Wheel Corrosion

cbrsilv15 · July 28, 2016

Salt on the roads is terrible on vehicles. It destroys alum wheels.

Jackseric · July 28, 2016

My chrome Denali wheels have that same bubbling around the valve stems.

pm26 · July 28, 2016

My chrome Denali wheels have that same bubbling around the valve stems.

Your wheels are not chromed, they are not even chrome plated. They are "chrome mist coated" for a microscopic layer of "look good until you drive it home" protection.

Rebound · July 29, 2016

Looks like what I've got going on with my same/similar wheels. Mine's not around the valve stems, but there none the less. Could this lead to slow leaks? I've got one wheel that's (very) slowly leaking air...

pm26 · July 29, 2016

Looks like what I've got going on with my same/similar wheels. Mine's not around the valve stems, but there none the less. Could this lead to slow leaks? I've got one wheel that's (very) slowly leaking air...

I do not believe you need to worry about air leaks any time soon. Premature surface corrosion of factory GM polished and clearcoated, and chrome plated wheels is a known issue, and GM does not seem to care to improve the quality of these wheels. It is evidently cheaper just to replace so many of them under warranty until your basic warranty runs out. The replacement wheels will corrode just the same.

In my experience the only alloy wheels that hold up just fine are silver painted unpolished (i.e. rough cast finish) alloy wheels. I have never had any problems with those.

pm26 · July 29, 2016

Salt on the roads is terrible on vehicles. It destroys alum wheels

Ocean breeze in Coastal Florida coupled with high humidity is also very destructive.

waumo1 · July 29, 2016

It is not just GM clear coated wheels, I have other manufacturer clear coated wheels that have done the same.

The only wheels I've owned that still look perfect after 6 years are the Jeep SRT wheels that have some type of plating/treatment called Alcoa Durabrite. Looks like chrome from a distance but up close it has a slightly "milky" look.

Dnt · July 30, 2016

Had chrome pitting in my 2014 wheels and I went to a lot of trouble to keep them clean and waxed. Part of the reason I parted with it among many others.

arsonfnder · August 3, 2016

does Gm have a TSB about this or a case number I can reference when Im at the dealer?

pm26 · August 3, 2016

It is not just GM clear coated wheels, I have other manufacturer clear coated wheels that have done the same.

The only wheels I've owned that still look perfect after 6 years are the Jeep SRT wheels that have some type of plating/treatment called Alcoa Durabrite. Looks like chrome from a distance but up close it has a slightly "milky" look.

That's true, I had just as many problems with Mazda clear coated wheels. Never had problems with Mazda, GM, or Nissan silver painted alloy wheels. These polished clear coated alloy wheels are just plainly a dumb idea as they only look good when new.

arsonfnder · August 7, 2016

So the dealer is saying they have to go through GM for this wheel replacement and will take a little while for the GM representative to get back with the service manager, is there anything on my end I can do to make this an easy process?

bderby66 · September 23, 2016

HI, I am having to same issue with the corrosion around the valve stems. Unfortunately with my commute I already hit 49K miles and it has been less than 2 years. I took delivery Sep. 26, 2014. Has anyone ever heard of a situation where GM will make an exception to the 36K warranty limit? I am a little pissed off. I spent a lot of money on a 2014 Sierra SLT Z71. I also bought the bumper to bumper warranty to cover me for more years with all the miles I drive. I am really disappointed right now with GMC. I am not surprised though. Quality is not a priority these days.

Sierra Jon · October 29, 2016

HI, I am having to same issue with the corrosion around the valve stems. Unfortunately with my commute I already hit 49K miles and it has been less than 2 years. I took delivery Sep. 26, 2014. Has anyone ever heard of a situation where GM will make an exception to the 36K warranty limit? I am a little pissed off. I spent a lot of money on a 2014 Sierra SLT Z71. I also bought the bumper to bumper warranty to cover me for more years with all the miles I drive. I am really disappointed right now with GMC. I am not surprised though. Quality is not a priority these days.

They wouldn't do it for me. I had the issue WELL documented before my warranty was up. One dealer (Marty's) wouldn't even entertain the thought of replacing the wheel. Told me to buy the rim out of pocket and then fight for GM to reimburse me... great advice. I contacted GM customer care. GM customer care was "working the issue" and eventually told me to go to a different dealer and get a second opinion. Second dealer "Prime" agreed that they were deteriorating faster than normal. At this point I had just lapsed on warranty mileage... GM customer care (after months of arguing) only gave me a $500 accessory gift card... That I still haven't used because the corroded rim leaks and I have a feeling when I replace my tires they are going to tell me something is wrong with my rim. At that time I may lose it.

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bderby66 · December 29, 2016

They wouldn't do it for me. I had the issue WELL documented before my warranty was up. One dealer (Marty's) wouldn't even entertain the thought of replacing the wheel. Told me to buy the rim out of pocket and then fight for GM to reimburse me... great advice. I contacted GM customer care. GM customer care was "working the issue" and eventually told me to go to a different dealer and get a second opinion. Second dealer "Prime" agreed that they were deteriorating faster than normal. At this point I had just lapsed on warranty mileage... GM customer care (after months of arguing) only gave me a $500 accessory gift card... That I still haven't used because the corroded rim leaks and I have a feeling when I replace my tires they are going to tell me something is wrong with my rim. At that time I may lose it.

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I did reach out to GM customer care. They didn't care and would not cover them. They offered to sell me new wheels at a discount but why would I want to buy new wheels, at any price, from the same company that already proved they won't backup what they already sold me? I am a true believer in the fact that we vote with our wallets. I'll spend my money somewhere else. I will only use the dealer for recalls and confirmed warranty work.

Eddie 70 · January 1, 2017

I bought my truck used with 42k miles on it and a set of 18" wheels on it. According to the codes in the glove box it was supposed to have these 20" polished wheels pictured with the corrosion. I just picked up a set on Tuesday that have 8000 miles on them. They look great and there is no corrosion on them, yet. Are these wheels clear coated from the factory? If not, I may seek out a powder coater and have these cleared to try and keep this at bay.