Jeep - Paint inspection

[Freakuk]

I posted about this some time ago in the Jeep forum.

My wife has a Wrangler (MY2020) on a lease which is due to finish in December, we have noticed that all 4 doors have corrosion under the paint at the bottom edge and some of the door hinges appear to have the same bubbling paint also.

Jeeps paint warranty is only 3 years so it is now out of warranty, so she is worried about handing the car back in December with the amount of bubbling paint that is getting worse by the minute. Being a lease we're not sure where she will stand when they inspect the car as to me this isn't damage she/we have caused and is clearly a manufacturing defect (there are others on forums/facebook groups reporting the same).

I am thinking if it might be worth getting the paint inspected by a professional person/body to provide a report confirming what I believe to be the issue, would anyone know if there is anyone like this out there and would help support us, or does anyone have any relevant experience/advice they can offer.

Based in Staffordshire so ideally someone within this region to help.

Thanks

[NS66]

If youve not damaged the car and cared for it by cleaning regularly and regular service then its not your issue, Make sure the car is clean when its collected and take lots of photos inside and out.

[Sebring440]

Correct me if I've got the wrong end of the stick, but you've taken out a 4-year lease on a car with a 3-year warranty? Whether body ot mechanical warranty, presumably they're both 3 years?

So it's time to read the lease. Would you be responsible for mechanical repairs if they fell within the final year of the lease?

[Freakuk]

Sebring440 said:

Correct me if I've got the wrong end of the stick, but you've taken out a 4-year lease on a car with a 3-year warranty? Whether body ot mechanical warranty, presumably they're both 3 years?

So it's time to read the lease. Would you be responsible for mechanical repairs if they fell within the final year of the lease?

No idea on the mechanicals, but that isn't the issue.

You would expect in this day and age that paintwork/galvanised panels would last more than 3 years. However Jeep state a 3 year warranty? Having had a lease car previously I know how they can be sticklers for stone chips etc, there aren't any on any of the affected areas and it's a well known issue on the hinges at least, but given it's a lease I'm not sure where we stand.

Like I said do I employ someone to confirm that the paintwork/rust was not caused by poor maintenance and pay £££ and if required provide this to the dealer and go down a legal route, or should they just accept the car as is given it isn't something we have had any input into causing and could have avoided?

[ZiggyNiva]

Is this a Wrangler JL? If so I thought they all had 5 year warranty and 7 for corrosion (my 69 plate certainly did)? My 69 plate was also bubbling around the hinges and mine went back to the lease company without issue.

[Sebring440]

From the UK Jeep web site:

"We also have a warranty on the body of your car in case of perforation due to corrosion from the inside out. We repair and/or replace any part perforated by corrosion for 7 years, starting from the vehicle's first registration date.

We also protect your car from manufacturing defects that concern the paint. We repair your vehicle to eliminate the verified defect, according to the standard conditions of manufacture. This service lasts 36 months, starting from the vehicle's first registration date."

So PAINT is 3 years, but corrosion is 7 years.

[Freakuk]

Sebring440 said:

From the UK Jeep web site:

"We also have a warranty on the body of your car in case of perforation due to corrosion from the inside out. We repair and/or replace any part perforated by corrosion for 7 years, starting from the vehicle's first registration date.

We also protect your car from manufacturing defects that concern the paint. We repair your vehicle to eliminate the verified defect, according to the standard conditions of manufacture. This service lasts 36 months, starting from the vehicle's first registration date."

So PAINT is 3 years, but corrosion is 7 years.

Just found that myself, thanks

Fingers crossed they won't argue it.

[TallPaul]

Not sure if its really relevant but “perforation” doesnt neccessarily mean the same thing as rust.
Edit to add: I see it also stated perforation from the inside out- surface rust, whilst pretty poor in this day and age isn’t the same.
Saying that, I’d be disappointed and prepared to fight it if a lease company penalised you because of rust/corrosion on an undamaged, original panel.

Edited by TallPaul on Wednesday 31st May 18:46

[martinbiz]

Not a brand that I am particularly well up on, but I went to see a few of these a while ago with a 'clueless about cars' friend who wanted one. All were 2-3 years old and all had corrosion / paint bubbles showing in various places, anything ally was covered in white spiders webs under the lacquer, Shockingly poor build quality, told him to steer well clear, I wouldn't go near one with a very long bargepole

[davek_964]

TallPaul said:

Not sure if its really relevant but “perforation” doesnt neccessarily mean the same thing as rust.
Edit to add: I see it also stated perforation from the inside out- surface rust, whilst pretty poor in this day and age isn’t the same.
Saying that, I’d be disappointed and prepared to fight it if a lease company penalised you because of rust/corrosion on an undamaged, original panel.

Edited by TallPaul on Wednesday 31st May 18:46

Sounds very similar to the wording in the McLaren warranty.

Corrosion is 10 years - and specifically mentions perforation - paint is 5 years. Which means, if you suffer paint bubbling on aluminium surfaces between 5 and 10 years, it is not covered by the corrosion warranty.

I expect Jeep would have the same view. Whether the lease company will care or not I don't know, but not sure how you could be held accountable for it.

[Freakuk]

Slight update, dealer (mongoletsi) have effectively washed their hands of it. Wife sent photos of all panels with corrosion (all doors and tailgate) they don't have a bodywork/paint shop so do not have the skills on-site so asked her to contact a MOPAR paintshop.

She has already responded asking if they could at least point towards a MOPAR service/garage etc, pretty poor show really.

I'm expecting a long slog on this one, given the time to respond and the response so far.

[8IKERDAVE]

Shouldn't be bubbling or rusting after that long! Has it ever been washed?

[Freakuk]

8IKERDAVE said:

Shouldn't be bubbling or rusting after that long! Has it ever been washed?

Yes, I'm quite anal about keeping the cars clean, snow foam, iron out, PH neutral shampoo, 2 bucket, DI vessel, to name a few things.

Lots on YT videos of people with the same, although they seem to be US based.

[MustangGT]

In my view 'perforation' is the paint being perforated, such as by a stone chip. Corrosion not as a result of perforation should be covered for the full 10 years. Where it has been caused by perforation the lower time limit applies.

[V8covin]

MustangGT said:

In my view 'perforation' is the paint being perforated, such as by a stone chip. Corrosion not as a result of perforation should be covered for the full 10 years. Where it has been caused by perforation the lower time limit applies.

Perforation is where rust has eaten it's way from behind the outer skin to such an extent that it is visible as a hole on the exterior,the opposite of a stonechip.
It's a warranty in name only, it happens so rarely,if at all,that no one has to make a claim.
The 3 year paint warranty on the Jeep is pitiful

[Pete54]

The Jeep 3 year paint warranty probably costs them some money, my friend's Jeep had really poor paintwork and even after bare metal repairs, other parts not repaired were just failing. Not sure what the issue is, but Jeep paint simply does not last. Perforation is definitely a "hole" and frankly a 7 year warranty on that means almost nothing - apart from the paint probably failed years before!!!