So, I have had my truck for almost a year now. Its been a busy year with work and the birth of my first child so my truck hasn't got the attention it should have been getting over that time. For the first time yesterday I got up close and deep cleaned the exterior of the truck. I found the usual suspects...rail dust starting to rust in the paint (although I have never had a vehicle with this many rail dust spots before). The one thing that bothered me is that I found 3 places where there appears to be some sort of debris that got under the paint when it was being applied. Inside the door sill along the plastic molding there are alot of small metal (or other debris) under the paint. Running my hand along it it feels like very rough sandpaper. There is another small spot of the same on the pass. side rear door sill. The other 2 doors are perfectly smooth and defect free.

I also found about 1/2" square piece of something, about 1/16" in height under the paint of the roof line right beside the drip moulding. Inside the door isn't a huge bother to me, the roof one is. Its a large piece that I imagine if it got hit just right by a flying stone or low branch it would probably catch it and rip it right out of the paint leading to bigger problems.

Is stuff like this covered by warranty? I am quite mad that I didn't discover this sooner as I usually go over vehicles with a fine tooth comb when I first get them but didn't have the time with this truck. Also, since its silver I know its hard to spot match the paint. Even if they do fix it, how terrible is it going to look?

 

+1 on noticing a few minor paint defects. I bought the 2010 Laramie and it has the two toned black pearl. I closely examined the paint when I bought it and see the same things you have reported. I found a few small debris particles in the passenger side door jamb under the paint as well as one on the outside of the passenger side door although it is hardly noticiable on the outside.

If you feel like you can tackle the job, you might be able to correct or lessen the problem by doing a little wet sanding/compunding/buffing or taking it into a professional place to have it taken care of. Personally I would not have the truck repainted.

You would think Dodge's paint quality control might be a little higher making trucks which range in price all of the way up to 50,000.00+ when companies like Hyundai boast higher paint quality than Mercedes at a fraction of the price. Go figure.

 

I never heard of this or put two and two together. I need to research now to see if this is real. The wife has all these gold specs on her white explorer. The only way I can get them off is if I use claybar. I never thought of iron oxide coming off the rails, floating in the air from the train and attaching itself to the truck. hummm.

 

More than likely, it is brake dust from the metallic pads. Same issue with all brands. Easier to see depending on the color of vehicle.

 

Brake dust from the stock Ram brakes? What are your suggestions for removal? Anything other than the claybar? Frustrating because its everywhere, especially on the roof of the cab.....

 

It's not brake dust! Mine is brand new and it's loaded with looks like slag spots from the spot welds. My drivers side door and back door are loaded with the same defects as the OP stated. I have them on the roof, on the exterior of the doors and one spot on the rear drivers side that looks like they repainted it (about the size of a quarter). One spot inside the door is just as the OP, feels like sandpaper. Paint and body prep on these definitely needs improvement! I have already taken it back to the dealer for this only to be told it's covered under warranty should something happen. Never had a vehicle with so many paint flaws as this one.

 

Well, some of it is defintely brake dust. Can't see how I could get rail dust after a year and a half. I'm talking about the small rust looking spots, not the paint defects of dirt and such under the paint. That is an entirely different matter.

The last few vehicles I have owned all had the small rust spots that came off with the claybar. Depending on the color, some shows them more than others.

 

Mine are slag/debris spots that were painted over. The sponge and rags snag on them when being washed and dried. It's a sad paint job for such a nice truck! I'm somewhat relieved to know mine is not the only one. Wonder how many others are out there like this? The bad thing is they won't do anything unless it rust through or causes the paint to chip, then it would only be spot painted.

 

My '09 1500 Quad Cab has the best paint job of any truck that I can remember. The worst was a Ford Ranger.
I had to take my '03 Ford F150 Supercrew truck back and have the whole top repainted. I think, so far, my Dodge may be the best truck I have ever had.
Jack

 

Mines still in the shop after only 3 weeks of purchase to repaint the corner of my bed dude to paint defect.