Cars Most Likely to Have Paint Problems 

Paint problems are often isolated to a single model year, underscoring the importance of doing research when shopping for a used car. Knowing what to look for can inform inspections and may steer you to other models or model years. 

“Paint problems are sometimes associated with the first year for a new or redesigned car,” says Steven Elek, Consumer Reports’ program leader for auto data analytics. “This underscores our standing advice to approach a vehicle’s first model year with caution.”

As with all reliability issues, it’s important to understand that specific anecdotes can be interesting, but trends matter most. Bearing that in mind, we also recommend that used-car shoppers search for brand- or model-specific online forums for further owner experiences. 

For instance, the previous-generation Hyundai Sonata didn’t show up in our last analysis. At the time, we saw numerous complaints online about peeling paint on white sedans in particular. Since then, it has stood out in our surveys, and Hyundai has informed dealers about how to address the problem. Such insights could influence how you inspect cars and might make other colors seem a bit more appealing. 

The good news, at least, is that paint problems won’t leave you stranded like other defects. But when paint issues occur outside of the warranty period, they can lead to unplanned repairs because you don’t want to risk a small problem spreading and exposing bare metal to the elements and inviting rust. 

“Unfortunately, when it comes to paint-related items, repairs need to be done by a professional, and the work is often expensive if you have to pay out of pocket,” says John Ibbotson, Consumer Reports’ chief mechanic. He recommends addressing them as they arise because paint problems can spread and become increasingly expensive to fix. 

There are many factors to consider when choosing a used car to buy, with reliability being chief among them. By looking at Consumer Reports’ reliability ratings, you can see how cars compare with their peers. There’s an overall reliability rating as well as ratings for up to 20 trouble spots. These reveal where problems are more likely to be expensive and debilitating. The ratings can serve as a warning that owners should be especially vigilant to reduce any potential repair costs and vehicle downtime.

Consumer Reports’ reliability data can be found on the car model pages under the Reliability tab, where you see detailed insights. 

The 10 highlighted models are presented below in rank order, starting with the one with the greatest paint-related problem rate among CR members. Most are older models that are beyond their warranty period. 

We show the model year with the greatest problems (and when applicable, a range of years affected by this problem). Plus, when available, we share owner comments submitted to CR. 

Where possible, we included a link to related technical service bulletins (TSBs)—documents from the automaker that advise dealerships on how to address paint problems on that model.