Protecting The Large Plastic Inside Your Trunk

[ozman212]

Hello everyone,

I noticed yesterday that there is a large plastic piece near the edge of the trunk of the vehicle which can easily get scratched (like it happened to me already). I wanted to know if anyone had some sort of a rubber mat or something to protect that from happening. It would be great if it were just big enough that when you open your trunk you could just fold it out and not only protect the plastic piece, but your bumper also for loading things into the trunk. Let me know if anyone has a fix for this.

[2015mkzhybrid]

I have very few complaints about my MKZ, but the plastic in the trunk is very susceptible to scratches, and it really irks me. When I discovered the first couple of scratches, I tried various plastic cleaning products which actually dulled the plastic, leaving a hazy finish. It looked worse than ever. At that stage, I was ready to order a whole new panel, and then thought to try my water-based tire dressing gel (Wheel Wax Extreme Black) as a last resort. Nothing to lose at this point. Amazingly, by applying the tire gel evenly across the entire panel, it brought up a beautiful satin black finish, making the panel look like new. I tried this 3 months ago and it still looks great. I only reapplied another coating once more, which I really didn't need to do.

 

In hindsight, maybe I should have left the scratches untouched, and shown the panel to my Lincoln dealer. But at the time, I figured a simple plastic cleaner would have solved the problem, hence my ensuing story in the paragraph above.

 

At my next maintenance visit, I am going to raise this issue, as I think the plastic finish should be much more resilient and higher quality. Not what I expect for a Lincoln. I also mentioned this problem in the JD Powers survey I recently received.

 

Thanks for creating this thread. Hope this helps.

[ozman212]

Thank you for giving me at least a good way of hiding the scratches. I do repair jobs from time to time and my toolbox is really heavy to lift and put in the trunk, which is why the plastic got a little scratched in the first place. But at least now I know before I get something to protect it, I will definitely be using this product to cover up the scratches.

[drolds1]

 

At my next maintenance visit, I am going to raise this issue, as I think the plastic finish should be much more resilient and higher quality. Not what I expect for a Lincoln. I also mentioned this problem in the JD Powers survey I recently received.

 

 

What are you expecting your dealer's service department to do about this?  They don't design, engineer, develop specs or choose suppliers for parts. 

[2015mkzhybrid]

What are you expecting your dealer's service department to do about this?  They don't design, engineer, develop specs or choose suppliers for parts.

 

I don't expect any response for this particular matter. However, when I am disatisfied with any aspect of my car, even a design flaw, I tell the dealer. It doesn't hurt, and in the past my concerns have been forwarded to the company's headquarters. If we don't state any dissatisfactions with our car, we are not even giving an opportunity for the manufacturer to improve, whether they do or not.

[Robert Iggy Cerami]

I have a few scratches. Not an issue for me because it's a trunk made to load and unload stuff... what gets me is the location of the trunk light  :drool: Load a few things in your trunk and the light is useless ​ ​

[R2D2]

I have a few scratches. Not an issue for me because it's a trunk made to load and unload stuff... what gets me is the location of the trunk light  :drool: Load a few things in your trunk and the light is useless ​ ​

We had another thread on this subject, here is the link

http://lincolnmkzforum.com/topic/549-trunk-lighting/?hl=%2Btrunk+%2Blight

[drolds1]

I don't expect any response for this particular matter. However, when I am disatisfied with any aspect of my car, even a design flaw, I tell the dealer. It doesn't hurt, and in the past my concerns have been forwarded to the company's headquarters. If we don't state any dissatisfactions with our car, we are not even giving an opportunity for the manufacturer to improve, whether they do or not.

I'm not saying not to point out any dissatisfaction.  I've done it myself and it resulted in the dealer contacting Lincoln engineers WRT my 2010 MKZ.  I never got satisfaction but I at least did get an explanation from them.  However, if I have a concern about what I consider a design flaw I'd call or write Lincoln customer service directly.  What kinds of things have you complained about in the past that were forwarded to the company's HQ via the service department?  Did you get some kind of feedback?

 

Personally, I don't consider a piece of plastic trunk trim that gets scratched when it's contacted by something abrasive to be a design flaw.  The official nomenclature is trunk opening scuff plate.  By definition, it's going to get scuffed. That's why it's there.  You'd have to spend considerably more money on a car to get a trunk scuff plate made out of something other than plastic.  Here's the trunk opening of a Bentley Continental GT, a $200G car, approximately 5 times the MSRP of an MKZ The scuff plate appears to be made of plastic.  It doesn't seem any more robust that the one in the MKZ.  If it is, I don't think it's 5 times better.

 

 

Somehow, I don't think Lincoln has received a lot of complaints about this so I wouldn't expect this part to be improved in the next model.  If there were a number of reports of of cracking or breaking, then maybe.  Scratches on a scuff plate, I don't think so.

 

If it's a concern, I think you'll have to be proactive and see if you can find something like this: Bumper Bib   

[ozman212]

I'm not saying not to point out any dissatisfaction.  I've done it myself and it resulted in the dealer contacting Lincoln engineers WRT my 2010 MKZ.  I never got satisfaction but I at least did get an explanation from them.  However, if I have a concern about what I consider a design flaw I'd call or write Lincoln customer service directly.  What kinds of things have you complained about in the past that were forwarded to the company's HQ via the service department?  Did you get some kind of feedback?

 

Personally, I don't consider a piece of plastic trunk trim that gets scratched when it's contacted by something abrasive to be a design flaw.  The official nomenclature is trunk opening scuff plate.  By definition, it's going to get scuffed. That's why it's there.  You'd have to spend considerably more money on a car to get a trunk scuff plate made out of something other than plastic.  Here's the trunk opening of a Bentley Continental GT, a $200G car, approximately 5 times the MSRP of an MKZ The scuff plate appears to be made of plastic.  It doesn't seem any more robust that the one in the MKZ.  If it is, I don't think it's 5 times better.

 

 

Somehow, I don't think Lincoln has received a lot of complaints about this so I wouldn't expect this part to be improved in the next model.  If there were a number of reports of of cracking or breaking, then maybe.  Scratches on a scuff plate, I don't think so.

 

If it's a concern, I think you'll have to be proactive and see if you can find something like this: Bumper Bib   

 

 

Just to be clear, thats not the plastic I was talking about. Obviously most cars now a day have that same plastic border on the top of there bumpers. The plastic I'm talking about is the one inside the trunk, I'd say its behind the bumper maybe? Instead of lining the entire trunk with rug, they decided to leave the entire entrance of the trunk vulnerable to sliding objects inside your trunk. I would definitely say that it is a design flaw, because I have owned cars much less expensive than my MKZ, and they all are lined 100% with rug so that nothing could get damaged in your trunk.

Edited April 19, 2016 by ozman212

[drolds1]

Thanks for clearing that up but the sill molding and the part you're talking about is still one piece of trim: the scuff plate.  The OP was referring to scratches on the sill.  Scratches on the plastic part of that trim on the inside of the trunk are even less of an issue to me than on the sill.  You can't even see that part without looking inside the trunk compartment.

 

What kinds of items have been damaged in your trunk by sliding into that plastic trim?

 

Since this is a concern for you, you have several choices:  buy the above-referenced Bumper BIB, an automotive trim shop should have a piece lining that will match yours and can be attached, or you can get the Ford's trunk organizer and/or cargo net, both of which I have.  These will prevent items from sliding around in your trunk.

[JoeBrown]

Drolds1 (Artie) thanks for clearing that up.

 

I haven't even noticed the plastic thingie ozman212 is talking about. Now, I gotta go out and find it. I hope it ain't scratched. ;)

[ozman212]

Thanks for clearing that up but the sill molding and the part you're talking about is still one piece of trim: the scuff plate.  The OP was referring to scratches on the sill.  Scratches on the plastic part of that trim on the inside of the trunk are even less of an issue to me than on the sill.  You can't even see that part without looking inside the trunk compartment.

 

What kinds of items have been damaged in your trunk by sliding into that plastic trim?

 

Since this is a concern for you, you have several choices:  buy the above-referenced Bumper BIB, an automotive trim shop should have a piece lining that will match yours and can be attached, or you can get the Ford's trunk organizer and/or cargo net, both of which I have.  These will prevent items from sliding around in your trunk.

Well, once in a while I would put a tool box in there with wheels and the first day that I did that, all I heard was a loud thump banging into the back. I guess I forgot my toolbox had wheels, but I never imagined anything in the trunk getting damaged or scratched in this case. It's not a big deal, but in my case for a car with 100 miles on it, a scratch is a real bummer for me. I am looking into purchasing one of those rubber liners and maybe hanging it from where the cargo net attaches and just solve that issue.

[tgara]

Yes, the black plastic piece that goes from the trunk latch to the floor is soft plastic and is easily damaged by loads.

 

FWIW, I detailed my car this weekend and used Meguiar's #40 to dress that piece.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Mirror-Rubber-Cleaner-Conditioner/dp/B0002SQYV4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462744145&sr=8-1&keywords=meguiars+%2340

 

It won't hide deep scratches, but light scuffs are hidden and the piece is now nice and clean and looks pretty much new.

 

It also works really well on the lower black plastic fascia that connects the exhaust tips and license plate mount.  

Edited May 8, 2016 by tgara

[ozman212]

Well, after looking around for an easy and inexpensive solution to my situation, I walked into home depot and discovered that you can purchase for less than $6 one roll of drawer lining made of rubber material that will match perfectly with your trunk. With just a little cutting to fit here and there, it will allow the plastic piece in the trunk to remain without any damage and be well protected. It took me about 20 minutes between the cutting and tucking the liner behind the plastic to install the entire thing. 

[tgara]

Good job, Ozman, that doesn't look too bad.  Please report back and let us know how well it works.

[ozman212]

Good job, Ozman, that doesn't look too bad.  Please report back and let us know how well it works.

So far so good. I actually have been using it alot since day one. My toolbox actually rolls down and out on it making it alot easier to load and unload it from the trunk (and easier on my back) and I don't leave behind one scratch on the vehicle. These are the kind of things that make me happy. I understand there are people who don't mind wear and tear on a vehicle and I respect that, but if I can keep my vehicle looking good for a long period of time, thats just a big plus in my book.