Customer Support Program ZKG – Paint Repair Process
OPERATION FLOW CHART

STEP 1: Writing a Preliminary
Estimate

STEP 2: Initial Cleaning

STEP 3: OEM Finish Removal

STEP 4: Surface Preparation

STEP 5: Color Application

I.

WRITING A PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE

1. Be sure to review the entire paint repair process described in this document before writing a preliminary
estimate to ensure your preliminary estimate is accurate and will be accepted by Toyota. The total
cost/labor details of your estimate will be confirmed by the Toyota dealer before the Toyota dealer
authorizes the repair to proceed.
2. Maximum Allowable Labor Times:
a. OEM Finish Removal – Labor Times
Toyota has established maximum count of body labor hours for the process of removing the
OEM top coat finish from the affected panel. Please reference the table below to ensure your
preliminary estimate does not exceed these maximums.
Panel
Roof
Hood
Fender (one side)
Front Door (one door)
Rear Door (one door)
Quarter Panel (one side)
Includes the entire continuous metal panel as
necessary (e.g. roof rails, pillars, fuel door, and
rockers if rockers are metal.
Rear hatch (back door)
Trunk (deck lid)

Maximum body labor hours
(OEM finish removal)
2.0 hours
2.0 hours
1.0 hour
1.0 hour
1.0 hour

1.5 hours

1.0 hour
1.5 hours

b. All Other Operations: All other necessary operations such as blending, refinishing, materials,
R&I of various components etc.. should also be included in the preliminary estimate. Note that
this program will cover materials and any blending the repair facility deems necessary,

WRITING A PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE (Cont…)
3. Confirming Panels Eligible for Repair: Confirm which panels are “affected” by checking the panels listed
on the Inspection Report provided by the authorized Toyota Dealer. Panels that are not included on this
report (not “affected”) are not authorized for repair. Non-affected panels may be blended if necessary,
but not repaired (do not remove OEM paint from non-affected panels). Note that if any of the pillars are
affected, the entire continue panel should be “repaired”. For example, if the a-pillar is listed as affected,
the a-pillar all the way back to the entire quarter panel should be “repaired” (stripped of OEM paint).
Like-wise, if only a quarter panel is listed as “affected”, the entire continuous quarter panel all the way to
the a-pillar should be “repaired” (stripped of OEM paint).

Inspection Report from Toyota Dealer:
Only panels listed in the report
are authorized for repair.

NOTE: If you discover peeling on a panel not listed on the report from the Toyota dealer, notify the Toyota
dealer so that the Toyota dealer can confirm if this panel should be covered and, if necessary,
subsequently authorize the panel for repair. Only an authorized Toyota may authorize a panel for repair.

WRITING A PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE (Cont…)
4. Exterior Damage
Damage to the vehicle exterior (such as collision damage, deep scratches, dents, etc..) may prevent your
repair facility from performing the paint repair covered by this Customer Support Program.
This Customer Support Program does not cover repair of such damage.
If any damage must be repaired prior to performing the paint repair covered by this Customer Support
Program, the Toyota dealer/body shop may offer to repair the damage at the customer’s expense.
Examples of damage that might prevent paint repair are:
• Collision damage.
• Dents.
• Deep scratches.
• Deep rock chips.
If exterior damage must be repaired and the customer is willing to pay for the repair, this repair must be
estimated in a separate preliminary estimate document. If such repair is included in the estimate for the
Customer Support Program repair, it will be rejected by the Toyota dealer.

II.

INITIAL CLEANING

Before repairs begin, the vehicle should be thoroughly cleaned. Start by washing the vehicle by hand and
then by pressure washing using either a hot or cold-water high pressure washer. The pressure washer should
have a minimum rating of 2,500 psi with a maximum rating of 3,500 psi. Use either a 0° or 15° nozzle on the
pressure washer wand.

III. OEM FINISH REMOVAL
1. CRITICAL: On the affected panel, remove the OEM top coat finish from 100% of the metal panel’s
continuous surface area down to the electro-deposition (ED) primer. For example, if the hood is
“affected”, 100 percent of the hood’s exterior surface area should be stripped of OEM top coat finish.
If a fender is affected, 100 percent of the fender’s surface area should be stripped of OEM top coat
finish. In cases where the quarter panel is affected, be sure to remove OEM top coat finish from the
entire continuous metal panel. This may involve removing OEM top coat finish from the roof rails all
the way to the A-Pillars. Like-wise, in cases where the A-pillar is the only “affected” panel, this may
involve removing OEM top coat finish from the roof rails and quarter panel.
2. Confirming Panels Eligible for Repair: Confirm which panels are “affected” by checking the panels
listed on the Inspection Report provided by the authorized Toyota Dealer. Panels that are not included
on this report (not “affected”) are not authorized for repair. Non-affected panels may be blended if
necessary, but not repaired (do not remove OEM paint from non-affected panels). Note that if any of
the pillars are affected, the entire continue panel should be “repaired”. For example, if the a-pillar is
listed as affected, the a-pillar all the way back to the entire quarter panel should be “repaired”
(stripped of OEM paint). Like-wise, if only a quarter panel is listed as “affected”, the entire continuous
quarter panel all the way to the a-pillar should be “repaired” (stripped of OEM paint).

Inspection Report from Toyota Dealer:
Only panels listed in the report
are authorized for repair.

NOTE: If you discover peeling on a panel not listed on the report from the Toyota dealer, notify the Toyota
dealer so that the Toyota dealer can confirm if this panel should be covered and, if necessary,
subsequently authorize the panel for repair. Only an authorized Toyota may authorize a panel for repair.

OEM FINISH REMOVAL (Continued…)
For surfaces with visible paint delamination, the technician can begin the paint removal process by using a
pressure washer or by directing compressed air at a loose paint edge. The technician may use plastic straightedge razor blades with a holder and compressed air to help remove topcoats.
When preparing an “affected” panel, the entire outer topcoat surface needs to be removed to the ED primer.
Any topcoat material that exhibits good adhesion properties on an affected panel may need to be removed
by sanding, using a dual-action random orbital sander with 220 grit sand paper. Try not to remove the ED
primer. At least 0.5 mil (12-13 µm) of ED primer should remain. Once the finish is removed from the affected
panel(s), the vehicle should be thoroughly washed and cleaned using the degreaser recommended by the
paint manufacturer.
Inner panel surfaces not subject to direct sunlight such as the quarter panel lock pillar may not require
stripping to the ED primer. Remove the affected paint to the outer panel edge. Feather-edge any inner
surfaces that exhibit good paint adhesion and then prime and prepare for topcoat application following the
paint manufacturer’s guidelines.
IMPORTANT: Make sure that when removing paint finishes utilizing the methods described in this document
that paint technicians use adequate personal protection equipment such as a properly fitted N99 particulate
mask, eye protection, and nitrile gloves while removing any topcoats.

IV. SURFACE PREPERATION
Technicians should consult their paint manufacturer to determine the products as well as the proper
application techniques before applying any priming products or topcoats. Follow the paint manufacturer’s
requirements for personal protective equipment. Always consult the applicable Material Safety Data Sheets
and follow all requirements for exposure control and personal protection.
After removing OE topcoats, finish sand the ED primer with 400-grit sandpaper using a random-orbital sander.
Follow the paint vendor’s recommendations for cleaning the surface before applying any primer coating to
bare metal surfaces. Before priming, treat any bare metal surfaces with a metal conditioner followed by a
conversion coating, and then prime these treated surfaces with a 2-part epoxy primer. Follow the epoxy
primer with a primer-sealer, sanding between primer applications as recommended by the paint supplier.
Consult the technical documentation for the paint finish that will be utilized.
NOTE: A chip resistant (anti-chipping) primer needs to be applied to the leading edge of panels that have
had a soft-chip primer applied during manufacture. This modified primer must be applied to the panel
before any topcoats. For additional information about the application of anti-chipping coatings, please
consult the Repair Manual for Collision Damage in TIS for the model being refinished or Collision Repair
Information Bulletin 2026 (May 2013).

V. COLOR APPLICATION AND TOPCOATS
Follow the paint manufacturer’s technical recommendations for applying all color coats and clear coats. The
affected panel should be finished to a natural break edge. Topcoats can be blended into adjacent panels for
the purpose of achieving an acceptable panel-to-panel color match so long as the blend panel exhibits
acceptable adhesion of the topcoat. If the finish exhibits any dust inclusion after the paint has been forcedried, remove any defects and polish the clearcoat according to the paint manufacturer’s recommendations.
Damage to the vehicle exterior (such as collision damage, deep scratches, dents, etc..) may prevent a repair
facility from performing the paint repair covered by this Customer Support Program.