Anyone notice if their X came with a bad paint job? I noticed on mine when I first bought it (bought used) that the paint seemed to be really thin in certain areas. Now I'm noticing that in those areas the paint is coming off! Luckly it isn't rusting on any of these spots...yet.

I was just wondering if anyone else had noticed this on theirs.

The key areas I see it are on the lip of the hood closest to the windsheild and on the edge of the roof, the indent between the top of the door but before you get to the roof rack.

I take good care of the exterior of this truck, regular waxing, everything. Probably why it hasn't rusted yet. And have never used a power-washer on it.

I have a 94 and the paint on it is fine. On the other hand, my friend has a 93 and it's faded and paint is thinning in places. I think it's bad luck. Or your truck was painted on a Monday. One important thing is, the people that owned your Explorer before you, how did they take care of it? Maybe it was parked in the same place every day, and the front was more exposed to the sun. Was it garage kept? Maybe under the hood, the heat insulation on the underside of the hood is damage where the paint is going.

I have an 01' sport. The paint on my hood looks like it has small bubbles in about 3 places. the areas are about the size of a nickel. but it is annoying. i dont know what could have caused this in 2.5 years....? it also has a bubbling spot on the drivers door.

My paint looks like sh!t and its a 99 Sport. Ford isnt known for amazing paint jobs, if you get my drift.

The Factory paint on my 1997 X is pretty good, no problems here.

The paint on my 95 Town Car is also very good, zero orange peel and very good finish.

The finish on my 2000 Ex sucks.

Originally posted by SiLenZe
The paint on my hood looks like it has small bubbles in about 3 places. the areas are about the size of a nickel.

Same here. But you know what- you won't even notice them a year from now. So don't worry about it.:)

I bought my '95 back in '97 and the paint on the hood was so thin that I had the dealer re-shoot it before I bought it. I agree with Nate, Ford isn't known for the great paint jobs.

Originally posted by nweibley
My paint looks like sh!t and its a 99 Sport. Ford isnt known for amazing paint jobs, if you get my drift.

mine too.. it has bubbles and bad areas.

Yeah, you guys are right, I guess it's just luck. Don't really know how the people before me took care of it but it really looed brand new when I bought it. It still had some thin spots though but I think that's just the Ford paint job.

I had an 89 T-Bird that had a great paint job but the paint on the bumpers started to peel off. That was just notorious of those plastic bumpers though....

Thanks guys, I was just courious how many other people had the same problem...

My dark blue '93 has thin paint on the top of the back door...

The X is perfect as far as paint goes, and the Taurus is just about perfect, but the clearcoat is peeling off around the plastic bumper. :rolleyes: It's my fault though because I powerwashed it too close and then rubbed it too hard to dry it. You have to be very careful of laquer when drying it off.

Overall I'm very impressed with Ford's paints. I guess a few of you had bad luck, because it certainly is better than many other companie's paints. The pigments in the color are also better. I had an old Buick before this, and it would never shine anywhere near as well as the Fords.

The paint on my '92 Sport was pretty good, but the paint on my '01 XLS is really thin and not the best quality.

My 1991 has bad paint but it is from when they used the bad primer that caused the paint to fade, I don't think that is the problem with yours though. It could be worse cause mine needs a complete removal then repaint.

My Ex has good paint all around except for on the hood. The paint on the hood is cracking and just generally looks like shit.

I'm also losing the black paint from the mirrors and roofrack, but those don't really count since they're plastic.

Ford changed their paint process in the late 80's till about '94 or '95.

In the factory, the individual bolt on parts are actually charged with electricity and dipped in an oppositely charged solution. The paint adheres to the metal. This is actually how parts are chromed as well.

Ford for a few years removed one step in the process and this saved them some money but actually cost us all. Look around, your see more 1990 Ford Aerostar and Explorers with peeling paint than you do other manufacturers. After doing this for about 5 years, Ford started to see the first vehicles paint failing and realized they needed to stop skimping.

You owners with late 90's or newer Ford should be happier longer.

The paint on my 2000 Sport, is flawless! (Deep Wedgewood Blue Metallic). I keep it garaged however and clean. I love a clean shiny vehicle. I'm anal that way. And yes, I use my California duster EVERYDAY.

is in bad shape on the hood and roof, although I have always polished and waxed it. The side and rear paint is fine and looks great. It's one of those Ford did a bad job on in those years.

My Black 2002 is flawless. I looked it over completely before I took delivery of it.

is in bad shape on the hood (looks like a roadmap) and roof (flakes off), although I have always polished and waxed it. In fact there's one softball size spot on the roof between the sunroof and windshield that just looks a big blister!

The side and rear paint is fine and looks great. It's one of those Ford did a bad job on in those years.

My Black 2002 is flawless. I looked it over completely before I took delivery of it.

Glad to know it's not just me, the paint on my X's roof is faded and I would always wax. And my hood's clearcoat is peeling from the center outwards. Maybe Ford shoulda taken tips from Snapper, they use the same vatting process to color their mowers and I haven't seen too many old snapper mowers with peeling red paint on the deck.

Being something of a student of auto painting I have come to the following conclusions. Millions of cars leads the mfgr's to try and do NO more than is ABSOLUTELY necessary as far as quantity. (1 million cars x 2 oz of paint... well - you do the math) They all use top notch materials. I've seen, in the past 48 hours, a crappy new Ford paint job (orange peel clear) a crappy Chevy JOb on an Impala (REALLY bad orange peel in the clear) A beautiful Ford job on an Expedition (one of the best factory jobs from Ford I have ever seen) and a beautiful Job on a Chevy Yukon. There are no Monday paint jobs anymore, all done robotically... why the diff ? Beats me. Anyway every auto mfgr has problems and also delivers good results now and then. Think back to your childhood, paint didn;t look as good as it does today 10 years after it left the factory!


Happy Exploring

Chris
Chris

You're right!! Mine is pretty good with the exception on the roof, especially in front of my sunroof. The paint there is starting to thin.

the paint on my '95 is in excellent shape (I think it's Ultimate Red) so far been the only car I've owned with good paint, there is one spot where it was repainted after an accident that's questionable but overall it's in good shape, now the black paint on the pillars is gone but that's an easy fix.

My old '76 Chevelle had the original paint (sky blue) and by the time I got rid of it the paint had just started to fail badly with rust under the paint. But then it ha d sat outside for 24 years (parents bought it new) and it had been waxed about once a year. Age caught up with it and UV damage.

My '86 Pontiac 6000 had a really crappy Maaco paintjob that was peeling, it was a maroon color but would turn brown after it got wet no matter how many coats of $$$ wax you put on it.

My paint was perfect when I bought it last year... but in the past year the hood (97' green/tan EB) has cracked extensively and now the doors are pitted with scratches from being parked at school (more my bad luck than bad manufac. paint). When I use colored waxes the hood will look good for a few days and then the small cracks will reappear. What gives? Its not that old...

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My '91 Sport in medium mettalic blue was perfect...

My '93 XLT in (rare) Performance Red is still damn near flawless. It's garaged in the pole barn but has been around the block a few times.

My '96 Limited w/ pearl 'fleshtone' is purty much purfect too. Also washed and waxed regulary.

On the other hand a friend's '93 XLT in dark mettalic green has been peeling all over the place and he takes very good care of it. Another friend has '96 Sport in black and the paint sucks on it. He babies it but (hey black is bad but really sucks to maintain) it looks like someone threw dust at it while paint was wet and has "orange peel" in places.

Having owned a body shop a long time ago...

Paint formulae and ambient humidity and temp are what makes or breaks a good painted finish.

Chrysler has been repainting silver Dodge Stealths and Dakotas for years for free because the paint formula was bad.

It'd be interesting to know what all colors are represented by ya'll. Ford was repainting '88-92' Tbirds and Cougars in sliver, black and green for free.

Sometimes the best thing to do is just raise hell with the FACTORY and maybe ya gets a free repaint?


Check NHTSA web site for paint problems on yor specific models. Great source and better than TSB's alone.

My 93 X has a crappy paint job, its thin in some areas and chipping away on other areas.

My 96 X has a good paint job, I just hate the bottom pannels how dirty and scratched they can get (I don't have running boards, nor want them) but then again it is in white.

My parents 97 Expedition though has an amazing paint job in my eyes. Beautifull all around, jet black its just :D to me.

spider web cracks on hood and runs on doors...thought it was just me....

its starting to peel on the roof in the "treads" ? where the water runs down, and on the lip of the rear door (hatch) at the top where it nears the roof other then that its great except for those nicks and scratches which u dont see with a good waxing.

The paint on my '00 hood has cracked, and looks like the paint booth used too much hardener in the paint.

-B