I’ve had my brand new RAV4 Hybrid for a month, and the trim is already looking faded and bleached. I got it ceramic coated two weeks ago and purchased a car wash package. I’ve been through the car wash three times. Could it be the chemicals they’re using? Why is this happening so fast? I’m really bummed since this is my first new car and it already looks like this.
You should try Mother’s Back to Black trim and plastic restorer. It should help with this issue.
Poe said:
You should try Mother’s Back to Black trim and plastic restorer. It should help with this issue.
I know there are products I can use, but this car was made less than two months ago. I might take it in under warranty because this is happening way too soon.
@ToyotaTalker
They won’t replace your plastic with something special for complaints. Just get the Back to Black.
Frey said:
@ToyotaTalker
They won’t replace your plastic with something special for complaints. Just get the Back to Black.
Thanks for the tip.
I think wax can cause that issue with plastic, or some other chemicals might be at play. It’s definitely not normal unless chemicals are involved.
That doesn’t sound normal. The fading in patches could be from the chemicals used in the car wash. Touchless car washes often use harsh chemicals, but the ceramic coating should protect it.
Hart said:
That doesn’t sound normal. The fading in patches could be from the chemicals used in the car wash. Touchless car washes often use harsh chemicals, but the ceramic coating should protect it.
I don’t think the ceramic coating touches the plastic—only the paint. I’ve only taken it through the car wash three times, so this is strange!
@ToyotaTalker
You can ceramic coat the trim too. If that’s the case, look into the car wash chemicals—they might be using a wax at the end, which could stain the trim. If it’s wax, clay can remove it.
It looks like there might be wax residue. They probably waxed the car without properly ceramic coating it. Unless you paid $600-$1000, I doubt it was truly ceramic coated. Harsh chemicals in automatic car washes can also be an issue. They use strong alkaline and acidic detergents that dissolve dirt but also remove wax and etch clear coats. Waxes can handle some chemicals, but not the harsh ones in car washes. Try using a pencil eraser to see if that helps remove the residue. If that doesn’t work, you’ll need a trim restorer to bring back the color.
@Kel
It was definitely a legitimate ceramic coating. I waited a week after coating to wash it. This issue just came up this week. I’m leaning towards it being wax residue, so I’ll try to remove it and see what happens.
@ToyotaTalker
Most modern synthetic waxes and sealants also need a cure time, so that doesn’t guarantee it was an actual coating. I recommend contacting the detailer to find out what products they used. If they polished the vehicle first, that could easily lead to polishing residue on the plastic flares, which might permanently stain them.
@Kel
I know the detailer well and her business has a great reputation. It’s definitely a real ceramic coating, and it was polished. I got the coating three weeks ago, and this residue only appeared in the last week, coinciding with the car washes. If it had been from the coating process, I feel like I would have noticed it sooner.
@ToyotaTalker
Not necessarily. If it is polishing residue, it might take time to oxidize from UV exposure before you see it turn white. That could take a few weeks. It really looks like polishing residue from their pad, with those circular marks showing where the polisher brushed against something.
@Kel
Interesting. I’ll take a closer look tomorrow and ask her if she protected the trim while polishing.
