After observing what I felt was a defect in the paint on my Freestyle I took the vehicle to my Ford dealer to inspect it. I was informed that the problem with the paint is stone chips and that I should consider mud flaps to avoid future damage. They also indicated I would be responsible for having the area repainted.

I feel this is a defect that Ford should warranty. The same area on both sides of my vehicle is involved (lower panel in front of the rear wheels). On edmunds.com others have posted this as well, so I am not the only person with this problem.

This is the first Ford I've purchased in quite a while and I probably won't consider another one for quite some time. It is terrible to have a new vehicle that when washed still looks dirty due to paint issues.