2010 Volkswagen Touch Up Paint (50 OEM Colors)

The 2010 Volkswagen Vibe

By 2010, Volkswagen was in its "Premium for the People" era. You had the GTI and Golf looking sharper than ever, the CC trying to sneak into the luxury lane, and the Touareg proving that a VW could actually climb a mountain. While our database shows a healthy variety of 50 colors-including some real lookers like Rising Blue Metallic and Salsa Red-the reality on the street was a sea of Reflex Silver and Deep Black Pearl. It was a sophisticated time, but the factory bean counters were starting to get real picky about how much material stayed on the car and how much stayed in the can.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the Thin Paint Era. By 2010, those factory robots had application down to a science, but they didn't leave much "meat on the bone" for the rest of us. The clear coat on your Jetta or Tiguan is hard and glossy, but it's brittle. Because the layers are so thin, a single highway pebble can crack the finish right down to the primer, and once that seal is broken, moisture starts working its way under the edges. You'll likely see the clear coat starting to get "crinkly" or cloudy on the plastic bits-like the mirrors or the edges of the Beetle's fenders-where the flex of the plastic and the heat of the sun have finally won the war of attrition.

Restoration Tip

When you're touching up a 2010 Vee-Dub, remember: Build layers, don't blob. Because the factory finish is so thin, a big, thick drop of touch-up paint will stick out like a sore thumb. Use a fine-tipped applicator to dab a tiny amount into the center of the chip and let it flow to the edges. If you're working on a metallic like United Gray or Carbon Steel Grey, those tiny metallic flakes need to lay flat to catch the light correctly. If you glob it on, they'll sink and look darker than the rest of the car. Take your time, build it up in three thin passes, and for the love of the Autobahn, seal those chips the moment you see them before the North American road salt turns your "Das Auto" into "Das Rust-bucket."