Could be solvent entrapment???

99% of paint problems will occur soon after application as it cures.

Hope you get it sorted.

could it be bird shit? or, someone splattered coca-cola? I've heard, that those can strip the paint...

or, if everything is original, then, manufacturer's defect... how long is paint warranty? i read somewhere after this thread, there is a rather long paint warranty on these...

UPDATE: Wow, thanks to everyone for the good suggestions and observations, I really appreciate it. I apologize once again for the delay in an update but between Memorial Day and the job…

Anyway, the shape of the affected area is changing!! I didn’t notice til after a few days had passed. I have never seen anything like it and I continue to be totally baffled. If you compare today’s pictures (smaller) to the previous ones, you can still see the change in shape. In fact, I’m beginning to think that somehow, some kind of liquid (water?) is trapped underneath the clearcoat. I have no idea if I’m right, or how it got there, or how it might be removed/fixed. And yes, the surface is still completely smooth to the touch. I will be back as soon as I can with another update, but not sure yet when I will be able to run it by a body shop. I will keep you posted and thanks again for the inputs.

if the texture of the clearcoat has not changed, have you tried compounding fairly aggressively to fix the defect? Perhaps its just an area that needs good paint correction?

No, I have not tried any treatments yet. I'm a bit wary of rubbing or polishing anything til I understand what's going on, what caused it, or how big an area I may have to repair. It looks like there is a thin film of liquid between the clearcoat and he paint, so I'm not sure compounding the surface is the best idea. It's on the list of options though.

I had this on a 2004 civic and was never able to figure it out and the car was blue also

Sarcastic? How so?

The first and last sentence of my post was my words, the rest was a copy/paste from a automotive paint issues website.

As for my "limited paintwork knowledge", I painted my first car in the spring of '78 ('69 396 SS Chevelle, triple black, laquer, 8 layers of clear) and have been involved in the stripping/prep/refinishing of dozens of car in the following 35 years.

The OP has responded on his post with an update that this is in fact a BUBBLE that contains water, something you state cannot happen because colorcoat/clearcoat adhesion issues ALWAYS results in peeling (the first time the paint is subjected to garden hose rinsing), and NEVER blisters.

When blistering is on frontal areas, a minor stone chip usually breaches the clearcoat, resulting in the introduction of moisture to the void area between the color/clear layers.

Have you taken it to a bodyshop you trust for their opinion yet ?

+1 on the possible solvent entrapment.

Some shops do a "color in clear" (mixing a small amount of color product into the clear product) to increase "clarity of color" (I don't do this). Blisters are not as readly visible until the clearcoat is stone chipped and moisture migrates into the void.

Ok TiagX5,I apologise for being agressive and belittleing you!You have even more experience in bodyshop than I do ,but honestly in my 20 years or so,I never encountered anything like what the OP describes ,especially a film between colour and clear layers:dunno: