Warranty periods

Our voluntary coating warranty is based on the actual coating system applied, as recorded on your invoice or warranty certificate, not merely the package name.

Coverage starts on the date of vehicle handover following the coating service. “Until sold” means for as long as the original customer owns the vehicle; the voluntary warranty ends upon sale or transfer of ownership and is not transferable. Statutory rights are unaffected.

What is covered

Subject to the terms below, the voluntary warranty covers qualifying premature coating failure caused by defective application or workmanship by Car Studios, or failure of the coating to perform substantially as expressly represented in the service documentation under normal, appropriate use.

Claims are assessed on the affected coated surfaces using a reasonable inspection process. Reduced water beading alone does not prove coating failure: road film, minerals and other contamination can temporarily mask hydrophobic behaviour.

What is not covered

This is a coating warranty, not an insurance policy or a guarantee against paint damage. It does not cover damage caused by circumstances unrelated to a covered coating defect, including:

• Stone chips, impacts, scratches, swirl marks, abrasion, accidents, vandalism or brush car washes.
• Bird-dropping or insect etching, tree sap, water spots, mineral deposits, industrial fallout, overspray, harsh chemicals or corrosive contamination.
• Underlying paint or clear-coat defects, pre-existing damage, poor prior repairs, paint failure or deterioration of repainted panels.
• Subsequent polishing, sanding, coating removal, bodywork, repainting, panel replacement or incompatible third-party treatments.
• Damage materially caused by misuse, unsuitable cleaning products or unreasonable neglect.

An exclusion applies only to the extent that the excluded circumstance caused the problem. It does not remove rights under Australian Consumer Law.

Annual inspections and personalised coating care

Every vehicle and every driver is different. Even vehicles coated on the same day can return with very different levels of contamination, gloss and water repellency. Mileage, parking, road conditions, weather and washing habits all affect how a coating presents over time.

First annual inspection — understanding your vehicle (around 12 months)

The first inspection establishes a real-world baseline. We assess contamination, coating behaviour and how the car has been washed and driven. Some vehicles return with the coating in superb condition and need only continued routine care; others may have road film, iron fallout, minerals or other deposits that weaken apparent hydrophobic performance. We explain what we find and recommend care tailored to that vehicle. Reduced beading alone does not establish coating failure.

Second annual inspection — monitoring longer-term performance (around 24 months)

We compare the coating's condition with the first-year findings, review whether earlier recommendations helped, identify recurring contamination and adjust maintenance advice where appropriate. This is particularly valuable for five-year and ownership-based coatings.

What technicians assess

• Condition of coated surfaces, visible damage, paint repairs and signs of chemical exposure.
• Water behaviour and whether contamination may be masking hydrophobic performance.
• Road film, mineral deposits, iron fallout, tar and other contamination.
• Washing products, maintenance habits, driving conditions and relevant repair history.
• Whether cleaning, decontamination, restoration or further investigation is appropriate.

We may record photographs and technician notes and discuss individual maintenance recommendations with the customer. Any paid treatment is explained and authorised before work begins.

Recommended frequency and warranty implications

Car Studios strongly recommends an inspection within the first 12 months and thereafter every 9–12 months. Regular inspection helps identify contamination or maintenance problems early; unaddressed problems can reduce water repellency and, in some circumstances, shorten effective coating service life.

Follow the written aftercare instructions provided at handover, use suitable washing products, avoid abrasive or automatic brush washes and remove harmful contamination promptly. Avoid detergent washing during the initial curing period specified at collection (typically around 14 days). Customers may wash their vehicles themselves or use competent independent detailers.

An inspection is not the same as a full maintenance wash. Inspection, decontamination, maintenance and restoration may incur separate charges unless expressly included in writing; any charges will be disclosed before work.

How to make a claim

Contact Car Studios at info@carstudios.com.au or 0412 208 380. Please provide your vehicle registration or VIN, invoice or other proof of service, a description of the concern, and photographs where practical. Maintenance and repair records may assist, but the absence of any single record does not automatically defeat a valid claim.

We will offer a reasonable opportunity to inspect the vehicle, discuss the findings and explain whether the concern is a covered coating defect, removable contamination, paint damage or another issue. Please contact us before commissioning unnecessary corrective work, unless immediate action is reasonably necessary to prevent damage.

Remedies and additional work

For a valid claim under this voluntary warranty, Car Studios will provide an appropriate remedy without charge for the covered defect. Depending on the issue, this may involve corrective cleaning, localised coating restoration, recoating affected panels or another suitable solution.

Damage from unrelated accidents, resprays or later panel replacement may require a separately quoted service. Any out-of-warranty inspection fee or chargeable repair must be disclosed and agreed before work proceeds. Remedies required by Australian Consumer Law always take precedence over limits in this voluntary warranty.

Important coating limitations

Ceramic coating helps protect and maintain treated surfaces but does not make a vehicle scratch-proof, chip-proof, stain-proof or maintenance-free. A 9H or 10H laboratory hardness designation is not a promise that everyday impacts or scratches cannot occur. Paint protection film (PPF), window tint, interior, glass and wheel treatments are not covered by this ceramic-coating warranty unless separately documented.

CNT ceramic coating on PPF and vinyl wrap — 1-year warranty

Where Car Studios applies a compatible Carbon Nanotube (CNT) ceramic coating specifically to paint protection film (PPF) or vinyl wrap, the applied CNT coating carries a one-year voluntary warranty from vehicle handover. This covers qualifying premature failure of that applied coating attributable to defective coating application or workmanship, subject to reasonable care and the other applicable terms on this page.

This warranty is for the ceramic coating only. It does not cover the underlying PPF or vinyl wrap, its adhesive, installation, edge lifting, peeling, bubbling, yellowing, discolouration, cracking, punctures, impacts, scratches or deterioration caused by unrelated factors. The underlying film or wrap may have separate product and installation warranty terms.

Film and vinyl surfaces require suitable cleaning and maintenance. Damage from incompatible chemicals, abrasive washing, excessive heat or subsequent film removal or replacement is not covered where it causes the coating problem. Reduced water beading alone is not conclusive evidence of coating failure; contamination should be assessed first.

The one-year coating warranty does not extend, replace or alter any underlying PPF or vinyl warranty. All statutory consumer rights remain unaffected.

Australian Consumer Law

Our goods and services come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. For major failures with a service, you are entitled to cancel your service contract with us and to a refund for the unused portion, or to compensation for its reduced value. You are also entitled to be compensated for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. If the failure does not amount to a major failure, you are entitled to have problems with the service rectified in a reasonable time and, if this is not done, to cancel your contract and obtain a refund for the unused portion of the contract.

Additional consumer guarantees may apply to goods supplied. Nothing on this page excludes, restricts or modifies rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Warranty provider and records

Warranty provider: Car Studios Pty Ltd, 3 Trade Place, Vermont VIC 3133, Australia. Email: info@carstudios.com.au. Telephone: 0412 208 380.

The invoice or warranty certificate should identify the vehicle, completion date, specific coating, coated surfaces and applicable warranty. This voluntary warranty is administered directly by Car Studios; no separate manufacturer registration is required unless specifically disclosed before purchase. The warranty terms provided at the time of purchase apply; later website updates do not retrospectively remove existing rights.

Questions about your coating?

Contact our Vermont team to discuss your warranty, aftercare or an inspection.