Anyone know what these rings are?

Hi - 2024 4 Runner...if you look closely at this pic, there are black rings that fade in/out depending on the light. The pic clearly shows 2 rings. By the way, you need a higher resolution monitor to see them. On one of my monitors, the picture barely shows one ring, on my Mac laptop, it shows two very clearly. Each is about 4 inches wide. I can't figure out what these are and haven't been able to find anything on the interwebs about them. I've tried detailing them out, unfortunately, the ring seems to be "under" the paint and they shine through at times. I don't know, hoping someone here has an idea. If this is something I can get fixed under warranty, I'd like to get it done.

 

Rings under paint? That’s a new one.

Sorry, I have no clue.

 

At first I REALLY wanted to say reflection
Sorry

on older models, dunno bout the new ones, our jack area/headlight have access panels near there

can you get in that area to see if anything is pressing? Or from under the vehicle?

 

reach your hand up inside the inner fender, see if that is some sort of magnetic tracker.
seen a short vid on Instagram a while back someone was "dusting" vehicles with some sort of dust and it would cling to any area that had a magnet on the back side of the sheet metal. This is how they were finding trackers hidden in panels of used vehicles. That discoloration might be from a magnet on the inside of the sheet metal, creating a sort of insta'cling and those circles are dust particles sticking to the magnetic area.

 

Def look like rings from trackers but ...

That area is on the inside of the vehicle, not the underside. It's about where the spare jack goes. If nothing there, then def paint defect which looks awful. Strange the defect would be such perfect circles.






Lexus vehicles get the nicer "self healing" paint.

https://youtu.be/VSlUtLFO-Ck?si=bUjjr5EqPXtlSzG-&t=244

 

Welcome.

It looks like a paint defect from the factory. Almost looks as if it’s in the base coat and then clear coated over. If it truly is, I’m shocked that the Tahara plant is pushing that out!

 

welcome

 

There aren't any videos of the full Toyota 4runner production, but I wonder if it's the marks from a suction gripper like they use on glass. I don't think they'd use them to hold the whole body (if they use them at all), and I'm pretty sure the whole frame is dipped at once, but it's too perfect to not be a production mark.

Definitely go to the dealer about it

 

Welcome.

 

Welcome!

 

Having been in an auto factory, those panels are held up by suction cups while installing. It looks like marks from those things. Maybe the paint wasn't totally cured when they were installed.

 

Welcome!

 

They are Prius ENGAGEMENT rings.

 

Just a thought;

There is a thread here or on the other forum where an owner has come back to his 4Runner after being parked in the sun for a while and a part of their sideview mirror was melted. In that thread it was concluded that reflection from the sun off another vehicle parked close by caused a concentrated hotspot on his sideview mirror and caused it to melt partially. Think sunlight through a magnifying glass - the concentrated heat can be get hot enough to create fire. So this might be what happened in this case. Just throwing out there FWIW.

Edit- found the thread;

 

If they are actually in the paint it is a warranty claim. Take it to the dealer.

 

I'm thinking the guy who said suction cups from the factory is probably right.

 

It may be from welding something on the inside. Ether way the dealer should take care of it, but they will hate you for asking. lol