New car warranties typically cover defects after you drive off the lot. However, one woman says Ford told her the warranty wouldn’t cover her 2023 Ford Bronco when the paint started “melting” two years after purchase.
In a video with over 287,000 views, Jackie Escobar (@jackie_escobar15) sits in the driver’s seat of her Ford Bronco.
“My Ford Bronco is literally melting, and I don’t know what to do,” she says. “As of tomorrow, I’ve officially had this car for two years.”
She explains that the car’s warranty covers three years or 30,000 miles, “whichever comes first.”
“I’m under 20,000 miles. But the warranty will not cover this damage,” she says.
Escobar shares a clip of the car’s paint, which appears to have bubbled and rippled.
“This is Ford saying this is built up to their Ford tough standards,” she says.
Why is the Ford Bronco’s paint melting?
In the comments, other Ford Bronco drivers say they’ve had the same issue.
“I have a 2023 Ford Bronco Sport outer banks, and my paint was chipped and rusting on the hood before I even had it a year,” one shared.
“I have a 2024 Bronco Sport Badlands, and the paint is HORRIBLE I have more chips than I can count and the dealership will do nothing about it,” another said.
“Ford’s paint sucks,” a third commented.
But what’s causing the paint to “melt” in the first place? Viewers suggested several potential culprits.
“That’s being melted from the reflection of the sun off a window where you are parking,” one explained. While car paint is designed to withstand sunlight, a reflection can amplify and heat the paint up higher than it can withstand. “My neighbor’s garage windows did this to my side-by-side parked on the side of my house.”
“This happened to my focus ST. It was actually from me parking next to my husband’s service truck and the sun reflecting off the metal handles on his truck,” another wrote.
“Do you take yours through the car wash? I’m thinking something in the wash if you do. I have the same year and model, and I’ve had it almost 2 years but haven’t had this issue,” a third asked.
Escobar replied that she “hand washes” her car.
According to Universal Technical Institute, bugs, bird droppings, brake fluid, gas, and acid rain can also damage car paint.
Should the Ford’s warranty cover the paint?
While Escobar claims the Ford dealership told her the paint wasn’t covered, Ford workers in the comments encourage her to get a second opinion.
“Hi! Ford Dealership employee here! This 100% is covered in your provided Bumper to Bumper warranty. Take it to a different dealership, the one you’re going to must not want to do body work,” one suggested.
“As someone who works in service at a dealership, your dealership is just lazy. Warranty should cover paint defects and that is definitely a defect! File a claim with corporate and do not stop calling!” another said.
“Call cooperate and deal with them. Don’t go to the dealership,” a third wrote.
A Ford dealership in Winstead, CT shared the manufacturer’s warranty on paint on its website. Escobar’s paint job should be covered as her purchase is less than three years old, according to the Lombard Ford dealership.
“Ford’s paint warranty covers defects in the original factory-applied paint for up to three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first,” the site reads. “This warranty applies to all Ford vehicles, including cars, trucks, and SUVs. The warranty covers defects such as cracking, peeling, and delamination, which occurs when the paint separates from the vehicle’s surface. It also covers dulling, which is when the paint loses its shine and becomes discolored.”
Back in the comments of Escobar’s post, car owners who have had to navigate paint issues with a warranty explained what they did to get the defect covered.
“My dad had a similar issue with a jeep dealership and he just called a different dealership and they fixed the recall because the first one refused to,” a viewer shared.
“Get a lemon law lawyer since it under warranty I sued ford couple years back against for a lemon car it was a fight but it was worth it,” another suggested.
“This happened to me with an Infiniti. My dashboard was doing this. Luckily, it was a defect and had a recall that I was unaware of. Repair was FREE! Call corporate. Write letters. Document pics/dates,” a third added.
@jackie_escobar15 Built Ford Tough #ford #bronco #cheap #newcar #relatable #tips #psa @Ford Motor Company ♬ original sound – Jackie
The Daily Dot reached out to Escobar and Ford for further comment.
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