<VV> Warning on Chrysler wheels - No Corvair

[Grant Young]

This is just a friendly heads up for anyone who owns any year PT Cruiser or similar Chrysler product with anything but steel wheels. I have just spent about $700 to have the chrome wheels on my wife's 2005 replaced (with aftermarkets) because of internal corrosion that was so bad that it could not be repaired to hold air and I didn't want to use inner tubes (ever tried to find some lately?). After checking the Internet, I discovered that this is a huge problem with many of their chrome plated wheels from all years (from at least the last 13 years), and many attempts for factory recalls have been refused because Chrysler (dealers and corporate) respond that wheel deterioration is due to lack of proper owner maintenance (not sure how I am supposed to keep the area inside the tire maintained). Those in the know theorize that moisture from air compressors causes a poorly made wheel to corrode. There are many horror stories of tires coming off due to low air pressure and even more of many people wasting money on a new set of tires, only to discover that they were not the problem (probably due to the demise of the local garage owner who really cared about his customers, compared to the large tire stores that are more concerned with selling another set of tires). So, check your tire pressure regularly, and if it drops regularly, have your tires removed to check the condition of the area inside the wheels that should seal to the tire bead. Mine got so bad (after a tire shop put sealer in that area) that you could see air bubbles when the wheel was submerged in a tub of water. I thought I should share this in light of the numerous corporate safety problem cover ups that are in the news recently.
Grant