Hi guys has anyone else had issues with their alloy wheels and the quality of the finish. My car is 2015 500S and still within warranty and I’m considering keeping the car and noticed today that the alloy wheels all four of them are degrading around the central hub 500 caps. It’s not the plastic caps but the actual alloy itself I can only describe as sort of chipping away/peeling/pitted alloy.
I’ve never had these wheels off other than the dealership for servicing so I would say it’s a defect. Has anyone else had these issues and before I call dealership does anyone know if covered under warranty thanks.
I can't tell from the photos; are these laquered diamond cut wheels? This looks to me like water (aided by winter salt) has penetrated the lacquer and corroded the alloy underneath.
Not often reported on 500's, but extremely common on diamond cut alloys of all marques when used through the UK winter climate. A friend had this on a Merc CLK despite garaging the car and meticulously detailing the wheels with all the right products. She had one complete set replaced under warranty, and 50% off a second set (which also failed the same way), and was then told this would be the last. Each set failed after about three years.
The number of specialist wheel refurbishment businesses which have sprung up over the past few years is testament to how durable these sort of wheels aren't.
It's at least worth trying to get another set under warranty; it's clearly corrosion damage and not kerbing, but Fiat may simply say you didn't wash it often enough and/or with the right products. They can be recut & relacquered, but this won't be cheap - expect to pay at least £100 per wheel. An alternative is to have them stripped & powder coated, which will give a more durable finish. Both these options will require an alloy wheel refurbishment specialist.
They probably won't polish out satisfactorily (unless you're going for a full chemical strip and multistage ceramic polishing + relacquering, which will cost even more).
A new OEM set (hopefully with a generous contribution from Fiat) would be my preferred option, and probably not much more expensive than professional refinishing, but you'll need to take very good care of them or the same thing will happen again.
If you do get another set, consider also buying a set of steel wheels for the winter months; it'll also be a great excuse to invest in a set of winter tyres.