NHTSA Complaint #10032944 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN GTI

I OWN A 2002 VW GTI 337. THIS WAS A SPECIAL EDITION VW THAT WAS PRODUCED. THERE WERE 1500 MADE FOR THE USA AND 250 MADE FOR CANADA. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDED FROM THE FACTORY IN THIS VEHICLE. TWO OF THOSE SPECIAL FEATURES WERE 18INCH BBS RC RIMS, AS WELL AS UPGRADED BRAKES. THIS IS WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES.THE RIMS CAME WITH THE CAR HAVE A SPECIAL LOOK TO THEM. ITS CALLED BALL-PEENED WHICH THEN IS CLEAR COATED OVER TOP TO PROTECT THE RIMS MANY COMPANYS C;EAR COAT RIMS AS A WAY TO GIVE THEM A SHINY FINISH AND TO PROTECT FROM WEAR AND TEAR BETTER. THIS IS WHERE THE PROBLEM ARISES. THE RIMS THAT WERE PUT ON THE CAR ARE PITTING AND GETTING VERY ROUGH LIKE A SANDPAPER FEELING TO THEM AS WELL AS IN CERTAIN SPOTS SOME SORT OF WHIT SPOTS. THE COMPOSITION OF THE BRAKE PADS SEEM TO BE EATING THRU THE FINISH OF THE WHEELS WHICH LEAVES YOU WITH THE ROUGH FEELING ANS WELL AS BLACK BRAKE DUST SPECS EMBEDDED IN THE RIM. AS A CAR ENTHUSIAST MY CAR IS WASHED AT LEAST ONCE PER WEEK BY HAND IT HAS NEVER BEEN TO AN AUTOMATED CAR WAS EITHER. NOW I LIVE IN THE NORTHEAST SO THE ARGUMENT ABOUT SALT SAND AND ARE WINTERS COULD BE BROUGHT UP AS THE REASON THE RIMS HAVE TURNED OUT THIS WAY. HOWEVER MY CAR IS PUT INTO STORAGE BEFORE THE WINTER AND IS NOT TAKEN OUT UNTIL SPRING TIME THERE FOR NEVER SEEING ANY HARSH CLIMATES OR CHEMICALS. I WASH THE RIMS BY HAND WITH ONLY SOAP AND WATER. MY CAR HAS ONLY 5800 MILES ON IT BUT THE RIMS HAVE THE LOOK AND TEXTURE OF ONE THAT HAS HAD A MUCH LONGER LIFE. THER ARE APPROXIMATELY 200+ PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE HAVING IDENTICAL PROBLEMS THAT I AM HAVING. I KNOW OF THIS MANY PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE SITE VWVORTEX.COM ON THAT WEBSITE THERE ARE A SERIES OF FORUMS, UNDER THE VOLKSWAGEN FORUM HEAD IS A SUB FORUM CALLED 337/20TH ANNIVERSARY WHICH IN THAT FORUM THERE IS A THREAD TITLED VW WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT OWNERS WHO ARE HAVING ISSUES WITH BBS RIMS. *AK