2002 VOLKSWAGEN GTI Wheelsrim Problems

THE WHEELS/RIMS ON MY VW GTI 25TH YEAR EDITION (ONLY 1500 BUILT IN THE US) IS CORRODING BECAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF DUST BRAKE STICKING TO THE WALLS AND SURFACES OF THE "SPECIAL" OEM BBS WHEELS. THERE ARE AT LEAST 200+ CARS AFFECTED BY THIS DEFAULT. (SOURCE: HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=569321 ) VWOA DOESN'T OFFER ANY SOLUTION TO THAT PROBLEM AND "RECOMMENDS" TO CLEAR THE WHEELS MORE OFTEN. I CLEAR MY WHEELS EACH WEEK! *AK

RIM CORROSION VW WILL NOT HONOR WARRANTY. *AK

2002 GTI-337 25 ANNIV MODEL ALLOY WHEELS DEFFECTIVE EXCESSIVE CORROSION FORMING AROUND SPOKES ON THE WHEELS. BLACK SPOTS FROM EXCESSIVE BRAKE DUST IS IMBEDDED INTO THE FINISH, DESPITE WEEKLY CLEANING BY HAND.RE:HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=569321 . *AK

ROUGHNESS,CORROSION, WHITE SPOTS ON MY CAR'S RIMS.THE BRAKE PADS ARE CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. I AM LOOKING TO HAVE THE STOCK RIMS REPLACED. ALONG WITH THE STOCK BRAKE PADS THAT CAME WITH THE CAR. I KNOW OF ALL MOST 200 CARS THAT HAVE THESE ISSUES WITH THEIR RIMS. THE PROBLEM IS THE STOCK BRAKE PADS ARE EATING AWAY AT THE SPECIAL FINISH THAT IS ON THE RIM. VWOA DOES NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. MORE INFO HERE: HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=569321. *AK

OVER 200 2002 VW GTI 337 EDITION OWNERS HAVE ALSO CLAIMED TO HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS OF PITTING, BLACK SPOTS, CORROSION, ROUGHNESS, AND/OR WHITE SPOTS ON THEIR WHEELS AS WELL AND HAVE SUPPLIED PICTURES FOR ALL TO VIEW PUBLICLY ON ONLINE FORUMS TO PROVE THEIR CASE. AS A GROUP WE HAVE APPROACHED VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA (VWOA) ABOUT THE PROBLEM USING MY CAR AS THE TEST CAR. WE ALL OPENED CASE NUMBERS WITH VWOA EXPRESSING OUR CONCERNS AND MY WHEELS WERE SENT TO VWS TESTING CENTER IN WOLFSBURG, GERMANY WHERE THE WHEELS WERE DETERMINED NOT TO BE DEFECTIVE, LEAVING MANY ANGRY AND CONFUSED ENTHUSIASTS OUT TO DRY. INSTEAD OF FIXING THE PROBLEM, VWOA CONTACTED A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THOSE WHO HAD OPENED CASE NUMBERS TO OFFER THEM A $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE, GOOD TOWARD VW MERCHANDISE OR SERVICE. THIS ACTION ONLY SERVED TO DOUSE FUEL ON AN ALREADY RAGING FIRE. ONCE VWOA LEARNED...

PITTING AND CORROSION OCCURRING ON THE RIMS THAT CAME STOCK ON MY 2002 VW GTI 337. THIS CAR WAS A LIMITED EDITION VEHICLE FOR THE USA, WITH ONLY 1500 MADE.FITTING OF RIMS AND BLACK SPOTS ARE NOTED, AS WELL AS WHITISH SPOTS THAT INDICATE CORROSION OF THE UNDERLYING METAL. I WASH THESE RIMS ON A WEEKLY BASIS WITH A NON-ACIDIC WHEEL SHAMPOO, AS WELL AS WAXING THEM ON A MONTHLY BASIS WITH WHEEL-SPECIFIC WAX. HOWEVER, AFORMENTIONED CONDITION CONTINUES TO WORSEN. *AK

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...

OEM RIMS ARE PITTING AND CORRODING EVEN THOUGH I TAKE VERY METICULOUS CARE OF THEM. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM IT SEEMS THAT ALMOST ALL VW GTI 337 EDITION OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS.*AK