Q: I have a styling question that bothers me. The Lexus and Toyota Camry, for instance, have no grille. They look like an open-mouth bass with something missing in front. No bumper, either! All they have is a black screen. Is that any protection? I think this looks cheap on an expensive car.

A: Would that be a small-mouth or large-mouth bass? You are seeing an illusion. There is a fad sweeping the industry to black out the front of cars’ grilles, but the bumper is still there. It is behind the grille and also has been painted black to blend in. We think the styling makes cars look more aggressive, but perhaps it has gone too far for some people on some high-end models.

Q: The dashboard lamps and the shift selector illumination stopped working on my 2002 Ford Thunderbird. When driving at night, I cannot see the speedometer, tachometer, temp and fuel gauges. They work, but I just can’t see them without a back-light illumination. Last week, I was even pulled over for going 9 mph over the speed limit on a dark county road. I could not see the speedometer because it won’t light up. Several Ford dealers think it is the dashboard panel, but Ford does not support the product. They suggested that I go to a salvage yard and get one for them to install, but they can’t warranty it. I’ve been quoted about $600 to $1,000 just to pull apart everything. The sad thing is that the car has less than 8,300 miles on it. Did Ford design the T-Bird to be driven in daytime only?

A: While Ford did not build a daytime-only car, consider that other drivers cannot enjoy the beauty of the retro Thunderbird styling when you drive it at night. Maybe it is a feature, not a bug. OK, it is a bug and you’re not the only owner to have it. Most repair shops can remove your instrument cluster and then send it out for repair. Although we spent quite some time searching, we could not find a rebuilder able to fix it, however. A bone yard may be your only recourse.

Q: About four months ago, I found some paint peeling or bubbling on the hood of my 2010 Ford Mustang. From the research I have done, it seems Ford knew about this for years but is in denial and will not repair it because the warranty is up. Is there any way to repair it without the problem returning? A body shop told me to replace the hood with a fiberglass one to ensure it does not happen again.

A: Peeling paint has been an issue with a number of Ford vehicles, especially those with aluminum panels. Ford even issued a technical service bulletin stating that iron dust may have settled on the panels prior to painting, thereby causing the problem. Within the warranty period, panels were repainted. In an investigative report, WMAQ-TV in Chicago interviewed an auto industry paint consultant who claimed that the paint was often applied too thinly. Your body shop seems to have hit on a solution.