This is on my BFFs brand new F55S. She thought she'd spilled something on the car somehow and asked me to take a look when she was over. I noticed she had the same "spill" in the exact same places on both sides of the car so figured it was not that.
Anyway when you lift the hood, there is a place at each corner and this mess seems to be dripping from it. I figured it out when I pressed on the hood a bit and created more drip! Needless to say it's made a mess out of her trim and I'm thinking it will be a pain to get off.
When I thought about it I realized my R56 had grease dark spots in the same place and I always thought it had to do with me dripping the liquid wax or something when I was detailing. But mine were nowhere near the extent of this.

 

Sounds like cosmoline. Have her take it back to the dealer to replace the trim and clean up the rest of the cosmoline in the bonnet. I didn't think they used that stuff anymore. My countryman didn't have any traces. But my r53 has it permanently dried on the inside

 

Had some on my R58 when it was new, usually in real hot weather. The

dealer will replace the trim ONE time.

 

Both my '10 & '13 R56's have had the dreaded cosmoline leak. If you wipe up the residue within a day or two it will typically not etch the plastic. Mine would also leak from the rear edges of the hood onto the fender trim. I use WD40 to assist in the removal from painted areas and Meguiar's ultimate quik detailer for the unpainted plastic trim.

 

warm soapy water

maybe a tooth brush

next question

 

Soapy water doesn't touch it. The dealer is replacing the trim.

Annette

 

Clean up under the hood and in the cavities with soapy water to get the cosmoline off, otherwise it will come back when we have a really hot day. I used hot soap water also,.