Your Questions Answered: why does paint fade more these days?

In this edition of Your Questions Answered, Robbo looks at the updated sub-$30K BYD Dolphin and gives some insight into why paintwork fades.

He also looks through the glass – the windscreen glass, that is – and has some sobering news about an old Mercedes S-Class.

Got an automotive question but you don’t know where to find the information you need? Never fear, email us here at editor@carsales.com.au

Question:

Answer: Hi mate, thanks for the praise! No more to add to the story above, sadly; it’s a pretty early get in terms of info direct from the source in China, and right now a timeline of late in 2026 would make sense in that regard.

In terms of price increases, it comes down to spec levels, exchange rates, freight costs and the price of eggs in a fish market… so it’s almost impossible to predict what changes will be made.

It wouldn’t be a bad guess to bank on a minimal change, though, given the price-led fight it’s currently waging against the likes of the the MG4 and the GWM Ora.

Question: Paint fade is so common on used cars nowadays. I'm wondering what has changed over the years to make it so common.

Do manufacturers use less paint when they make cars or has car paint quality vastly reduced? - Rozie

Answer: Hey Rozie, bit of a loaded question there! It depends if you’re talking about fade, or clearcoat damage, or a combo of both. Then you have metal versus plastic panels (like bumpers), particular colours… there’s a bit to it.

In a nutshell, UV light is the thing that kills paint, and not all paints are created equal. Primary colours like red and yellow use pigments that are not as stable as white or black, which means they will likely break down more quickly.

Clearcoat damage – that white edged stuff you see on the roof of older cars – is usually the result of a lack of care over a long period. UV, dirt, dust and debris, if not removed, basically scour the protective layer away and expose the raw paint, which speeds up damage.

Then there’s fade on plastic bumpers versus metal panels, which happens a lot when primer and prep isn’t done correctly, resulting in a finish that may look slightly different after a few years of exposure.

Does a car today have less paint per panel than older cars? Perhaps, but I bet that it’s much more efficiently applied via robots that can read paint depth in microns. And the carmaker can’t afford to have the paintwork fail, or it’s up for a lot of warranty recalls.

Question: Are modern vehicle windscreens as poor quality as they seem?

Both the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson that I’ve looked at lately have under 40,000km on them but both have fine scratches all over the windscreen that is only a problem when the sun hits it.

Is it the Australian dust leaving a fine grain grind on the glass, or is another example of the cheaper parts going on cheaper cars?

My last vehicle was a 2018 Toyota RAV4 and it did not have these issues with its windscreen. - Paul

Answer: Hey Paul, interesting question. Depending on where you live, how often wiper blades are changed out and how often it rains are all elements that can absolutely affect glass in a negative way.

All windscreens have to be made of laminated glass, which is two panes separated by a transparent laminate that prevents the glass from shattering.

As I understand it, one piece of auto glass isn’t ‘softer’ than another, but if it’s constantly abraded and exposed to the elements, it will develop small pits and indentations. There’s also the potential for contaminants to bond themselves to the glass.

One old trick is to use a liquid metal polish on the glass to remove that embedded junk – and keeping your wiper blades in good nick is another great preventative measure.

Question: My wife was given her 93yo father’s Mercedes 2016 E-Class last year with 32,000km on the clock.

She has done 10,000km in a year and it now shows 42,000km.

Our problem is that the ESP module needs replacing, as we have experienced intermittent braking whilst driving.

The car has only been serviced by Mercedes; however, they want to charge $10,000 to replace the module. Is there anything I can do to see if Mercedes will come to the party for such a low-kilometre car? – Anthony

Answer: Hi Anthony, unfortunately I don’t have good news for you. The sad fact of it is that the car is now seven years out of warranty whichever way you cut it, and being an S-Class, it’s never going to be a cheap car to fix.

It’s often said it’s not miles but age that kills cars; if it had 420,000km on it, the module may have still failed at the same time.

It might be worth looking for a European vehicle specialist outside the Mercedes dealer network in your area who can source a used module, which could go a long way towards lowering the cost of repair. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.

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