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Regarding the HWC™ Online 2010 Ford Mustang
Quality is Job None

At the Thanksgiving weekend L. A. Auto Show in 2008, Ford revealed its next-design 2010 Mustang. A Hot Wheels™ version was produced for the event as a giveaway item. Excess quantities were made available to Red Line Club® members for $9.99 (plus shipping, of course).

It wasn't long before people began noticing the typical Hot Wheels™ quality issues.

Posted 09-01-08


Htwheeler2  RLC™# 32887

So I have a USED 2010 Mustang, garage kept, low miles, custom wheels, custom faded paint. Needs new windshield, otherwise a clean car.

Don't know if anyone else has this on their 2010 Mustang, but I'm very disappointed. The paint job on the whole car is **** and I have a huge smudge on the passenger side, and a crack of some sort on the drivers side. LMK what you think or have similar.


thelastz28  RLC™# 45031

Horrible! I hope the ones I ordered don't look that bad.

juswheels  RLC™# 2081

I hear you. Got mine today and have to admit that the paint on this one leaves a lot to be desired. One side of mine is badly orange peeled. Not their best effort.

mikitch  RLC™# 35735

They should be ashamed of themselves for a product like this. This site is going to end up like Lehman Bros.

timberwolf-67  RLC™# 48488

My windshield was the same way, but the smudge was on the drivers side.

jimco57  RLC™# 43385

I've noticed a lot of bad paint and windows on the cars as of late. So much for the value. Mattel really needs to come down on the suppliers of these. The quality of the high-end cars is really getting bad. It's a drag 'cause Hot Wheels have always been my favorite cars. Sorry to see your Mustang looks like that; only proves what I said.

treasurehunter55  RLC™# 31287

I'm glad to see all the other posts about the horrible paint job on the Mustang. This is no way to keep the faith of the collector. I guess they feel at $9.99 and an acrylic case, we couldn't have our cake and eat it too. The idea was great, the end product was horrid.

mysticobra  RLC™# 222

This issue with the paint on these 2010 Mustangs needs to be addressed by an Admin here. The paint is nowhere near "Spectraflame". (More like spectraflamed out!) Nice looking all the way around but I think they just used a bad batch of paint. Mine looks more like a flat black. It looks good displayed, but up close this is a disaster. Good idea, great presentation, case looks good, but the paint... I am going to keep mine, but if it were a 15 or 20 dollar car, I would get a refund. I would like to see more put out like this on the site with attention to detail being the top priority on the car itself. I would also rather see them in these cases than a BP.
Just my opinion, not a gripe.

pgussett  RLC™# 18918

There is absolutly nothing the Admins can or will do about it. Calling seems worthless as well because all they will say is sorry and offer a refund after you spend more money to send it back. There was a time here when if an issue happened it was taken care of. But over the past few years the quality is going downhill and we are taken for granted. About the only thing that might have an impact and get things changed is contacting the executive offices. I'm still waiting for mine. I'll keep you posted on how it arrives.

johndonhauser  RLC™# 47185

Got mine and have too say it's not in that bad of shape, but close. My rear window has a crack. The paint is OK but not great. But my case is also scratched as well. Very sad. Sad indeed.

hotmatch  RLC™# 1738

I had surgery on my left eye and also lost the right lens from my glasses. So I couldn't see very well. But now that I have 20-20 vision on my left eye I can tell you that the paint job on my 2010 Mustang STINKS.

maldoror  HWC™# 447363

Got mine today. Was hoping for a nice-looking exclusive car. Well, it seems I have not been any luckier than my friends above... What happened during the painting process? Man, how disappointing...

ScottyJ  RLC™# 842

Inferior product... premium price? Doesn't add up in my books.

rbuttenhoff  RLC™# 46166

It's all part of the Mattel Hot Wheels Marketing Department Master Plan: Release a crappy car at the end of the year, right before opening the 2009 Membership Sales. Maybe the first 4000 membership cars should be bare metal instead of chrome... just to play it safe.

Note: Well, for the first time ever, they weren't chrome... the 2009 Red Line Club® membership cars were VW Drag Buses, painted in a Police car motif.

mikitch  RLC™# 35735

I checked the oranges in my fridge and they look a lot better. Ever notice when we get a cheap-looking car you don't hear a thing from the brass? They are quiet like little mouses.

This Mustang should have been given to us for shipping only as a gift, because of poor orange peel.

pgussett  RLC™# 18918

Finally got mine and mine has bad paint as well. Sure wish an ADMIN here would take notice and address this issue with the proper people.

isaiah calderon  RLC™# 24865

Finally got mine. GOT BURNED. Terrible orange peel and defective windshield. I wouldn't buy this if I saw it at the store. We should all return the defective product to make a point. It's sad that Mattel puts profit ahead of customer satisfaction. This is a shameful product no one is proud of putting on the market.

I will not be buying any more product until I read the feedback. Why buy it on the first day when it will sit at the store for months on end? Better to read the satisfaction or complaints before I make a purchase. Mattel needs to wake up or they'll end up in front of Congress begging for a loan like the real car makers.

pgussett  RLC™# 18918

And then they'll apologize to China like they did when they found lead in the paint.

juswheels  RLC™# 2081

No doubt, this one is not a good effort. The right side of mine is badly orange-peeled. It appears to be a common problem. If you haven't ordered one yet, I would keep this in mind.

pumpkinrancho  RLC™# 40900

I usually don't respond to the "bash Hot Wheels" posts. This time I will, as honestly, the 2010 Mustang I received today has the worst paint job of any RLC car I have ever gotten. Worst out of 200-plus cars. BAD. However, for any error collector like myself, I would have paid more to get one this bad. Orange peel everywhere, big chunk of crap on the roof, fish eyes. Looks like one of Earl Sheib's $299 jobs. Still very nice casting. Have a good New Year.

KE1067  RLC™# 48532

Look at my premium 2010 Black Spectraflame orange peel Mustang... mine is a MIMC (mint in mint case) too. Lets see yours. Please no feedback like "ask for a refund", or "it was only $14". Please, this is for the Brass to see.
Thanks, KE1067

badass55  RLC™# 31034

The problem is nobody bothered to check these before they sold them. Sure we can return them, but we lose $5. If I have to return mine, I want a full refund. It's not my fault that some moron didn't do their job. Some members on here are all ready to jump on other members for complaining... Well, when I pay for something I want it done correctly. I don't want an apology or a free car, I want what was offered. If it had said "Crappy paint!" I would have passed.

juswheels  RLC™# 2081

Well said! 

It isn't about complaining just to make noise. It's about getting what was paid for, not returning, not refunding. Mine is badly orange-peeled on the right side. Mattel needs to hear this, and see this. They need to understand that it's their customers they're doing this to. If they need more examples, just look at all the unsold issues in the shop. Yes, the economy is down but so is the trust of their customers. It's not just here, they're losing more and more customers every day. Some to the economy, some to other brands and some to the thought that since the quality can't be trusted, it's just not worth the effort. Time for Mattel to take notice.

In all fairness the overall quality has improved. However, from reading several posts on the 2010 Mustang, they dropped the ball on this one. If it's the fault of the paint as one member suggested, then they shouldn't be using it until the problem can be corrected. Will say it again: Quality has improved but NOT on the Mustang.

nspo  RLC™# 18673

Originally posted by gglenn:
I don't think it is orange peel. I think it is variations in the opacity of the Spectraflame paint.

I have to disagree. I know what you mean, but you can FEEL it. It's not variations in the opacity, it's variations in the thickness. I had to double-check the sale listing (seriously) to make sure it was really supposed to BE Spectraflame Black. It seemed more similar to that flat Rat Rod black they use in the mainlines. (A cool paint, I'll grant you, but juuuuust a bit different from Spectraflame.)

On the plus side, I must point out the precision tampo work (especially the thin silver stripe over the wheel wells and along the rocker).

Complainer disclaimer: In this post, I have merely stated facts. Call it a "review". IMHO, this is one of the best Ultra Hots they've ever made.

Dman3411  RLC™# 44958

I must also add my voice to those who have the orange peel effect problems on this release... I am truly disappointed with the paint quality on the 2010 Mustang. I have ordered other Hot Wheels with Spectraflame paint; none of the other Spectraflame painted cars exhibit the Mustang's paint issues. How could this happen? I'm sure some of the Ford Execs have seen a couple of these Hot Wheels cars and the lackluster (at best) paint on the little 2010 Mustang Hot Wheels cars and are thinking, "Hmmmmmmm?"

bkalland  RLC™# 1386

I have examined 9 of these so far. As a forward service to a number of international customers, I get to see quite a cross section of Mattel product. I did also buy this offering for my own Mustang collection.

If I were to show up at a 1/1 car show with this quality of paint, I would be laughed out of the show and probably banned from the club. I will admit that the design and combination of tampo and color/wheels makes this a sharp looking car. In every case on the cars received here, the orange peel is very evident. Some are worse than others. It appears to be worse on the sides than the top.

I personally like the lucite display box that comes with the car. My blood runs blue and the Ford logo and car name on the display case is a nice touch. The display case fits perfectly with all my other 100% cars stacked on my computer desk from years past.

Meanwhile, expect cordial replies from Customer Service with money back on returns. This is an anomaly and not the norm for Mattel collectibles. Happy HotWheeling!