Paint match and body panel problems

[mwalsh]

Does the protection package affect this?

Mine doesn't have it.

[LEAFer]

Actually ... my panel alignment is not perfect. There's a misalignment between the plastic(?) bumper panel and the sheet metal next to it. The right-rear corner is the worst, the left-rear is much better. Front is ok. The RR can easily be seen with a good eye, and definitely felt. Plus the plastic bumper line along rear quarter panel has a slight convex curve in it. Nothing bad enough to take the panels apart for ... and my son does not want it touched ... but not perfect Nissan quality either. This would not be happening on equivalent vehicles (Versa, Juke, etc).

[brad]

Noticed the described paint mis-match on the blue pre-production model displayed at the Nashville Auto show back in late Nov.

[Jimmydreams]

Does the protection package affect this?

Mine has the protection package. I'll take a pic and show the area covered in the front by the clear bra...it's smaller than I thought it would be.

I haven't noticed any ill-fitting panels or even blue pain mismatch. I'll look closer next time I'm in the car and see if I can find anything wrong. But so far, VERY happy with the car.

[LEAFer]

Does the protection package affect this?

Mine has the protection package. I'll take a pic and show the area covered in the front by the clear bra...it's smaller than I thought it would be.

Yeah, me too

No really noticeable paint color mismatch between the panels on the silver one ... wonder what happens as the paint ages on the two different materials ...

[JimSouCal]

For what it is worth, I saw a Volt in the wild on the Ventura Freeway, and you could see problems with the paint and matching overlooking from an SUV vantage point in the other lane. I didn't care for the styling and badging, either. I speced siilver, so hoping that will be okay. I get kind of anal about these things (valet walk arounds showing things they find hard to see before I leave my ride with them), and walk my car before and after any driving segment like one pre flights and post flights an aircraft.

[tailgate1234]

Aren't bumpers usually painted by the bumper supplier in a separate factory from where the car is made and painted? Also, didn't Nissan change the specs on the blue color?

[TomT]

For what it is worth, my neighbor has a Red Volt (which I have been driving for the last week), and the color match on his is very good. Personally, the styling is growing on me and I now like it better than the Leaf... I'm also getting more and more of an appreciation for how well it drives.

For what it is worth, I saw a Volt in the wild on the Ventura Freeway, and you could see problems with the paint and matching overlooking from an SUV vantage point in the other lane. I didn't care for the styling and badging, either. I speced siilver, so hoping that will be okay. I get kind of anal about these things (valet walk arounds showing things they find hard to see before I leave my ride with them), and walk my car before and after any driving segment like one pre flights and post flights an aircraft.

[JimSouCal]

Well, you have time in the seat and it may very well drive pretty well. I am trying to like the styling--it is distinctive... Still not my cup of tea--but if it is your good time, no problem. Still the difference in seaming was apparently clear from 5 feet away--no one can like that--but may overlook it for the good of the show.

I prefer a cleaner look in general, with an emphasis on contiguous color and a more rounded feel (i.e. Aston Martin, Porsche). So the LEAF is closer to that, and do like it better...

To each their own, as they say.

For what it is worth, my neighbor has a Red Volt (which I have been driving for the last week), and the color match on his is very good. Personally, the styling is growing on me and I now like it better than the Leaf... I'm also getting more and more of an appreciation for how well it drives.

For what it is worth, I saw a Volt in the wild on the Ventura Freeway, and you could see problems with the paint and matching overlooking from an SUV vantage point in the other lane. I didn't care for the styling and badging, either. I speced siilver, so hoping that will be okay. I get kind of anal about these things (valet walk arounds showing things they find hard to see before I leave my ride with them), and walk my car before and after any driving segment like one pre flights and post flights an aircraft.

[mwalsh]

I'm glad that someone popped this to the top again. I had a chance sit and really look at my car and am now mostly convinced the color issue with the blue is more to do with the differing contours/lines of the bumper covers than anything else. A good place to observe this is where the bumper cover meets the rear quarter panel by the side of the tail lamp assembly.