Guys I took delivery of my new 2012 lariat Saturday and it looked great outside but when I got home and put it in the shop under my shop lights you could see marks in the paint on the bed and on the middle of the door, I worked on it until 11:00pm getting the scratches out of the paint. That sucks on a brand new truck. I heard there was a thin paint issue on the lower doors, mine looked fine there but I did see there was no paint right behind the front wheel rear molding. I noticed that there was no rock guard sprayed at the bottom of the doors like my 2010 SC. This truck is race red and it is brite in the sun and you can't see any issues but boy does it show in the shop..

 

Take any and all paint concerns to the dealer. FoMoCo will take care of it.

 

Thats about all you can do. But keep in mind the longer you wait the less of a case your going to have. Also unless its a glaring mess up good luck as paint issues have been hard to get past dealers after delivery has been taken.

 

In fact you probably should have taken it back to the dealer before you did anything to correct it. You now run the risk of the dealer saying you caused some of the issues. (The thin paint won't be of your doing though.) Hope it all works out. I love that Race Red color.

 

Agreed I wouldnt have touched it, and when you back would deny touching it. Not saying this is you, but on everything I have seen a lot of people complain about paint jobs from various manufactures on various models. Some are warranted, but for the most part a lot of people dont understand this is a factory paint job and not a $10,000 chip foose paint job. Factory paint today is pretty dang good, but depending on color and such your going to see some orange peel and swirls in certain locations. But I agree the second you try and fix a factory mistake is the second you just paid for the fix.

 

Did you have the dealer clean your truck before delivery? I had heard some horror stories about dealer hack jobs on fresh factory paint. Many people tell the dealers to not touch the truck as far as detailing.

 

Happened to me to. I just bought my truck and the very next day noticed a small hair-line scratch across the top of my hood. It's hardly noticeable (only unless I look at it from a certain angle) but I seriously doubt I'd have any luck getting the dealership to try and fix it. I'll try and wax it out but I can feel it with my finger nail so I'm pretty sure wax wont help.

 

I got mixed info today, When I ask the dealer how long do I need to wait before a good cleaning and waxing he told me as soon as I what to? I guy at the body shop that the dealer uses he told me to wait for 90 days and FORD CUSTOMER SERVICES told me I had to wait 6 months? Who is right?? The issue is that I POLISHED the scratches out of the bed that some dumb *** at the dealer did at delivery, Have I screwed up buy doing this???

 

Its sad that Ford and all the rest were forced to use this new crappy paint with no lead in it. Thanks Government. My wifes Focus is not even six months old and had some paint chips already. I will give Ford some props on their touch up paint. Matches really good.

 

Does anybody know what is the real issue on how long do I need to wait before waxing??

 

30 days from when it was painted is more than enough. On a new vehicle, by the time they reach the dealers lot, they are well over that. Go ahead, wax on, wax off....

 

If the build date is 3/12?

 

On one hand I feel for you and agree it sucks, but on the other hand..... These are trucks. They arent an old ladies cadillac. Enjoy your trucks and kill yourself over a few scratches. I just think there are a lot more important things to lose sleep over.

 

You do not need to wait to wax your truck... The paint is baked on. The paint now a days outgas very fast even if it was painted at a body shop. Carnuba waxes are porous so they create no issue either way. Sealants, hybrids, etc maybe... Either way not an issue for you.

Polishing out any marring, done correctly, is also fine... How are you "polishing" the truck? The scratches are from someone paid minimum wage with the cheapest supplies, who put the mitts on the ground, etc. This is exactly why I tell my dealer if the truck is washed prior to delivery that the sale isn't happening..

Do you really think some random goon at FoMoCo corporate knows about proper detailing? More than likely not so much...

 

Here's how you answer that one. Virtually every dealer offers some sort of "paint sealant" - generally as part of an "environmental protection package" that includes the sealant, some sort of stain protection on the seats and various other things. (Basically, it's all dealer profit and no protection, but don't get me started on that.) The point I'm trying to make is that they apply their "wax / sealant product" right there at the dealership when you buy the vehicle. And it doesn't matter if it just rolled off the truck or sat on the lot for a year. Get my drift?

From a more technical standpoint, the factory paint is baked on and is pretty well cured as it leaves the factory. There is some small amount of curing / off-gassing still going on, but 30 days is a more than generous period to wait. You should be fine.

BTW: If you'd asked your dealer to correct the scratch, they would have buffed / polished and waxed it themselves.