The excitement of owning a new car wore off for one Miami man. Alan Kwoczka reached out to NBC 6 Responds after noticing the "Ebony Twilight" paint on his 2016 Buick Verano started to fade.
"Well the whole hood is fading. The clear coat seems to be dissolving for some reason," Kwoczka said.
In March, Kwoczka took the car to the dealership where he bought it and also to Buick's customer assistance center. He says he was told a representative with Buick's parent company, General Motors, would take a look at it. Soon after, he says he was told his paint issue was not covered under the warranty, but says he was never told why.
"This is very disturbing if the car is only 2-and-a-half years old, and with only 11,000 miles on it. This should have never happened," Kwoczka said.
Alan called NBC 6 Responds looking for answers.
We found other Buick owners complaining about similar issues online. An owner of a 2013 Buick Verano stated in part, "The paint on the hood and roof is fading. It's Ebony Twillight Metallic." Another owner posted that "within two years of owning this vehicle, we noticed what appeared to be paint looking dull on the hood, roof, and trunk lid."
When we reached out to Buick about Alan's issue, a representative sent us the following statement.
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"On 4/3/19 the customer's car was inspected by a GM representative who confirmed the discoloration on this vehicle appears to be caused by some form of chemical applicant, which is not covered under warranty. As a goodwill measure, we offered to cover 10% of the repair. Customer accepted the 10% discount and advised that he will take the vehicle back to Lorenzo Buick GMC on 4/8. We have been trying to close out the case with the customer but have received no answer to calls or emails since 4/8. Customers with concerns should also contact our Customer Care department. They can simply google 'General Motors Customer Service' and the phone number pops right up, or go to this website. Additionally, customers with an active OnStar account can push the blue button on the rearview mirror in their vehicle and contact us that way."
We also asked Buick for clarification on what may have caused the "discoloration" and we received the following statement.
"Our view is that the vehicle was exposed to a chemical applicant out in the real world after it was in the customer's possession. Because of this, we're viewing the case as a one-off situation and not something that would be common to other customers. Today I confirmed our customer care team was able to speak to the customer on 4/11 and he intends to take the car to his Buick dealership for repairs with our 10 percent cost support."
"I had other cars for 10-14 years and the paint never faded," Kwoczka said.
General Motors did not confirm if they have received any other similar complaints from Buick Verano owners about fading paint.
Kwoczka tells us he does not plan on taking General Motors up on their offer of a 10 percent discount. He says he can get a better deal on a paint job somewhere else.
