Paintwork on new Fiesta 2010

emmell

Now then, this is going to be difficult to describe.
My one year old Fiesta seems to have developed a fault in the paintwork. It's hard to describe but when I polished it yesterday there are marks under the paint, something like when you spill petrol and it leaves a purpely irridescent glow.
These marks are all over and will not polish out.
Took it to the Ford garage yesterday where the 'Service Receptionist' had a look? She agreed how unusual the marks were (and easily seen).
So it gets taken off 30 miles away for an inspection by a Ford approved bodyshop.
Got a message last night on the answerphone from the receptionist.
"The car has been inspected and UNFORTUNATELY, there is nothing wrong with the paintwork". Now 'unfortunately' seems an unusual word to use to describe something that is ok, I would have thought she would have said 'fortunately'.
Anyway, they want to compound polish (in other words buff with a cutting paste) an unmarked (apart from the faults) a one year old car with 900 miles on (yes 900, not 9000).
Do you think it will be ok to 'compound polish', it seems a bit of a rough treatment?
By the way, I told them I do not want the car if it has to be resprayed because, for the rest of it's life, it will always have been resprayed! Maybe I made the mistake of telling them this first before they had seen the car.
Any thought or info?
ML.

harveybobbles

Do you have babies or young kids going in or near the car?

The reason I ask is the saliva they get from putting their hands in their mouth does leave quite nasty stains on paintwork.

Frags

Your Fiesta has a body and paint warranty on it, this should be in your handbook (i used to work for Ford)

Browntoa

get a 2nd opinion at an independent garage

Kilty_2

Definitely get a 2nd opinion. Ford paintwork seems to be pretty shoddy - I've seen 3 of my work's 10 plate Transits with rust above the windscreen on the passenger side in exactly the same place :eek:

NeverAgain_2

No harm in letting the dealer have a go at polishing the car.

The offer suggests they recognise the paintwork's not right, even if they are saying otherwise.

The mileage suggests the car stands idle for a long time.

Where is it stored?

Premier_2

If there is nothing wrong with the car's paintwork, why do they want to use a cutting compound on it? :huh:

The Ford paintwork warranty covers "the paintwork on your Ford against corrosion and defective work". Your issue is that garage is saying it is not defective (but try the argument above)

Also note that an exclusion applies. i.e. "Failure to properly maintain paint and bodywork by regular cleaning in accordance with Ford instructions", so it won't cover bird lime or tree sap damage etc
But if this is equally all over then that is unlikley.

You sure it's not just a pearlescent colour?
Unless it's a flat colour, it will certainly have a top clear laqueur to the paint, so don't let them go using a cutting compound on it.

Sadly Ford have outsourced their main customer service complaints department to some call centre with the usual call centre monkeys working there so you are unlikley to get far with them. (If you send anything to Ford Head Office over customer service, it'll only get forwarded to the outsourced department)
You need to find preferably an approved Ford dealer (or otherwise a vehicle paint expert who is prepared to act as an expert witness) to agree with you that a fault exists first, then take it from there.

emmell

Thanks for all the replies.
To answer some questions, no kids or babies, it is kept in a garage all the time unless I'm out in it, no tree sap or bird lime and it's washed regularly with wash and wax. It is metallic magenta (like a pinky burgundy). The marks are dotted about all over the car but just on the paintwork, not on the plastic trim or the chrome bits.
They (Ford dealer) gave me the run around on Thursday passing me from one department to another, then one dealer to another and the useless call centre (I spoke to three different main Ford dealers?).
They were supposed to ring me back on Thursday evening before 6pm (they finish at 6pm) no call. No call next morning so my husband called in and complained so they told us to take the car through, leave it with them and they take it the 30 miles to the Ford Approved Bodyshop. We couldn't collect it yesterday because we had a Funeral to attend 75 miles away, so they left a message to say the paintwork is ok (as above) and we can collect the car Saturday. The Service Dept closes at 12pm, so they would leave the key with a Salesman. Guess what, they had no idea who we, where the car was, and the keys would be locked in the Service Department which they could not access on a weekend. So my hubby asked them for the Service Managers number but they wouldn't give it out.
Then to try and get us away from the main showroom they told us to go sit and wait in the Service Department. I took exception to this and just told them I was going home. And that's it, no car, no keys, no nothing. Just wasted time running around after THEM! and £10 worth of calls from my mobile, and I suppose my petrol for the 60 mile round trip.
ML.

Premier_2

emmell wrote: »

...It is metallic magenta (like a pinky burgundy). ...

That is a pearlescent colour

You say the effect is not on the plastic parts, but what about the painted plastic parts (e.g. bumbers, door mirror housings, etc)?

Compare it to another car that is that colour (or the horrendous Squeeze colour - the light greeny-yellow colour)

catalunya

Hi Everyone - hope no one minds if I piggyback on this thread instead of starting a new one

I have had my new fiesta for 10 days and i went to give it a clean today and have found a paint chip on the rear bumper just under the boot door. I havent used my boot and am waiting for my phone call back from my dealer...

Anyone help me as to where I stand warranty wise / if I can get it fixed?

I have driven it to and from work, to the gym and most crucially not even used the boot yet. Its only a small chip, but as its only 10 days old I dont want to leave it!

Thanks for any help...

Cat

Kilty_2

catalunya wrote: »

Hi Everyone - hope no one minds if I piggyback on this thread instead of starting a new one

I have had my new fiesta for 10 days and i went to give it a clean today and have found a paint chip on the rear bumper just under the boot door. I havent used my boot and am waiting for my phone call back from my dealer...

Anyone help me as to where I stand warranty wise / if I can get it fixed?

I have driven it to and from work, to the gym and most crucially not even used the boot yet. Its only a small chip, but as its only 10 days old I dont want to leave it!

Thanks for any help...

Cat

So it's actually inside the boot ?

You'd be hard pushed to prove you haven't used the boot but I'd give it a go.