How To Fix Peeling Clear Coat (The Best Method For 2022)

You mostly see the clear coat peeling on older cars that have been parked outside for years.

The clear coat is the top-most layer that comprises the paint of your vehicle. It’s a type of synthetic polymer substance - usually an acrylic or urethane plastic. These are pretty durable, as it’s their job to protect the paint and primer layers from just about anything. Clear coats are resistant to UV rays and most chemicals found in the environment.

The reason clear coats peel is because there isn’t a proper bond to the underlying color coat. As the clear eventually deteriorates and wears off, the lack of adhesion will cause the clear around the damaged area to peel back, starting a chain reaction that requires immediate repair.

Nothing lasts forever. Prolonged exposure to the sun, and specifically to UV radiation, will eventually deteriorate and break down any type of plastic. It doesn’t happen overnight, but give it years and the plastic will begin to fade, discolor, dry out, and become brittle. This is true for all plastic trim inside and out of the vehicle, and the clear coat is no exception.

Further aided by the elements, mechanical abrasion from dust, dirt, road salt, or washing with harsh chemicals and/or brushes, the clear coat will thin out over time. Eventually, you’ll see faded spots appear on the horizontal flat surfaces. Notice that the first spots will almost always form on horizontal surfaces, since the UV rays hit almost parallel, transferring the most energy to the surface.

The matte surface of the spot is the paint layer. There is no clear coat - it’s completely gone. The white flaky stuff around the spot is the edges of your clear coat. Once the process has started, it won’t stop on its own. As more area is exposed to the elements, contamination will get underneath the clear coat and accelerate the peeling until the entire panel is stripped.

Huge factors, maybe even the biggest ones, are the composition of the clear coat, the compatibility with the base color coat, and of course, the quality of installation. Cheap products will not last. Neither will botched paint jobs.

Sometimes, even the manufacturers get it wrong - 1996 to 2013 Hondas and 1980s to late 1990s GM vehicles are notorious for having their clear coat peel severely after some years of use. Even though manufacturers have largely automated their painting facilities, an incorrect strategy can cause lack of adhesion between the different coats, and therefore premature paint failure.