Last fall, I was driving my '05 Crossfire Roadster home from a nearby town. As I pulled away from a stop light, I noticed a noise and vibration coming from the rear of the car. I pulled into the next parking lot, just up the street. I found the passenger side tire completely flat. I tried to use the fix-a-flat compound and compressor to fix the flat tire. Unfortunately, it would not hold air. As a matter of fact, the back side of the sidewall was gone! Places where 4 fingers could fit into a hole together. I had it towed to the dealer where it was purchased. They had NO tires for this car. They had to order one for deliver next day. When they removed the tire from the rim, they found a crack in the rim, where there is an expansion joint in the rim, about every 4 inches inside and outside of the rim. The crack is in one spot on the inside of the rim. Chrysler has, so far, turned me down in replacing this rim as part of the warranty. The dealer was turned down and I have tried to email their people twice, with the same results. This rim is over $500, with a new tire, not the same as original and towing bringing my expenses so far to over $750.

Has anyone here had any similar issues with Chrysler's warranty system? This problem is DEFINITELY turning me off on Chrysler, and making me not think well of Mercedes. Any help would be appreciated.

 

It's my understanding that certain items are not covered under the warranty, Wheels, Tires, Clutch to name a few. Although the dealer usually offers a separate warranty for tires. If you blew-out your sidewall, that would be covered under this policy. If you did not purchase the Tire Warranty, you're up the creek and the sidewall blow-out could have caused the crack in the wheel if you hit hard.

Sounds like a tire issue, not a DC issue...

I have not heard of any "CRACKED" wheels on the Crossfire, but it has happened before on other forged aluminum wheels, perhaps you got a bad wheel, but more than likely, it was a tire related problem. You should take a series of photos showing the bead side of the wheel, proving that you have not run into curbs, causing the cracks and also take photos of the sidewall failure. Then contact the DC regional office and forward the photos to the tire MFG. This may help your case...

 

HDDP,

Thanks for your suggestion. There is no damage to the rim, as in hitting a curb, and since the crack is on the inside of the rim, that would be difficult to do. Since I was driving the car at the time this happened, I know that I did not hit anything significant enough to have caused a crack of this proportion.

I will take your suggestion of pics and contact the regional people. Thanks again!

 

Well if they won't cover it, buy a wheel off ebay. I have seen some good prices go by there as lots of people are just trying to make up some of the $$$ they spent on aftermarket replacements.
Good luck

 

Good Point...

Crossie, if it's a rear wheel, I have two 19" rear OEM's that I'll send you. Just pay the shipping and buy me a six-pack of bud and they're yours...

 

HDDP,

I would like to thank the users of this forum for your suggestions on this item. I have already purchased a new rim, dealer had to order it for me, before I came to be a part of your wonderful group.

I also took your suggestion and did more contacting of Chrysler. I first went to their web site and contacted them through the email address. The answer was basically a recording of what I was told at the dealer, the original decision is the FINAL decision. Today, I called their 800 number, gave them the reference number for my email contact (probably a mistake). They looked up the data pertinent to that number. When she came back, she told me the original decision is FINAL and that there is NO method to appeal. All I really was asking for is to have the Regional DC rep to contact me, so they could see either my pics of the rim or the rim itself. Looking at the rim, and knowing that I was driving it at the time that this happened, I see no reason, other than system failure, for this crack.

I hate to say it this way, but this decision to not even further consider covering this rim incident under warranty has turned my stomach on dealing with Daimler-Chrysler, now and in the future. I know my attitude may change over time, but their attitude disgusts me!

 

I'm sorry to hear that... It is one of those parts that they routinely do not cover in their warranty... It was worth a try anyway... I agree with your distaste in dealing with DC... I'm going through something similar with incorrect part #'s...

Be careful with those pot holes and sewer covers with these low profile tires... it transfers the shock directly to the wheel and pinches the sidewall against the rim... Thus creating a future sidewall failure...

 

Crossie5

You are not the only one to experience a rear rim crack, as currently my xfire is sitting on a rear driver side flat. As you tried to use the compressor and fix a flat with no success so have I. My tire is fine, but the rim has a inch long crack on the inside of the barrel. The tires are new and only have about 500 miles on them and I have not hit any pot holes or any other foreign matter in the street.

 

At least:

1) The tire pressure idiot light worked like a charm.

2) My tire was fine.


My crack was on the rear wheel, inner side. Plus I drive like Fred MacMurray.

$320.00, back in business. Darn.

 

same here, same crack,
chrysler refused to help, again.

 

Just found a crack on the inside rear driver side rim. Car has just passed 50,000km, and I'm the second owner, so no warranty of course. But the mech at the stealership did give me a tidbit of info, that these alum stock rims only have a estimated life span of 4yrs, something to do with weather change on the materials, but without the extended warranty specific for the tire & rims we're up a creek.

In Canada the replacement rim is just shy of $1000 tax in... for one.

He recommended trying to find an aluminum welder to fix the crack if the rubber is still good.

I ended up going for a new set of aftermarkets (all 4 for $1000 tax in.. go figure)

 

Crossie5: I don't disagree with you, but kindly put yourself in the dealer's shoes. Would you warrant tires and rims?

 

Honestly, yes I would. An issue of a cracking rim, without signs of damage from road hazard, should fall under a manfuacturer defect issue, and should be covered.
Looking around the site there are many people with this car that are experiencing the exact same issue, so that would suggest that the compounds they are using aren't strong enough to handle the 'basic' daily usage of the car. Design issue. Aren't things like that supposed to be covered by manufacturers?

 

Update on the Rim issue...
So bought all new rims, and verified with the dealer on 2 occasions if they are able to install them.
Sure enough they managed to cut the lip on one of the rear tires, and scratched up one of my brand new rims at the same time! Now still unable to use my xfire... (been since Monday) and they won't supply a rental/replacement car because "the cost of the refinishing of the rim and replacement of the rear tire is too expensive so no room in their budget to cover a rental car"
unbelievable...
I wish the Toronto area had some better facilities for car...