2013 Jeep Background Info
The 2013 Jeep Vibe
In 2013, Jeep was clearly having a bit of a fun-loving identity crisis. On one side of the lot, you had the Grand Cherokee and Patriot trying to look grown-up in Billet Silver and Maximum Steel. On the other, the Wrangler was throwing a neon-soaked party with colors like Gecko, Dozer, and Rock Lobster. With 28 colors in our database for this year alone, it's obvious the factory was running the mixing station at full tilt. Whether you're driving a rugged Compass or a mud-caked Rubicon, 2013 was the year Jeep decided "subtle" was for other brands.
Paint Health Check
Welcome to The Thin Paint Era. By 2013, the robots in the factory had become masters of "efficiency," which is just a polite way of saying they sprayed the bare minimum to cover the metal. If you look closely at your hood, you'll likely see a fair amount of "orange peel"-that wavy texture that looks like the skin of a citrus fruit. Because these coats are so thin, they don't handle the "brick-on-wheels" aerodynamics of a Jeep very well. Every pebble on the highway is a guided missile, and without the thick lacquer of the old days to cushion the blow, your clear coat is likely peppered with micro-chips that are just waiting to let moisture underneath.
Restoration Tip
When you're fixing a chip on a 2013, you have to fight the urge to be a hero with a single heavy glob. Because the factory paint is so thin, a giant "blob" of touch-up will stick out like a sore thumb. Build your layers slowly. Apply a tiny amount, let it dry, and repeat until the level is just a hair below the surrounding clear coat. This era of paint doesn't have the "depth" of a 70s cruiser, so patience is your best friend. If you rush it, you'll end up with a high spot that's a nightmare to level out later.