Bumper paint

[ju4npm]

Hi all,

(cliche start) sorry if this has been postyed before. Recently I got a ram 1500 sport black brand new. Fell for the "bumper to bumper extended super top sh*t" warranty. Picked up the truck in february, two months later had to bring it in because the front bumber was all chipped, looked like a dalmatian no jokes. I don't follow close the person infront of me speacially transports trucks, I don't drive on gravel roads and this is def not my first truck. I prevously owned another 1500 took it mudding no issues ever. Last week I found two massive cunks of paint missing, spoke to the dealer, guess what they said? you guessed it, rock chip. I don't know much about paint and I won't argue that rocks are a possible cause, however I don't this time is the case. I might be horribly wrong but I thought paint was surprisingly strong, unless "was" is the key word. I've spoken to other truck owners who have said they've had no issues and some had gone mudding. Is it possible this one bumper is just a lemon? and how would I go about proving this? I'm frustrated, is not like I'm made out of money -.- so much for "bumper to bumper" lol.

 

[CHeYeNNe71]

I've seen many with rock chips on the front. Mine with 100K definitely has quite a few rock chips. It's the nature of the beast with painted front ends. You can always have it fixed, wrapped or pull and powdercoat matched, depending color.

 

[ju4npm]

Hey CHeYeNNe71,

100% i understand that, how ever my truck has 19000 today. Two months in after pick up, I counted 57 stone chips. I get i5 is the nature but I owned a mudder for 5 years and my front bumper wasnt chipped 57 times. I truly think the paint didnt cure properly. What color is yours?

 

[CHeYeNNe71]

Lower quality paint now days, unlike the old days for sure. Maybe @RamCares might be able to help?

Mine is a 19 Maximum Steel Metallic

 

[ju4npm]

Must be low quality. I read somewhere online that Dodge has known about the metal bumpers not always curing properly, maybe I got one of those. IDK! Thanks for your help. To top it i dont have social media to say im good at "talking" so im super awkward and for that i apologize. I do prefer the good old person to person. Im rambling. Thank you all! LOL

 

[CHeYeNNe71]

They have had issues over the years for hood paint from improper prep etc.

 

[CHeYeNNe71]

 

[Biga]

Painted steel bumpers are going to chip no matter what It's not like on a plastic bumper where when a rock hits it at 70MPH the plastic will deform and absorb the impact. When a rock hits a solid metal object at 70-80mph something is going to have to give and it's the paint. I've had all brands and they all do it. I've learned my lesson, first thing I do when I get a new truck is have the front bumper PPF'd.

 

[CHeYeNNe71]

Painted steel bumpers are going to chip no matter what It's not like on a plastic bumper where when a rock hits it at 70MPH the plastic will deform and absorb the impact. When a rock hits a solid metal object at 70-80mph something is going to have to give and it's the paint. I've had all brands and they all do it. First thing I do when I get a new truck is have the front bumper PPF'd.

Poor quality is also an issue, which RAM is known to have issues with. I don't think anyone is disputing rock chips, but 19K miles with major chips is an issue.

 

[BowDown]

Painted steel bumpers are going to chip no matter what It's not like on a plastic bumper where when a rock hits it at 70MPH the plastic will deform and absorb the impact. When a rock hits a solid metal object at 70-80mph something is going to have to give and it's the paint. I've had all brands and they all do it. I've learned my lesson, first thing I do when I get a new truck is have the front bumper PPF'd.

100% agree. I don't think its a paint issue, simply a solid painted bumper with no ability to absorb any energy from a rock or other road debris. My 20 cam from Austin (to Dallas) and had 225 miles when I got it with 1-2 rock chips. It went straight to PPF as soon as they had an opening.

The 25 came from Memphis to Dallas but was trailered by an auto shipper so zero damage. It sat in my driveway until there was an opening at the PPF shop then it got full frontal with 45 miles on it. No way I'd have a painted front on any car and not PPF

 

[BowDown]

Poor quality is also an issue, which RAM is known to have issues with. I don't think anyone is disputing rock chips, but 19K miles with major chips is an issue.

IDK about that, I painted cars before the waterborne paint mandate, solvent based paint chipped too. No paint, not even powder, coat is going to withstand 30-70 mph rock hits

 

[CHeYeNNe71]

IDK about that, I painted cars before the waterborne paint mandate, solvent based paint chipped too. No paint, not even powder, coat is going to withstand 30-70 mph rock hits

Nobody is saying anything is 100%, but whether you agree or don't, they do have paint issues. And yes Powdercoat can chip, but more resilient than painting.

 

[ju4npm]

It is unfortunate either way. Two months into owning a new one to look like what my five year old truck should have looked like, and didn't. Sucks. My girlfriend truck is perfectly fine which makes no sense, co workers have had no issues like I have.. I don't know. Thanks for all the opinions fellow Dodgers

 

[BowDown]

Nobody is saying anything is 100%, but whether you agree or don't, they do have paint issues. And yes Powdercoat can chip, but more resilient than painting.

I don't know if they do or not but I do know that rock chips on the front bumper probably isn't the best gauge as to a problem.

That said, I have seen a difference on my 2020 Limited vs my 2025 Tungsten. My Limited's paint seemed softer and got swirls far easier than the 25. I paint corrected the the 25 two weeks ago before getting PPF and it really needed nothing; the paint had no swirls whereas my 20 needed about 6 hours of correction prior to PPF. The few scratches that I did need to remove took a little more effort than the 20 suggesting to me that the paint was harder but there were no swirls around the area after correction like what would normally be on my 20.