airthatibr

Parked and ran into Sears to grab an item a few days before Christmas. When I came out I found that some ***hole had stolen my antenna. The only positive thing I can say is that it was unscrewed and taken, not broken off at the base.

UPDATE-- Well I took the car back to the body shop. They contacted the paint manufacturer rep and my car bumper has been repainted and the match is great now. The body shop owner kept my car a few days and gave me a loaner car. To match Blue Flame metallic apparently takes some work.Thanks to all of you for your advice. Lesson learned, if not happy with the paint match go back and have them make it right.

Thanks Art. Very interesting video. I went to another well respected body shop for an opinion. The owner told me he could see more metallic on the bumper than in the factory paint job on the rest of the car. To his eye the color appeared to be "almost there" but not an exact match. The problem with matching on the car is that only the bumper is repainted and "butts" up next to the original fender, so the eye can more easily spot the difference. In order for the butt joints to match it will require that the fenders be blended. I am not sure I want my fenders to be painted, really, there is nothing as good as the original factory (baked on) paint job. My previous car seemed to suffer rock damage easier on a repainted fender, as I recall. Then there is the question of the new paint still having slightly more metallic, where as my factory paint has a more subtle metallic appearance. If it were just a matter of color being slightly off and not amount of metallic, it might make sense. I may ask to have the bumper repainted with less metallic, and perhaps this time the match will be better. I've got some thinking to do.

Thanks, Fusionff and others. "Paint color analysis", that's an interesting idea. After researching I found that the paint codes on cars can have "factory variants", meaning the same color can be slightly different. I am assuming this means there could possibly be another (or two) subtle version shades of "blue flame metallic" code. I tried calling a company on the internet that sells auto paints. When I looked on their site I saw two codes for blue flame metallic- "SZ" and "M7220A". I called them to ask questions, but the guy who answered the phone didn't really know anything. Another question, could I have avoided problems if the body shop had ordered OEM paint from Ford rather than mixing it themselves? I am off to another body shop to see what they say. This is a PITA.

I own a 2011 Ford Fusion SEL, Blue Flame Metallic with 3K miles. I have loved and treasured this car and kept it clean and in perfect shape. I'm sure you all know where this is going....well I loaned my baby out to a relative and on the freeway the car was hit by a rolling barrel-cylinder and the front-end of my Fusion sustained damage. The body shop had to replace the bumper cover (and a bunch of other parts), and the new bumper cover was painted the same blue flame metallic, ONLY THIS COLOR DOES NOT MATCH THE REST OF THE CAR. I realize there is some varience here, but It is really noticable, and in the sun, it is REALLY noticable, with the new color having a bit of a navy hue and more metallic. I told the body shop I was not happy with it, and they said they could make it look less noticable by spraying the side fenders and blending the color. He said insurance companies do not allow this for repairs now days for bumper replacement, but he would do it to make me happy. Now, if the original "blue flame metallic" and the new "blue flame metallic" were close I would not hesitate to have this done but I don't see how they could actually blend these two shades, and then there I would be with this body shop version of blue flame on my fenders as well. Anybody out there have experience with auto paints? I don't know what to do at this point. Would you blend the colors? The shop says they mix the colors by color code provided, but how could the color be so off? I realize they are painting a plastic bumper, but my rear bumper color painted by the manufacturer matchs well with the body. If this car had been around for some years I wouldn't be so upset about this, but geez, this car is only 9 mos. old, and just looking at the bumper it screams "accident" repair. Any advice would be appreciated.

Some months ago I complained on this forum about the same thing.I could have sworn the camera angle moved. Then I realized that if the sun is shining right on the license plate I noticed it more than when the plate (and back of the car) was in the shade.

I recently noticed when I look at my NAV screen when backing out, in the picture I also see a view of my license plate and the area above it. I think this is something new, as don't recall this the prior few months I've owned the car,( but then again I am not the most observant person). Thinking I somehow moved the camera when I shut the trunk hard, I called the dealer but service advisor claims to have never heard of this problem. Went into the NAV menu and there is not a function to adjust the camera. After searching google I saw a few posts about certain makes of cars having that function (camera adjustment) available to the dealer mechanic. Anybody else out there, do you also see the top area and your license plate in your back-up camera?

Grey, A few days ago the same thing happened to my rear camera angle (2011 SEL 3.0). I am now seeing the top of my license plate. Please let us know how you solve this. PITA to bring back to the dealer right now for me. BTW, I have had my car since Feb and this is the first (and only) problem that has cropped up.

I bought my 2011 Fusion 3 mos. ago as well as the PremiumCare extended warranty. I just noticed the section of what is NOT covered. It includes "door and window handles", hmmmm, isn't that convenient!

My new (2 mos. old) 2011 Fusion SEL does not have any of the brake noise you describe. I have around 900 miles the car.

I also live in Northern Calif. Ordered my 2011 SEL loaded with NAV..took only one month to get!

I live in Calif. and ordered 2011 Fusion SEL 302 package, Navi, Blue Flame metalic Jan 10th. Just picked it up last Saturday. I was happy to get it in little over 4 weeks (they told me it would take 8 weeks). I saw the blue flame on a Sport Fusion and had to have that color!

I am looking at the brochure for the 2011 Fusion. Both the SEL & Sport mention they have a "6-speed SELECTSHIFT AUTOMATIC" transmission. I have read some of the posts that are saying the SEL transmission has a different manufacturer and people are complaining about it. Pros out there, can you tell me if they are now using the same tranny for both cars, or different?

2011 Sport, msrp price $32,845. I have been given a quote x-plan price of $30, 569 + tax & license. I have not seen the x-plan paperwork, this is just the verbal quote. Edmunds gives the 'true market value' price(what others are paying for it) of about the same without the x-plan. Just asking any person with access to what the West Coast dealers use, is this correct?

xmech2k, I am having the same problem, i.e posters names are only half there and half avatars.