I was told by the dealership wheel aches would need to be installed inhouse and could not be done at the factory, so I went along with the show and had them added a few weeks after my vehicle arrived.

This was the result..... Arch trim not flush with the base trim and big gaps at the seam

Is this normal?

 

No, it's not normal. Whatever Level 1 Service Tech installed that buggered it. If you watch the PowerfulUk video on how to install them, there's a way to put it in place and THEN pull the cover off the 3M tape. I suspect that the bonehead took the cover off first and it "stuck" before they could get the trim clips in so now it is a bit wonky.

 

Thanks for the feedback! I'll share that video with the dealership

 

that’s definitely not right. the arches are pretty flexible and you have to push them into place before you pull the tape and bonding them. it’s a little tricky and i had to remove a fender and install new tape. once you figure out one of them it’s not hard

 

They jacked it up and you need to demand that they make it right. Call the dealership GM and complain to no end.

 

Welp, I took it over to the dealership this morning to have them look at it. The explaination I got was " its normal"

Am I satisfied with that answer? No

If anyone has close up pictures of their arch installs would you mind sharing them?

They basically compared my install to current defenders they had on the lot. Im afraid they are comparing bad installs to bad installs

 

Here are photos of the factory install of the wheel arches. Everything lined up perfectly.

 

I will disagree and say that this is normal.
The pics that you posted are sideways and take from even or below where the extended wheel arch meets the trim beneath it, which really highlights how far the extended arch sticks out compared to the trim below it. It's not as noticeable when viewed from above.
The installation directions state that it is normal for the extended arches to stick out, "When installing the new wheel arch protection is designed to not fit flush with existing trim and will have an over hang on the front and rear."
It's not as easy to see, but in the last pic posted by @Polar993 you can see that the arch sticks out just a little bit more than the trim below it. You can see the same in pics in this post.
Step 26 from the installation directions.

 

Thanks for the screenshot Johnz, looks like it is what it is at this point.

I lost a lot of faith in the Charlotte Dealership when they returned my vehicle with adhesive streaks on the body paint. Probably still isnt the best job they could have done, but I guess the lesson here is to do these little projects yourself if you can

 

beside some messy double sided tape clean up you can tackle the re-install. just pick up some 3m moulding tape on amazon. need prob one roll. it’s 10 bucks. it’s better for you to remove the tape as early as possible before it sets and has a strong bond. if you ever messed with removing double sided tape it’s time consuming and your fingers will be sore after.

you prob need some extra clips as they are one time use