Touch Up Paint Mismatch

[J_C]

I had a ding on the lift gate of my 2014 Explorer. Bought some Motorcraft Touch-Up Paint UJ color code 7205A. I bought it on eBay but am linking to it on Amazon because ebay doesn't show a picture of more than the tip of the applicator:
http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Ford-Motorcraft-Bottle-Sterling/dp/B00XQ12JWC

The vehicle is supposedly Sterling Gray Metallic and looks exactly like pictures I've seen online of Serling Gray Metallic for that model year as well as it being the color code on the vehicle sticker. The label on the touch up paint indicates it's 7205A which is supposed to match.

I shook the paint up, tried it, and it was at least two shades too dark. Thinking maybe I hadn't shook it long enough (after waiting for the first coat to dry), I shook it for a good 5 to 10 minutes and tried again. Still WAY too dark, not even close. It looks more like Ford Dark Shadow Gray Metallic.

Has anyone else had this problem or bought Motorcraft Sterling Gray Metallic 7205A and found it to match good?

Anyone out there with a Sterling Gray Metallic vehicle, have you bought another brand which you found to match good?

 

[peterk9]

I had a ding on the lift gate of my 2014 Explorer. Bought some Motorcraft Touch-Up Paint UJ color code 7205A. I bought it on eBay but am linking to it on Amazon because ebay doesn't show a picture of more than the tip of the applicator:
http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Ford-Motorcraft-Bottle-Sterling/dp/B00XQ12JWC

The vehicle is supposedly Sterling Gray Metallic and looks exactly like pictures I've seen online of Serling Gray Metallic for that model year as well as it being the color code on the vehicle sticker. The label on the touch up paint indicates it's 7205A which is supposed to match.

I shook the paint up, tried it, and it was at least two shades too dark. Thinking maybe I hadn't shook it long enough (after waiting for the first coat to dry), I shook it for a good 5 to 10 minutes and tried again. Still WAY too dark, not even close. It looks more like Ford Dark Shadow Gray Metallic.

Has anyone else had this problem or bought Motorcraft Sterling Gray Metallic 7205A and found it to match good?

Anyone out there with a Sterling Gray Metallic vehicle, have you bought another brand which you found to match good?

I've not bought touch up paint from eBay or Amazon so I can't comment on the 'genuine' part. I've always bought mine from the dealer and never had an issue.
Do you still have the 98 XLT? If so, please add the Explorer and 'model' to your signature so your posts will always show it. Thanks.

Peter

 

[J_C]

^ The paint tube and packing looked perfect. I doubt it's not genuine. I suppose it's possible that ALL the paint in this applicator and packaging is non-genuine but I have no reason to think that's the case. It looks like a quality product except for the issue of it not color matching.

After another day of drying it has lightened up about half a shade, so it's slightly closer to matching but still noticeably off.

I was hoping for replies about the specific product I bought and Sterling Gray Metallic but it looks like someone merged my topic into a larger old topic so it will be lost and I won't get the # of replies or exposure it would have otherwise.

 

[peterk9]

^ The paint tube and packing looked perfect. I doubt it's not genuine. I suppose it's possible that ALL the paint in this applicator and packaging is non-genuine but I have no reason to think that's the case. It looks like a quality product except for the issue of it not color matching.

After another day of drying it has lightened up about half a shade, so it's slightly closer to matching but still noticeably off.

I was hoping for replies about the specific product I bought and Sterling Gray Metallic but it looks like someone merged my topic into a larger old topic so it will be lost and I won't get the # of replies or exposure it would have otherwise.

Your thread has been reinstated. I will leave it like that for a week or so before putting it back where it should be.

Peter

 

[Halwg]

Maybe a bad batch of paint. I bought Ruby Red off of Ebay and it's a perfect match for my 2014 XLT.

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

If you want a good touch-up paint, look into Dr. Color Chip. Works great. I assume they have Ford paint codes. I use on the Porsche.

 

[Dr Plastic]

The paint is OK, it is the underlying primer coat that is what is missing. If you are filling in a dark color chip then you may need to use a light grey primer coat first. that will allow the touch-up paint better match the surrounding color.

 

[J_C]

^ The scratch didn't make it down to bare metal, there was still a light colored primer there. One thing that I think wasn't optimal about this product is that the applicator is only a large ball point pen shaped tip, while a brush would have done better on the ~3mm wide scratch.

Before buying something else I may see if I can get a pool of paint into a little plastic cap and put it on with a brush. The clearcoat on the other end of the product bottle does use a (squeegee sort-of) brush instead of a pointed tip.

Has anyone had luck trying to feather it a bit, putting color coat slightly over the surrounding factory clearcoat, then 1600 grit wet/dry sandpaper it or use rubbing compound then finish with a clear coat over all touched areas?

Heh, I'm probably putting too much effort into it, wouldn't if it were an older vehicle and you can't really see the color mismatch unless looking for it but then it just sticks out.

New development though - Apparently someone collided a (shopping cart??) into the plastic on the rear bumper with some force so that scuff draws the eye more than the paint mismatch. Had to happen in the last day since I was back there doing the touch-up on days prior.

It's kind of funny that at this rate it won't take more than a year before it's more scuffed than my '98 X, but it has chrome on the bumper where this plastic scuff is on the '14.

 

[J_C]

I think I found out what the problem is. Either the seller did not describe the paint properly or just followed the bad description a lot of other sellers are using.

You can see what I mean on the following page (pick 2014 Ford Explorer in the menu):
https://www.paintscratch.com/cgi-bin/select-color.cgi#Select-Products

They have one result titled as "Color Code: UJ Sterling Gray Metallic (Cladding)" which is the correct color that I needed.

They have another result titled as "Color Code: M7205 Sterling Gray Metallic t (Wheel)", which looks like what the seller sent to me, and does not match my body paint nor does it match my even lighter (than body paint) wheel paint.

There are a lot of sellers on the internet that only state code UJ is also M7205 as if there isn't any other Sterling Gray Metallic, so I'm not so sure I'd be able to get the seller to concede that they're selling wheel paint listed with the body paint color code that isn't the correct paint.

I'll send the seller a message anyway with the hopes that they'll at least update their product description so nobody else ends up with the wrong paint color for Sterling Gray Metallic body paint.

This is getting ridiculous. Why would two different paint shades have the same name in the same model year?! Ugh.

 

[dco43054]

I think I found out what the problem is. Either the seller did not describe the paint properly or just followed the bad description a lot of other sellers are using.

You can see what I mean on the following page (pick 2014 Ford Explorer in the menu):
https://www.paintscratch.com/cgi-bin/select-color.cgi#Select-Products

They have one result titled as "Color Code: UJ Sterling Gray Metallic (Cladding)" which is the correct color that I needed.

They have another result titled as "Color Code: M7205 Sterling Gray Metallic t (Wheel)", which looks like what the seller sent to me, and does not match my body paint nor does it match my even lighter (than body paint) wheel paint.

There are a lot of sellers on the internet that only state code UJ is also M7205 as if there isn't any other Sterling Gray Metallic, so I'm not so sure I'd be able to get the seller to concede that they're selling wheel paint listed with the body paint color code that isn't the correct paint.

I'll send the seller a message anyway with the hopes that they'll at least update their product description so nobody else ends up with the wrong paint color for Sterling Gray Metallic body paint.

This is getting ridiculous. Why would two different paint shades have the same name in the same model year?! Ugh.

So if I'm understanding your post, you have the wrong color of touch up paint. If it were me, I'd make a trip to the dealer, give them my VIN number and buy the proper stuff.

 

[Halwg]

So if I'm understanding your post, you have the wrong color of touch up paint. If it were me, I'd make a trip to the dealer, give them my VIN number and buy the proper stuff.

Indeed!

 

[J_C]

So if I'm understanding your post, you have the wrong color of touch up paint. If it were me, I'd make a trip to the dealer, give them my VIN number and buy the proper stuff.

You aren't understanding my post.

This was the Motorcraft product, the match for my vehicle, the "proper stuff". Problem is, 7205A and UJ are not the same color but the product is supposed to be both.

People have bought the same thing from a dealer, and guess what? It didn't match. Not "this is touch up so it'll only be close". It wasn't at all the right color gray. Somebody at Motorcraft screwed up.

If it were as simple as you wrote, this topic wouldn't exist. The whole problem is that it's not that straightforward, that somebody else screwed up and now I hope to reduce the number of other people who face the situation I did.

To restate it, those with the same vehicle color as mine, who buy what is supposed to be the right Motorcraft color for it, are getting the wrong color. Dealership or not, it's the Motorcraft product that is wrong.

If you have the email address for someone who can get things done at Motorcraft, please share.

 

[CajunFordEx]

You aren't understanding my post.

This was the Motorcraft product, the match for my vehicle, the "proper stuff". Problem is, 7205A and UJ are not the same color but the product is supposed to be both.

People have bought the same thing from a dealer, and guess what? It didn't match. Not "this is touch up so it'll only be close". It wasn't at all the right color gray. Somebody at Motorcraft screwed up.

Just because it says "Motorcraft" on the bottle doesn't mean that it's the real deal inside the bottle. There are lots of known scammers on ebay selling knockoff products under the guise of the real thing. You did say you got it from ebay.

Try some paint from a different source and see if it better matches. Some colors are extremely hard to get a perfect match and Sterling Gray is one of them.

 

[tonytheexplorer]

Duplicolor works great.

 

[HughCares]

You aren't understanding my post.

Damn, it really gets annoying when supposed know it alls tell me how things are when everything works right, despite obvious evidence that something isn't right. If you need a dealership to hold your hand, in this case you're doubly screwed. "Go to a dealer' is an unfit answer to any question on this forum.

If you purchase something off Ebay...your on your own...as stated previously, a trip to the dealer with the VIN # would have ensured you having received the correct colour for your vehicle....you only have yourself and the seller you bought the paint from on Ebay to blame otherwise....

 

[J_C]

Just because it says "Motorcraft" on the bottle doesn't mean that it's the real deal inside the bottle. There are lots of known scammers on ebay selling knockoff products under the guise of the real thing. You did say you got it from ebay.

Try some paint from a different source and see if it better matches. Some colors are extremely hard to get a perfect match and Sterling Gray is one of them.

Not a perfect match issue, it's a wrong color logistics issue, a defective Motorcraft product. This topic is a notification of that, so other people realize what is going on. Obviously I'll be getting paint from another source, it goes without saying...

 

[J_C]

If you purchase something off Ebay...your on your own...as stated previously, a trip to the dealer with the VIN # would have ensured you having received the correct colour for your vehicle....you only have yourself and the seller you bought the paint from on Ebay to blame otherwise....

Nope. Read again, people buying the genuine motorcraft part, as I did, but also from a dealer, have the wrong color paint.

The only blame falls on Motorcraft, then anyone who continues selling the defective product once made aware of the problem.

The vin # is matching to the UJ defective paint product.

 

[CajunFordEx]

Nope. Read again, people buying the genuine motorcraft part, as I did, but also from a dealer, have the wrong color paint.

The only blame falls on Motorcraft, then anyone who continues selling the defective product once made aware of the problem.

The vin # is matching to the UJ defective paint product.

You aren't understanding my post.


This was the Motorcraft product, the match for my vehicle, the "proper stuff". Problem is, 7205A and UJ are not the same color but the product is supposed to be both.

You seem all bent on solely blaming Ford/Motorcraft for your ebay purchase. Sorry, but YOU are the one that isn't understanding what everyone has been telling you. I'll repeat - Just because it says "Motorcraft" on the bottle doesn't mean that it's the real deal inside the bottle. There are lots of known scammers on ebay selling knockoff products under the guise of the real thing.
Whatever the case, Good Luck trying to find your perfect touchup paint

 

[CrazedOne]

I can back this up. I got a scratch on my driver door, picked up the UJ paint at the dealership and it's wayyyyy to dark. Still trying to find out a solution.

 

[peterk9]

I can back this up. I got a scratch on my driver door, picked up the UJ paint at the dealership and it's wayyyyy to dark. Still trying to find out a solution.

Welcome to the Forum.:wavey:

Peter