Surface
Factory paint thickness: published ranges compared
DeFelsko, PPG Refinish (Australia/New Zealand) and AUTO BILD publish different typical factory paint ranges. Why none is a pass/fail number.
Also listed as OEM paint, factory finish, original paint
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Short answer
There is no single normal factory paint thickness. DeFelsko gives 100-180 µm as typical, PPG Refinish in Australia and New Zealand gives about 90-120 µm, and AUTO BILD's 2021 German-market test calls 80-150 µm usual as rough guidance. DeFelsko says some vehicles have about 75 µm on the roof and about 430 µm on rocker panels, and factories sometimes repaint. Compare panels on the same car instead of chasing a target.
Key facts
- Material
- Primer, base color and clear coat as applied at the factory[1]DeFelsko notes some vehicles are repainted at the factory.
- Gauge method
- Magnetic on steel, eddy current on aluminum, ultrasonic on plastic and fiberglass[2]
- Gauge mode
- Fe or NFe on metal panels[3]
- What the reading includes
- Everything between the probe and the metal: primer, base color, clear coat, any repaint, filler and dirt[1]DeFelsko: magnetic and eddy-current gauges make no distinction between layers.
- Published thickness figures
- DeFelsko: typically 100-180 µm. PPG Refinish (ANZ): about 90-120 µm. AUTO BILD (2021): usually 80-150 µm[1][4][5]Published ranges differ by source, region and era. AUTO BILD calls its figures rough guidance. None is a pass/fail line.
- Polishing note
- See clear coat: DeFelsko's 35-50 µm typical and 8 µm removal figures[1]DeFelsko's statements, not automaker specifications. See [clear coat](/surfaces/clear-coat).
Watch out for
- The ranges disagree. DeFelsko, PPG Refinish (ANZ) and AUTO BILD publish different typical ranges; present them side by side, never as a threshold.
- Factories repaint too. DeFelsko and AUTO BILD both note that some vehicles are repainted at the factory, so a thicker panel is not proof of a repair.
- Panels vary on one car. DeFelsko's examples run from about 75 µm on some roofs to about 430 µm on some SUV rocker panels.
What fits
Product details below are the seller's own description unless a source is shown. Pick the variant named for each item.
Fe/NFe combination gauge
UNI-T UT343E Fe/NFe coating thickness gauge (Bluetooth, 0-2000 µm)Choose the UT343E (Bluetooth, 0-2000 µm), the only variant listed.
UNI-T specifies it for ferrous and non-ferrous substrates with automatic or manual substrate identification. The AliExpress store uses UNI-T's name, but UNI-T's own where-to-buy page links no AliExpress store, so treat the seller as unconfirmed. UNI-T's page lists CE and UKCA marks only.
Sold by UNI-T Official Store
View on AliExpress Opens aliexpress.us
Questions
What is a normal paint thickness on a car?
There is no single number. DeFelsko gives 100-180 µm as typical factory paint, PPG Refinish (Australia/New Zealand) about 90-120 µm, and AUTO BILD's 2021 test 80-150 µm as rough guidance.[1][4][5]