Pre-delivery paint chip on Azure Gray - How concerned should I be?

[macky]

Hi folks, just joined the group here and for my first post: a question about pre-delivery paint chips.

I test drove a new '24 RR in Azure Gray tri-coat yesterday. Love the truck and would like to buy it. Unfortunately, I found a few issues on it when examining it after the drive. The seemingly well-known hood alignment issue was there, the front left fender/bumper panels were misaligned, and finally, I found a chip on the paint on the passenger side. Pics below.

What do you all think about the paint chip? How concerned are you that this chip can be repaired appropriately at the dealer's collision center? Anything about the tri-coat paint make this more difficult?

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[Grabber]

Hood, fender and upper bumper cover can be adusted. Now the Azure paint tri-coat metallic is a hard color to match. I turned down my '24 RR due to several paint issues, that looked worse when it was fixed. I also had drivers fender out of adjustment and raptor decal on crooked. I just ordered a '25, so I'm hoping for better luck this time around.

 

[macky]

Hood, fender and upper bumper cover can be adusted. Now the Azure paint tri-coat metallic is a hard color to match. I turned down my '24 RR due to several paint issues, that looked worse when it was fixed. I also had drivers fender out of adjustment and raptor decal on crooked. I just ordered a '25, so I'm hoping for better luck this time around.

Yeah, I'm a little concerned on the tri-coat. Fortunately it's a small spot and I might not have noticed if it hadn't been circled in red grease pen lol. They tell me it's a week to get through their body shop right now and I've not signed anything, so we'll see how it comes out. So far, these guys have been great to work with and given the holiday spirit, I'll be glass-half-full and believe this will all work out

 

[Jason B]

To do it right, they will need to paint that whole panel.
Touch up paint, will be just as obvious as the chip.

 

[Deleted member 9086]

I suppose you have to take in consideration this is a prime spot for a paint chip to begin with. You’re going to get one anyway. This in terms of a bad chip isn’t by anyway means.

Touch up paint is all that is required. Bring it to their attention and have the do a touch up properly. If their guy is good you’ll never notice it.

I had to do one myself and after it was finished, you wouldn’t know that it was there. A good paint and dent technician can save thousands and you’ll never notice it. The Ford touch up paint is an excellent match. ??

 

[Harlequin_Forest]

Depends what you're willing to live with.

Dealers will always try to touch up unless to push for respray/blending. I didn't like either option on a brand new truck and passed on a couple due to paint. They will build more so I'd pass if it bothers you.

 

[AlpineBike]

The quality control at @Ford Motor Company is absolutely garbage these days!

 

[Medic 6]

Newbie here as well. My wife and I walked away from a 2025 stone blue metallic Explorer ST due to two paint chips in the rear passenger side door. The dealership touched them up, but they were noticeable due to the location. Personal preference if you walk or not. Agree on the alignment of the panels is fixable. Wish you the best on your decision.

 

[Topchop]

Had the same issue with a chip on my hood, pre-delivery. I let the body shop chip repair with the understanding the hood would be repainted if I didn’t like it (both were offered during my inspection).
The chip repair was horrible (something about you can’t buff a chip repair). The hood was repainted and vents replaced.
I was happy with the dealership as this wasn’t the only pre-delivery item repaired/replaced.

 

[SubaruRaptor]

Yeah, I'm a little concerned on the tri-coat. Fortunately it's a small spot and I might not have noticed if it hadn't been circled in red grease pen lol. They tell me it's a week to get through their body shop right now and I've not signed anything, so we'll see how it comes out. So far, these guys have been great to work with and given the holiday spirit, I'll be glass-half-full and believe this will all work out

They will repaint the entire piece. Matching isn't a huge issue because the paint is new. I had my Shelter green have a paint chip on rear tail and it was taken care of just fine. Color matched perfect.

 

[DIYPSCM]

They will repaint the entire piece. Matching isn't a huge issue because the paint is new. I had my Shelter green have a paint chip on rear tail and it was taken care of just fine. Color matched perfect.

As usual your blanket, absolute statements, while reassuring to the OP are just bullshit.

You have no idea where it will be painted, who will paint it, with what they'll paint it, how they'll paint it etc. etc. but you KNOW it'll be fine because your paint job is fine. Truth is it may be, or it may spiral into a nightmare that may never be fully resolved.

Example...

Red 2017 Mazda 6... rear ended (low speed), bumper, trunk lid, rear fender(s) damage. Back to the body shop 3 times. Each time they admitted shoddy workmanship. Excuses.... Oh, that's "dyeback" from drying the clearcoat too quickly. Oh, the finishing guy was supposed to use 3 different grits of polish, looks like he only used coarse. Oh, my lead guy is on vacation this week....

That was at a major chain business here in the SF Bay area. The car was never back as it was, I ended up just moving on.

Per SubaruRaptor that never happened. It was fine because his was fine.

OP.... Live with it if you can. Reality is no one sees it but you. A badly painted hood will be seen by everyone.

 

[Truckin]

As usual your blanket, absolute statements, while reassuring to the OP are just bullshit.

You have no idea where it will be painted, who will paint it, with what they'll paint it, how they'll paint it etc. etc. but you KNOW it'll be fine because your paint job is fine. Truth is it may be, or it may spiral into a nightmare that may never be fully resolved.

Example...

Red 2017 Mazda 6... rear ended (low speed), bumper, trunk lid, rear fender(s) damage. Back to the body shop 3 times. Each time they admitted shoddy workmanship. Excuses.... Oh, that's "dyeback" from drying the clearcoat too quickly. Oh, the finishing guy was supposed to use 3 different grits of polish, looks like he only used coarse. Oh, my lead guy is on vacation this week....

That was at a major chain business here in the SF Bay area. The car was never back as it was, I ended up just moving on.

Per SubaruRaptor that never happened. It was fine because his was fine.

OP.... Live with it if you can. Reality is no one sees it but you. A badly painted hood will be seen by everyone.

I had similar experience with (3) ford shops on a 2016 F150. I called ford after the 2nd and they said try a third time (required by ford) and if it does not work I can take it at there nickel and go anywhere I wanted to.
3rd time worse than the rest, took it to a shop I knew well up north(at a chevy dealer no less) but well worth the trip as it came out mint.
Paint jobs are only as good as the person doing the work

 

[RacerX]

Mine (Shelter Green) had a chip/abrasion in that spot (if that spot is the passenger rear door). I took delivery anyway, first, because I had already planned on taking it to a local detailer for paint correction and ceramic coating, and second, because I drive my vehicles, and it doesn't take long for there to be many chips in the paint.
The detail shop did a good job and it's not noticeable unless you look for it. I don't know what they did to hide it, besides taking a lot of money from me.

 

[DIYPSCM]

It is critical for the OP to understand his position in all this...

The factory has a contract with the dealer to sell him a defect free product. The dealership has a contract with the customer to sell him a defect free product. If the paint is defective the dealer contracts a body shop to correct the defect. The factory covers the cost of the repair due to their contract with the dealer. The customer HAS NO STANDING WITH THE BODY SHOP. If things go sideways the customer can not complain to the body shop to make it right, they have no contract with the body shop, the dealer does. The customer has to depend on the dealer to be their agent.

The dealer will keep up the fight as long as the factory keeps funding it. The dealer will not go into the red to make it right.

At some point the body shop will say the work is "within industry standards" and any further work will be billed. At that point you own a defective vehicle. The dealer won't care that you'll never be back because at this point you'd never be back anyway.

Or it can work out fine.

 

[macky]

Thanks all, for the replies. Should be a few more days until I hear something. They didn’t tell me (and I didn’t ask at the time) how they were going to address it. I’ll take a close look when they’re done and see how it turns out either way.

based on all the input here, I at least know what to ask and can see what they’re willing to do if the first attempt isn’t good enough. The good news is I still don’t have any money in it, so no biggie if I need to walk away (other than not getting the truck I want).

thanks again everyone!

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