Faded Trim Pieces

[5tinger]

Any idea how to restore the faded plastic trim on the door pillars and roof?
Also the metal frame between roof and doors?

 

[Ah GetFd]

Replace it whilst you can get trim parts from the dealership. Trims are the first things to be deleted on any model car.

 

[Snicklefritz]

Trim, like paint, is only warrantied to 3 years or 36,000 miles. If you're out of luck, it's time to use the polish. I have Flitz in reserve for the next time I see spotting. Up to this point, I've used Meguiar's rubbing compound on stuff like this. Yours is the worst I've seen pictured on the forum, including the piano black plastic between the doors, and even the drip rails!? A good rubbing compound like Flitz should knock it back, then use polishing compound, if you feel like the finish needs more gloss.

 

[clemson85]

My local KIA dealership used a Chemical Guys product to bring mine back to new. I was told by them that the trim was covered for 5 years. I have a neighbor with a Stinger and the dealer replaced his trim. I hope mine holds up.

 

[Snicklefritz]

I must have misremembered. On page 14 of the warranty and consumer information manual it does say that the period is 60 months. That likely covers trim as well as paint.

My local KIA dealership used a Chemical Guys product to bring mine back to new. I was told by them that the trim was covered for 5 years. I have a neighbor with a Stinger and the dealer replaced his trim. I hope mine holds up.

 

[Guzman]

One thing to be aware of is some of these "polishing" chemicals will over time brighten the "dark chrome" finish and it will start to look more like regular chrome, especially on the window trim. This has be reported by users here, and forums for G70/80, GV70/80 and even the Kia Telluride. I just blacked mine out and don't worry about it. I think it looks much better anyway.

 

[5tinger]

The roof moulding strips were peeling and cracking got replaced last year by dealership.

Wonder if these trim pieces that get replaced by dealers are made from updated parts with enhanced material that hold up better?

 

[Thomby]

One thing to be aware of is some of these "polishing" chemicals will over time brighten the "dark chrome" finish and it will start to look more like regular chrome, especially on the window trim. This has be reported by users here, and forums for G70/80, GV70/80 and even the Kia Telluride. I just blacked mine out and don't worry about it. I think it looks much better anyway.

Reopening this thread to ask if you or anyone else has coated the black chrome strips in anything after polishing. I used Blue Magic polish which did a great job removing the staining, but it does seem to have lightened the black coating and made them closer to regular chrome.

They also get fingerprints and light water stains very easily, which I try to wipe off, but I'm wondering if there's a good option to coat & protect them. Maybe a very light layer of VHT Night Shades (taillight tint paint)?

 

[Snicklefritz]

I have used Meguiar's cleaner paste wax, but haven't renewed it for well over a year by now. The window strips seem to lose spots if you use a microfiber with a glass cleaning/polishing weave and "insist" that the spots come out. Stiff rubbing with water and the right kind of cloth will get out simple water spots and fingerprints. I have a tube of Flitz metal polish, in case that doesn't cut it, but haven't even opened it yet.

Reopening this thread to ask if you or anyone else has coated the black chrome strips in anything after polishing.

 

[bfglitch]

I wound up wet sanding mine and getting rid of the clear coat and smoke on them. Yeah they're a bit brighter now compared to the rest of the smoked chrome but at least they don't look like crap. Ever since I've just washed my car like usual and when drying off I use a spray protectant/shine and haven't had a problem since.

Honestly I can't stand the smoked chrome on the car. It's so difficult to keep it looking nice. Eventually going to wind up doing a chrome delete.

 

[ArLo13]

Trim, like paint, is only warrantied to 3 years or 36,000 miles. If you're out of luck, it's time to use the polish. I have Flitz in reserve for the next time I see spotting. Up to this point, I've used Meguiar's rubbing compound on stuff like this. Yours is the worst I've seen pictured on the forum, including the piano black plastic between the doors, and even the drip rails!? A good rubbing compound like Flitz should knock it back, then use polishing compound, if you feel like the finish needs more gloss.

I have a similar issue. My car is only 10 months old and they bluntly denied to change them or even give me a solution. How can I get them to do something?

 

[Snicklefritz]

I have a similar issue. My car is only 10 months old and they bluntly denied to change them or even give me a solution. How can I get them to do something?

Complain to KIA Corp, and tell them that the dealer is refusing warranty. Then try another dealer? "10 months old", are you saying that it's a MY23?

 

[ArLo13]

Complain to KIA Corp, and tell them that the dealer is refusing warranty. Then try another dealer? "10 months old", are you saying that it's a MY23?

No, I have a differnt model. Sorry, I know I am in the wrong forum but this seems to be a issue along all the KIA models. I am desperate now!

 

[socalvn]

Had mine replaced under warranty the roof trim black plastic 60k warrenty was told if I wanted any other pieces replaced just to come back

 

[Transmetal]

So did Kia just go cheap on these parts or is it an issue because they went with the "black chrome" instead of regular chrome?

My son's car an almost 20 year old Buick has chrome trim around the windows and it looks brand new still. Also our 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee has black trim that hasn't faded a bit, still looks glossy. Yet my new at the time trim was looking horrible only 2 years into ownership. Car got hailed on and they since been replaced. The new trim still seems to be holding up but I wanna go gloss black on all the trim pieces anyways, just curious as to what they did or didn't do wrong.

 

[Snicklefritz]

So did Kia just go cheap on these parts or is it an issue because they went with the "black chrome" instead of regular chrome?

The dark chrome definitely suffers from this spotting/fading issue. The brighter chrome on the Premium never spots like the dark chrome does. The Premium does have the crinkling/cracking on the drip rails though. Ima convinced that the differences between vehicles experiencing these issues is weathering. Left out in the sun a lot is the main causation. Add in gunk from the air and you have it. A possible third contributor is what drivers put on their cars when cleaning or protecting them, so, heat, air, chemicals - mix and "serve". Heh.

 

[jays2000]

I had some mixed results polishing up the dark chrome trim this weekend, but I learned a lot.

Even though my car spends 95% of its life indoors, the trim already looked like spotty crap. The pieces outlining the hatch were the worst, so I started there.



I first tried a claybar + detailing spray. Perhaps I didn't rub hard enough (and you're not supposed to use a lot of pressure anyway) but it didn't affect the spots at all.

So out came the Turtle Wax Polishing Compound (light/medium). I used medium pressure, then wiped, and could see a cleared up area:


It took multiple cycles, but I finally got it cleaned up.


The only problem is that I removed the topmost, darker layer of the chrome. But they looked nice:




At this point I had to decide what to do about the rear door trim. I tried using a little less pressure, but to no avail:



So I ended up hard-cleaning the rear door trim as well. By the time I got to the front doors, I learned how to use *just* the right amount of pressure to clean the trim without taking off the top layer. Unfortunately there is now a not-so-subtle difference between the trim pieces, which I didn't really see until I approached my car in the parking lot later in the day. The front door trim weren't nearly as spotty, which might have helped. If they're too marred, there's likely no other way than to strip the top layer.

I plan on checking with the dealer on warranty coverage, or at least get a quote on replacing them altogether, or just brighten the front door pieces to match.

Pro-tip I realized halfway through... use this opportunity to apply 303 Protectant (or whatever your rubber/trim preserver of choice is) to the weatherstripping around the doors. It keeps the polish from sticking as much.

 

[gower]

 

[gower]

This works a treat

 

[5tinger]

I just got some of that Autosol, will give it a try.