Model Year 22/23 Alloy wheel damage

[Formentor 4 drive]

Hi guys one of my Alloys is starting to show signs of the laquer starting to discolour on the diamond cut section, was thinking about contacting CUPRA and seeing if it would be covered under manufacture warranty, has any one else tried it or had this problem, I have attached photos of the wheel and lacquer problem as you can see the issue is nowhere near the rim and no damage around it

 

[SRGTD]

I’ve had similar issues with a previous VW I’ve owned. That was back in 2013 so VW’s - and the wider VAG - approach to replacing alloys under warranty may be different now.

Back then, VW’s policy was to replace alloys where cosmetic damage was the result of a manufacturing defect. If alloys were showing signs of any other damage - e.g. kerb damage - or previous refurbishment / repairs, VW would decline the warranty claim and I suspect other VAG brands would have adopted the same approach.

With my alloys, two of them were suffering from white worm corrosion near to the centre of the wheel. The dealer took pictures of the wheels - presumably to submit to VW for them to consider / agree to replace the affected wheels under warranty. Both alloys were replaced.

After Dieselgate, VW - and presumably the wider VAG - appeared to take a firmer line with regard to warranty claims in general (presumably in an effort to reduce costs because of what Dieselgate cost them). I’ve read on forums since Dieselgate that in addition to submitting pictures, the thickness of paint / powder coating / lacquer on alloy wheels is also measured as a check for signs of refurbishment.

It’s difficult to tell from your picture if the white area on the diamond cut section of your alloy is white worm corrosion or lacquer discolouration. With regard to lacquer discolouration in general; it can be caused by certain cleaning products - e.g. harsh and / or acid based alloy wheel cleaners. Many of the hand wash car wash places will use harsh cleaning products to speed up the car cleaning process and over the longer term, there’s an increased risk that some of those products might cause discolouration or other cosmetic damage.

In your position, if you’ve got no other damage on the wheel and it hasn’t been refurbished, then it‘d be worth getting your dealer to submit a warranty claim to Cupra on your behalf.

I really dislike diamond cut alloys (my current car has them) because durability of the finish is poor. For cosmetic longevity, you can‘t beat alloys with a painted / powder coated finish.