Torque and Chrome

The Chrysler dealership is rejecting claim for chrome wheels of my 2006 Pt cruiser conv (bubbled and rusted).?

They are telling me that it was due to neglect! I bought this car a couple of months ago. The previous owner was quite on the top of things. He had done all scheduled maintenence. The car is very clean, except the wheels, and still under warranty. It only has 21K on it. The wheel rims are "chrome". The dealer is telling me that it was oxidized due to not cleaning the break powder off of it. I have seen a lot older cars that were really neglected, but their rims look a lot better than this car! I beleive there was a deffect on the metal. Chrome wheels should not look like that after less than 2 years of driving. Any ideas where I can get some help fight the dealership and/or Chrysler corp. on this? Please help! The dealership claims that not cleaning the "break dust" from the rims have caused this. I only purchased this car 2 months ago from the 1st owner, however, I know for a fact that the prvious owner was very maticulous about maintaining the car mechanically (have all the receipts) and the car looks very clean. It belonged to a very decent lady.

Public Comments

1. Make an appointment through the dealership with the Chrysler District Rep. He represents the factory and may be able to "encourage" the dealer to help you.
2. Wash Me Please
3. First, find out whether the chrome job was from the factory or done by some dealer's vendor. If a dealer's vendor did it, good luck getting any satisfaction. However, if they are factory chrome, ask (demand) to speak with the district service rep. Their job is to mediate disputes with the dealer and customers and they have the authority to warranty or allocate goodwill money to make you happy. Be persistent and don't give up. Most chrome wheels last many years unless a rock hit or curbing breaks the finish. Hope this helps!
4. You have two options. First, if there is another Chrysler or Dodge dealer in your area, take it to a different dealer, preferably a Chrysler Five-Star certified dealership. See if they will do anything for you. Second, you can call Chrysler customer assistance at 1-800-992-1997. Call that number and (calmly) explain to them the problem you're having with your dealer. If they think you have a legitimate claim, they can open a CAIR (Customer Assistance and Information Request) and help you along with getting the problem resolved, including involving a zone rep if necessary.
5. i would call the 800 number the guy above me gave you, if a dealer says no, the call center can over-ride them. it could take weeks to be allowed to talk to a district manager. the dealer is no longer allowed to give out the reps phone#, and the district manager can over-ride the dealer but rarely does. if it is determined to be a factory defect it will be covered i would guess, they will arrange someone to look at it if needed. but they never treat the second owner as well as the first owner.but it sounds to me like a warranty issue.
6. I sell used auto parts for a living and see this all the time on new, low mileage vehicles and the "brake dust" explanation is a load of crap. The chrome is peeling away from the aluminum surface due to corrosion between the mating surfaces,not from corrosion due to an outside source. The two metals are not compatible or are not properly sealed from the factory. If you looked at the inside of the "nice" wheels you've seen 99 percent of those are peeling too. No amount of cleaning will fix this problem.
7. call the police
8. All dealers have a regional Representative that makes the rounds and answers customers question. Ask the dealer that turned you down when he is scheduled to visit their dealership. This will get them off the hook and either get you fixed up or the rep. will explain why you are rejected.