Paint Chip At The Top Of The B Pillar - keywords body chipping contact door exterior molding rub trim

The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.

Paint chipping or fracturing on the front edge of the roof rail portion of the body directly above the B Pillar on the drivers or passengers side (see picture below).

This is a picture of the left front B pillar.

This can be caused by the interaction of the mating part that is just forward of this location. The mating part is a composite trim part that is attached to the A Pillar across the top of the front door opening creating a vertical butt joint with the sheet metal body structure over the B pillar. It is the sheet metal body portion that has the paint chipping. The concern is the composite molding that is above the door will expand and contract with the change of the temperature. When the molding expands, it may contact the metal body and cause the paint to chip.

It may only be necessary to touch up the paint chip initially, but if it returns it will be necessary to round off the back edge of the A pillar molding that runs above the door. This will provide a small amount of additional clearance between the molding and the body to allow for the expansion of the parts as the temperature changes.

Please follow this diagnostic or repair process thoroughly and complete each step. If the condition exhibited is resolved without completing every step, the remaining steps do not need to be performed.