Toyota hood protector caused paint damage underneath

[Deaone123]

So i got and the hood protector was already installed which i didnt even want but they said they couldnt remove it so i said screw and took it.

I popped the hood today and noticed the screws from it caused paint damage.
Toyota said they will replace the part but im still damn upset because any body work never lines up right and just principal.

Any ideas why this happened, improper install ?

 

[manofsteele2003]

Yep they do that, had the Weathertech one and it did something similar. Just use a bit of touch up paint, you won't see it when the hood is closed anyways.

 

[Thrasher_S]

That's too bad, but it could be worse. My dad had a 97 suburban with a deflector. It rubbed a deflecter shaped hole in the paint all the way across his hood.

 

[Deaone123]

I figured out why this happened whoever installed was first a ass,
I see theres two rubber stops that are adjustable and i adjusted them to be higher and its no longer touching

 

[drewsro]

Those stops are going to raise your whole hood though, so check to make sure you're not making larger gaps along the fender, since you would see that easier than chips beneath a closed hood.

 

[snif6969]

So i got and the hood protector was already installed which i didnt even want but they said they couldnt remove it so i said screw and took it.

I popped the hood today and noticed the screws from it caused paint damage.
Toyota said they will replace the part but im still damn upset because any body work never lines up right and just principal.

Any ideas why this happened, improper install ?

Yup, same deflector, same symptoms, and worse, my hood is ****ed as the person that put the deflector on had no clue of what he was doing.

 

[bigbadpoppa]

These things dont do much to be honest. That's why I only went with the window rain guards. Many reviews on how useless these pieces are in the grand scheme of things.

 

[WAT4R]

Some of it may be install related but usually these types of things cause as much damage than they're supposed to prevent.

 

[catrains]

I put on a hood deflector but I did the job on my 2000 GM truck..

I had to set the hood latch up a bit and set the hood stops so that it would not hit the grill area or any other parts.

I just removed this last year reason is the deflector is not looking good very dull ..but no paint damage

I still have the 18 yrs old windshield it worked and the hood only has small road chips defector did the job..

my runner I did not install it ..

 

[a47chuck]

My ‘03 Gen 4 came with one. First thing that came off as soon as it got home.

 

[Rack]

I have installed these on all my trucks since the mid 80's.
What I have found is that they deflect enough airflow at highways speeds to deflect some small bugs from hitting the windshield at eye level. Most smaller bugs hit higher up along the seam of the glass and metal roof. The larger bugs are not effected that much. is also helps with light rain conditions.

 

[Proffesor_X]

People often forget about those little rubber bits. I have scratched paint before when installing hoods on other cars.