Corrosion On Alloys

[Jazz]

Hi

I have a 2006 gs300se which has done about 54k miles. The car has a full Lexus service history.

For the last few months I have noticed that a few blebs have formed on all of my alloys, some more than others.

I took this to my Lexus dealer enquiring what they were. He stated that this is salt corrosion caused by pebbles from grit abrading the wheels lacquer and then causing blebs and in order to get them done it would be £60 + vat per wheel. My argument that this wasn't expected in my car and I didn't have this problem with othe cars and their alloys fell on deaf ears.

Any ideas is suggestions or similar problems?

Thanks

[ColinBarber]

It is a common issue on all Toyota/Lexus alloy wheels and has been a problem for 20+ years. Something to do with the clear coat they use, the UK road surfaces and salt as it doesn't seem to be an issue in other countries.

If you are out of warranty then there isn't much you can do other than to get them refurbished. You will probably find it cheaper to not go through a dealer as they won't be performing the work themselves but will just add on their margin.

Once refurbed they shouldn't corrode again as they will use products that can handle our environment.

The only Lexus vehicles not to suffer from this are some of the limited editions/specials, the series II GS sport is an example. This is because a standard vehicle arrives from Japan and Lexus GB fit the body kit and change the wheels in country. The wheels they used were made in Europe and had a much higher quality clear coat on them.

[Ullevi]

A common issue on many cars, not only Lexus.

MB have certainly had alloy corrosion issues in the past, but Lexus/ Toyota have been well known for it.

I had the alloys changed on the 2009 GS300 I had. Small blisters were starting to appear on the surface after 18 months or so. I knew about the problem, so rather than waiting for the corrosion to get worse I took the car back to the dealer who changed them over under warranty. Kept that car for 4 yrs (just changed it) and the second set of wheels were fine.

I have heard that lexus would take the cosmetically marred alloys and have them professionally refurbished to supply the next customer with corroded alloys.

For £60 you are going to get a basic "blowover" refurbishment at the dealer from one of the mobile services they use. Will look OK cosmetically but the finish may not be that durable and the problem may reoccur.

If you are going to keep the car for longer, or fancy a change in the finish of the alloys then you may want to consider a more comprehensive strip down and refurb either painted or powdercoated. There are many companies that do this. If done well, the refurb should not only look great but also be long lasting.

Unfortunately you are not going to get any contribution from the manufacturer for 6 year old alloys that are starting to corrode.

My advice: If you have a car within the 3 yr warranty, watch the alloys like a hawk, and get them changed at the first sign of corrosion by Lexus.

[wendle]

You can keep alloys in a good clean condition, but it does
take a bit of work.

Clean wheels regularly, don’t let the brake dust build up.

Use a good alloy wheel protector, polish / sealant.

As soon as you get a kerb mark or chip, clean it and cover
it with nail polish ( ask the wife first ) or the clear varnish you get with
the touch up paint.

Wheel shown below was off my 2008 GS450h the wheel is 4
years old.

[Silver Arrow]

It does affect all cars, not just lexus, where they don't use powder coating. The new Lexus's now all have powder coated wheels, and whilst my IS220d needed wheels replacing in 12 months, the GS's are still like new.