Check Your Fender Flares.

[swarggs]

OP here - I've applied PPF on the flares and installed OEM wheel to wheel steps (which I'm not a huge fan of, aesthetically speaking) as well as WT splash guards. It has protected the paint so far. I've put on about 4,000 miles since I started this thread.


It looks like my only option at this point is to order new rear flares, have them painted and wait for the paint to cure before applying the new film. I'm concerned that if I have my current flares painted they'll be just as damaged by the time the paint cures and I can wrap them. I'm not super pumped to be dropping an extra thousand or so bucks just to keep the paint on my truck.




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[Gman]

I have the WeatherTech flaps and the retracting running boards. I don't think flaps are the issue, it's the protection of the fixed running boards.

 

[revolutionz]

Sorry people are having this issue. That sucks.

I have 3200 miles on it and they look new. I have WT flaps and Go Rhino RB20 boards. I live in ND and we have sanded roads all winter. Haven't driven much gravel though. Only posting for informational purposes.

I'll likely apply some ppf just in case. Thanks for bringing this up.

I'm also in ND. I put on the Husky mud flaps the week after I got it last september, well before they started sanding. I also have the power running boards, so I'm sure that's some of the issue, but I have chips all over both sides of the truck.

I had a similar issue with my Silverado, only it was much worse...after 3,000 mi I had large chunks of paint coming off my rocker (like, 6" diameter chunks) and they resprayed the entire lower half of my truck under warranty and I never had any issues after that. This seems like the same thing, just maybe not as extreme. Poor quality paint from the factory. All the paint regulations probably aren't helping either. If they could go back to using some good quality oil based paints I think things would be much better.

 

[wildh24]

I'm also in ND. I put on the Husky mud flaps the week after I got it last september, well before they started sanding. I also have the power running boards, so I'm sure that's some of the issue, but I have chips all over both sides of the truck.

I had a similar issue with my Silverado, only it was much worse...after 3,000 mi I had large chunks of paint coming off my rocker (like, 6" diameter chunks) and they resprayed the entire lower half of my truck under warranty and I never had any issues after that. This seems like the same thing, just maybe not as extreme. Poor quality paint from the factory. All the paint regulations probably aren't helping either. If they could go back to using some good quality oil based paints I think things would be much better.

Do you drive gravel roads much? I grew up on them and they used to eat paint on every vehicle we had.

 

[silver64]

I wonder if the paint is just too thin and/or the clear coat doesn't have enough hardener in it. There are also additives for paint over plastic that is supposed to flex with the plastic. I'm wondering if repainting the wheel flares with additional clear coat would be less than PPF?

 

[revolutionz]

Do you drive gravel roads much? I grew up on them and they used to eat paint on every vehicle we had.

No, not much at all. I've probably put less than 100mi at a very slow speed on gravel since I've had it. Most of my miles come from highway driving. I grew up on gravel, so I know how hard that is on the paint, but I don't remember my parents vehicles being this beat up when they were less than a year old. My dad bought a F350 last spring, and he doesn't have any chips in his paint yet from the gravel on their road and he drives it every day.

As much as I like to keep my truck looking nice, I'm more concerned with longevity and rusting of the panels. That's why the amount of missing paint concerns me.

 

[wildh24]

No, not much at all. I've probably put less than 100mi at a very slow speed on gravel since I've had it. Most of my miles come from highway driving. I grew up on gravel, so I know how hard that is on the paint, but I don't remember my parents vehicles being this beat up when they were less than a year old. My dad bought a F350 last spring, and he doesn't have any chips in his paint yet from the gravel on their road and he drives it every day.

As much as I like to keep my truck looking nice, I'm more concerned with longevity and rusting of the panels. That's why the amount of missing paint concerns me.

I hear you! My last truck (f150) was all rusting out on the rocker panels! I haven't done the whole underside but I did apply some fluid film to a couple spots underneath that looked like areas that maybe vulnerable. That was one thing that I liked about the newer gen Ford. Aluminum... But that has other issues too.

I think it's pretty hard to keep vehicles from getting rust up here. Especially with the brine on the roads all winter.

 

[revolutionz]

I hear you! My last truck (f150) was all rusting out on the rocker panels! I haven't done the whole underside but I did apply some fluid film to a couple spots underneath that looked like areas that maybe vulnerable. That was one thing that I liked about the newer gen Ford. Aluminum... But that has other issues too.

I think it's pretty hard to keep vehicles from getting rust up here. Especially with the brine on the roads all winter.

Still not as bad as MN and all their salt....(I live on the East side of the state)

 

[wildh24]

Still not as bad as MN and all their salt....(I live on the East side of the state)

Same hear. Fargo. Although that beet based product they use seems pretty nasty too.

 

[revolutionz]

Well I talked to the service manager at my dealership yesterday. After chatting about it for a bit, all I got out of it was "I'll look into some stuff and see if they've posted any bulletins about the paint or chipping". Other than that, he said there's not much they can do because FCA will just deny the claim since the chips were caused by an outside force.

 

[Biga]

I think it's more of a design flaw and not so much the paint. The rear fenders and especially the flares stick out and get pelted with debris from the front tires if you don't have running boards. I have not noticed any chips on my truck despite driving through a bad construction zone every day and their is always a lot of loose rocks laying on the interstate.

 

[RichM1983]

I took my truck to the dealer. I was told they were NOT going to do anything. He said they would repaint the are at a discounted rate of $450. TOTAL BS. I bought some film. I need to take the time to install it.

 

[Andoskyy]

Paint has gotten incredibly soft due to EPA regulations...just a sad reality that this will continue to happen.

Just got my truck back from getting PPF installed. Had 200 miles on the truck and was getting similar damage. Covered the same area as the OP's in electrical tape until my appointment.

 

[SMoKeN]

Just giving a update from my earlier post. Like everyone here FAC said they will not cover total BS not happy.
But on a good note the dealer told me they would look after it for me but I would have to install the 3m myself this is a good start and save some cash.

 

[Creep0321]

Fingers crossed the combo of weather tech flaps and GoRhino Dominator D6 boards keep it chip free.

 

[Wakesnowb]

I don't think the problem is the paint being too soft or paint too thin, I think the problem is that the clear coat is too thin from the factory on these modern vehicles.

 

[JJRamTX]

So far with the WeatherTech mudflaps and even with the retractible power running boards I am chip free at 11,400 miles

 

[zls22]

I had factory mud flaps and step bars on my black 19 Ram and noticed after hand washing I had some minor damage on the rocker panels and fender flares, There is a locale shop that installs Xpel Ultimate Plus I will contact and get a price for the rocker panels and fender flares. If I do it now before it gets any worse hopefully it will be alright.

 

[cw_mi]

I've have the Weathertech splash guards and retractable step, and am seeing this on mine. I've also noticed a higher amount of stone chips on the front bumper than I think a 2k mile vehicle should have. At this rate I'm afraid to see what 100k will look like.

 

[revolutionz]

I've have the Weathertech splash guards and retractable step, and am seeing this on mine. I've also noticed a higher amount of stone chips on the front bumper than I think a 2k mile vehicle should have. At this rate I'm afraid to see what 100k will look like.

I'm in the same boat here. Strongly considering biting the bullet and taking it to a body shop to have it all repaired, then putting PPF on the entire front end, the fender flares, the door edges and the rocker panels. Whatever they're doing for clearcoat sucks, and my dealer thinks its not even worth talking to FCA about because it was caused by an "outside force"