[snobrdrdan]

So my car is just about 2 months old and just hit 500 miles on it...a 2021 Charger (392 Daytona).
It lives in the garage all of the time.

I have an appointment on Monday with my local dealer for some other little issues (sunroof needs to be adjusted & the passenger door needs to be aligned better & the hood vinyl is starting to peel up a little), but my original main issue was the transmission is acting weird as it's slipping/clunking into gear--this is my 5th Charger and I've never had any transmission issues like this before.

Anyways....so I gave my car it's first bath the other day and discovered a spot of rust on the driver rear door.
I know nothing has hit it, and I went back to pics I took of it when I bought the car & it was still on the dealer's lot and sure enough....there was a little silver spot (paint missing) on the door that I didn't see at the time and now it's rusting already.
(you have to zoom in on that pic btw, but it's definitely there)

I already have a case open with FCA/Stellantis for the transmission & other little stuff and added this to the "case" as well, but I have a feeling that I'm going to get the run around from the dealer or FCA/Stellantis.

I don't think this is acceptable though for a $52k brand new car and it's really disheartening to me, because even if they do "fix it"....that'll require paint work which I don't like being done on a new car.

My selling dealer is about 45 minutes away and were worthless when I had some issues with the car right off the bat, so I'm just going to my local dealer (about 10 minutes away) instead.

I understand they have to look at it (first), but any tips/advice how to handle this?


PICS:
E62EA2BA-AB6B-47B6-A16F-9FAD8E9325A4 by snobrdrdan, on Flickr

5F3ECA3D-E1C0-4763-A5DE-A3B039B706BE by snobrdrdan, on Flickr

A1550700-CE62-4CF1-BEB1-9E4DF3A2740A by snobrdrdan, on Flickr

D92172F4-FEC3-418D-B272-303D71031ADC by snobrdrdan, on Flickr

FF2FAAAF-2763-4340-9DC9-FF413D8D1D4F by snobrdrdan, on Flickr

The day I bought it/on the dealer lot still:
AB8444EE-9971-4483-9567-CFA996D577D7 by snobrdrdan, on Flickr

 

[Frosty]

I don't really see much on the last picture but I'm betting the source file is clearer. Someone opened the door into something lightly which chipped the paint which has caused surface rust on the exposed metal. That is stupid easy to correct. Just need to clean the surface rust out then touch up the paint. You (or the dealership) can build up the touch up paint a little bit then wet sand and buff it out and you will never know it was ever their.

Out of all the things you mentioned about this car this is by far the least of my concerns. I totally get it because it's brand new and I'm super anal about my cars too but that one I wouldn't lose any sleep over at all.

 

[Hemi_Life]

I agree with @Frosty , that chip is an easy fix (although it does sux), and I would be more concerned with that slipping transmission.
Good luck, and please give updates about the transmission issue, I don't see that as a common issue.

 

[Ross61]

Personally, while it does suck knowing the seller did this at some stage, I might deal with it (the paint chip/surface rust) myself.

A paint shop may over think the fix and make the situation worse - especially when seen in direct sunlight.

 

[GreenMachine15]

I wouldn't hold my breath expecting miracles from a local dealer that you drove past to go by a new car elsewhere because they had the better price or better inventory.
Your salesman should have went over every panel with you before you took delivery.
It's sad, customer service sucks everywhere..... BUT, it is your responsibility to go over every detail before you drive off the lot.
Just get it fixed and move on, it is only paint. I get it, but not worth stressing over.

 

[DodgeCares]

So my car is just about 2 months old and just hit 500 miles on it...a 2021 Charger (392 Daytona).
It lives in the garage all of the time.

I have an appointment on Monday with my local dealer for some other little issues (sunroof needs to be adjusted & the passenger door needs to be aligned better & the hood vinyl is starting to peel up a little), but my original main issue was the transmission is acting weird as it's slipping/clunking into gear--this is my 5th Charger and I've never had any transmission issues like this before.

Anyways....so I gave my car it's first bath the other day and discovered a spot of rust on the driver rear door.
I know nothing has hit it, and I went back to pics I took of it when I bought the car & it was still on the dealer's lot and sure enough....there was a little silver spot (paint missing) on the door that I didn't see at the time and now it's rusting already.
(you have to zoom in on that pic btw, but it's definitely there)

I already have a case open with FCA/Stellantis for the transmission & other little stuff and added this to the "case" as well, but I have a feeling that I'm going to get the run around from the dealer or FCA/Stellantis.

I don't think this is acceptable though for a $52k brand new car and it's really disheartening to me, because even if they do "fix it"....that'll require paint work which I don't like being done on a new car.

My selling dealer is about 45 minutes away and were worthless when I had some issues with the car right off the bat, so I'm just going to my local dealer (about 10 minutes away) instead.

I understand they have to look at it (first), but any tips/advice how to handle this?

Hi snobrdrdan,
We understand that you already have a case created. If you would like any updates or need to speak to your case manager, please feel free to follow up with us via PM.

Rob
Dodge Cares

 

[TheFrankenberry]

I'd be surprised if the dealer dealt with the rusty chip months after it left their lot.They'll probably blame it on being opened against a curb.

It should be a major relief though that it's not rust underneath the paint creating a bubble or stain! It got chipped and bare steel was exposed which then started to rust. Very logical with a relatively simple fix - sand off rust to bare steel and have repainted or touched up.

 

[666216Cat]

I’m the Bodyshop Manager at a GM Dealer and bare metal will start to rust in hours. That’s an easy fix, I know it sucks but it would be undetectable if done correctly. Good luck 🍀

 

[snobrdrdan]

Thanks for the replies guys...I think I was probably overthinking this and was just so upset about seeing it and I definitely don't want to get it repainted after thinking about it.
I'll grab some touch up paint and go that route instead. I could only see a respray creating more issues, IMO, and that's even IF they agreed to it (which probably wouldn't happen).

The transmission is my bigger issue anyways and a let down....it feels like I'm driving a 5.7L not a 6.4L. The engine power is there, but it's not all getting thru the trans & to the ground

 

[xcesiv]

I had a similar mark on my 2020 Grand Cherokee that I just picked up. Went to the dealer and bought the 3 in 1 touchup bottle. It has both paint and clear, as well as a rounded file of sorts to clean the surface area of any rust/debris. With mine it’s a little tricky, as the chip is on the drivers door rear edge along the door handle line. Every time I go to apply a “blob”, gravity eventually pulls it downward, and i’m left with half the chip exposed, and the other half with way too much paint. Every now and again I reapply to try and build the surface up. Not perfect, but i’d rather that than have the whole door repainted. The Jeep was CPO for a great price in this market. For once in my life i’m driving the hell out of the thing & trying not to worry about minor issues. In the past that would have set my blood pressure sky high. The chip you have, you can cover that up no problem at all. Here’s the part number for that mopar touch up I was talking about for your paint code, which should be PW7: 4889598AC

 

[Xylander]

I would clean the spot with CLR or some other type of rust remover. Apply a thin coat of touch up paint normally to the spot. Let it dry for a half hour. Then, come back and put a heavy coat to build it up. It doesn't matter how it looks at this point. You just need a buildup. Let dry another half hour. Put some water in a spray bottle and mist the spot on the car, then soak a 1000 grit sand paper with the water. Gently, very gently massage the spot and just lightly skate across the paint buildup until it looks perfect. Apply a clearcoat. Done.

Alternatively, you can get something like the Quixx scratch remover system from most auto parts stores. Instead of wet sanding, you can do the buildup as described above, but then use the Quixx buffer pads on a drill with their provided rubbing and polishing compounds to do the blend. The sandpaper method is quicker and easier though, as buffing can beat off the paint you put on if not careful.

 

[Slowpoke387]

I wouldnt be afraid of respraying the door. My last HC was damaged by my wife at the bottom of a door. Rolled a spare bare wheel into it and creased it. I was like you, def didnt want a resprayed door. But the damage was noticeable so I took it to a local shop who does show cars. He fixed and shot the door for not a lot of money and afterwards you literally could not tell. The right shop can make it right without botching it. Luckily for you the paint is basically new right now with no fading and so a respray shouldnt be hard to match. I'd much rather that than touchup over rust. You'd have to sand the rust out of there to do it right and that's just going to make it a DIY project that never ends well imo lol.