Soft paint?

I've been noticing lots of scratches on my month old black Tacoma, the tonight I lightly rubbed the side with a paper towel, and it left a bunch of scratches. WTF?? Then I used my fingernail, and again, scratches. Last week I gave my wife poo for opening the door with the keys in her hand because of all the scratches. Then I realized she'd only driven it once. Both door handles are covered in scratches in the handle well. Soft paint? Crap paint? Not y cured? What gives? I have waxed it, too.

 

Black paint... It's absolutely brutal, and shows EVERYTHING! You look at it, and it's got a scratch. I own a black car, and I know the pain you're feeling. Your best bet is to keep it away from wash brushes, and anything else that can scratch. Wash it in the touchless bays ONLY.

Keep it waxed, as that will help your situation out a bit. Other than that, just be prepared for lots of maintenance to keep it looking new. Black is the toughest colour to keep looking good.

 

I've heard bad things about 2nd gen's paint.

 

Taking care of black paint is a royal PITA. On my Black Sand Pearl Taco I only use microfiber cloths to wax and a clean soft sponge to wash/dry to prevent scratches to the paint. Don't use rags (such as t-shirts, etc.). They will scratch.
Be sure that the paint is absolutely free of any dust particles before you wax the truck, or you will end up with swirl marks.

The 2nd gen Tacoma's paint isn't really unusually soft, but rather the dark color of the paint makes imperfections stand out more clearly.

I wash/wax my truck once a week and clay bar/polish/wax/seal the truck every 6 months. It's a ton of work to keep black paint looking new but the reward is truly worth the effort.

 

No doubt.

Also, I'm not a bit surprised that a paper towels and fingernails scratched your paint. I've even scratched paint with a microfiber.

Waxing helps, because you have a small barrier and somewhat of a lubricant (carnauba is actually slightly greasy) on your paint.

Also, don't wait until its really dirty to wash it. The more dirt you let accumulate, the more likely it is to scratch when washed.

 

This is my third black vehicle. I'm guessing I'll have to re-think the whole desire to take it off-road if I don't want a bazillion scratches. I know they would happen, but if it scratches that easy, it'll look flat black after one run. I'm almost tempted to buy fifty cans of clear Plasti-Dip and cover it! It's ridiculous how easy it scratches.

 

I would put on some Klasse sealant. Gives you a layer of acrylic over the paint. Supposed to last longer than a carnuba wax. I might also suggest a porter cable or a flex orbital polisher. Really helps with taking out minor imperfections.