I don't know WTF I am looking at here. 2016 Mustang GT with about 7000 miles on it. Had it about 1.5 years. I went to wash it today, and when I was drying it, I looked at the rear passenger-side wheel well and I saw big chunks of paint missing along the exterior part of the wheel well area.

Thumb for scale




I touch it and it feels abrasive to the touch.

Now, logic would say gravel or rocks kicked up. But rocks making such large chips? And in various places on the same wheel well? And only on the outside of the paint and nothing on the inside, or on any other wheel?

Maybe damaged taking it off the truck?

doesn't look like paint failure, looks like an abrasion of some type.

Word of warning: The fix might be worse than the problem.

quote:

Originally posted by Scurvy:
doesn't look like paint failure, looks like an abrasion of some type.

^^^
I would agree, it looks fresh like it just happened.

quote:

Originally posted by Scurvy:
doesn't look like paint failure, looks like an abrasion of some type.

I'm scratching my head thinking wtf it could be. What could rub against it to take the paint off like that? And not leave any scratches or dents anywhere and only in small portions whilst skipping others.

Dirt on the road in the rain sandblasted it. Get racers tape, like duct tape but made to be removed like blue painters tape. Used it on my 911 on road trips for just that reason.

That's from the jokers trying to steal your wheels?

Something had to rub it off. Maybe it was in the shop and was damaged and covered up.

I have chrome damage from a motorcycle going between me and the rear of another vehicle at 50 MPH. If I hadn't hit the brakes hearing the engine roar and the bright lights, he would have hit the rear of the car in the right lane.

That is definitely an abrasion.

I'm thinking some dufus ran along the side of your car... maybe with a shopping cart or similar, and that was the wide spot that caught the damage?

At least it doesn't appear to have been dented in the process, so should be easier to repair. The multiple bends in the fender metal along that ridge line gave it enough strength to resist any bending/denting pressures.

Comp claim, looks like to me.
Don

Looks like someone took the backside of a key and gouged your fender! I'm aligned with those above, not factory paint defect but some sort of abrasion.

Did a good sized stick/branch take a ride through your wheel well?

I think somewhere out there, there is a door edge on a car with just that shade of red on its edge now.

quote:

I think somewhere out there, there is a door edge on a car with just that shade of red on its edge now.

Yeah. Considering where it is located I would want it fixed. It would be worth the cost. It is always more than you can imagine to fix that stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by Copefree:
Did a good sized stick/branch take a ride through your wheel well?

Not that I know of. I'm pretty careful and only park in a select few places.

quote:

Originally posted by 83v45magna:
I think somewhere out there, there is a door edge on a car with just that shade of red on its edge now.

It doesn't show in the photos but there is damage around the entire wheel well. There's more chips alongside the entire thing. Up close it looks like it's flaking.

I'm voting for abrasion. Too defined and too deep for a factory defect.

Yeah, those are pretty jagged edges. She'll have to be feathered back a ways.

Just a thought, I wonder what the painless, dent less mobile tech's would charge. Best to keep the repair as small as possible.

Have you been playing with line lock and not showing us those pictures?



Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3nbwCjZKk8

Maybe I'm seeing things, but in your middle photo it appears that the entire edge has been touched up previously.

The paint looks thick, in a ridge, and uneven.

Hard to say...sometimes paint defects manifest on the other similar painted locations...how is the paint holding up in the other wheel wells, trim, etc?

Maybe use google and see what you can find in mustang forums?

I discovered a common paint defect this way in our 2016 jeep Sahara. The paint along the fenders cracking was cracking and it was an issue for that model. Luckily I discovered it in time to be taken care of by the dealer.