Two days ago I noticed something that looked like flakes on the front bumper. When I went to wipe it with my hand, a flake, about the size of a half dollar, came off. Is this the clear coat coming off? Does anyone know if this is a (waranty) covered item? It's a new (2005) Magnum RT--bought it this past November.

 

RUN.....do not walk to your dealer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This could be a serious problem.............

Good luck,

Bob

 

Thanks Bob. I'll call tomorrow. Anyone else experience anything similar?

[IMG]local://upfiles/26622/221C27AF8E374EBA897602C99F7039A9.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/26622/B5E853878D304EBA9BE17E9B60A52CEC.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/26622/AC376656DA8F4067935FF59B12E1503E.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/26622/114B948196684D2EAE109AF05E847138.jpg[/IMG]

 

Sounds like your bumper has been repainted. It could have gotten delivery damage when brand new, and the dealer repaired it... so no record of damage would show up. The factory uses a completely different process to ' paint ' the factory bumpers, so factory bumpers shouldnt have clear coat peeling. Either way, have the dealer look into it...should be warranteed. If you left it at any shop, dont put it past them that they damaged it and had it fixed without your knowlege.

 

To date, it has been in the shop about 4 times for the same problem. Dealer says that it was damaged when it was offloaded from the truck. They sent it to an outside body shop and insist that it has to go back there each time I have brought it in.

 

Id say they stalled you till the warranty ran out. Your prob out of luck now due to the time passed. It would cost you more to fight it than it cost. Just remember if you ever need body work done to NOT go to them next time. I assume they just kept painting over it since you said its been fixed 4 times. If you want it right now, you need a new bumper cover and have a good shop paint it for you. It will prob cost you about $400-600 out of pocket.

 

You dont need another bumper cover.. any competent body shop (or one that has and any commercial paint training) knows how to plastic prep a bumper that is flaking. Dupont for instance has a 4 part system for prepping plastic bumpers. I have NEVER had one come back due to flaking. If you've gone back 4 times ,,my friend, it's time to find another body shop! Maybe find out where your high-end dealers (mercedes,porsche,jag) send their cars for repair or recomend a shop............good luck

 

Ive been in the paint and body business for 40+ years, own my own shop specializing in Corvette, Ferrari, Porsche and Mercedes for last 30. If its been painted 4 times, its not worth the effort to take off 4 paint jobs. The plastic bumper sanded down to bare which is what you will have to do, will be so messed up, you wont be happy with it. You can buy a new one for less than the time cost to strip it down. Sanding it down for 3 hours and making it wavey with rounded off edges at $100 @ hr is more than the $250 you pay for a brand new one. Then do the proper prep and paint and it will be better than it was new. Any plastic bumper thats been painted 4 times is not going on my car at all and I wouldnt install it on a customers car. It would be a totally diff story if it was a rare 70 cuda bumper. You might even find a used one at a yard with OEM paint for $150. Now if you want to sand it down and repaint it yet again, and you dont care what it looks like, thats your choice.

 

i agree. you're better off with a new bumper than trying to repaint the old one again.

 

The dealership says that it is the shop that did the work who holds the responsibility. I told them that if the problem comes up again I will contact them through small claims court--that I feel the dealership is responsible since: a:They sold me a car that had been wrecked (on the lot) and did not tell me about it--even after I asked, point blank, if the car had been involved in an accident; b: I was not my responsibility, as a customer, to keep bringing my car in (and doing without a car since no loaner was provided), to have the dealership's contracted shop keep redoing the work.