the paint free of contaminates, use quality wash products and hand wash, keep the car out of direct sunlight as much as possible, no aggressive polishing, carefully wax, and so on. Acid rain is a reality we can’t control unless the car lives in the garage all the time. Ultimately you can only do so much for so long. I live in NC and see 10 year old cars with clearcoat/paint flaking off on my drive to work on the daily, but they were likely very neglected.

 

@Reissue Thanks for that info; gives me a better understanding. Particularly enlightening was the info regarding Toyota paint thickness; means that I'm going to have to be more conscientious and regular in caring for the paint and keeping it "nourished" with waxes/sealings/coatings in order to keep it "alive"! Thanks again!