The tread pad on the back bumper keeps fading and going a light grey colour. It :angry: seems to get a grey coating on the tread pad which does not look good. I have cleaned it with turps and the rubber goes back to the black colour, but shortly after, it fades back to the faded grey colour. Anyone had this problem and do you have an aswer.
On the rear step pad on the rear bumper....as far as warranty replacement some dealers will and some will not. Ours will replace it but the catch as he states is that it is not a pop off trim there are no screws or tabs holding it down but it is glued in place. So he can try to remove it and may possibly cause some damage or replace the entire rear bumper!!!
I am a nut about polish and protectants for vinyl and leather and the sheet metal as I do detailing as a hobby. I have noticed that ours was a darker gray when new and it has faded to light gray. Some of the Sorentos on the lot look like they are dark gray and some look black. I have tried some different items to restore the pad back to its original lustre. I had tried one of the best UV blockers for vinyl and plastic called 303 Protectant and it works ok but the faded look still returns. So I ran across an ad for some stuff called "Forever Black" in some catalogs and online at Auto Anything and Auto Sport . It looks like a black shoe polish applicator but it is a dye for black plastic trim. It comes with a container of plastic cleaner and prep. I used it on my old Ranger and it seemed to work well, so onto the Sorento I went. Cleaning it with the cleaner but then I took a 3M Scuff pad and scuffed up the rear protector so not to have such a smooth finish. Cleaning it again then I then masked off the bumper so as not to get any dye on it because it will stain the bumper black. To get in between the bumps of the step pad I applied it from the applictor and used a terry cloth towel to spread it around more evenly. I let it dry and reapplied it 2 more times to make sure it looked even. It has been about a month and a half and it still looks real good compared to what it was. Again Forever Black about 14 dollars for a 12 oz. bottle. You all can email me for more info if you wish.
You're better off not replacing the trim. It will happen again and chances are, when the dealer puts the new one on, the proper adhesion steps won't be take and you'll be stuck with a lose piece when the warranty runs out.
hey kiamech:
This is mijulian from the other one; one day I was polishing the tires and some how I applied the tire protectant to the pad and it has stayed black since, it has being about 8 months, go figure :57:
what year is your Sorento, mine is an 03 and my bumper tread was replaced once as to fading and the new one started to fade as well.
On other sites the problem is mentioned quite often and many have had the dealer replace it only to start fading again. I tried some stuff called Back to Black I purchased through AUTO SPORT for about 14 dollars and it came with a cleaner as well. I believe it is a dye that penetrates the surface. I had to tape around the the step because it can discolor the bumper. I put on 3 coats. I did this about nine months ago and it still looks great even through the winter so far with all the snow and salt and sand. First try the dealer and see if he will replace the tread or not then give this stuff a shot.
Haven't had a problem with my 04 in 10 months since buying it but I would advise against using turps on the plastic as this will certainly bleach the colour out!
Yep same here the sun fades it. I don't like it but not going to get into a big repair deal with Kia about something not really worth worring about. :beer:
I have been using 303 Aerospace Protectant on the step pad since my 2004 Sorento was new. I' m in Florida and the pad still looks brand new. If you use waxes with petroleum distillates, they will fade the plastic.
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