2018 Volkswagen Touch Up Paint (36 OEM Colors)

The 2018 Volkswagen Vibe

By 2018, the Volkswagen lineup was a bit of a mid-life crisis on wheels. You had the massive Atlas trying to prove it could haul the whole soccer team, while the Beetle was taking its final, nostalgic laps. For the purists, the GTI and Golf R were still the kings of the cul-de-sac. Our database shows 36 colors for this year, which is basically VW's way of saying they couldn't decide if they wanted to be a serious German boardroom or a bag of Skittles. You could go "incognito" with Urano Gray or Indium Gray Metallic, or you could scream for attention in Kurkuma Yellow Metallic or Habanero Orange Effect. It was a year where Great Falls Green Metallic made everyone rethink their stance on "old man colors."

Paint Health Check

The 2018 models sit firmly in the Thin Paint Era. Back in the day, you could practically sand a car for a week before hitting metal, but those days are gone. Modern factory robots are programmed for "ruthless efficiency," meaning the paint on your Tiguan or Passat is applied with the thickness of a high-end tissue paper. The common complaint for this vintage is "road rash"-that peppering of tiny chips on the hood and behind the wheel arches. Because the coating is so thin, it lacks the flexibility to absorb impacts. If you don't catch a chip in Atlantic Blue or Tornado Red early, the edges of the clear coat start to get brittle and flake, turning a small speck into a localized disaster.

Restoration Tip

Since 2018 paint is all about thin, precise layers, your repair strategy should follow suit. Build your layers slowly; don't blob it. If you try to fill a stone chip in one heavy pass, the paint will sit high and look like a blemish. Instead, use a fine-tip applicator to place a tiny amount of color in the center of the chip and let it flow to the edges. Wait for it to dry, then add another thin layer if needed. For those metallic and pearl finishes like White Silver Metallic or Deep Black Pearl, this "thin-and-patient" approach is the only way to get the flakes to lay down correctly so the repair actually disappears.