Alloy Corrosion

DrA_Harrogate

Good afternoon. My car is under manufacturer's warranty - 2 1/2 years old. One of the alloy wheels has a corrosion problem; I have insurance but they exclude corrosion. I have e-mailed the selling garage (main dealer), who are closed but will get back to me I hope, just to ask if they do these repairs. My question is, does corrosion of a factory-fitted wheel in the warranty period entitle me to a free repair (goods not fit for purpose etc)? Many thanks

AdrianC

Don't confuse "not fit for purpose" with a minor cosmetic issue under warranty.

I'm sure that dealer isn't the brand's only franchise dealer - so either contact one who is open, or contact the manufacturer's customer service.

born_again

Diamond cut wheels by any chance?

DUTR

born_again said:

Diamond cut wheels by any chance?

I have DCW rims and scratched one of the rims within about 6 months, the damage has not increased 6 years on, I suspect the rims have got damaged from regular visits to these cheapo car wash places. The OP will be lucky if he gets a resolve in his favour. Even then if they replace the wheel, it'll stand out from the remaining wheels.

chrisw

I had a VW Passat which suffered corroded alloys at 2 years old. As there was no visible damage the VW dealer replaced the full set under warranty. It was a known problem with those particular wheels though.

doningtonphil

I was in the compound of a Nissan dealership looking at a car to replace mine that had been written off.  I noticed some 'bubbling corrosion' on some Diamond Cut Wheels on a Qashqai and commented that mine had that.  The Sales Manager said it was in for a warranty repair because it was a known issue

born_again

Some dealers reject DCW claims out of hand citing stone chip damage. Yet the lacquer is still totally intact.

oh_really

Like chrisw, I know a guy who had his rims replaced under warranty by Audi. A couple were starting to show signs of corrosion around the centres.

flashg67

I had mine done after 2+ years on a Kia - no quibble from them but there was no other damage apart from the corrosion

MinuteNoodles

Anyone who has owned a MK3 Mazda MX5 will have experienced it within a few years from new. I had a set completely refurbished and within 3 years they were starting to go again.

m0bov

Had my old Mazda 6 2005 wheels replaced before it was 3. Skoda was another story as they had been refurbed before I took delivery!