2 Months Old & Apparent Rust Spots on Hood

[kindofblue]

Early on when covid hit MMEs were sitting in rail yards for weeks on end and it was not unusual for the paint to have iron deposits on it when they showed up at the dealers.

When I got our 22 MME I specifically asked the dealer not to "prep" the car to avoid any iron deposits from not being appropriately removed.

Sponsored

 

[zvez]

If you were to watch the new delivery vehicles get unloaded from the transport trucks at some dealerships, you'd be in awe of how filthy some of them arrive. A long rail car ride can cover the vehicle in contaminates, and honestly, I'm not sure I want the dealership to try more than just washing it up for me to pick it up. Would rather they not wipe across the iron particles that the railway ride contributes to the surface.

And then as suggested, have a pro do a proper decontamination of that glorious Tricoate White you have.

Congratulations on the new ride.

I was going to say, I saw both my mach es just after they were dropped off the truck. Horrendously filthy doesn't adequately describe how they look when they hit the dealer. But OP should def. go back to the dealer, it may be as simple as a bit of work by an experienced detailer.

 

[DadzBoyz]

Thank you all for the suggestions! I hadn’t heard of Fallout or even known it existed, but that seems to be the most probable cause. Would Ford cover that under the warranty, or am I responsible for it? I’d rather they address the issue instead of me potentially damaging the paint if it’s something that can be fixed under warranty.

The dots can be "fallout" as described. Some common forms come from:

• Iron/metal deposits left on the paint from transport - The train ride from the manufacturing plant is dirty and that includes iron dust that is kicked up from the train wheels rubbing against the rails and general rust from the rail cars themselves. Standard washes rarely remove all of this junk. It's a good idea to clean the car with an iron removing cleaner after delivery. I would follow that up with a w clay mbar or mitt to further pull the iron out of the pours of the paint. Next a good polish to smooth the paint surface after the contaminates are removed. Lastly, a ceramic coat should help to seal the clean paint (even a reputable but cheap one). It sounds like a lot of work, but I will guarantee the dealership did none of this as part of the "Dealer Prep" they so often charge. Following cleaning steps like this should clean up the spots on your car. You shouldn't need a re-spray.
• Tree Sap - This is also quite common. Tree sap doesn't only come in big drips and drops. It can come in multiple forms., including a mist that would create spots like this. I quick solution may to to get a safe automotive bug and tar remover and follow the directions. This should remove tree sap. My son's car just had this happen (very similar dots to yours) and I showed him how to remove them this way and it worked like a charm. It probably also helped that I had his car ceramic coated which would make it easier to remove sap as well.

 

[Deleted member 23937]

Looks like 99% of Mach-e’s paint jobs were all contaminated. Where did they paint them? In the Sahara desert?

 

[kindofblue]

Looks like 99% of Mach-e’s paint jobs were all contaminated. Where did they paint them? In the Sahara desert?

Mine was not and I did the delivery/prep work myself to avoid possibly getting swirl marks in the paint.

 

[FriendlyLightning]

Update: I took the vehicle into my local dealer (not the one I purchased it from), and the service manager was kind enough to look at the paint and submit a warranty claim to Ford. My understanding is that we are waiting on the green light from Ford, then they will schedule the necessary repairs. They've been very helpful, and he agreed that it looked like rail dust based on internal references. He was also surprised the originating dealer didn't catch that at delivery. I appreciate everyone's tips for treating the spots. I halfheartedly thought I'd give the warranty route a try, and was pleasantly surprised that it seems to be going somewhere. If it ends up at a dead end, I'll be getting some iron removers and going to town on it.

 

[Spacey]

Update: I took the vehicle into my local dealer (not the one I purchased it from), and the service manager was kind enough to look at the paint and submit a warranty claim to Ford. My understanding is that we are waiting on the green light from Ford, then they will schedule the necessary repairs. They've been very helpful, and he agreed that it looked like rail dust based on internal references. He was also surprised the originating dealer didn't catch that at delivery. I appreciate everyone's tips for treating the spots. I halfheartedly thought I'd give the warranty route a try, and was pleasantly surprised that it seems to be going somewhere. If it ends up at a dead end, I'll be getting some iron removers and going to town on it.

Iron remover is the least invasive way of getting rid of the spots. Spray on let it dwell (the water will turn purple) and rinse off with hosepipe and running water. I don't know what your dealer is going to do to it? Respray?

 

[jwalther]

Washed my week old Star White GT for the first time yesterday, and noticed the same issue as the OP. I'm scheduled to take it in to my detailer on Tuesday. Hopefully he can take care of it.

 

[FriendlyLightning]

Iron remover is the least invasive way of getting rid of the spots. Spray on let it dwell (the water will turn purple) and rinse off with hosepipe and running water. I don't know what your dealer is going to do to it? Respray?

They made it sound like they are going to repaint it.

 

[FriendlyLightning]

Washed my week old Star White GT for the first time yesterday, and noticed the same issue as the OP. I'm scheduled to take it in to my detailer on Tuesday. Hopefully he can take care of it.

Such a bummer to find when it’s new like that!! Sorry to hear you have the same issue.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

Washed my week old Star White GT for the first time yesterday, and noticed the same issue as the OP. I'm scheduled to take it in to my detailer on Tuesday. Hopefully he can take care of it.

Get a bottle of Griot’s fallout remover or Adam's iron remover (etc). Wash the car as normal. Rinse, foam it up with the iron/fallout remover. Let it sit for the period of time stated then rinse again. It’s the easiest and safest way to remove this stuff and it won’t be the last time you’ll have to do it. Relying on dealership detailers to properly clean your car up is not a good thing.

 

[Pez68]

This is rail dust, and is not a big deal at all. Tiny particles of iron and steel get lodged in the paint's clear coat, and then they rust. This is really only evident on white or white similar colors, but every vehicle suffers from this.

Buy a clay bar kit, and watch a YouTube video on clay barring. It's super simple. It may take a few passes, but they will disappear. Then put a nice wax coat or ceramic coat on it. I just did this with my brand new 2024 GTPE, with 100 miles on it. Looks brand new again.

 

[Regularmache]

Say no to repaint! Factory paint underneath is the best finish. Watch this and it'll give you a good idea of what it is and how to take care of it.

Only see it on our new white vehicles in the past but. I doubt it's on the darker colored vehicles we've bought but wasn't noticeable.

 

[stinsvic]

Gorgeous paint job!

Man!!! I love that beautiful blue stripe!!!

Sponsored