Rusty wheel bolts - warranty item?

MooMoo444

MooMoo444

MooMoo444

Man of Honour
Joined
4 Jul 2008
Posts
26,468
Location
(''\(';.;')/'')
Howdy folks

Just wondering if this sort of thing is typically covered by an anti-corrosion warranty. The bolts are corroding quite badly for the cars age, it's rather unsightly when the alloys are clean.

I could maybe touch them up with some silverrite or something but I don't agree that I should have to.

Do you guys reckon it's worth taking up with Renault? Or is this sort of rusting to be expected? Bit of a novice when it comes to things like this.

It's similar on all four wheels, so doesn't seem isolated.

i4RB6mZ.jpg

Cheers
 
Totally normal. They're uncoated and any coating they might have will get chipped off each time they're removed.
It's also just surface rust which has no structural impact.
 
Dis86 said:
Totally normal. They're uncoated and any coating they might have will get chipped off each time they're removed.
It's also just surface rust which has no structural impact.
Click to expand...

It looks awful though, I'd be kicking off on an 18 month old car.
 
All the cars I've had with alloys (mostly Fords) have had chrome caps incorporated into the nuts and they've never gone rusty. The nuts on my 09 Mondeo still look like new.
 
MooMoo444 said:
I don't wash it myself, the local foreign boys do it at the hand wash. I don't think what they use would be an issue though.
Click to expand...
That would be the reason as a lot of these guys use a truck wash type cleaner like TFR...

I completely ruined my motorbike from using this kind of cleaner...It really nasty stuff
 
The bolts on my Renault RS Clio EDC started to rust badly (and as you say "look unsightly"). Car was only 12 months old at this point in time. Took it to my local Renault dealer and they said "it's the wheel cleaner you use". Total BS, as I never use any form of wheel cleaner. Only warm water and the same stuff I wash my car with. So complained to Renault Customer Support. They were very good and offered me a £100 voucher that I could use against my next service. Which I accepted.

Depending on the age of your car. If no joy from your local dealer, try giving Renault Customer Service a phone. Only the cost of a phone call.

PS. No problems now. As I chopped my RS Clio in for a 2016 Ford Focus ST3. And their wheel bolts have a (it's either chrome, or stainless steel) shroud and look much nicer.
 
mikeo said:
The bolts on my Renault RS Clio EDC started to rust badly (and as you say "look unsightly"). Car was only 12 months old at this point in time. Took it to my local Renault dealer and they said "it's the wheel cleaner you use". Total BS, as I never use any form of wheel cleaner. Only warm water and the same stuff I wash my car with. So complained to Renault Customer Support. They were very good and offered me a £100 voucher that I could use against my next service. Which I accepted.

Depending on the age of your car. If no joy from your local dealer, try giving Renault Customer Service a phone. Only the cost of a phone call.

PS. No problems now. As I chopped my RS Clio in for a 2016 Ford Focus ST3. And their wheel bolts have a (it's either chrome, or stainless steel) shroud and look much nicer.
Click to expand...

Hmm good to hear you got something out of them at least. The battle will commence tomorrow. As said above, it's only surface rust and I'm not concerned about damage, but it completely ruins the look of the car when you have these massive rusty bolts on the alloys and it looks awful.
 
Does Ford not sell lug caps/wheel bolt caps? I've got a set for my summer alloys and have no problems with the bolts as a result..
 
mjt said:
Does Ford not sell lug caps/wheel bolt caps? I've got a set for my summer alloys and have no problems with the bolts as a result..
Click to expand...

Not sure.

The caps on my ST (and by all accounts, they are chrome.. or so I've now read) are an integral part of the bolt (IE. they don't come off... unless you over torque them and knacker them). Think they look pretty smart.

The ones on my previous car (IE. the RS Clio) appeared to just be spayed with some sort of paint. Which after a while started to come off and they then looked terrible on a £20k car that was less than a year old! Replaced them with some nice multi coloured ones from TPI.

PS. Here's what they looked like:
http://www.clio197.net/threads/rusty-wheel-hubs-and-bolts.53402/#post-588875
 
The Ford wheel nuts I'm familiar with have a stainless cap crimped over a steel nut - they may have updated some of their designs now as I know the Fiestas have a different style now. The caps weren't listed as a separate part, you could only get the nut as a complete assembly.

I'd think it's very possible the stuff used at your local car wash could have contributed to the rust and discolouration - especially as it's got to the locking nuts as well. I've seen cars with the brake calipers gone red rusty from whatever nasty stuff some of those places use :(
 
mikeo said:
Not sure.

The caps on my ST (and by all accounts, they are chrome.. or so I've now read) are an integral part of the bolt (IE. they don't come off... unless you over torque them and knacker them). Think they look pretty smart.

The ones on my previous car (IE. the RS Clio) appeared to just be spayed with some sort of paint. Which after a while started to come off and they then looked terrible on a £20k car that was less than a year old! Replaced them with some nice multi coloured ones from TPI.

PS. Here's what they looked like:
http://www.clio197.net/threads/rusty-wheel-hubs-and-bolts.53402/#post-588875
Click to expand...

Looks to be a regular problem with the car then, sad they would cheap out so much on the bolts :(

Hopefully I can get some new ones otherwise it'll have to be a pot of silver smoothrite.
 
I'm sure you can buy metal caps that'll just push over the existing nuts/bolt heads.

Back in the days when there were a lot of exposed steel wheels about they where common.

Or just get a roll of aluminium foil tape and cover the heads.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom