Either they honor their warranty or they won't. In this case, they didn't. Never had that happen before. And I've never said I've been completely satisfied. Enough to remain a customer, but probably not anymore.

Part of it was their attitude about it. The dealer was not too bad, but dealing with their customer service dept. on the internet was a wake-up call. No reasons given. Just that "we believe the dealer and not you". Even after the dealer said that it was Ford in the first place to deny the warranty. The warranty plainly says it should be covered. They were quite rude and blunt about their position.

 

Ok, does anyone ever wax the chrome anymore? I replace bumpers, rims, because of (rust issues) However, when asked if they waxed the chrome all said no! WHY NOT? Well, it's covered for 3-36. So why take care of it? I'm not saying no one does, but that is part of maintenance. Even so, I'll still take care of my customer as well as can be.

 

first it was 7 fords in 25 years, and now it's 30 years and you're going to *****-can Ford because of cheap wheels that rusted after 3 years. wow, what would you do if you had a real warranty issue and they wouldn't give you a rental for free?

where does it say the wheels are covered by the warranty? I've got some chrome side steps that are rusting/pitting in 1 spot. I'd love to get that 1 step replaced if it's under warranty (trucks only 7 months old). but I was told that the bumpers/steps were not covered due to they are subject to road conditions. I can see them being covered if it was due to a material defect, but in my case, it was most likely the cause was a rock chip and nature took care of the rest.

remember the huge paint recalls for the early 90's Ford/Chevy/Dodges that had paint peeling issues? now that is what I would call a warranty issue. rims rusting from brake dust being allowed to sit on 'em and no regular cleaning, well...not so much.

btw, I'm from Texas, and they do use salt on the roads down there. Every single winter I saw the county dump trucks spraying salt and sand for the better part of 20 years. Especially after the first blue norther blows in out of the panhandle and a light frost gets laid. roads stay covered in the stuff until about late February, would turn my old red truck into a pinkish color...you know how Texans are about ice and snow, we've only got 2 throttle positions, floored and idle

FWIW, my alloy rims on at least 3 different F-150's have had that pitting problem due to brake dust. That stuff is caustic as hell and can eat through almost any type of metal. mix that with a chrome cladding and you know what will happen.

 

Read the posts again. One says "Fords", one says "Ford trucks". My first new Ford I bought about 30 years ago, was a CAR, not a truck.

Our road crews actually use very little salt in their mix, esp. around Dallas, where I live. Nothing like up north where salt will stay on the road for several months. We get salted roads maybe 2 or 3 times a year, and it generally is washed off fairly quickly after temps return to the 70s a couple of days later. Sheesh.

And if you will further examine my posts, you will find that I've been a relatively satisfied customer for most of the last 25-30 years, and now they are clearly not backing their warranty. Please show me where wheels are NOT covered for corrosion during the first 36 months.

My biggest complaint is with Ford themselves and their attitude about "improper maintenance". The rust did not occur from road salt, it occurred due to brake dust. I wash my truck regularly. The amount of rust I have on the wheels is not acceptable, and abnormal according to the service writer.

This is a "REAL" warranty issue. Their attitude about it is what is putting me off of Ford. They should warn customers that their cheap rusting chrome clad wheels are not covered under warranty.

 

Okay, now I'm completely confused. I thought you said the dealer said it was due to poor maintenance but in your last post you said the dealer said the amount of rust is abnormal. ???????????

I'm sorry you're having a problem with that dealer....have you tried an alternate dealer to see if they'll assist?

 

My dad called Westin when the plastic step broke on the chrome side bars on his truck. They sent him 2 new plastic steps for free.

 

When I first brought it in, the service writer admitted that the amount of rust is abnormal, and he had not seen it like that before. But he also told me afterwards that the service manager and Ford service rep concluded that it had to be improper maintenance that caused it.

I haven't tried another dealer yet. I just made the inquiry/complaint to the Ford Customer Service site on the internet, and they are the ones who got fairly rude and adamant about it. I think I'm probably "in the system" and that the warranty claim will be denied no matter what.

 

Here's something that is worth a try: Stop by a Lincoln-Mercury dealer and have them take a look. I had a problem with paint fading on the mirror my 2000 F-150 back in 2002. The Ford dealer where I purchased the truck wouldn't fix it. I went 2 miles down the road to the Lincoln Mercury dealer and they took care of it.

 

I went though something similar with a warranty repair I felt Ford didn't properly look at and filed a complaint with Ford and the next dealer I went to was very nice and properly looked at the truck. I would try another dealer. Have you tried using an sos pad yet?

 

Can you post some pics of the wheels and the rust? If not PM me and I'll post your photos for you. I'd like a good point of reference on here for others that are experiencing (or soon will) the same issue.