Toyota Owners in the Great White North Finally Get Their White Paint

A friend once had a ’94 Olds 88 with delaminating paint, souring the Olds ownership experience and causing him to pine for his recently departed ’86 model. The newer model’s hood and trunk lid looked like hell, but at least he wasn’t alone in his misery (there were a lot of peeling 1990s GM cars on the road at the time).

Toyota owners, on the other hand, are used to bragging about their vehicles’ longevity, dependability, and solid resale value, making issues like peeling paint a black eye in an otherwise wholesome relationship. It’s worth noting that they’re among the most loyal customers on the market.

These owners will be happy to hear the automaker plans to cover the cost of applying a whiter shade of pale to the exterior of their older Toyota models.

Yes, Toyota Canada customers were not included in the U.S. customer support program announced by the automaker last year, a make-nice effort that covered a slew of older models that arrived from the factory with Blizzard Pearl or Super White paint — a shade that now covers significantly less surface area on the same number of vehicles.

As reported by CBC, Toyota Canada will now offer a “warranty enhancement program” covering white Toyotas dating back to the 2008 model year.

The country’s public broadcaster shed light on the issue two years ago, detailing one 2011 RAV4 owner’s attempt to get the company to fix her rapidly delaminating CUV. Obviously the model’s warranty was long gone by that point, something Toyota cited as the reason for turning down a gratis paint job. That left the Nova Scotia owner steamed — and the RAV4 with a meter-square section of primer exposed on its rear quarter panel.

Other owners of older Toyotas picked up the protest torch. Among them, a Prince Edward Island resident who owned a 2009 RAV4 sporting a paint job more closely resembling a patchwork quilt… or perhaps a chessboard.

From CBC:

The letter to affected customers said: “The covered condition may occur when sunlight over time degrades the adhesion between the factory-applied paint primer coat layer and the base metal electrodeposition layer causing the paint to peel from the metal body part.”

It said if the condition is verified, the specific panel that is peeling will be repainted.

The program is broken into two parts. The primary coverage is in effect until Feb. 9, 2022, with no year or mileage limits. The secondary coverage kicks in after the primary coverage expires and is good for 10 years from the date the vehicle was first licensed, regardless of mileage.

Damage caused by collisions, deep rock chips, dents and deep scratches will not be covered and must be repaired before a panel is repainted.

Covered under the extended paint warranty are a slew of vehicles: the 2010-2015 4Runner, 2008-2017 Camry, Avalon, and RAV4, 2009-2018 Corolla, 2012-2015 Scion iQ, and 2011-2015 Scion xB. Those who paid out of pocket for a paint job could see compensation from their dealer.

Toyota rolled out a repainting effort in the United States for the same vehicles last September, leaving Canadian customers wondering when, or if, they might see a similar program.

Obviously, the owners first contacted by the outlet were happy to hear of the warranty, though criticism of the delay was apparent. Still, it seems, at least in one case, to have had the desired effect.

“If they do come through on this, I will remain a loyal Toyota owner for my next purchase,” said Jay Willyard, owner of the two-tone ’09 RAV4.

[Image: Toyota]