Mrbobcat

I haven't even called the original dealer yet. I got the car up in MI which is about a 2 hour drive away. I called a local Ford dealer and they referred me to the body shop they use. I guess its worth a try to call both of them to check.

mustang country

I had the same problem a few years back. I found a couple of paint bubble spots on my hood. I took it to a local place and what they had to do was take off the whole hood from the car and paint the whole thing. The problem is that the paint that Ford uses isn't that good.

Mrbobcat

Well the local dealer won't give me a loaner because I didn't buy the car there and couldn't get a hold of the dealer I got it from yet. The local cab service charges a flat fee of $10 a trip (I guess that's not too bad, but still I don't think I should have to pay anything). I wonder if I should call them back and see if there is any way I can take it to where I usually take my cars for repair work because they always gave me a loaner? Although I'm still debating on not fixing it right away or trying to buff it out myself. I would hate to have them paint the whole top if it can't be buffed out.

tbear853

No car made by man is perfect, they all have something that sets them apart.

You could consider it as a "character mark".

It's on the roof top and only 1/2" long and looks like a thread. If I didn't want to risk them having to repaint the roof and all that entails (shorter paint life? mismatch? early fade or peeling?) , then I'ld just learn to live with it. I know modern paints are vastly improved over the old days, but say you get a perfect roof repaint ..... so perfect that then the rest of the car looks "less perfect"? What then?

It's your call.

Clevor

These are the several concerns I have, since I do my own autobody work. I used to have an '86 5.0 Fox body I bought used in 1995, and I assure you, that car tested my skills in fixing rust, replacing the rear hatch, etc.

But I ain't doing bodywork on a 2013 car. To fix the tiny bubble on my hood, either it would be a half-*** job of sanding down just that area and refilling it with several layers of primer or primer surfacer, before putting on the topcoat that may not match the rest of the hood (in terms of orange peel).

If the bodyshop for the dealer removes the entire hood to paint it, then it will have to be reinstalled and realigned, so you are talking scratches here and there, and maybe not fitting as well.

So I plan to live with the defect as long as it isn't the galvanic corrosion problem. I did send pics to my local dealer as documentation in case it comes down to this and I have to bring the car in (although they told me to bring the car in now).

Clevor

My local detailer told me the orange peel on the black GM cars is so bad, when they repair dents using the no-paint method (where they massage it out), the area actually comes out smoother than the factory finish, so they have to back off on the process.

I've found the orange peel on the Fords are 'better' in general than the GM cars, although one side of the car seems to be a bit worse than the other. I lucked out that on my car it's pretty good on both sides and overall, its quite respectable for a factory finish.

mustang country

I didn't take my car to the bodyshop until I saw there was more than just one paint bubble on the hood. By the time I took, it was starting to become noticeable. The best thing to do I think is to take it to any local bodyshop that can give you a reasonable price. I could be wrong but by taking to a Ford dealership, they'll probably use the same type of paint that the Ford factory uses and you'll probably be stuck in the same position somewhere down the road.

Mrbobcat

Ok, so the spot must be considered orange peel or a bubble then? I wonder if I tried to fix it myself and it is deeper than expected and I mess up, would it still be covered? I fixed several light scratches and stains on my last car using fine sandpaper and rubbing and buffing compound with pretty good results (and it was a black car), but I never tried one of these types of spots and it is a stretch to get to since its near the middle of the roof. I don't have a real buffer either, just a drill with some pads from a scratch repair kit.

tbear853

I am near 100% sure that no dealership is going to do a warranty repair after a "owner botched fix".

We are talking about the roof, and over towards center at that? Above the windshield .... about 1/2" long, looks like a hair?

Can you "feel" it? Does it catch a finger nail?

No way I'ld let any body shop mess with that if my car. You'll only have one factory paint job and beside color and angle of any metel flakes in the paint, there's the issue of orange peal matching.

I might would take it and let the best paint and body man I know look at it if it really bothered me, but after a week I'ld be done got used to it and forgot it .... and I dare say no one else would ever see it.

Mrbobcat

I didn't even notice it until I washed it by hand, but now I can see it easy. It does catch on my fingernail. I did call the place I got it finally and he said it was up to me to see if they can fix it but he also thinks I shouldn't get it painted if it is too deep. I do have a year to get it fixed under warranty, so maybe I should wait in case anything else happens to the roof, you never know, I had a branch fall on my last car.