Paint issues on 2017 Fiesta ST

[Silverevo9]

I have the issue but a little smaller on my 2017. I touched it up the best i could. The paint sucks on these cars. I had an issue also on my front bumper, had to remove the drivers side headlight. Some moron at the factory stuffed my headlight in like an animal and peeled the paint on the inside edge were my headlight sits. For me its not worth a respray. Those touch ups on the front came out perfect. The rear is difficult.

 

[jtuffy96]

I was able to finally get the car approved and they re painted the whole hatch and also the whole roof because of the bubble. I do agree that the paint on these cars isn't the greatest. I find myself worrying about the paint way more then I should. I touched up all the rock chip that it had in 2 months and there was a lot all over the doors and the hood. I will probably end up having to do a clear bra over the whole thing just to keep the paint from being destroyed.

 

[Bojangles]

I have the same issue, I have about 3 scratches in that little area. It bothered me so much when I saw it. I try to forget it's there.

 

[SoldierSmallz]

Soldiersmalls, did you get your st form battlefield ford here in manassas? I noticed not too long after getting my st that the drivers rear window was all scratched up

I purchased the car from Ted Britt Ford Lincoln Chantilly, a little further north. I was considering that dealership as well but I never took a look at any of their cars. I was told the work on mine is complete but I’ll be picking it up after the holiday. I’m hoping for the best.

 

[Doom Ripper]

Just an FYI, I had this exact issue with my 2016 ST and had it re-painted once under warranty (by a painter I trust). The clear coat started rubbing off about 1,000 miles after the work was done. Seems to be a design flaw.. I removed the back panel and put some double sided tape in between the gaps so the vibration can't cause any more damage. You can't see the tape unless you get within inches. I figure this is the best way to remedy the issue as giving your car back to the dealership can be disastrous for a plethora of reasons. You don't want those people handling your car if you can avoid it.

 

[LITTLEVADER]

I wish i could have my issue be taken care off by warranty..i drive 350 miles a week, and the road i travel (florida turnpike) the section i drive is full of gravel and cement trucks..my full front is covered in tiny white dings and white mark...tried was, clay, you name it....its damaged..so im waiting to see if im moving out of state, cause then is to the paint shop and ceramic coating with the bastard..

 

[apex1]

I wish i could have my issue be taken care off by warranty..i drive 350 miles a week, and the road i travel (florida turnpike) the section i drive is full of gravel and cement trucks..my full front is covered in tiny white dings and white mark...tried was, clay, you name it....its damaged..so im waiting to see if im moving out of state, cause then is to the paint shop and ceramic coating with the bastard..

Sounds like you're a good candidate for paint protection film. It would have cost $750 to $1000 when your car was new depending on the coverage, film and installer you pick, but your car would have zero paint damage and look like new today.

 

[MrClean]

The paint on our cars is notorious for being hilariously thin. Anyone who didn't know that at time of purchase will certainly learn the hard way very quickly.
Unsurprisingly, Ford won't cover anything 99% of the time. The exceptions being those who have an amazing Service Dept at their dealer.

Paint pens will be your friend during your tenure with this vehicle.

 

[OggiSiMangia]

I checked on ALLDATA and it’s actually a manufacturer defect and should be replaced by the dealership under warranty. If you want me to give you the code tomorrow for it I will lol

 

[Intuit]

The paint on our cars is notorious for being hilariously thin. Anyone who didn't know that at time of purchase will certainly learn the hard way very quickly.
Unsurprisingly, Ford won't cover anything 99% of the time. The exceptions being those who have an amazing Service Dept at their dealer.

Paint pens will be your friend during your tenure with this vehicle.

I will make it a point to measure the paint thickness of every vehicle prior to purchase.

 

[apex1]

I don't have the ability to measure paint thickness, though I have seen it done on YouTube videos. I wonder if the tri coat color options on our cars have thicker paint than others just because of the base, color and clear coats used. I know mine cost me almost $700 more so I would think there could be a difference. In the end, the durability will depend on the thickness and quality of the clear coat I suppose, so perhaps nothing else really matters.

 

[Intuit]

I was joking.

 

[jtuffy96]

It's been awhile since I last posted on here about the paint issues I have been having. I was able to get the hatch re-painted along with the roof for the bubble in the paint. I then continued to touch up the paint on the hatch multiple times. 2 weeks ago I went in again to get the hood re-painted due to bubbling again and also had to get the drivers side passenger door re-painted due to 3 bubbles in the paint there. Today I popped the hood cuz I hadn't seen how it looked like under there since the re-paint and it's not in good shape. Paint is falling off everywhere and rusted has started forming. The the paint that hasnt fallen off is now bubbled up around the whole underside of the hood. This leads me to believe they never even re-painted the underside of the hood. I'm bringing the car in Monday and hopefully they can do something about it because I have only had this car for a year and I bought it brand new. I'm not sure what they will do tho as it is outside of the paint warranty by like 15 days. Could my car be a lemon? I really hope not but with the amount of paint issues I think it might be.

 

[jtuffy96]

I inspected my 2018 FiST hatch and there are two little strips of paint protection film on both sides between the center trim and the hatch body where jtuffy96 is having paint flaking/chipping issues. Seems as though Ford is definitely aware of the issue and this is their fix. A little ugly, but you have to REALLY look for it and it's better than paint damage, for sure.

Thanks for sharing this! I’m going to ask the dealer about that too while I’m there Monday.

 

[jtuffy96]

Yeah, no problem. Your thread got me curious. This PPF is from the factory. Worst case, you can remove the panel yourself and put your own strips of 3M Scotchgard PPF there or something.

Very true! Well one problem solved now just have to work on the other problem... I don’t see it going over very well but I guess we will see.

 

[jtuffy96]

Here’s the pics of the paint under the hood

 

[jtuffy96]

Huh. Looks like some kind of surface contamination around the seams causing poor adhesion. That's a bitch. Certainly doesn't look to be caused by rust. (Sidenote: the pre-facelift base model Fiesta hoods had rust and water retention issues right at the front of the hood, on the inside of the seam, because the water drainage ports were completely occluded by the rubber weather seal. AMAZING JOB FORD! )

Since it is under the hood, and your car is a very dark color, I would recommend the following if you cannot get it repaired under warranty:

1. GENTLY remove all loose paint under the hood around those seams. Carefully use a plastic scraper to do so. Be careful not to remove paint on and over the edges!
2. Use 200-300 grit sandpaper and alcohol to gently clean up the bare metal areas.
3. Use a small brush to apply at least two coats of POR-15 paint to the bare areas.

POR-15 will adhere to, neutralize, and prevent rust. It shouldn't stick out too much on your car, and from the look of it you'd only see it when your hood is open anyway. A can large enough for this job shouldn't cost very much. A 4oz may work, and is about $14 on Amazon right now.

Alternatively, you can get a quote from a local body shop... Though at that point it would probably be cheaper to buy a new, primered hood for them to paint, for as much as the labor would cost you to strip and prep your existing one...

In any case, good luck with your fix. I'm sorry you're going through that - looks like you got the factory paintshop B-Team's handiwork.

Definitely check the seams on your other closures - doors, hatch, etc. I hope it's just contained to your hood and was caused by it being improperly prepped before spray or something...

Thank you for the help! Much appreciated. I will see how it goes Monday. Hopefully they will take care of it but if not I’m probably going to end up doing the method you provided.

 

[jtuffy96]

Yeah man, any time. I really do hope you can get it covered under warranty. You're in Michigan like I am, and even with our winters I can tell you that there is something wrong with how your paint is holding up. That is not normal, and wouldn't be normal even on a Subaru with their notoriously and hilariously cheap and thin paint. It's completely unacceptable. In fact, with the shoddy paintwork on the car they sold you, if they really want to make it right and keep you as a Ford customer instead of a disgruntled Ford victim warning others to stay clear of the blue oval, they should cover a complete professional respray. But that's just my opinion, and God forbid they spend one cent more than they absolutely have to.

Yeah hopefully they do something more effective because I’m tired of bringing the car in. Makes me wanna steer clear of Ford’s even tho this has been the most fun I have had in a car. Last time I went in and showed them the hatch again. The Service Manager told me they Ford has a 1 year paint warranty but if they do a re-paint there then that panel has a lifetime warranty. I then went and showed him the hatch and he said it looked fine to him and walked off... it was far from fine tho lol it was actually the worst it has ever been. I think they try to take advantage of me cuz I’m only 22 so they see someone younger and they think they can just walk all over me or something. Not to mention they have never given me a receipt showing the work they have done... they just rush me right out the door. Which I’m pretty sure is against the law from what I have heard. I know they have to keep record for I believe 3 years so I might just have to ask them for them the next time I am in there so if I have to get a lemon law lawyer I have something to show that it’s not getting fixed. I want to keep the car looking nice as it is my first car. Even bought a cheap beater so I didn’t have to take it out in the snow anymore.

 

[jtuffy96]

Oh, dude, I know how it is. I look way younger than I actually am when clean-shaven and it always throws people off. Combine that with my typically unassuming and friendly demeanor and I can usually get enough out of a person within ten seconds to know if they're a shitheel who thinks a "dumb kid" isn't worth their time or someone that actually cares about their work beyond a paycheck. Don't let anyone walk over you just because of your age or appearance. If anything they should be treating you as best they can because you've got that many more years ahead as a potential customer. Freakin' penny-wise and pound-foolish, these people.

Do as I do and keep paperwork for EVERY little bit of work done on your vehicles by yourself or others. You'd be surprised and relieved to have it when it can come in handy. Obviously you don't need to hoard gas receipts but you get the idea.

Yeah I get what you mean lol I will make sure I get it all from them on this next visit. I agree with you tho cuz I wanted my next car to be a mustang but that’s not gonna happen unless they can make this right somehow. Thanks for the advice! I will keep it all in mind for all my future visits so I don’t get screwed over.

 

[Burritoman]

I just read through and saw the pictures on your hood and doors, mine is doing the exact same thing. (2016 with 23k) I bought a dremel and sanded it then taped the area and sprayed it with rust converter. I don't think I'm going to bother trying to get it repaired through Ford because they probably will do a half ass job. The only way to properly repair this so it doesn't come back is to replace the metal, which I guarantee they won't do. This is my second ST, had a Focus before this that did the same thing. I love this car for its simplicity and driving characteristics but to have this type of problem on a car is totally unacceptable.