So I was polishing the car today and noticed what first looked like some kind of a dirt line on the hatch of the Vette. It's not a scratch, it looks more like a crack in the surface, but there's no chips or anything. No idea how this could happened.
Sorry for the crappy picture, as I just took it in the middle of the night in the garage. Will try to get better pictures in daylight, but for now this is all I have.
It's about a 4in "crack" in the surface of the paint, although it almost feels like it's below the clear as you can't really feel the "crack" or split or whatever you want to call it. It's almost like a ridge or something along those lines that's raised up from the surface of the panel. Again, no clue how it got there, I just know it wasn't there a couple days ago and it's there now...
How would one go about fixing something like this? I'm really hoping this isn't going to require repainting the whole dame rear deck, but I'm taking a guess this isn't just something that can be an easy fix or buff.
My dad thought this might be some kind of "flaw" or "defect" I could try to get repaired under warranty, but I don't know about that.
Looks like the body panel is cracked underneath. I know that there is usually a gap between the outer hatch panel and the inside hatch panel as I have felt mine flex when I bear down too hard with my polisher. Looks almost like someone jumped up on the back of the car or the hatch maybe got slammed real hard?
Looks like the body panel is cracked underneath. I know that there is usually a gap between the outer hatch panel and the inside hatch panel as I have felt mine flex when I bear down too hard with my polisher. Looks almost like someone jumped up on the back of the car or the hatch maybe got slammed real hard?
That's what I was thinking this morning. I opened the hatch and looked at it, and noticed that it's right about where the inside panel is. I wonder if someone hopped on it while parked somewhere or if it happening while closing it one day. I never slam it or anything so who knows.
Either way it sucks. I have no idea how that could be repaired...
it almost looks as if someone had dropped something on it and cracked the under panel. This panel is a polycarbonate and usually shatters not dent unless a stress crack. Can you pull the back plastic paneling and see if the crease is apparent from underneath as if something popped up while in the hatch and did the same thing ?? Otherwise its a defect of some sort ...
looks like a stress crack will have to be grounded out and filled no easy fix and repainted
looks about in the same spot as allenk zo6 while at a car show some numb nuts father picked up his kid and plopped his a$$ down on his back lid to tie his shoes %%^^%&$ needless to say Allen went nuts you could see it right away looked like what you have....special needs kid about 50/60 pounds ,lol kid was smarter then his old man cost him 385$ for the repairs he did pay good luck
Hmmm, thinking about it I wonder if someone decided to try to make the car alarm go off by hopping on the back end of the car. I know people do that kind of crap. I've seen people that do that for giggles.
I bet someone wanted to make the alarm go off so they probably pushed down on the rear deck area and pushed down trying to do so.
Wouldn't be to quick to blame someone else for the problem. Do a search on google "stress crack in paint corvette or body stress crack corvette" and you will find that you are not alone.
It's the only spot something like this is showing up. I noticed it the other day when detailing the car and I know it wasn't there a week ago when I did the same.
Went to the dealer today and had them look at it. They basically told me I was out of luck and out of warranty since it's an 06 and its now 09.
They looked up the part and it would be $875 to replace, plus paint/labor. Awesome.
I'm going to check out a few local body shops and see if anyone can just repair it. The dealer acted like it wasn't something you could repair and it has to be replaced.
I NEVER drive this car hard, it's a daily driver, but I work at home so I don't take it out much and when I do I'm not someone who punches it or anything. I drive it like a normal car. Pretty sad if a car that costs this much falls apart after 3 years because it can't handle normal day to day driving and the torque it would manager in general driving.
It's the only spot something like this is showing up. I noticed it the other day when detailing the car and I know it wasn't there a week ago when I did the same.
Went to the dealer today and had them look at it. They basically told me I was out of luck and out of warranty since it's an 06 and its now 09.
They looked up the part and it would be $875 to replace, plus paint/labor. Awesome.
I'm going to check out a few local body shops and see if anyone can just repair it. The dealer acted like it wasn't something you could repair and it has to be replaced.
I NEVER drive this car hard, it's a daily driver, but I work at home so I don't take it out much and when I do I'm not someone who punches it or anything. I drive it like a normal car. Pretty sad if a car that costs this much falls apart after 3 years because it can't handle normal day to day driving and the torque it would manager in general driving.
Three years? Hardly driven? Seems like it would still be under warranty? Either way, I would go above the dealer's head to GM. Make a stink. Tell them the entire Corvette Forum is mystified that something like this would happen, and they're all waiting to see if GM is going to make good on this.
Three years? Hardly driven? Seems like it would still be under warranty? Either way, I would go above the dealer's head to GM. Make a stink. Tell them the entire Corvette Forum is mystified that something like this would happen, and they're all waiting to see if GM is going to make good on this.
Worth a try.
I sent GM an email with a picture and description of what the issue is. Fingers crossed, but not holding my breath. I can also try giving them a call but their phone system isn't open on Sunday.
Tomorrow I'm going to stop by a local body shop that is highly recommended and see what they have to say just as an option.
I had a paint blistering problem appear across the back of my 2001 after about 5 years (a known problem), but the same panel. In order to fix that, the dealership had to replace/repaint the entire rear deck. They had to remove the back window, split the bonded outer and inner skins apart, replace the outer skin, rebond to inner skin, paint outer skin and re-paint inner skin and re-insert glass (which also has to sit 3 days without any movement before the car can be released). It was in the shop for 3 weeks.
In the good ol' days I could have just repaired the fiberglass myself - no big deal, but I am lost on how to fix this Polycarbonate? Dealership ALWAYS REPLACES the entire panels.
Took it to a good shop nearby and they gave me a quote of $736.
That included taking apart the rear panel to remove the weatherstrip and glass so they could paint it completely.
That $736 did include some things such as matching the paint and possibly having to blend the paint from the quarter panel so there was no noticable difference in the colors. They said if they were able to match the paint well enough they might be able to get away without having to do that so it would cost a couple hundred less.
But they said they wanted to quote the "full" price if they had to go the whole route of everything they could forsee.
They also said because they'd want to be sure to get around the edges of the quarter panels, they'd need to loosen up the rear section because the gap between the two is so small. They said if they didn't go all the way to the curved edge of the panels it would risk separation down the road.
Everything they said seemed to make sense.
They said my paint looked like it was in great condition and they could tell it doesn't sit outside because they said it didn't appear to have much UV damage and that it looked brand new. I told them it's in the garage most of the time and I work from home so sometimes it doesn't even get driven daily. And when it does, it's not far.
So essentially it sounded like it would be at least a $500 job between taking the rear deck panel apart from the window so they could repair and paint it without getting any paint on anything else.
Then the extra couple hundred would be if they had to go the extra route of blending the color they come up with for the deck with the quarter panel depending on how close to the actual color it would be.
I think I'm just going to live with it for a while. I really don't have $500-700 to toss down right now, specially with our first kid due in a month!
If I ever have some extra $$ lying around I'll probably go about getting it done.
They also said it didn't seem like a stress crack and that it was more than likely due to someone sitting on it, pushing on it or putting something on it. Which is what I suspected. They also said they didn't think it would get any worse, so it wasn't something I have no choice but to fix at this point.
Both the dealers and GM said I had to replace the deck, which would cost $875 plus paint/labor so that's not going to happen.
At least I know if I do go the full route it will cost less then replacing the part.
I'd just keep my fingers crossed they were able to match the paint to the point where it matches the rest of the car without any need for blending.
Corvette Store
HELP! Some kind of surface crack...
will have to be grounded out and filled no easy fix and repainted 
cost him 385$ for the repairs he did pay good luck
