Bumper color difference on new QX56's

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carnut

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Hello, just bought a new 2012 Liquid Platinum QX. After driving it for just a day, I have noticed that there is a slight difference in the color of the front and rear bumper covers compared to the rest of the truck. This is not seen when in the garage due to the low light, but as soon as the right light reflects off the bumpers it is seen.

I phoned the dealership, and they said it is due to the bumpers being a plastic compound and the rest of the car metal. The service manager said the reason for the color difference is due to the fact that infiniti adds a flex additive to their bumpers (rear and front), to help prevent it from cracking on impact which causes the bumpers to have a different "tinted" color. This color difference is seen on all colors except black according to him.

He has offered to have me bring the truck up to the dealership and swap a different bumper cover with another new one if the color match is better, or repaint the front and rear covers.

I really would rather not paint these bumper covers...does anyone have any other ideas and has anyone also noticed this?

Thank you in advance.
 
I have a 2011 same color and do not notice any color difference. Did the dealer say if this problem is related to 2012 or all years? If it bugs you that much and they are offering to swap or repaint the bumpers at no charge you should consider it. Do you have any pictures showing the color difference? Thanks
 
I believe it's on all 2011 and newer trucks. Look again...u can notice it in brighter light and at dusk. Look at it from different angles and it can be seen. Maybe mine is more so than others, but I will admit, I am very disappointed with this. It takes a lot of hard work to be able to afford this vehicle and I thought by purchasing new, it would be perfect.
 
ive got a 12 all black and dont notice any differences. bright light, dim light, harsh car wash bay light...
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Yes, I do remember seeing the color variation on the 2011 and 2012 models. Probably the best thing to do is to take your dealer up on the offer to swap out the bumper from another QX if it matches better. The color difference should only be slight.
 
I've done more research online, and this seems to be an issue with other manufacturers as well. From what I have read, it has a lot to do with the flex additive they put on the painted bumpers, and is seen most on the white and silver colors. The bumpers are painted at a different location from the rest of the car as well.

You will not see this difference in the black or dark currant colors.
 
It finally stopped raining here in the "not so great northwest" so I washed and detailed the QX today.

Could be wrong on this, but I believe the front fenders are plastic, not metal. Sure sounded like it to me when I tapped on them.

But then by that time I had a 6 pack of Great White in me, so I could be mistaken.
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They r plastic, both front and rear. Did u notice a difference in color? How was the beer?
 
carnut said:
They r plastic, both front and rear. Did u notice a difference in color? How was the beer?
Click to expand...

Beer was/is great.

I really like the wheat beers, and Great White is one of my favorites.

What I was driving at is that all the plastic components should be the same I would think.
 
Carnut, isn't the flex additive an option for a fee when you buy a new QX56? I remember reading somewhere on this forum or another forum that somebody paid $900 to get it.
 
No, it's standard.

My wife has a white one, and I can see it on her vehicle now as well. I just bought a second one for myself and notice more since I drive it everyday. My wife does not notice it, but She wouldn't. I haven't mentioned it to her either...she lives that truck.

I'm going up to the dealer this weekend and may take him up on the bumper swap. We'll see.
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I have a white 2011 and have noticed it also. Not sure if it is the flex additive or not but I do know the bumpers are painted at a different location than the rest of the vehicle. Not too much of an issue unless one of my buds mentions it. To me it even looks that the hitch cover is a different color than the bumper and it is plastic too...
 
Took the QX to the dealer and had them look at it. The service manager clearly admits to the issue, and acknowledges that infiniti has this issue with other cars. I have opened a case with consumer affairs of Infiniti, and will speak with the regional representative next week. I'm not sure what's going to happen, but it is very obvious to me on the liquid platinum and even worse on the graphite color. I had the GM of the dealershp come and look and he clearly recognizes an issue. I am really surprised this was acceptable to Infiniti in the first place.

I will keep everyone posted on what happens.
 
I have heard from the representative at Infiniti consumer affairs and they have recognized the problem exists. The representative has offered to have new bumpers shipped unpainted to the dealership to have them paint them at their body shop in the liquid platinum color that I have. They will then swap my bumpers for the newly painted ones, all at the cost of infiniti. Total cost of this ordeal is $2200.00.

This sound very good, but the service manager has also stated that it is possible they may still not match perfectly, but should be better. He clearly recognized this issue and told me he is noticing it more than ever since we have opened this case on all the new infiniti's especially white, silver, and the graphite.

I am not real fond of repainting both the front and rear bumpers, but it appears to be the only solution. They told me they will not "blend" it into the metal. One of my concerns is that by painting these bumpers that it may lose some value, but they are telling me that because this is an infiniti sanctioned warrantly event, that it should not.....hmmm, I wonder.

I guess I just wish that infiniti would of recognized this issue before manufacturing the vehicles so I wouldn't have to go through this.
 
Update on this:

Infiniti agreed to replace front and rear bumpers, and I took it to the dealer for replacement. The bumpers were shipped unpainted. The dealership body shop did not feel they could make it a whole lot better and was afraid it would become worse. I called infiniti consumer affairs and they gave me a 4 year/60,000 mile full maintenance contract at no cost instead of the paint job.
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I was looking at my wife's QX yesterday and actually the bumbers match the body. The only thing that does not is the hitch cover. It is definitely a lighter shade.
 
You dont see this as much on the darker colors, but I did see one graphite that was very obvious. It varies.
 
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