[dynodon]

keep a close eye on any areas that had that rail dust damage. Even if the clay removed the offending bit of metal, if there was rust that started, it could still spread under the paint.

When Ford had a mess with this problem (rail dust) they did a recall on thousands of cars shipped out of Chicago.

Their procedure did not involve clay, they acid washed the car (YIKES!) and then applied a proprietary sealant.

IF the cars had been clayed immediately upon arrival at the dealer, this might not have been necessary.

About C-man's concerns, I would be surprised if the clay could shear the metal bits, but I suppose there could be some left, especially if rust had started. Clay cannot get anywhere UNDER the plane or level of the surface, so any rust that started below the surface is still there. This is why a kit to neutralize the rust below the surface is imporatant.

Bigwise1: Yes, I would imagine that this problem should be covered by warranty. IF nothing else, get on the record at your dealer as finding and reporting the damage. If a treatment can make it look good, you might be happy with that.

I always prefer to fix the factory paint or live with minor problems rather than get a repaint, but if the problem is widespread, you might want to get new paint. Problem is that a repaint might look good at first, but it can age differently and I can almost always tell if a car has been repaired, it is almost impossible to perfectly match the factory finish.

But for sure report any suspected rail dust damage immediately to the dealer to get on record. This kind of damange can also happen just driving on the road which is also covered with metal bits, and other bad stuff that you blast through at wind speeds up to 120+ mph (two-lane undivided highways are worst).