Well I now have 800 miles on my 08 and the front bumper cover is not holding up very well. It has a few chips where I can see a different color under the paint....and some are through to the black under the paint. I am pretty careful not to hang around big trucks and and trailers not to get the rocks and things thrown at me. How are your front bumper covers holding up?

Any tricks to keep them lookin good for a longer period of time?

 

the front tag fell of the front of my wife's

 

I sort of miss the chrome on my 02 and the Grey lower cover...it held up much better. I could just picture the Limited with the painted Grill...how it must look after some road miles...if the paint is as soft or easy to chip.

 

Not sure about this, but there are clear film 'bras' that you can install to protect the paint. 3M makes some, as well as cheaper versions. Here is one I found on ebay.
Item #120162350057

 

Thanks Berry1234....I am going to check it out.

 

My Limited Tri-Sand White (AKA White chocolate) is almost pristine with maybe 2 small chips of black showing. I think this is mostly a regional issue depending on your road type and the condition. Concrete freeways are less prone to gravel and deteriorated asphalt.

The same goes for windshield chips. When I lived in So Calif. (mostly concrete freeways) I almost never had window cracks. When I moved to No. Calif. (many asphalt highways) 15 yrs. ago, I started getting a windshield nearly every year on at least one of the cars.

 

I can see that where you live makes a big difference. I live in Oklahoma with high winds and bad storms and a mix of both concrete and blacktop. The painted parts just don't like road sands and loose junk thats pick up and thrown at you. The older Expeditions with the chrome bumpers and grey lower bumpers stood up much better.


I am just going to try to keep her a nice as possible...

 

Does anyone know how to remove the front plate holder? Other than having it fall off that is... It seems to be riveted in place, but I have absolutely no use for it.

BTW - I have a limited in black, and the front end seems to be holding up pretty well (I have about 2100 miles). I'm in Florida, so there are a lot of construction debris trucks rumbling around.

 

When I lived in Florida....cars and trucks seemed to handle the road debris better. Less of it on the roads...

 

Went ahead and ordered a bottle of touch-up paint...it's so new a color (White Suede) it is not a ready stock item they have to get it in from the factory.

 

the tag is help by plastic fastners. Pretty hard to get them off. My wife's tag fell, but one was still holding, I had a hard time getting it off without scratching the paint

 

took the truck to Ford today and the service manager looked at my bumper cover with only 1800miles and said that the paint must have some defect in the way it cured. I washed the car and did a 350 mile trip and washed it again upon return and the bugs have eaten through the paint. He said bring it to him on a Monday so he could have it for a few days and he would have another Expedition for me to use mean while....

I like that kind of service....They have been good to me......Small town Ford dealer...

 

Wow great service. And just FYI the paint is covered for 12 monthe, 12,000 miles I believe. Not for chips, but what happened to you surely falls into the category.

We all better wax the hex out of the front end.

 

after I get it back ...I will wax the hex out of it....and I may look into those clear strips from Ebay as a second line of defense.

 

Turned in the truck this morning...they had an 04 expedition EB waiting for me to use meanwhile. I wished I had remembered to take pics of the front before I turned it it for repainting.

They looked at it again to verify the issue and they think it had a faulty clear coat...or something like that...(bugs on the bumper eat right throught the paint)
Anyhow...I will post on this after I get it back from the dealer...the 04 makes me want my 08 soon....