Paint discolor! Help!

[enzoshadow]

Hello everyone!
My baby Solara has three spot that is discolor on the hood. They looked like dirty watermark (about 1 inch in diameter each), so I didn't make a big deal out of it, but when I decided to wash my car. The mark didn't come off. I washed it with clay bar, but it didn't get any better. When I touch it or scratch it with nail, but the suface is as smooth as any other nondefective place. I figure it is the paint discolor, so I took it to Toyota dealer, and hope they will fix it for me. The dealer said it is something caused by exterior, and wouldn't fix it for me. He said it's possible like a bird poop drop on it and the acid eat off the paint, which was the most ridiculas thing I ever heared in my entire life. I have 3 cars at home (2000 Honda Accord, 2000 Acura TL, and 2005 Solara), and non of those two car's paint got eat off by bird poof or anything. Infact, both of my older car's paint still looks like brand new just the way I got it. On the other hand, the paint on my Solara has many light scratches (by my microfiber tower from Costco O_o), and many small chips (from those mini rock flying around on the freeway). I've always been a Honda lover, but I finally want to give Toyota a try after hearing so many good things, but the Torrance Toyota had given me some of the worst experience in myh entire life. One time, when I want to fix my TSB problem. The dealer printed out a 250$ maintnance fee and wanted me to sign for it without my permission (It was still 4000 miles away from my maintnace miles). And they never ever wash my car for me, while Honda and Acura always does. Now I am not trying to be a Toyota basher or anything. I want to enjoy my car like all of you, but I think they are mistreating their costumers because they think their #1. Anyway, sorry about all this complaint, but I've been holding it ever since I bought this car.
Can you guys give me some suggestion about the paint? Should I go and yell at the dealer this time (I've been wanting to do this for a while, but I didn't want to be a jerk)?
By the way, I always takes good care of my car. I never wash it under sun light, and I wax it with Ziano.

Thank you guys so much in advace. Any input will be extremly helpful

[onefiend]

Might have been tree sap or bird doo doo. That sux man.

Your local Toyota Dealership is giving you alot of hassle & problems, try and take it to another dealer if you can and see if you get better service. I use to have a crappy experience with Northridge Toyota and I just decided to go elsewhere and found better customer service over at Hamer Toyota.

Also I suggest calling the Customer Experience Center and just tell them your story with the car and the dealership 800-331-4331. By calling this number you are dealing with Toyota Motor Sales of America and not a Dealership.

If you do decide to go to another dealership try and keep your cool and let them know your problems, hopefully they will treat you better than Torrance Toyota.

[MCOjerry]

I have had past cars get spots on them from bird crap. Unfortunately, birds can do that...and depending on what they eat, it can be something that happens fast. Sometimes, getting it off in 24 hours doesn't help. You shold try living in Florida during love bug season (twice/year). They have VERY acidic bodies, and if you don't get them off youur car in 24 hours, they eat through your paint. Funny thing is, they were imported from Japan (I think), to control some other kind of bug, and ended up being worse. All they do is F C U K and die...literally.

You could try to take it somewhere else (another paint shop), to see if they can tell you if it was some act of nature, or a paint defect. I have a friend with an 05 Honda Accord. The paint is peeling off her car, so you can't judge Toyota by this. Pain defects happen, you just have to find out if it nature or bad paint.

Regarding Honda and Acura washing your car...Toyota doesn't wash my car either. That's more of a dealership perk. I had two Saturns before, and Saturn used to wash your car when you brought it in for service. Not many dealerships out there give that kind of service anymore. They don't have to because they have more business that they can handle. My Toyota dealership (service dept.) is open 7 days a week, from like 7am to 10pm and it's ALWAYS busy, no matter when you go. They don't need to give those perks to keep people coming in because there are so many Toyotas out there...

[linmk2]

Having worked for in dealerships before, I can attest to the fact that bird droppings can destroy paint. Such occuarances are not covered by the car's warranty. As to the washing, that is all up to the dealership. At the Toyota dealership I worked for, we never washed the cars. The Acura store, we did. Acura, in a nice way, asked that its dealers to do that. Honda considers it's Acura division a luxury line and should treat its customers with special care. I bet Toyota asks its Lexus dealers to do the same.

[mikee7]

enzoshadow, I have also experienced the marks on my paint and did the clay bar, etc without removing the mark. I just live with it and don't worry about but I do keep the car as clean as possible and it sits outside all the time. Suggestion on the dealership issue, since you live in South Bay go try Manhattan Beach Toyota and talk with the Service Manager about the problem you had with the other dealership and let him explain what they will do for you. The dealersship I go to is in Rancho Santa Margarita and they a great job for me and always wash my car before giving it back to me. But as it was previsously stated, this is a perk of the dealership.

I have also owned Honda's and Toyota's and love their cars. Dealerships can make or break the cars reputation but don't let that keep you from enjoying the quality of each vehicle. You can always find a "lemon" in every manufactures lot but that should not sour your like or dislike for a vehicle with such high quality compared to American manufactures.

[MCOjerry]

Enzoshadow, what color is your car. After Mikee7's post, i was reminded of a car I had in the past. it was red, and I had tons of trouble with the paint. is your car red? I see Mikee7's is. Red paint is not very good here in Florida...perhaps red is just easy to damage????

[enzoshadow]

Hi!
Thank you guys so much for your response. I guess it is my fault to let my car sit on the outside then. I didn't know bird's puppy and tree sap can do this much damage to our paint. At least I learned my lesson, and I will be more careful with my next car. Those of you who don't know the dangerous of bird's puppy. I hope you guys can learn from my lesson, and wash the dirt off ASAP.
Reply to MCOjerry : My car is black. I guess black paint probabily have more issues, consider black cars get dirty more easily (not literally of course).

As of the car wash, it's not that I really care if my car's been washed or not. It just for some reason, I feel more respected as a customer when they washed my car.

By the way, is there any product I can use to at least make it a little better?