corroded mazda wheels

[gordylar]

Hi all,

I wonder if anyone can shed any light on where I might stand as to the state of the wheels on my Mazda.The car is a Mazda Premacy Sport It is a 2002 model in lovely condition except for the tatty wheels. That are corroding beneath the paint.

 

I bought the car about 2 months ago privately and when I went to have new tyres fitted last month the tyre fitted commented on the tatty state of the wheels and said I should complain to Mazda about them as he had heard that Mazda had a problem with the finish to their wheels and had replaced them for some customers. However when I approached Mazda they said no (surprise - surprise) as it was outside the 3 year warranty period. When I arrived home I found out that there is a 6 year anti- perforation warranty THEIR DEFINITION BEING "the corrosion or rusting through of any body sheet metal panel from the inner surface through to the outside of the bodywork, in such a way that the outer structure or surface of the bodywork is affected; the exhaust system is specifically excluded from this warranty.

 

The wheels are not damaged in anyway and the paint is not chipped etc they are corroding from under the paint work which to me is a cause of defective workmanship.

 

I know it says sheet metal body panels but I acnt see anywhere that includes or excludes the alloy wheels.

 

Any views or help would be much appreciated

thanks Gordy

[Rob S]

Gordy,

 

When you say you approached Mazda, was it the dealer you approached or have you contacted the importers direct? If it was the dealer that knocked you back then it might be worth contacting the UK importer to see if they will entertain a goodwill claim.

[gordylar]

Hi Rob S it was a dealer but not the one from where the car was originally purchased,

I'll give Mazda uk a try though no harm in asking after all

 

thanks for your help

[pinkpetal]

Hi

 

Go to the main customer care centre at head office. Be firm and tell them that you know other customers have had their alloys replaced and that you know there is a problem with the finish etc etc..... Be presistant...

 

I had a problem with Vauxhall years ago, which some cars had been recalled for, but mine had not, even though it had the same problem as those that had been recalled. They eventually agreed as a good will gesture to pay half the cost of the repaire, which was better than a kick up the bum !!!!

 

It only took one phone call which I admit lasted a good half hour, but it was worth it.

 

Good luck

[syrill-sneer]

I think you might struggle to get Mazda to replace the wheels, I work at a Ford dealer and know customers who have really struggled getting wheels replaced under warranty, but you never know, a few phone calls to Mazda customer services wouldn't hurt. Might be worth asking them to contribute towards refurbishing the wheels if they won't replace them or contribute towards new wheels.

[ivorbiggun]

Alloy wheels on Japanese cars tend to be more prone to corrosion. Perhaps Japanese alloys have an inferior finish because they tend to change their cars frequently due to a prohibitive MOT system. I've noticed that the alloys of the Jap cars in my extended family do tend to exhibit bubbling from under the lacquer.

 

It doesn't help that we chuck a load of salt on UK roads in the winter. Perhaps the previous owner never bothered to clean them properly and only cleaned them pre-sale. Brake dust is highly corrosive.

 

As others have said put in a goodwill claim - they can only say no.

[syrill-sneer]

I was going to say it may be the amount of salt thrown on our roads, but I wouldn't say it was just japanese manufacturers, i've seen plenty of Ford alloy wheels that have corrosion under the plastic laquer. Also, you find that alot of alloy wheels used by many manufacturers are made by a big wheel companies like Ronal.

In the long run, it is probably easier to get wheels like these refurbished and painted silver like most alloy wheels, as a new set will only corrode again with time and your back in the same situation. May not look as nice as a mirror effect finish but less hassle ultimately.

[gordylar]

Hi all thanks to everyone who has replied to my thread.

Sorry havent replied earlier but children broke the laptop playing on runescape, GRRRRRRR!! I have written a letter to Mazda U.K. and will wait for their reply although I am not too hopeful but who knows miracles do happen, after all the banks are coughing up:D

[chris-edi]

Hi

I've only just seen your message when I was searching the web for info on Mazda Corrosion in general. Hopefully you've got your problem sorted now, but I thought I'd tell you my experiences - they sound very similar!

 

My Mazda6 sport is a 52 plate. After about 3 years I noticed corrosion on the alloys but very stupidly didn't do anything about it as I thought I would get the usual "its not covered by warranty". Then 1 week after the warranty ran out, we were back in the dealership buying another Mazda and I mentioned to the salesman "I hope the wheels dont go the same way as those on the mazda 6". He said I should have brought it back because it was a common problem and that it would have been fixed under warranty. He said that as a goodwill gesture they would most likely still replace them if I wrote and complained. So I wrote to the dealership head office (Arnold Clark.....dont get me started ) and got a rude reply saying that since the car was out of warranty - tough. I wrote again (this was my 4th Mazda I'd bought from them) and got the worst "customer services" letter EVER.....VERY rude, basically saying, dont write again the matter is closed. They claimed that they had contacted Mazda who had refused to do anything about it.

 

So I ditched Arnold Clark and went to Murray Mazda for my next service. I mentioned the matter to them and they said they'd take photos and contact Mazda. Mazda UK came back and offered to pay 75% of the cost of replacing the wheels. Result!

 

So my advice is definately hang in there. We were told that Mazda knew of the problem and it was related to the type of salt used on the roads in the UK. Keep at them and hopefully you'll get something.

 

Unfortunately, I'm now having major probs with corrosion on the rear wheel arches - another prob recognised by Mazda, but fighting now to get it repaired under the anti-perforation warranty.

 

Good luck anyway!