[boldBryan]

I have about 1,200 Km on my Frontier and just inspected the ends of the rear bumper. I found dozens of stone chips already. This is obviously a design flaw that could easily have been corrected with some of that clear paint protecting sticker stuff applied in the factory. There is a large (but not quite large enough) patch on the front edge of the rear fender flare that protects against the spray from the front tires. I haven't decided who to contact to have this fixed (dealer, Nissan Canada, etc.) and there is no point until I have better mud flaps installed. What has everyone here done to resolve this problem?

 

[Dark Night 18]

I have about 1,200 Km on my Frontier and just inspected the ends of the rear bumper. I found dozens of stone chips already. This is obviously a design flaw that could easily have been corrected with some of that clear paint protecting sticker stuff applied in the factory. There is a large (but not quite large enough) patch on the front edge of the rear fender flare that protects against the spray from the front tires. I haven't decided who to contact to have this fixed (dealer, Nissan Canada, etc.) and there is no point until I have better mud flaps installed. What has everyone here done to resolve this problem?

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but most likely they'll tell you it's not a design flaw, and maybe it's not. Do you drive on gravel roads or have a gravel driveway? If they wont do anything about it, your best bet may be to touch it up yourself and add the clear film.
Good luck

 

[boldBryan]

I do have to drive on about a mile of gravel road to get to my house, that's why i want to resolve this as soon as possible. Going to go to a truck accessory shop tomorrow to see about some much larger mud flaps. I have also read here that due to the stiffness of the oem mud flaps they can do body damage if you bottom out on them, so I want some really flexible ones.

 

[raine]

The "gravel road" detail explains it all. This isn't some design flaw.

 

[boldBryan]

In my opinion a truck should be designed to do truck things like drive on some gravel roads.

 

[RobFrisco415]

I was looking at these on amazon.... you have to make the holes to fit it on but they look decent


not pricey either.... I was thinking the same things about off roading with the hard OEM ones.... at least these will flex BUT at the same time I drive fast(got it from Detroit parents) so if im doing 70-90 idk how much protection they would do if they are bent backwards for the mach speed cruising down I-80.... food for thought

 

[boldBryan]

Something like that is probably what I'll be going for. I don't like the idea of having to cut them and make my own holes, but my searches for anything to fit my truck exactly have come up empty.

 

[RobFrisco415]

I don't think you will need to cut the ones above, only drill the holes.... place it over the existing ones while removed and mark them with pencil or whatever, drill, and should be good to go.... if you have bigger tires maybe you might have to cut them, but kinda doubt it

 

[Kagia]

That's nothing. The ends of the bumper on my '17 Pro4X have more bare rusted metal than paint now. I'm even getting chips around my fenders and the bottom corner of the rear cab. It's a bad deal.

It is absolutely a design flaw. A guy should be able to drive down a gravel road in a Pro4X off road edition 4x4 that cost damn near $40 000 CAD without losing half the paint off his vehicle. I've had many vehicles in my day and never had an issue with rock chips, regardless of terrain. Hell, my daily commute used to include a nasty gravel road over which I thrashed my 2011 Ranger every day for five years and not so much as one rock chip.

I've contacted both the dealer and Nissan Canada, but they keep passing the buck back and forth and refusing to do anything. I'm not done yet. I will fight this for as long as I have to and take whatever action is necessary. All I want is my damn paint fixed abd I will eat the cost of a proper set of fender flares/mud flaps.

 

[Clint]

Buy a chrome bumper and no more issue.

Clint

 

[boldBryan]

Frustrating Stone Chips

I too have had the dealer tell me to contact Nissan Canada, then Nissan Canada tell me to contact the dealer. These are the front edges of my rear fender flares. This is a truck with only 3,000 KM (2,000 mi) on it, and 99.9% of those are highway KMs.

I have already had appropriately sized mudflaps installed at my own expense. They look great and now that my truck has over 10,000 KM on it the difference in the last 7,000 KM is incredible. What a shame that they could resolve this problem with such a simple fix. Here are the new mudflaps..

 

[09eq]

Same on everyone built since '05. Don't expect anything from Nissan or dealer. Live with it or move on - you'll live a lot longer.

 

[Kagia]

Bryan, thanks for posting this. Where did you purchase your new mud flaps? Are they rigid or flexible?

Thanks.

 

[drobs]

I'm sure they'll take care of that when they redesign the truck... :roll::roll::roll:

 

[DJinAC]

I am going to use the 3M clear protective film once it warms up.

 

[phatB]

wow that's crazy. i'm surprised the mud flaps are so inadequate, especially for so long and they never improved them. i'd probably just go the aftermarket universal flap route too. Nissan isn't going to care... maybe if you fight till the end they'll install some universal flaps for you, i'd be very surprised if they touched up the paint but maybe if you push hard enough and don't let up.
I have to drive on a bit of gravel road daily, and i don't go slowly. i have the chrome bumper though but it still seems by the photo that the undersized flap allows a lot of rocks to hit the rear fender. now this is gonna bother me, another item on the goodie list... interested in hearing everyone's experience with this issue...

 

[Ryno_7]

My truck's paint has been chipping off in the same areas but I have 100,000km on it. The machined face wheels did the same thing, clear coat chipped, salt got behind it and now they look like crap too. No other issues with the truck, it's old enough now that I'm over it.

 

[boldBryan]

Bryan, thanks for posting this. Where did you purchase your new mud flaps? Are they rigid or flexible?

Thanks.

I got them at Action Car and Truck. Cost me $100 CAD a pair. They are flexible, but stiff enough to stay straight down at highway speeds.

 

[ratman6161]

Buy a chrome bumper and no more issue.

Clint

True. I've got 86000 miles on my 2013 and not a chip on my chrome bumper. I also have the Nissan side steps. I wonder if that does anything as far as catching rocks that would have hit the truck? No idea.

Another point for everyone who believes this is a design flaw: if it is indeed a design flaw, then why would you bother getting it repainted...even if Nissan would do it for free. I would just get dinged up again anyway, wouldn't it?

 

[Nissan4Life]

Here is a big mud flap thread. The floppy flaps get torn off when wheeling and backing up easily. My bumper I don't really care about, it is the rear wheel fender bulge that get beat. Do a couple of hundred miles on dirt
in one weekend and your chipped to hell.
http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f10/mud-flaps-84286/

Here is a picture of the coverage the stock flaps provide. Notice how much mud it flung right at the rear wheel bulge by the front tire.

The stock stiff mudflaps get crunched off road when you drop off a rock. There has been no body damage as a result but the flap will get crunched. The paint does get a little worn where the flap rubs. I recently plastic welded my crunched flaps and reinstalled. 3 of the four where busted in some way.