2018 Honda Touch Up Paint (51 OEM Colors)

The 2018 Honda Vibe

By 2018, Honda was really feeling itself. You couldn't throw a rock without hitting a 10th-gen Civic or a fresh-faced CR-V, and for once, they weren't just playing it safe with silver. Our database tracks 51 colors for this year alone-that's a massive palette for a brand that used to treat "variety" as choosing between two different shades of beige. Whether you were rocking the highlighter-bright Tonic Yellow on a Fit, the moody Sonic Gray on a Civic Sport, or the deep Black Forest Pearl on an Odyssey, 2018 was the year Honda decided that life was too short for boring paint. From the Ridgeline to the Clarity, the streets were looking a lot more colorful.

Paint Health Check

Here's the rub, though: we are firmly in the Thin Paint Era. Back in the day, you could practically sand a car with a brick and still have clear coat left over. In 2018? Not so much. These cars were painted by robots programmed for "Efficiency," which is just corporate-speak for "putting on the absolute bare minimum required to make it through the showroom doors." If you look at your Accord's hood too aggressively, you're liable to find a rock chip. We're also seeing the "plastic problem" peak during this era; don't be surprised if the paint on your side mirrors or door handles starts deciding it would rather be somewhere else. It's the byproduct of high-speed assembly lines-sometimes the bond on those plastic bits just doesn't hold up to the sun as well as the metal panels.

Restoration Tip

Because these factory finishes are thinner than a politician's promise, you can't just go in there and "blob" your touch-up paint. If you put on one heavy, thick layer, it's going to sit higher than the original surface and look like a welt on the car's skin. The secret to a 2018 repair is layering. Apply your color in two or three paper-thin coats, letting it dry fully between each pass. You want to build the height of the repair slowly so it matches that slim factory profile. It takes a little more patience, but it's the only way to make a chip in your Energy Green Pearl or Still Night Blue disappear without leaving a permanent scar.