Welcome to the Forum.
I'm guessing that the paint issue on the hood is on the front edge. That is a known issue. The hood is aluminum.
List of Useful Threads - Hood Paint bubble issue only
The 5th gen has an internal water pump which can cause issues if it leaks and is not caught in time.
Water pump failure leads to dead engine
A transmission fluid change has solved some issues that members were having. It's worth the cost to have that done as a first step.
Good luck.
Peter
I really appreciate the feedback. I will read the thread about the paint on the hood. I was going to sand down the edge part of the hood cover the front of the vehicle and paint and clear coat it. Then I was going to buy a hood shield to cover the hood edge. Glad to hear it's aluminum, because I was concerned with rust.
In regards to the transmission.... No slipping happened during test drive, the 2hr drive back and the local trips I have done. I didn't feel any engine misfiring or see any Axel seeping. The dealership was in the middle of nowhere and I think the owner brought it for service and they scared him into trading it in for a new vehicle. Because the owner never noticed anything wrong and it was the dealership who told him that.
Just replaced all 4 tires with
Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3
255 /55 R20 110H XL. The car rides so quiet. I wasn't sure going from 255/50 to 255/55 was a good idea, but from what I read here on the forum it worked well.
Next on the list is detailing it, replacing a broken passenger side signal on the mirror, the radiator grille shutter is broken, spark plugs, transmission fluid change, check and clean throttle body and buy a trunk rubber mat. The side mirrors are noisy closing and opening.... Guessing either lithium grease or WD-40 should fix that. Oh... Rear camera is very foggy and not sure if it's the cameras plastic or inside dirt. I tried wiping it down, but it didn't work.