2012 Nissan Touch Up Paint (69 OEM Colors)

The 2012 Nissan Vibe

2012 was a strange time. We were all bracing for the Mayan apocalypse while Nissan was busy populating the streets with "mobile toasters" like the Cube and that polarising, bug-eyed rebel, the Juke. It was a year of bold risks and even bolder pigments. With 69 colors in our database for this year alone, it's clear the designers were having a field day. Whether you were rocking the menacing Black Rose Pearl on a 370Z or cruising in a Choco Glass Metallic Altima, Nissan was serving up a massive palette of deep pearls and high-metallic finishes that made the GT-R look like a spaceship and the Leaf look like... well, a very colorful future.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the Thin Paint Era. By 2012, factory robots had become masters of "efficiency," which is a polite way of saying they applied just enough paint to cover the metal and not a micrometer more. While the finish looked spectacular in the showroom, the reality is that these coats are notoriously thin. If you've got a 2012 Rogue or Sentra, you're likely staring at a front bumper that looks like it's been through a gravel storm. The clear coat from this period is prone to "road rash" (peppered rock chips) and, if you're in a high-UV state, the roof might be starting to show the dreaded "cloudy" sign of a clear coat thinning out. If you've got the White Pearl Tricoat, keep a close eye on the edges-this era was known for the primer and base coat occasionally deciding they didn't want to be friends anymore.

Restoration Tip

Because 2012 factory paint is so thin, the biggest mistake you can make is "blobbing" your repair. These aren't the thick, self-leveling lacquers of the 70s. When you're touching up those rock chips on your hood or fenders, build your layers slowly. Use a fine-tip applicator and apply a thin layer of color, let it dry, and repeat until you've reached the level of the surrounding paint. If you're dealing with a Tricoat (like Glacier Pearl or Red Pearl Tricoat), don't rush the mid-coat; that's where the "glow" comes from. Finish with a steady hand on the clear coat to seal it-think of it as armor for a finish that the factory applied with a light touch.