white marks on bumpers

[ravix]

does anyone know what the white marks are on my bumpers right where the bumper cover and the body meet? Tape? Why do ALL of the nonpaint bumpers have this? and how can i remove it?

[tpscruiser]

ravix,
Welcome to the madness of the PT Cruiser world!

Use the search feature and look up 'tape marks' and you will find your answers, good and bad.

[ravix]

i feel informed and bewildered. why would the factory let this go on? and what causes them? i thought because the car was a Ron Jon edition (oooaaahhh) that maybe is had some kind of bumper cover that has long since disappeared. (mine's used) but ive noticed it on all nonpainted bumbers. You'd think there'd be a recall or something.

[fritz_t_coyote]

nope. no recall. No safety issues, just cosmetic.

For me it was NEVER worth the hassle of dealing with a Cheapsler Stealer.
The marks will sit there as a reminder of why I won't be trading the wee beastie in on a new mopar product.

[CREWZIN]

Some owners were fortunate enough to have the dealer take care of the tape marks if they complained right after picking up the car. Others waited too long. I never did have the marks but after I saw the following year come out with painted bumpers, I went and had mine painted at a local shop.

[ravix]

ok, so to make myself look even stupider, i know they all have them but where did it come from? shipping covers? you would thing they would cover the whole car not just the bumpers. and if their built in mexico why cover them anyway? i thought only highend oversea imports got that kind of treatment.

i know old issue, but its new to me. sorry.

*edit* i am assuming their built in mexico with the sebrings. i could be wrong.

[fritz_t_coyote]

Build in Mexico: Yes.

Tape marks:
"The white tape marks on the bumpers show up over time. When DC paints the bodies of the cars at the factory the bumpers are taped off leaving them the natural grey plastic color. The problem is that the masking tape they used also stripped the UV protectant out of the plastic. This causes the areas that are taped off to fade much faster than the rest of the bumper. "

[ravix]

thank you. that makes sense.....still ugly though.

[tpscruiser]

The dealer replaced my bumpers, front and rear, at about 30 months. This was before the TSB for painting them grey and within the 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. The body shop that did the job told me he noticed that the masking tape (blue) that came on my replacement bumpers was a different color than the tape (yellow) on earlier bumpers and thought that would stop the problem from occuring again. Well, about 2 years since they were replaced, the tape marks are starting to show, moer so on the front bumper. My plan is to paint them myself this summer.