A Honda Civic owner on TikTok is warning other buyers to steer clear of the Sonic Pearl Gray paint after the finish on her car started peeling just a year and a half after purchase. Her video, which has been viewed more than 220,000 times, includes footage of the damaged areas.

It has sparked a flurry of responses from others reporting the same issue, with some stating that it’s part of a broader paint problem that Honda hasn’t fully addressed.

Peeling Back the Paint Complaint

Creator Cat (@melancatly) explained that she intentionally bypassed newer Civic models because she preferred the more sporty styling of the previous generation. After an extended search, she located the 2020 Civic in the desired finish at a Honda dealership and purchased it used with around 40,000 miles on the odometer. Now, at 62,000 miles, she’s owned the car for a year and a half and is paying roughly $400 a month for it, along with a warranty she expected would offer some peace of mind.

According to her video, that sense of security began to erode about six months into ownership, when she noticed the paint starting to peel on both side mirrors and door handles. She brought the issue to the dealership, where a staff member acknowledged having heard of similar complaints, not just with Sonic Gray Pearl, but also with Honda’s white paint finishes. However, she was told that her warranty didn’t cover paint problems.

After following up with Honda corporate, she was informed that a claim would be opened, but weeks passed without an update. When the company finally responded, she says she was told that no assistance would be provided because the paint issue wasn’t reported back in 2020, the year the car was manufactured, even though she didn’t own the car at the time.

The frustration, she said, stems from both the cosmetic degradation of a vehicle she was excited to own and from a manufacturer’s process that seems to leave used car buyers with few options when problems emerge after the fact.

Honda’s Track Record with Paint Problems

Honda has faced persistent criticism over paint durability on several models, most notably tied to specific “pearlescent” finishes. A class-action lawsuit filed in November 2024 in the US District Court for the Central District of California alleges that the “three-stage” white paints used on models such as the Civic, Fit, HR‑V, Odyssey, and Pilot routinely peel, bubble, and flake due to poor adhesion between layers.

That suit specifically named paints such as White Diamond Pearl and White Orchid Pearl, adding that the defect was likely present from production onward and would manifest during normal use.

In 2020, Honda settled a previous class-action lawsuit regarding peeling Orchid White Pearl paint on 2016-2018 Civics and 2017 CR‑Vs. The settlement included a silent warranty extension and reimbursed costs for affected owners.

Honda’s standard warranties typically exclude damage to paint and trim that isn’t a manufacturer’s defect; moreover, coverage is often limited to corrosion and rust rather than aesthetic issues unless reported within narrow timeframes. In practice, this means that unless the issue adversely impacts structural integrity or is caught early, owners are often left paying out of pocket.

As for Sonic Gray Pearl, the paint finish spotlighted in the TikTok, there is currently no known active class-action lawsuit for this color. However, thousands of owner reports—particularly from 10th‑gen Civic owners—describe premature peeling on mirror caps, door handles, and hatch trim in the exact same gray finish. 

Motor1 reached out to Cat via direct message.

 
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