Missing plastic body panel - Transit Custom

[GerryR]

I recently returned to my Transit Custom, having left it parked up for a few days in Scotland, to find that the small plastic body panel below the fuel filler flap was missing. I've no idea if it was prised off and pinched (no sign of this on adjacent panels) or it it fell off when I was driving and I didn't notice immediately. I've now purchased a new one from Ford and had it painted - total cost approaching £100, which is crazy for a few bits of plastic that must have cost pennies to make. Since then, I've seen at least half a dozen similar vans with the same panel missing - so I'm beginning to wonder what's going on.
I've just spoken to Ford, who said that they have no knowledge of any faults like this with the Transit Custom (although I doubt they'd come clean even if they knew it was a problem).

Does this ring any bells with other owners out there? If it's happened to you, do you know for sure if the panel just fell off?

Gerry

[loot]

The clips that hold it seem to get weak after they've come off the first time, they can even half break rendering them a bit sh*t

I managed to pull that trim off once I forget why but likely cleaning diesel muck and thinking I'd get it clean if I remove the trim, it was hard to remove but very easy to fit and then seemed to not be on as solid as before

Still there though so maybe new clips needed or some pu18 sealant.