What's with all of the plastic trim on vehicles these days?

It was said many decades ago that the future is in plastics. Plastic is misunderstood quite a bit too. The plastic used to make a child’s toy is not the same as the plastic used to make intake manifolds or trim pieces on automobiles.



The benefits are great. Less weight, less maintenance and corrosion, better impact resistance, what’s not to like?
They're ugly...
 
Yea, the good old days when cars rusted in just a few years.

truck-rust.jpeg


Plastic body cladding would have prevented rocks from chipping the paint and eventually to that rust.
Plastic trim doesn't prevent rust, it just causes it to start differently. Instead of chips in the paint causing rust, the plastic trim causes rust by trapping in dirt, road salt, and moisture....
 
Plastic trim doesn't prevent rust, it just causes it to start differently. Instead of chips in the paint causing rust, the plastic trim causes rust by trapping in dirt, road salt, and moisture....
Trapped dirt, road salt, and moisture won't cause any rust unless there is bare metal....caused by....rock chips. And any properly designed panel has drain channels to prevent trapping anything.
 
My comment was based specifically on Mid-'00s Malibus and Impalas here in NH.
The car looks ok, but either you can see the rust spreading outward from the plastic cover, or it is hanging off.
I do not disagree that it prevents stone chipping.
 
I wished they still made headlights out of glass, seeing the plastic polycarbonate ones cloud up, distort and limit the light output is disheartening when you are paying $50K plus for these vehicles.
Sold for cheap and easy install to boot. Fellow I worked with had to pull the front clip to change head lights on his Avalanche.
 
Trapped dirt, road salt, and moisture won't cause any rust unless there is bare metal....caused by....rock chips. And any properly designed panel has drain channels to prevent trapping anything.
It absolutely will, why do you think they put drain holes in doors...and the plastic trim around wheel wells has no channels for dispersing water...
 
I wished they still made headlights out of glass, seeing the plastic polycarbonate ones cloud up, distort and limit the light output is disheartening when you are paying $50K plus for these vehicles.
I remember having to pay $300 each for glass headlights in a Geo Tracker. You could get them from one of two places. A Chevy/Geo dealer or a Suzuki dealer.

I asked my insurance agent about it, since to replace both was *more* than a windshield... and was able to get it paid out as a comprehensive claim for just my $100 deductible.

Yep, the good old days of glass headlights.
 
Why not make plastic panels that look like metal? Living in the rust belt, I have come to respect Saturn’s plastic door, bumper, and fender panels. Those cars never had Swiss cheese panels, despite decades of salty slush abuse. As long as the paint sticks, I am not a Stickler for metallic panels. Even Aluminum may be ok.
 
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