Paint Colour Discrepancy??

[Tony Culliton]

Greetings all!! Just picked up a 2018 Ram 1500 Quad Cab Express a couple weeks back with the blacked out package. Was sitting for a couple weeks as I was waiting for the topper to be made to switch over to my work truck...long story short, examining the topper (and the mark they made in the tailgate!) I noticed the paint on the tailgate is different from the rest of the truck! The colour is Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl, but the tailgate is just a straight black [emoji55][emoji55] I take it this isn't normal?? How could this be messed up from the factory?? My initial thought was they sprayed a bedliner in another black Ram and mix up the tailgates on reassembly, but my manual key works in the lock! So must be the one that came from the factory. Help!!

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[MADDOG]

Definitely not right and I'd talk to your dealer about getting the tailgate re-sprayed the correct color.

 

[likes2build]

Things happen and I'm sure they'll make it right, was it freight / warranty damaged and the painter did a bad / wrong code # mix??. But............Now you're gonna have a nice factory painted truck and a bodyshop painted tailgate unless they swap one from another truck and fool that customer. I know I would NOT want to accept them repainting over the straight black one due to the paint Mil thickness build. I just measured mine and it 5.65 mils, add a repaint on it will be close to double that and now you've got a problem waiting to happen. Sorry to be a trouble maker but I'd want a gate off another truck and a document showing the vin and why if there's a hidden vin number on the replacement gate why it doesn't match your truck.

 

[Tony Culliton]

Things happen and I'm sure they'll make it right, was it freight / warranty damaged and the painter did a bad / wrong code # mix??. But............Now you're gonna have a nice factory painted truck and a bodyshop painted tailgate unless they swap one from another truck and fool that customer. I know I would NOT want to accept them repainting over the straight black one due to the paint Mil thickness build. I just measured mine and it 5.65 mils, add a repaint on it will be close to double that and now you've got a problem waiting to happen. Sorry to be a trouble maker but I'd want a gate off another truck and a document showing the vin and why if there's a hidden vin number on the replacement gate why it doesn't match your truck.

I have no idea how this could have happened! Of course had to be something I'd notice after the wiring for the topper and Line-x spraying has been done to the tailgate [emoji3525] Like I'm not crazy, the tailgate is 100% a different paint, as that metallic paint sparkles like crazy when under direct light. Anyone familiar with that paint , it all looks BLACK as BLACK, except in direct light.. can't believe I didn't see it sooner. Do you or anyone happen to know where there would be a # on the tailgate to match it to the rest of the truck? Hopefully not sprayed over with Line-x *sigh* Other ****** thing is I bought this truck out of town (almost 1 1/2hrs because they had an amazing deal) ..I wonder if the local dealer (20 min out) could look at it as a "warranty" item. I just want to enjoy my new truck!!

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[likes2build]

The code for the straight black ends in X8 and the Brilliant Black Pearl ends in XR. I too purchased my truck from an out of town dealer (1 hr) and had to travel there a few times for delivery issues. You're probably going to be traveling back to the selling dealer to resolve this. Are the jams pearl or not too? That will tell you if it was a repaint with the wrong code or a switched gate. Couldn't have been switched at Line-X As the key fits the cylinder.

If you have a Dealer issue resolving this PM "ramcares" here on the site as they are FCA forum monitors and do a great job helping with issues. Lastly when it's resolved you need to be reimbursed for any out of pocket for additional costs involved too
(ie. Line-X a second time).

 

[chrisbh17]

No CEL, no issue!

Yeah Id go back...as far as getting reimbursed for the LineX, maybe they can just swap the tailgate with one of the correct color that has the factory spray in bedliner already on it?

 

[likes2build]

No CEL, no issue!

Yeah Id go back...as far as getting reimbursed for the LineX, maybe they can just swap the tailgate with one of the correct color that has the factory spray in bedliner already on it?

Yup, no problem

 

[Tony Culliton]

Another discovery in the light, on the inside of the tailgate it has a burgundy metallic paint.. Another color I know they have in the express package . I'm no expert, but pretty sure this wouldn't be applied as a Primer coat?? Bought this truck brand new 024km on it... The decals for the 4x4 don't even look straight!! Thought this was my imagination before. You think if they repainted they would have to disclose that to you on sale, no?? Noticed a chip in the bed of thee truck that was rusted when I picked it up well..probably from removing/reinstalling the tailgate!

 

[chrisbh17]

Id be lighting a fire under their a$$es about this. Hopefully the dealer is a stand up operation and will just find another tailgate to swap with, otherwise at best maybe you'll get a repaint to the correct color.

The burgundy finding is an interesting one....how many trucks has the tailgate been on? Do they do VIN etching on the tailgate? To maybe have an idea of where its been.

 

[McBroom]

Things happen and I'm sure they'll make it right, was it freight / warranty damaged and the painter did a bad / wrong code # mix??. But............Now you're gonna have a nice factory painted truck and a bodyshop painted tailgate unless they swap one from another truck and fool that customer. I know I would NOT want to accept them repainting over the straight black one due to the paint Mil thickness build. I just measured mine and it 5.65 mils, add a repaint on it will be close to double that and now you've got a problem waiting to happen. Sorry to be a trouble maker but I'd want a gate off another truck and a document showing the vin and why if there's a hidden vin number on the replacement gate why it doesn't match your truck.

X2


I Love my 18 Ram 2500HD 4x4 CC
Blue Streak Pearl off-road

 

[Tony Culliton]

Id be lighting a fire under their a$$es about this. Hopefully the dealer is a stand up operation and will just find another tailgate to swap with, otherwise at best maybe you'll get a repaint to the correct color.

The burgundy finding is an interesting one....how many trucks has the tailgate been on? Do they do VIN etching on the tailgate? To maybe have an idea of where its been.

Yes, I'd be interested in knowing if there is a vin number and where to find it!! Hopefully nowhere that is now covered with Line-X :-s the Line-X dealership guy said he's never seen something like that in 20+ years! Said he didn't do any other Rams as his wife's first comment was "did you put the right tailgate back on??" Which clearly as the key matches. He was going to go was as far as checking the security camera out front as I did An overnight key drop...don't think someone would steal mine and take the time to put another back on [emoji23][emoji23]

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[14 Lonestar]

Definitely something fishy going on there, hope you get it resolved.

 

[chrisbh17]

This does bring up an interesting point...maybe we should all be etching the VIN into our tailgates, since they seem easily stolen.

 

[likes2build]

Time to find an independent person to measure the paint film on that gate and see how many mils thick it is. My '18 averages between 5.5 and 6.5, once they measure they'll tell you how thick and they can approximate how many coats. Second if it turned out to be a swapped gate, where did it come from... an older salvage vehicle? I would doubt that they have to disclose prior damage under a certain dollar amount due to lot damage and transportation.
I also don't know is there a vin tracer anywhere on the gate. Really one way or the other you shouldn't let them repaint that gate and probably insist a brand new gate whether it comes from another truck or the parts department. Time for them to come clean about what really happened to your truck, they have a records of repairs.

 

[Tony Culliton]

Time to find an independent person to measure the paint film on that gate and see how many mils thick it is. My '18 averages between 5.5 and 6.5, once they measure they'll tell you how thick and they can approximate how many coats. Second if it turned out to be a swapped gate, where did it come from... an older salvage vehicle? I would doubt that they have to disclose prior damage under a certain dollar amount due to lot damage and transportation.
I also don't know is there a vin tracer anywhere on the gate. Really one way or the other you shouldn't let them repaint that gate and probably insist a brand new gate whether it comes from another truck or the parts department. Time for them to come clean about what really happened to your truck, they have a records of repairs.

Thanks for all your helpful input Ram brother! [emoji109][emoji109] I never had these headaches with my trusty '02 Sport Ram (which I'm still driving, 189,000km, until all this stuff is fixed!!). Got off the phone with the sales manager (I made sure to tag the general manager in the pics I emailed), he claims he has no idea how this could have ever happened, never seen it in his life..I said there has to be a log of chain of custody on these trucks from when it leaves the factory to them..how does a tailgate swap happen and no trace? I told him I want a factory painted tailgate, not another recoat..basically have to leave it with them for a few days next week, also need to resolved the dented oil pan and the small ding in passenger side wheel well. Hopefully this is only a lemon in cosmetics!!!

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[18ram18]

Dented oil pan and ding in wheel well????? This is a brand new truck? How the hell do they dent the oil pan?

 

[Tony Culliton]

Mind you it's not "huge" , noticed it when I oiled the underside. Must have happened when they hoisted the engine into place!!

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[likes2build]

Good for you, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!!!! Every phone call and email. Days, times, names. Keep a paper trail and it might sound like overkill, but add a call recorder app to your cell phone and keep those conversations (if it's legal where you live) till this is resolved.

 

[Tony Culliton]

Update : so here's all the issues I left the dealership with Monday @ 9am.
1) Tailgate mismatch
2) Ding in my rear passenger wheelwell
3) Ding in my oil pan
4) condensation in bumper license plate light

As of noon today on Wednesday, they have only resolved the condensation issue. They're trying to tell me they do a checklist on the vehicles when they get them at the dealership and everything was fine. I said "Buddy, everyone is human, stuff gets missed , easy to see how the black tailgate wouldn't jump out in your face until you really go over it and see all the issues wrong, and the ding in the oil pan was pretty small too". Well nope, clearly these things all happened once it left the dealership. Yes, I'm going through all these headaches because I thought it would be a fun game..FFS..first work truck I've bought brand new, I should be happy and enjoying it, instead I'm dealing with this crap they even tried to say the back piece of my topper was paintes black and different from the rest of the topper..well yeah buddy, the piece that sits over the tailgate will be black to blend into the glass. If I had a white truck, you wouldn't paint it that color, it would stick out like a sore thumb!! It was as if the dealer was then trying to pin it on the Linex/topper company. Yes, in 5 hours they installed a new hitch, installed the topper with all the wiring and sprayed my bedliner...and THEN had time to repaint the tailgate and back piece of the topper because they must have damaged it. S.O.S. guys!! Lawyer up??



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[Tony Culliton]

So as of this morning, the dealership says their investigation is complete. Chrysler has washed their hands of the problem (which I 100% agree the tailgate never left th factory that way) and the dealership says their guy on the lot is a "shark" and had worked for the for 20 years and because he checked off on a list that everything was okay, that's the law and no way he is human and could have ever made a mistake. Yet when I had 4 guys at the dealership standing around the truck specifically looking at the tailgate couldn't see the difference and wanted to get it inside so they could get it under the lights to see. But yet, one guy looking over vehicles coming in could have never missed this. (They told me they sell 700 TRUCKS alone in a year). And apparently me as a consumer should take a light over every panel of a vehicle to ensure the color is 100% on a brand new vehicle and assume that someone might be trying to screw me I guess? And I only saw this after the 5th time driving the truck and taking a picture at nighttime of my truck with the flash on of the new topper and noticing the metallic flake missing . Pretty sad. Guess the consumer should also know about primers (as I know I saw the red paint in the pivots of the tailgate on delivery..just thought that must be normal). Not to mention the dent in oil pan, ding above wheel well (which that they will fix in "good faith") and the condensation in bumper light (fixed under warranty). Paid honest money to be treated dishonestlly

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P.s. Forgot to add the chip in the bed that was all rusted (which I wasn't concerned about as the box was getting Line-x). Certainly this must also be on the lot guys checklist???