Car Paint Bubbles – Why Does This Happen?

If you’ve ever witnessed bubbling paint on a car’s exterior, you’ll never forget it. Unless you’re a mechanic or work in an auto body shop, most people don’t know what this means or what causes paint to bubble. Fortunately, we’ll explain a few reasons why car paint bubbles happen to anyone who owns a vehicle.

Too Much Paint

If your vehicle has recently gotten a paint job or someone did your previous paint job poorly, you may notice bubbles on the exterior. Too many coats applied to the body can cause most paint job problems. The paint itself is thick and dense. The thicker the coat, the longer the drying and curing time, which may lead to various problems. The moisture within the paint can get trapped if the layers are too thick and don’t dry fulling between coats.

Improper Prep Before Painting

If there is dust, debris, or moisture on the steel before applying paint, you could be in serious trouble. Even if your autobody technician in charge of your paint job used paint thinner, poor prep could result in paint bubbles. The excess trapped underneath and between the paint and the steel creates micro pockets of air, which grow into bubbles.

Exposed Steel Can Oxidize

When exposed to air and water, metal can oxidize and form rust. This creates a huge problem because, even if you attempt to clean the rust off, the paint could bubble if you don’t remove all of it. You’ll need to be vigilant when preparing for car painting repair if rust is an issue.

Weird bubbles forming on your car body can be alarming. If you’re not trained on what to do or the causes, there’s no need to be worried. Now, you know why car paint bubbles happen and what to do about them so you can fix the problem before it gets any worse.