Check Your Taillight Gaps

[19GT350]

Hi Everyone,

I have a 2019 Base 350, and I started to notice some unusual marks on the bumper where the driver side taillight met it...

IMG_6338

• 19GT350
• Oct 11, 2019

IMG_6337

• 19GT350
• Oct 11, 2019

IMG_6336

• 19GT350
• Oct 11, 2019

Upon closer inspection and removal of the taillight, it turns out that it had been rubbing on the bumper and wore off some paint...

IMG_6330

• 19GT350
• Oct 11, 2019

I do plan to highlight this to the Dealer when I go in, but I’m still not sure if I’ll push for a repair and risk something else going wrong. In the meantime, a few rubber plumbing washers helped pull the taillight away from the bumper...

IMG_6331

• 19GT350
• Oct 11, 2019

IMG_6332

• 19GT350
• Oct 11, 2019

IMG_6335

• 19GT350
• Oct 11, 2019

Now, this wasn’t happening on the passenger side, but the gap between the taillight and the quarter panel was very tight. Fortunately, no paint or clear coat was scrubbed off there yet, and there is enough play in the taillight where I could move it over just enough to eliminate the rubbing. Now I can slide an index card all the way around the taillight (same for the driver side).

BTW, when I had the taillight off, I noticed a rivet at the corner of the bumper...

IMG_6339

• 19GT350
• Oct 11, 2019

Since my car was purchased new from a Dealer, I’m guessing Ford started implementing its bumper gap fix on the 2019s?

Hope this helps!

Don

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[svassh]

Thats the new fix for the rear bumper, started as standard in early 2018.

Personally I would get the dealer to repaint that. Maybe you have some other body alignment issues that caused it.

 

[joshua80]

Same thing happened on my Focus RS too!

 

[Deleted member 35644]

I think all the Focus hatches were delivered with this problem. I had to adjust all of them to get the edges away from the fenders.

 

[StangTime]

On my car I have foam blocks between the bottom of the light housing and the bumper surface. Maybe this was something they addressed on later builds?

 

[StangTime]

These are the little foam blocks under the tail lights I was talking about. You have to crouch down low and get close to see them (wow my car is dusty!)

And from this angle, invisible:

 

[mrbillwot]

I call my my'19 the OCD350 because of this stuff.

Todd, any specific foam product used? Adhesive on one surface of it or just friction fit in there? Did you jam it in or remove lens, pace, & remount lens?

 

[Alain]

thank you for the notice and the tip on the fix.

 

[StangTime]

I didn't put them there. It's factory. Looks like open cell foam with one sided adhesive. They appear to be stuck to the tail light housing but I can double check when I get home.

 

[Cobra Jet]

I didn't put them there. It's factory. Looks like open cell foam with one sided adhesive. They appear to be stuck to the tail light housing but I can double check when I get home.

Yes the foam seems to be a 2018+ assembly revision. The same foam is under the tails on my 2018.

Having owned a prior 2016 and being around quite a few varying models of 2015-2017’s, I can confirm that the foam was not applied on any 2015-2017’s.

There was also a larger thread on here a bit ago where some folks were actually removing the foam because they thought it was a mistake that the foam was still present after Dealer Prep.

 

[mrbillwot]

Ah, thanks for the clarity.
This reminds me of the driver's side wiper - I notice on my 19 that it has a soft vinyl strip as a pad to lessen the effects of whacking the wiper into the hood (those not skilled in such arts & burdens). Not sure when they started adding the black wiper arm band-aid but my late July build has it.

 

[19GT350]

Just double-checked my taillights, and neither have the foam pads. Again, mine is a 2019 that was purchased new...Chassis K0860.

 

[Cobra Jet]

Just double-checked my taillights, and neither have the foam pads. Again, mine is a 2019 that was purchased new...Chassis K0860.

It’s possible during Dealer Prep the new car Detailer removed the foam pads.

 

[sox3]

Just checked mine, no foam pads and no rubbing issues(yet). 2019 K0215

 

[Niz55]

Only 2018+ regular mustangs have the foam with the new tails. I switched mine out and looks much better.

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