OEM vinyl decals bad experience

Just wanted to share my experience with the hood stripes on my '18 Magnetic Raptor. After 3 months and 2500 miles, I have spotting in both stripes that cannot be removed. This vehicle has been hand washed weekly and the decals are still shot. On top of that, Ford denied replacement under warranty due to "chemical staining."

If you're on the fence about ordering graphics, please do yourself a favor and skip the OEM stripes. Apparently, this issue is common on Mustangs as well.

Hoping I can save someone else the trouble.

ford warrenty is getting bad!

I have graphics on my 2018. Don’t care for the ones on the side and will probably remove them. I like the hood though. Reduces glare from the sun. If they get bad I will just replace them.

Was it the dealer that wouldn’t warranty or Ford directly? Sometimes I wonder if it’s just the dealer giving you a line. I’ve had great service from my dealer. They replaced an engine under warranty on my 2015 F150 3.5EB after it threw a rod and they knew I had it tuned.

SpeedJunkie said:

I have graphics on my 2018. Don’t care for the ones on the side and will probably remove them. I like the hood though. Reduces glare from the sun. If they get bad I will just replace them.

Was it the dealer that wouldn’t warranty or Ford directly? Sometimes I wonder if it’s just the dealer giving you a line. I’ve had great service from my dealer. They replaced an engine under warranty on my 2015 F150 3.5EB after it threw a rod and they knew I had it tuned.

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Ford. My service advisor even submitted an appeal and they denied it again.

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How have you tried cleaning the spots from the matte vinyl?

I would try hand polishing with Revive, and then dressing them with VRT, which will help hide any spotting that does not polish out.

Check out this post on cleaning and protecting matte vinyl:

http://www.fordraptorforum.com/f36/first-detail-adamized-raptor-33281/index61.html#post1000551

Using the H2O Guard & Gloss as a sealant on the matte vinyl can help protect the vinyl from getting damaged.

AdamsPolishes said:

How have you tried cleaning the spots from the matte vinyl?

I would try hand polishing with Revive, and then dressing them with VRT, which will help hide any spotting that does not polish out.

Check out this post on cleaning and protecting matte vinyl:

http://www.fordraptorforum.com/f36/first-detail-adamized-raptor-33281/index61.html#post1000551

Using the H2O Guard & Gloss as a sealant on the matte vinyl can help protect the vinyl from getting damaged.

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Thanks for the suggestions. I watched another Adam's video and did try trim dressing. I also tried diluted vinegar, IPA, and a paint safe APC on a test spot. No change, but the trim dressing did hide it except in direct sun.

Is a polish worth trying? I have Megs ultimate polish, but not sure if that's similar to Revive.

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MoltenAZRaptor said:

Thanks for the suggestions. I watched another Adam's video and did try trim dressing. I also tried diluted vinegar, IPA, and a paint safe APC on a test spot. No change, but the trim dressing did hide it except in direct sun.

Is a polish worth trying? I have Megs ultimate polish, but not sure if that's similar to Revive.

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If you already tried APC and IPA, then I am not certain that the Revive will help, but it may be worth a try.

You would not use an abrasive polish like the Megs on matte vinyl. The Revive is more of a chemical polish, as opposed to an abrasive polish.

I have found that continued use of VRT trim dressing can help remove stains over time, as the dressing soaks into the film and helps to work the stains out.

If Ford is not going to replace them, then I would try the Revive, and keep dressing them with VRT.

AdamsPolishes said:

If you already tried APC and IPA, then I am not certain that the Revive will help, but it may be worth a try.

You would not use an abrasive polish like the Megs on matte vinyl. The Revive is more of a chemical polish, as opposed to an abrasive polish.

I have found that continued use of VRT trim dressing can help remove stains over time, as the dressing soaks into the film and helps to work the stains out.

If Ford is not going to replace them, then I would try the Revive, and keep dressing them with VRT.

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Thanks. I'm probably just going to remove them and consider it an expensive lesson on why not to have vinyl decals. I like the look, but the upkeep seems not worth the hassle.

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MoltenAZRaptor said:

Thanks. I'm probably just going to remove them and consider it an expensive lesson on why not to have vinyl decals. I like the look, but the upkeep seems not worth the hassle.

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Get some replacements from Rappy Graphics if you like the look. I purchased some 3m Matte Metallic stripes last year...self healing...still look great.

kandewinn said:

Get some replacements from Rappy Graphics if you like the look. I purchased some 3m Matte Metallic stripes last year...self healing...still look great.

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Do you do anything special to keep them clean? I considered Rappy Graphics, but I'm concerned since I don't really know what caused the issue.