Just looking for information here, My father is in the market for a new (to him) Super duty, and I told him that I would help him look. During my inquiry as to colors he is partial to he said he didn't want red becuase he has heard it does not hold up under UV rays as well as other colors.

Any truth to this?

 

That may have been true of the older pigments before basecoat/clearcoat paints, but I have owned three red trucks since 1998 and none of them faded or clouded. Of course I use a clearcoat cleaner and wax three or four times a year; but I see a lot of commercial trucks around with red paint and they hold up well with much less preventive maintenance. Living in the Phoenix area, we get more sun exposure than almost anywhere else too.

 

supposedly the pigment in reds and yellows tend to break down or fade faster than other colors. Like GoingGoingGone eluded to, "fading" of paint is usually attributed to the actual clearcoat failing. UV rays deteriorate the clearcoat over time. This will lead to "checking" in the paint. You will notice what looks like tons of tiny cracks in the paint. Also the clearcoat could eventually be completely worn away leaving the basecoat or color coat fully exposed to the elements.

I would say that the difference between a red vehicle fading faster than say a black or white vehicle would be attributed more to material failure than to actual break down of the pigments.

 

The problems may be location related. The highest UV IIRC in the country is CO. I lived there for a year in the '70s and UV damage to vinyl seats was brutal ! .
Better technology has improved things today.
I now live in NY state and recently sold my RED '03 F-150 and there was no sign of any paint damage of any kind .