- A Ford Mustang Mach-E owner claims his dealer refuses to fix his “factory-defective” paint.
- In a short video, he shows a brand-new Mach-E just like his with similarly problematic paint.
- Other owners report paint issues with the clearcoat, including bubbling on 2023 models.
Whether you’re an enthusiast who spends more time admiring the curves of your car than driving it, or just someone looking for a fresh set of wheels, it’s clear that car design has a huge pull. Even if you’re not obsessed with how a car looks, you still expect the paint job to be up to snuff—unless, of course, you’re a Tesla owner, in which case you’re probably just thankful there’s any paint at all.
Apparently, not everyone’s getting the memo, as one Ford owner recently discovered. He claims that his brand-new Mustang Mach-E, fresh off the assembly line, arrived with significant paint defects. And, as if that wasn’t annoying enough, he says his local Ford dealer is giving him the cold shoulder. Welcome to car ownership, I guess.
A Case of ‘Orange Peel’, Not a Refreshing Summer Drink
Felix Apolinar says he brought his Mustang Mach-E to the dealer after noticing “orange peel” all over the car. If you’re not familiar with the term, orange peel refers to a textured, dimpled finish on a car’s paint that looks like the surface of an orange. It’s usually caused by improper spraying or drying during the painting process. To be fair, many new cars exhibit varying degrees of orange peel, but it’s rarely this noticeable.
Apolinar says he noticed the issue just 24 days after buying the car. When he took it to the dealer, they claimed the EV wasn’t delivered with the paint in that condition and suggested it might be something he did.
Read: Hyundai Genesis Owners Sue Over Fading And Peeling Paint
Apolinar denies the dealer’s claim, explaining that the only reason he didn’t report the issue to Ford sooner was because he uses the electric crossover for his Uber business, which kept him busy. But one thing is clear from a video he shot at a Ford dealership: If this issue really is the result of Apolinar’s actions, then why does a brand-new, unsold Mach-E on the lot have the same orange peel?
He visited a dealership in Fort Peters, Florida, and took a closer look at the Mustang Mach-Es on the lot. Video from that visit shows significant orange peel along the side and rear three-quarter panels of the cars, suggesting it might not be an isolated issue.
More importantly, Apolinar isn’t the only Mustang Mach-E owner facing issues with questionable paint jobs. In November of 2024, another owner posted to Facebook saying “Anyone had to deal with their clear coat failing in multiple places on their car? Car is less than 1 year old and under 10k miles.”
Then, just last week, another Mach-E owner on Reddit alleged that a dealer admitted that the 2024 models have a recurring factory paint problem. In fact, this person went on to describe the issue as “clearcoat… orange peeled really bad on about half of the vehicle.”
And it’s not just a problem with the clear coat. Going back a little further in time, another Mach-E owner documented paint issues with a 2023 model on YouTube. In his case, the paint on the fender was bubbling and flaking off. That’s a different type of problem but it speaks to the potential for these issues being factory-defective ones.
No Response, For Now
As for Apolinar, he’s hoping Ford—or at least one of its dealers—will step up and do the right thing. The good news is that Ford has been known to assist in similar cases, as you can see in the video linked below. Hopefully, they’ll sort things out for him too. Stay tuned, as we’ll be keeping an eye on this and will update you if we learn more.