Alright I got a 2015 XLT White Sport. When cleaning the truck the other day I notice the painted to Match bumper does not match the truck. After looking at the truck I have about 10 different shades of white on the truck. Front bumper, grill, fender flares, door handles are all more of a yellow-white. Really PO'd over this, it's a brand new truck should match up perfectly.

Any body else have this issue?

 

Oxford White? Or the pearl white? Its more common with pearls. Every other manufacturer does, including Ford. So yes. Plastic pieces not matching the steel/aluminum is widely common across all. Sucks that it bothers you. You wouldn't believe the amount of people that never notice. Next time you park at a big store, start looking at the bumper to fender match. Eventually you will see it on most everything. Toyota/Nissan is the worst in my opinion.

Some examples...

2013 f150 grille does not match the hood



2014 explorer, same.





Can't Remember the year BMW x5 or x3. Hood to fender not matching. These fenders are smc plastic



Door to fender, same car...






2013 Nissan maxima






Can't remember the year Toyota Sienna





Can't remember the year Toyota Prius
Notice the rear bumper? That's factory. I painted the front one.





Can't remember the year Nissan versa, yes, that's factory. One of our loaners.





I take these pics because I'm a painter. And it sucks because many things already do not match from the factory.

 

I notice it on every truck. The painted plastic...door handle buckets, grill surround, front bumper filler panel, fender flares etc. doesn't match the painted metal.

 

Yup. Worse on some colors, than others. Like black, you'll never notice. But white, pearl white, silvers, Greys, golds, you will more often

 

This post is a good post. Not too often we get a professional weighing in and giving us all some good information. I for one never notice these things, but I am going to start looking more closely.

 

That is normal. The same paint on different materials will never match.

 

I have a brand new Yukon Denali and the back bumper is about 4 shades off...Summit White.

 

Good to know that it is normal. I have the Oxford white. Eventually I will forget about it but since j noticed it that is the first thing that I go to when I walk up to my truck. Lol. I appreciate all the in put

 

There are tons of opinions in the auto body trade as to why. None are confirmed except for the "less paint" theory. Toyota is guilty of that. They put less paint on their plastic pieces, so you can see through it to the black plastic. Usually why their bumpers are dark.


There is the water vs solvent theory. Water base on the vehicles, solvent on the plastic.

Also I've heard plastic pieces are painted in a different location than the vehicle. Different paint sometimes, different painter. Human sometimes, robot others.


There is the different substrate theory. Metal/aluminum heats up and cools down at a different rate than plastic. So the paint can dry in different times. Plastic can dry faster than metal.


Not true on solid colors, but there's the "flop" theory too. This one is actually pretty true. Where the plastic is angled differently than the surrounding metal, giving the paint a different flop, or side tone. Not at work today, but I can show you a spray out card, then fold it in half, and the bottom half will be darker than the top. All because of the metallic flop.


Tons of theories. So many factors. Some are/can be true, some are myth.

 

Whats your opinion on the Toyota's and lack of paint in general? Or lack of clear shall I say? lol