DialUpduCK

I've looked for similar posts on here, but haven't found one quite identical to my situation. My car has 24,000 miles on it and I've had it for 24 months.

I have a 2011 Yellow Blaze Mustang V6, and have noticed there is a "quarter" size amount of bubbling on the top of the front lip of the hood. It hasn't busted open like the hood cancer post that is on here. I noticed it less than a week ago, and just want some advice. I can post some pictures on here shortly.

I also happen to have dual rally stripes on my car, and I've had them on there for over a year. I actually have an aftermarket hood that I want to buy, and I was wondering if there was anyway that Ford would just paint my aftermarket hood from American Muscle? I've seen that hoods that have been repainted just have the problem come back every six months to a year. I don't want to be stuck with a contaminated hood that will be out of warranty in one year. I would much rather have Ford paint a new hood so that this won't happen again.

Also, are they going to need to do more than just my hood since I have a tri-color paint job? I was wondering if they should blend my fenders? I hope to hear some great advice. I'm going to contact Ford once I hear from some of you guys!

DialUpduCK

Just to make it clear. I would fully purchase the aftermarket hood. Would they have to lay new rally stripes on my car as well?

DialUpduCK

Here are the pictures I promised. Just took them.

Rando

In one of the various hood issue threads someone asked the same question and the dealer said no

elkk

Based on the pictures you posted, and assuming there has been no previous paint damage/repair, I can't see how any dealer could not warranty this paint problem. Although I seriously doubt any dealer would paint an aftermarket hood instead of the factory hood. You might work a deal and have them paint both hoods at the same time though. My 2 cents..good luck

Coyote5-0

have the original hood painted and then sell it on ebay? It's a rare color and I'm sure there are people out there dying for a hood that cheaper than buying thru the dealer... Maybe you could get $500 out of it?

DialUpduCK

I spoke to the dealer today and they said they would gladly paint an aftermarket hood. I am considering having them paint it 2011 black. I have heard that Yellow Blaze is actually a pearl based paint, and that you CAN'T blend the fenders or anything else. This would basically mean that they would have to paint the entire car again to match it all up if they did yellow blaze?

I found this information on some Focus and Fiesta forums since they came in Yellow Blaze as well. I'm going to contact the dealer again to see what all we can do. I wasn't aware that you couldn't blend YB paint when I spoke to the dealer this morning.

Deysha, can you let me know if you can help me out here?

DialUpduCK

The man I spoke with on the phone at the dealership also said that if they fixed the stock hood that the problem would probably just come back within about 8 months anyways. My warranty runs out May 2014, and I'm not wanting to have this problem again. That's one reason I want to convince them to work with me on doing an aftermarket hood.


If they seriously would have to paint the entire car Yellow Blaze again, don't you guys think they would be willing to make up for all of my troubles?

FordService

I've already escalated your case, DialUpduCK.

Deysha

DialUpduCK

Thank you very much.

FordService

You're very welcome!

Deysha

Kgilly

I am dropping my 2011 GT off in a week to have the underside of the hood repainted. The paint is flaking off and bubbling in areas near the front lip. I also have a small bubble starting on the front edge of the lip but the dealer said to wait on that. Ford has been having some issues with these hoods since they are aluminum and unless you have good prep on the hood before painting, you will have issues down the road.

DialUpduCK

I wouldn't let them touch the hood from what I've read man. They need to replace it. My dealership said that the problem will just keep coming back unless the hood is replaced. Don't let your warranty run out or you'll be screwed.

houtex

That dealership is so full of it.

There are so many threads on this subject. Short version:

Aluminium alloy DOES NOT like to have any coatings stick to it. Seam sealer may or may not be a factor. The paint falls off because of contamination or poor adherence, or both. The undersides of the lips happen because gravity and exposure help to exacerbate it around the gappy areas of the bent lips and seam thereto. Paint delaminates from the surface. Over time, it works it's way to the topside, because, paint likes to stick to itself, but the aluminum is letting it go, as it's not strong enough to stick.

Replacing the hood for this?! Right. So you get another aluminum hood that will do the same thing? This is one part where the dealer is wrong. Replacing it with a plastic or steel one will be the ultimate solve, those don't delaminate paint. Which if that's what they're saying, yes, they're right, and I retract half their wrongness.

The other part they're wrong is this: The aluminum hood can be dealt with. You sand off all the paint on the underside where the seam is. Get is *clean* and to metal. If the bubbling has made it to the topside, you have to fix that too. You then scuff it to rough it up with 320 grit, and do this to the entire hood. Wash it with soap and water. Wax/degrease it, tack it, shoot it with self etching primer, the entire hood. This stuff is made for sticking to aluminum.

NOW you can paint on it, and the paint will stick to the self etching primer, and the primer is formulated to stick/grab the aluminum. If there is any body work to be done on it, you do that first, and it will stick to the primer too. Standard painting happens after that. It is arguable whether you'd strip the entire hood to bare aluminum then self etch primer it. I'd likely go that route if I were doing it myself, as aircraft stripper isn't expensive, and you know you'd have a good, clean surface to start over with. Getting it completely out of the nooks and crannies on the underside might be fun, but since it's mostly covered, it's not as imperative, and it *will never corrode in our lifetimes* anyway. Just need the outlying area to get painted.

But Ford doesn't do this, I reckon, or the problem wouldn't persist. Self etching primer is too expensive. I doubt they even adhesion promoter the paint on the hood, which would also work instead of the primer, but is just as expensive. So they take their chances on things working out mostly good for the process, and if the amount of people who DON'T talk about these hoods is any indication? Yeah. They're winning that battle.

Thing is, excepting maybe your dealership, a decent collision center *knows all this* and will paint it correctly, and the problem should not ever come back.

/But never is a mighty long time, I admit. More unlikely then.

voyager_1700

Hey.. I know this is closed issue.. but I am hoping to get Deysha's attention as a Ford Rep.. I was just at my local dealership which has a body shop.. They wanted to replace the hood, but Ford denied and said they will repair it.. which means (from the way they described it) was prying part the weld cleaning the corrosion.. bending the metal back and rewelding it.. and they refuse to do that repair because they said they don't want that liability since they feel the hood could bend and won't look right afterwards.. Thought opinions suggestions?
I'm sorry but what's the point of having a warranty if the shop won't repair it.. or the manufacture won't replace it.. It kind of leaves the consumer high and dry...

houtex

Um... what?

They want to deskin and reskin the hood? Interesting.

How many dealerships have you been to... this is a case where just one isn't good enough, and you've gotten a bad sample. Go to the next two available ones, and also to a non-dealership for their opinion.

That... is so much more work than Ford would allow for a warranty, it's just a red flag for me on that dealership's collision center, and I'd likely never come back unless I can get a printout from Ford that this is their decision.

Also, that's completely unnecessary because it only needs to be cleaned up with a bristle brush on a drill at the seams, then painted right. Taking the seam apart is just...

Weird. Yeah, that's the word. Aluminum doesn't corrode to speak of. once it has had its surface oxidization take place. Taking a perfectly good, already "corroded" to the point of inert status hood apart to 'fix' it is just asking for it to be wrong again, and quickly, in the future.

I'm drag racing out of that dealership as fast as I could get out. Seriously.

FordService

Hi voyager_1700,

You’re more than welcome to PM me with your VIN, dealer, mileage, full name, and best daytime number so I can get this reviewed.

Deysha

jim010

Add me to the list of owners with the bubbling hood lip. Just noticed it yesterday and took it in to the dealer to look at and document. They will let me know Ford's decision next week. Warranty runs out in a month.

Why is this still a problem? My 05's hood looks like crap and there is not a fleck of bubbling anywhere else on the car! Come on, Ford ...

88lx50

Jim - I feel for you. I had mine repainted at a local dealer last month. They did a great job but I just hope it doesn't happen again.

jim010

It will. The best fix is a new hood, but even if they gave a new hood, unless Ford fixed the problem (which they haven't in the last 10 years ... unless they did with the 2013/14 cars) then that new hood is going to get bubbling within 3 years also.

Very bad, Ford. Are you listening?