Surface Rust on Semi metallic paint
 

After hand washing my car for the first time after winter I noticed that there were all these very little areas that looked to be pits of rust all over the left side of my car on the door panels (only the lower sections). there were no scratches or stone chips in the areas so i wasn't sure if what i was seeing was dirt oxidizing or if the paint was rusting......Since my car isn't much more then 6 months old at that time i just thought that it was dirt. I hand washed my car for the second time this spring and noticed that those little pits of rust are still there.........is it possible that the paint is rusting??? It is a semi metallic paints can the paint actually rust??? The drivers side of the car doesn't seem to have any of this rust at all it's only on the passenger side......weird thing is i noticed that even on the plastic trim it shows this rust pitting......has anyone seen this before?

Almost sounds like acid rain damage or something in the air. Are you near a power plant, or some factory that puts out nasty stuff, that's getting embedded in the paint? You said it's only on one side. Is that side parked facing something that might be hitting the car?

I don't think it's the paint itself. Metallic paint usually uses aluminum for the metallic look, not a ferrous metal, so it shouldn't corrode.

no power plant or factory.....the car spends most of it's day in my garage I pretty much baby it....I hardly drive it at all.and it's usually kept pretty clean.....the specs are so small i Just can't figure it out....... Well if the car is rusting then i'm getting rid of it pretty quick......

paint can't rust. metallic is the look of the paint not what it is made of. semi-metallic is brake pads.
i have heard of "rail dust" which is dust left on the vehicle when it is shipped by train to the dealer. maybe that is what you have. i recommend that you use a clay bar on it and i'll bet it will go away.

I would try cleaner wax, then clay bar if needed. I'm dealing with this problem on my airplane right now. Airport is grading and paving some areas and they are driving equipment on taxi way where aicraft are parked. After washing last week I noticed little orange specs in paint that you can feel. Comes off with rubbing compound. After show & tell with airport and construction company, they agreed to pay for detailing on a bunch of aircraft after project is over. There was a newer white BMW that was parked for a week and had those specks all over the top surfaces. Must be something in diesel exhaust?

Do you have a grinder close? Or a cut off saw. Something like these could spray hot metal particles that would imbed in the paint. Just a thought.

yeh, probably nothing to worry about. Try some Mother's ClayBar kit (available at most autoparts stores) and rub it off. ive had
similar deposits on my other car and it came off pretty easily.

yah, i think its either in the exhaust fumes of trucks and construction equipment or possibly brakedust after rain when
the rotor is oxidized.

I have the same problem with my P5, and only 7 months old.

Rail dust seems like the likely cause. Bust out the clay bar and clean it off. I had to do this to my wife's car as well. :mad:

Matt