Clearcoat on plastic trim, how do you stop it peeling at the edges?

I keep seeing bumpers come in where the clearcoat is lifting right where the plastic meets the paint, especially around the grille area. Last week I did a 2018 Civic in Phoenix and the owner said it started after a single hot summer. I sanded and prepped it like the book says, but I'm wondering if I need to feather the clear further onto the plastic or use a flex additive every time. Has anyone figured out a method that actually holds up past the first year?

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kai_ramirez388d ago

You started after a single hot summer, huh?" That's the part that gets me, because that tells me the adhesion was already weak from the factory, not that you did anything wrong. But here's my question, and I'm serious, did you actually scuff the plastic itself with a red scotch-brite, or just sand the paint edge? I've seen guys skip that and think the clear will bite into smooth plastic, which it never does. Also, are you using a primer that's made for bare plastic, or just going straight to base? Because that makes a huge difference in whether it lifts again, no matter how much flex additive you throw at it.