Wonder what they would say if asked “Why are you hauling around all of that dead weight of a bed around then?”. 
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Or they were the type that purchased large sedans… which the US carmakers no longer make… so buyers bought trucks and large SUVs. Same as an Electra 225 buyer not wanting a Nova.
The origins of the truck and SUV craze started in the late 80s, early 90s when all manufacturers downsized their full size cars to meet EPA requirements. That drove people into Suburbans, Broncos and trucks. They decided they liked trucks… so here we are.
I have no idea about what they used to drive, because I don’t know those people directly. All I know–based on what my friend told me about these co-workers–is that they all commuted long-distance to their jobs (on toll roads), which–IMHO–didn’t make uneconomical trucks a good choice, especially since they were averse to the idea of carrying anything in the truck’s bed.
But it was their choice… and they pay the cost, the gas, ect.
Seems hard to believe the experts at Ford Motor Company don’t know how to paint aluminum. If there’s a systematic problem, more like a vendor isn’t meeting specs. My 20 year old aluminum bicycle, well used, the paint remains in excellent condition & chip free.
It was indeed their choice to buy uneconomical vehicles for 100+ mile daily commutes.
According to my friend, they are now choosing to complain–non-stop–about how much it costs to fill their tank every couple of days.
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Well to THAT… I’d tell 'em to shut up and suck it up! 
That is exactly what he does. Nobody likes a whiner, and he tells them that their whining is beginning to turn to Vintage Whine.
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To add a little perspective… US carmakers must comply with the EPAs regs on volatile organic compounds. That limits the paint they can use and limits the performance of that paint. Back in the 90s when seemingly every car company had blue, silver and white cars shedding their paint (and some still do…) was when they switched to water-born paints on steel bodied cars and trucks.
The German carmakers were allowed more leeway with their paint because their regulators accepted the durability problems and allowed more emissions from German car plants. Aluminum Audi A8s come to mind. Maybe the Brits did too since Jaguar came out with aluminum bodies… not sure.
We’ve had a number of complaints here about chipping paint from a variety of carmakers… aluminum AND steel bodied cars… seems they all have some issues.
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