This Is A Story You'll Want To Read

plainvanilla · June 12, 2009

I have wanted to take time and post this for awhile.

A few months back I bought some F21 All Wheel cleaner made by Turtle Wax company

It is supposed to be safe for all wheels and finishes... not so

I have been using care care products for 2 decades and I read the instructions.. this wasn't rocket science

In the wash bay, nice and shady, wheels cool to the touch, I sprayed them down and used a soft brush on them, then I wet the truck and rinsed the wheels as I went. The wheel cleaner did not have a chance to dry on the wheels.

washed the truck as usual and headed home.

I used the spot free rinse and usually pull into the driveway and towel down the windows and any wet spots.

I looked at the wheels and they looked like crap. All white and streaky. These were the standard factory wheels and they always dryed looking good before.

I tried everything to clear this up. Nothing. I finally figured out that the wheel cleaner etched into the clear coat of the wheels.

I waited several weeks, stewing about it, pissed off, then I decided to contact Turtle wax.

3 emails..nothing.

a few weeks later, I called

they emailed a claim form and wanted the unused portion and original bottle sent to the lab

I FEDEXed it in and the day they got it I got a call from Liberty Mutual insurance.

A lady took a statement from me on the phone and assigned a claim number.

weeks went by.. nothing.

I called the lady back at Turtle Wax.. she didn't work there any more

I start over with someone new and have to explain it all over again.

She finally engages and gets the ball rolling.

Next thing, the insurance calls me back and sets appointment for an adjuster to look at the wheels.

he comes in a few days and takes lots of pictures and basically told me, it looked like product damage to him and he was going to recommend replacing the wheels.

weeks went by, nothing.. left voice mails every few days.

Finally the lady gets back with me and says that the "lab" said that the sample of product was fine that I sent in.

OK.... then why did it damage my wheels?

I spent the next two weeks being quite clear, yet polite that I felt I was due something here.

Finally, I was told that they would be sending a check for $850 IF I would agree to send in the old wheels, at their expense. All I had to do was drop them off at Fed Ex and use their account number to send them

I got on Ebay and found some take offs from a Tahoe, I also bought some new rubber and bolted it all up.

I have to say, the whole thing was a pain in the arse, but If I hadn't have kept up demanding what was fair, I wouldn't have gotten anything.

They turned out, though to be honorable folks and they made things right.

here is what they looked like

here with the Tahoe Wheels and new Cooper LT/ATs

impalasspeed96 · June 12, 2009

That sucks man... A lot of those wheel cleaners really scare me.

omegafiler · June 12, 2009

Yeah, at least you got something out of it. I wonder if there have been other issues reported regarding that product.

plainvanilla · June 12, 2009

Yeah, at least you got something out of it. I wonder if there have been other issues reported regarding that product.

If there were , they would never admit to it.

They still never admitted to me that they're cleaner caused this, but I can understand why.

The reason they wanted the wheels back was so that the lab could use them for testing to try and prevent that from happening again

I have to commend them for that much.

cerbomark · June 12, 2009

Very interesting. Wonder if you keep following up if someone will tell you what happened? Looks like it stained the clearcoat or burned through it. Thats what a cleaner with acid would have done. But you said it was All Wheels Safe so it shouldnt have acid in it. Maybe someone tampered with the product before you bought it? But then again they said it tested OK.

07cliffordreddog · June 13, 2009

That is very commendable that they gave you the money, tho you did have to put up a hassle. congratulations on your persistance! whether they admit it or not, that cleaner contained acid. I have used acid to clean aluminum and diamond plate on my peterbilt and thats exactly what it looks like, then you have to polish it back up and it looks brand new, but that is bare metal. BUT that doesnt work that way with wheels like yours that are coated. Thats just my .02, but that sure looks like remnants of acid to my trained eye... glad it worked out well for you!

MS3DALE · June 13, 2009

That sucks man... A lot of those wheel cleaners really scare me.

Yep same here,Thats why I've never used any,I just use the same soap that I wash the truck with,I also glaze them and keep them waxed-up.

Matt_ · June 13, 2009

Im scared to use any wheel cleaner on my painted/clearcoated wheels for fear of exactly that

Edit: what glaze/wax do you use?

MS3DALE · June 13, 2009

Im scared to use any wheel cleaner on my painted/clearcoated wheels for fear of exactly that

Edit: what glaze/wax do you use?

I use 3M hand glaze and Collinite wax.....Collinite (I use the Super Doublecoat Auto Wax (No. 476s)

Matt_ · June 13, 2009

Does that stuff hold up to the temp of the wheels?

MS3DALE · June 13, 2009

Does that stuff hold up to the temp of the wheels?

Yep,On both my factory clear-coated wheels,and my chrome ARE wheels.

Matt_ · June 13, 2009

Good stuff. Thanks

MS3DALE · June 13, 2009

Sure,But one word of advice if you use Collinite.....It goes on pretty easy,But can be an SOB to wipe off!! Do one small panel/area at a time or else!!! It gives your arms a helluva' workout

gmowner4life · June 13, 2009

Wow! That sucks, but at least you got some wheels and tires. I never use anything on my wheels but soap and water. I messed up the wheels on my camaro once and decided that I would never use that wheel cleaner stuff again.