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Paint Quality

tjoct19

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Has anyone noticed that the paint on these things chips at the slightest touch. I've had my Gladiator for 5 months and I have more gouges in my paint than I've ever gotten on another vehicle, including two Wranglers. This isn't a question of how I use the truck, it just seems that the paint on my Gladiator is particularly susceptible to chips/gouges.
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Gren71

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yea I am in the same boat. I had scratches after the first wash, and now have scratches where the white undercoat is showing...ive literally never left the pavement with it. (Not by choice, just timing lately as stunk)

after my current warranty work is done I intend to have them take a look at it. It seems like they just skipped a couple layers of clear coat or something.
 

HorneyBadger

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where are the chips/gouges? The painted fenders usually get some and occasionally the grill. But those are all non-metallic. No different than our JK's. Otherwise scratches have buffed out on everything else. Get some touch up paint and keep movin.....
 

Gren71

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where are the chips/gouges? The painted fenders usually get some and occasionally the grill. But those are all non-metallic. No different than our JK's. Otherwise scratches have buffed out on everything else. Get some touch up paint and keep movin.....
meh, Id rather see if i can make FCA do it for me.
 

Tortoise788

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I just found a small chip in my door, looks like its pretty deep too. Not sure if i want to get touchup paint or have the dealer check it out
 

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Gren71

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I just found a small chip in my door, looks like its pretty deep too. Not sure if i want to get touchup paint or have the dealer check it out
Chips id just suggest touch up paint, if you bring that to the dealer its too easy to say that it as your fault. The concern about the paint Im referring to, and i assume the OP, is that no matter how i wash it the truck gets little scratches all over it.
 

danielspivey

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Chips id just suggest touch up paint, if you bring that to the dealer its too easy to say that it as your fault. The concern about the paint Im referring to, and i assume the OP, is that no matter how i wash it the truck gets little scratches all over it.
What color is your JT that’s getting scratches all over it? Dark colors are VERY prone to showing scratches after being washed, just the nature of dark colors. After my 2016 4runner limited in black pearl, I will never get another black vehicle. Looks great clean ... but gets dirty and shows every slightest scratch. My JT is white and my accord is sliver. I think silver is one of the best colors as far as paint goes!
 

Adawg1203

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This is why the first thing I did upon taking delivery of my JT was bring it to a shop for ceramic coating. I'm not saying it stops chips but maybe helps. As part of the process they did add clear vinyl on some of the more prone to chipping parts such as the nose area of the vehicle.
 

Factoid

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Color and type matters. Metallics are less prone to chips and scratches as the clear is typically thicker and scratches are easier to buff out. My truck is GCM and I just discovered a chip on the grill when I washed it last Saturday. I only have 4,500 miles, but they are highway miles typically cruising at 80 mph. There is no way the dealer is going to pay for chips unless the whole paint is peeling off in sheets. I did install a bug/stone deflector on the front lip of the hood which works really well. I also loaded some gym equipment in the bed and scratched the hell out of it (bed liner is the only option I really wanted that didn’t come on the truck, but I will be going to Bullet Liner once this virus dies down). When you touch up the chips, use two Light dabs of paint and one heavy dab of clear and if you are careful, it will level nicely. You can buff it smooth onEC fully cured if you are anal about it.
 

Gren71

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What color is your JT that’s getting scratches all over it? Dark colors are VERY prone to showing scratches after being washed, just the nature of dark colors. After my 2016 4runner limited in black pearl, I will never get another black vehicle. Looks great clean ... but gets dirty and shows every slightest scratch. My JT is white and my accord is sliver. I think silver is one of the best colors as far as paint goes!
I have the Black paint color. First black jeep ive had so i guess its just new to me. Ive thought about ceramic coating, i just cant justify the crazy cost.
 

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hjdca

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Small, cloudy Paint scratches that can be buffed out are all about how you wash. Rinse first, then, use two buckets, one with soap, and one with water. Clean your wash cloth in the water bucket after every panel section. Any small amount of dirt in your wash cloth will cause tons of micro scratches. When drying, use those expensive, green, super soft, high end, drying towels from Pep boys. Note: Car washes and all the re-used cloths are notorious for putting tons of micro scratches (which an be buffed out) in your paint.
 

Gren71

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Small, cloudy Paint scratches that can be buffed out are all about how you wash. Rinse first, then, use two buckets, one with soap, and one with water. Clean your wash cloth in the water bucket after every panel section. Any small amount of dirt in your wash cloth will cause tons of micro scratches. When drying, use those expensive, green, super soft, high end, drying towels from Pep boys. Note: Car washes and all the re-used cloths are notorious for putting tons of micro scratches (which an be buffed out) in your paint.
yea I washed it with the two bucket system and even changed the water a couple times as i went. Still got scratches.

Totally going to get picked on for this but what do you mean "Buffed out" as in paying a detail service to do this? or just a hand wax in the driveway..
 

hjdca

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yea I washed it with the two bucket system and even changed the water a couple times as i went. Still got scratches.

Totally going to get picked on for this but what do you mean "Buffed out" as in paying a detail service to do this? or just a hand wax in the driveway..
"buffed out" means using a buffer with extremely fine grain special polish which finely polishes the clear coat to get rid of those pesky fine scratches you can see in the sun. Yes, a detail service does this for you. You cannot do it by hand, you need a buffer. Then you wax over that polish. There is a basic science to it. Once you learn it, you can do it yourself.

The main thing is how you wash your Gladiator. Do not take it to a car wash, never let a dealer wash it, use a 2 bucket system, and use plenty of the right super soft, high end, high cost, thick, green, micro fiber cloths from a place like pep boys to dry it.

Note: When I picked up my Ribicon JT, it had just come off the shipping truck, had 3 miles on it, and it was dirty. The sales guy begged me to let his guys wash it. I would not let him wash it, nor, drive the stick shift to fill it with gas. I did not want them putting micro scratches in the paint, nor messing with my clutch. lol... This is the way you have to be if you do not want those micro scratches you see in the sun.
 

Gren71

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"buffed out" means using a buffer with extremely fine grain special polish which finely polishes the clear coat to get rid of those pesky fine scratches you can see in the sun. Yes, a detail service does this for you. You cannot do it by hand, you need a buffer. Then you wax over that polish. There is a basic science to it. Once you learn it, you can do it yourself.

The main thing is how you wash your Gladiator. Do not take it to a car wash, never let a dealer wash it, use a 2 bucket system, and use plenty of the right super soft, high end, high cost, thick, green, micro fiber cloths from a place like pep boys to dry it.

Note: When I picked up my Ribicon JT, it had just come off the shipping truck, had 3 miles on it, and it was dirty. The sales guy begged me to let his guys wash it. I would not let him wash it, nor, drive the stick shift to fill it with gas. I did not want them putting micro scratches in the paint, nor messing with my clutch. lol... This is the way you have to be if you do not want those micro scratches you see in the sun.
Thanks, appreciate the insight. Ill have to hook up with a detail service around here somewhere when the world reopens.
 

bradj1964

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yea I am in the same boat. I had scratches after the first wash, and now have scratches where the white undercoat is showing...ive literally never left the pavement with it. (Not by choice, just timing lately as stunk)

after my current warranty work is done I intend to have them take a look at it. It seems like they just skipped a couple layers of clear coat or something.
My gladiator is black also and it seems to get all those fine scratches after each wash, ive had many black vehicles over the years ford, chevy, dodge, and this black seems to be by far the worst, I know its a jeep, but i agree with Gren71
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