Clearcoat blistering off nickel wheels

[Bob Comer]

Purchased a new Expedtion EL about a year ago and just had my SECOND issue with a wheel needing to be replaced.
These are the Nickel painted rims and the clearcoat is what looks like it is blistering off.
Is this a known issue? When I ask the dealer, of course they said never seen it before (they just replaced one of mine 6 months ago so I know they have seen it!!).
I am not the best (in fact one of the worst) at keeping the car detailed - is it possible that this has an effect on the blistering?

 

[Deadman]

Looks like its flat out peeling to me.

 

[GAINMOB]

that is the nickel paint or nickel chrome that is peeling...i had a brand new set of chrome 24 inch rims and 6 months later starting to peel like this...the chrome was flaking off the wheel...thats what u have here...u need to buy a new rim...i dont see a shop fixing this...wheel has to be sandblasted and recoated/painted

 

[Bob Comer]

Thanks for the responses. Buying a new rim is an answer, but already had it happen to another, just wondering if this is a standard issue more people have had - in which case thay are all going to do the same thing. First was covered by warranty, have 41k miles now and they told me the second will not be.....damn, you would think they would accept that it is a defect !!

Is powdercoating the rims a viable option?

 

[scottdm]

I've had good success for refinishing services with Detroit Wheel & Tire. https://www.detroitwheelandtire.com/ For most wheels, they have an exchange program where they ship you the refinished wheels (PVD Chrome, etc) and you ship your old wheels back after you have the new wheels mounted/balanced. Pretty painless in my experience. I bought a set of 20" 5 spoke Expy wheels for snow tires from them and the PVD Black Chrome has been more durable than clear coated wheels I've had in the past.

 

[GAINMOB]

Thanks for the responses. Buying a new rim is an answer, but already had it happen to another, just wondering if this is a standard issue more people have had - in which case thay are all going to do the same thing. First was covered by warranty, have 41k miles now and they told me the second will not be.....damn, you would think they would accept that it is a defect !!

Is powdercoating the rims a viable option?

yes its viable, feasible, and ur best option...get them to a powder-coat shop and they'll sandblast them down them make them any color u want powder-coated...

 

[2019 Plat Exp]

Thanks for the responses. Buying a new rim is an answer, but already had it happen to another, just wondering if this is a standard issue more people have had - in which case thay are all going to do the same thing. First was covered by warranty, have 41k miles now and they told me the second will not be.....damn, you would think they would accept that it is a defect !!

Is powdercoating the rims a viable option?

If you like the wheels then yes you can definitely get them powder coated. I am sure any reputable shop can probably keep it very close to the same color as well. Will hold up much much better as well.

 

[Uturn]

Since the paint and clear coat used today is water based it is more prone to chemical attack. Harsh cleaners (ammonia based for example) and other chemicals like brake fluid and brake or carburetor cleaner will cause problems with these finishes. You need to be careful with what you use to clean wheels. A good example is that one of the local drive through car washes was not diluting there cleaning chemicals prior to putting them in their system. It made for really clean cars until paint issues started appearing. They since went out of business.

 

[Jay Mac]

Just take a dremel, sand it down, apply a new coat (anyone know the color?) and then polish. I've used my dremel light to fix curb rash on my 22s. OR you can take it into a tire guy and he'll do it for $150 a wheel. You don't need a new wheel unless its peeling all over the place.....IMO

 

[BLUWAGN]

Our used 2019 had two of the 22" aluminum wheels with flaking/moisture under the clear when I looked at it before I bought it. I brought this up to the dealer and Ford ended up replacing them under warranty. I keep mine waxed and hopefully they will keep from doing that here in the rust belt.