Divot in trunk plastic trim (license plate panel)

[Scooby24]

Hi guys, I'm fighting an issue with the plastic panel that covers the whole vertical section of the trunk with the license plate. There are plastic clips that hold the panel onto the metal trunk frame and on the center section between the license plate and the tail lamp on the driver's side, the clip is pulling the plastic in so much there is a significant divot that looks like a dent.

My dealership is not being helpful and is suggesting if they replace it, it's possibly going to only end up worse as I'd then be fighting potential poor fitment and bad paint match. They really fought me initially trying to act like they couldn't see it (they definitely could) and then said they wouldn't consider fixing it as maybe I'd dented it (as though plastic dented like that). Only after we took off the inner trunk panel and started pushing on the clip did they start to see where the defect was.

If I push on the yellow clip from the inside of the trunk, I'm able to get it flush but it won't retain that shape as it pops right back in. I was considering taking a deep socket to the outside of the metal the clip snaps into in order to push the fastener out but that seems like an awfully ghetto fix for a 50k car.

Has anyone else encountered this and addressed it? Any thoughts or advice?


Edit: Difficult to capture in a picture...much more obvious when looking at it head on and see the full reflective dent. Here's the location and a stab at photographing it:

 

[namorbrowneyes]

I have it too. I noticed it a few months after having the car and was like WTF did someone hit it!?

But I see now that it's semi-normal since you, and other owners probably have it. It's just more noticeable on certain colors .

 

[Seejay]

I have the "divets" also and had no idea the panel was plastic.

 

[aviator8]

Hi guys, I'm fighting an issue with the plastic panel that covers the whole vertical section of the trunk with the license plate. There are plastic clips that hold the panel onto the metal trunk frame and on the center section between the license plate and the tail lamp on the driver's side, the clip is pulling the plastic in so much there is a significant divot that looks like a dent.

My dealership is not being helpful and is suggesting if they replace it, it's possibly going to only end up worse as I'd then be fighting potential poor fitment and bad paint match. They really fought me initially trying to act like they couldn't see it (they definitely could) and then said they wouldn't consider fixing it as maybe I'd dented it (as though plastic dented like that). Only after we took off the inner trunk panel and started pushing on the clip did they start to see where the defect was.

If I push on the yellow clip from the inside of the trunk, I'm able to get it flush but it won't retain that shape as it pops right back in. I was considering taking a deep socket to the outside of the metal the clip snaps into in order to push the fastener out but that seems like an awfully ghetto fix for a 50k car.

Has anyone else encountered this and addressed it? Any thoughts or advice?


Edit: Difficult to capture in a picture...much more obvious when looking at it head on and see the full reflective dent. Here's the location and a stab at photographing it:

I have the same thing, black car too so it stands out a little more than others. I have not made any attempt to address with the dealer. This is a design flaw and I am not sure how the dealer would be able to fix it without redesigning the attachment points. Hyundai appears to have attached, (glued?) attachment points to the inner side of the outside body panel to secure the inside trunk shroud to. 1 the body panel is flexible and 2 the attachment point is too small. That is not a good combination. any amount of pull pressure form he inside causes a deflection. The design should have made the attachment point wider or secured it to an inflexible base which attached to the body panel so that it did not cause this deflection point.

 

[Mark_888]

What model year are people talking about? If it is a 2015, maybe it was fixed in 2016?

 

[need4spd]

I have an early build 2016 and it has the issue also, you would need to redesign the fasteners so it does not pull in, or maybe fill it afterwards and then paint it so it is smooth (and hope it does not flex and crack due to the plastic)? not sure if this is a good fix or not.

I decided not to mess with it. I have empire gray and can see them depending on the viewing angle. I too thought it was a dent at first. Even the hood, there is a point at the end of the crease near the door I always do a double take thinking there is a dent there.

 

[namorbrowneyes]

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