Ford’s quality woes are well documented. Recalls, recalls, and even more recalls have befallen the automaker for everything ranging from engine fires to reverse cameras, and Ford CEO Jim Farley has acknowledged fixing quality issues as his “number one priority.” Even with all that said, a brand-new 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse was delivered with paint chips, paint bubbles, and even a dent.
A video by the expert detailers at Chicago Auto Pros shows that even Ford’s brand-new paint can be problematic. I’ll preface this by saying that no cars come from the factory with perfect paint, at least anything that doesn’t cost as much as a house. It’s common to have imperfections, scratches, or dents on new cars. Most of the time, the damage occurs in shipping and is corrected in the pre-purchase inspection process.
Still, there is no denying that the Dark Horse in the video shows some pretty serious paint issues. It’s what you would call a good 10-footer, and according to Chicago Auto Pros, the paint is decent quality, and the clear coat doesn’t have much orange peel. Where the issue lies is the prep work and finish of the paint.
There’s a pattern with the corners of the front and rear bumpers where paint is either bubbled or peeled away to the bare material. What’s more concerning is that the corners of the fenders show bare metal while the bumpers are in better shape, likely because the bumpers are painted separately in the factory. They also found some straight-up weird stuff. There was a sanding mark that existed in a particularly thin area of paint, as well as a slight dent on a quarter panel.
The paint quality was bad enough that the video host said that some parts needed to be repainted if they were going to work on them. Heed this advice: If you’re considering buying a new Mustang, take a very close look at the paint job.
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