I just got my car painted metallic red with metallic silver flames on the hood, clearcoated, and wetsanded. I started to notice this issue after a day or two of having the car.

On the hood, in some places there are patches and streaks of tiny white specks under the clearcoat on the red paint. It almost looks like overspray from the silver flames, but I can tell that it is not. It looks more like how black paint looks when it is oxidizing. I took a little polishing compound, but the specks are definitely not on the outside of the clearcoat.

I am going to take the car back in, but wondering opinions on what could have caused this: air trapped under the clearcoat, moisture, color sanding through the clear coat and into the metallic flakes?

I have no clue but this helps your question back to the top. Interesting as mine will be painted soon.

I took the car into Jazz and he said he had never seen this happen before. It looks like the clearcoat reacted with the paint. He is going to repaint the problem areas at my convenience.