I've got a brand new black '03 SCrew. I was trying to clay the roof before applying a good coat of wax. The recessed ribs closest to the passenger and drivers sides have a tan looking coating down in the bottom inside corners running all the way from the front to the back. I've been claying them and they aren't going away. Is the black paint already worn down to the primer or what? The truck only has 250 miles but was sitting out on the dealers lot for 5 or 6 months. Help!

 

Just checked with a neighbor that does body work. The paint is definitely rubbed down to the primer. F'n Ford POS. I'll NEVER buy another American vehicle if they don't make good on this. Does ford just drive past a paint cloud at 60 mph and call it a paint job???

 

Take it back under the warranty.

You shouldnt have burnt through the paint with a clay bar. There is something wrong with the paint... like not enough.

Ive seen this problem before on a van. Its big and up high so it doesnt get as much attention as the more commonly looked areas.

 

I think I noticed the same on my truck. Last wash it seemed that paint was very thin on roof but I couldn't tell with the light. I need to check again because it is going in for the complimentary oil change soon. Keep us posted.

 

This is my first ford and my first American car since 1982. I bet it'll be a real fight to get the dealer to own up to their warranty on this. Does anyone know how long you have to return a new car and get your money back??

 

Depends on your state laws. You may be able to but most likely not.

Will you have a real fight when you take it to your dealer? If you go in pissed off like you sound you might. If you go in and act reasonable with them you chances are much better. Now, don’t take me wrong you have every right to be pissed off about it, however that don’t always work so well when dealing with the dealer or anyone else in life.

Acting reasonable, at least in the beginning will get you much further in just about anything you do. So just go in with a level head with the attitude of how can you get what you want in the quickest amount of time. It is not kissing *** it is rather using your skills to get what you want from the other…

As someone else mentioned, the clay does not remove paint so it must have been there when you bought it and I do not think your dealer will give you a hard time repairing it and having it repainted.

As far as who makes the better automobile, American vs. Foreign that’s a hard one to call, they all have their problems and yes there is a lot of problems with foreign made automobiles just like American…

 

MnvlMat:

Is that your girlfriend? She is absolutely gorgeous…

 

You should have no problem with Ford getting that problem resolved. The grooves in the top cause a Faraday effect and if the voltage is turned up a little strong on the day your truck was painted, then the Faraday effect is worse causing the paint to be repelled from that area.
I do advise that after a paint repair, that you check for runs...or sags in the paint since those areas on the top are hard to paint even with a standard air/ mix or airless gun. If the body shop at your dealer is smart, they would use a touchup/mini spray gun on the recess area and a regular gun overall to finish up...
Good luck.

 

I think that you will be happy to know that I recently had a chance to call the Ford Customer Care hotline. I had a wonderful experience with them and they truly seemed to care. They also seemed genuinely concerned that I was totally satisfied with the level of service I got from the dealer. Afterall, the dealer gets paid by Ford to do repairs on the vehicle anyway so it isn't like the money is coming out of the dealers pocket in the first place so don't sweat it. But like XLT said, don't go in there with your *** on your shoulders and they will be more than happy to take care of you. I know that everyone in hear has probably heard horror stories about dealers saying that tires with depressions in them are normal and one of the hardest things to get a dealer to remedy under warranty. But, I just had al four of mine replaced with no problems by the dealer. At first they said it was normal so I replied that while some are normal the 4 or 5 per tire that I had on my truck exceeded normal. They advised me that they will have their service manager look at it to make a determination and don't you know about 20 minutes later I was called back into the quick lane and advised that my new tires are on order and will be there the next day and that I can bring my truck back at my convenience and they would swap them out. The whole ordeal only took me about 2 hr total time spent at the dealer to get remedied. So, I don't think you have anything to worry about with them fixing the paint.

 

cgorris,

You're one of the lucky ones!

 

I think I just got one of those above average dealerships that actually care just as much about the guy that already bought the truck as they do about the one that wants to buy the truck.

 

What he said...

I bet it was a totally innocent trip out to the woods in the truck...

Okay, back to the topic...

Roof paint, unfortunately, has been an issue for numerous folks on the boards. Cracks in the paint (after curing) and cracks in the roof gutters...

Keep us posted on your progress and good luck.

RP

 

I just found out that the bottom of the gutter has a rubber or plastic strip on the bottom that looked like painted metal to me. It's this rubber/plastic that got a light coat of paint and is not holding onto it's finish well. This made me feel a little bit better knowing that at least I wasn't close to exposing bare metal.

Also, I just got back from talking to the service manager. He's says that they will fix it and give me a free loaner car. They're actually going to remove the strip and check it out to see what's wrong with it and then re-paint/replace.

I'll keep ya'll informed.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

Sounds excellent, still sucks to have a slight defect, but at least they will take care of you...

 

The right dealer usually makes all the difference. Choosing a dealer which was convenient to get to, open to my requests and one that appeared honest and not pushy was part of my process of buying my truck.