[pnwkona]

So now being a new owner now for about 2 weeks and 3 car washes into it, I have come to the conclusion that the wheels that come stock on these are made very poorly. After each car wash I always dry them with a clean micro cloth, and today noticed flaws in each wheel and micro scratches of which are to easily made even with the micro cloth.
I have had far better aftermarket wheels and they hold up to dirt and grime without scratching.

Next step file a claim for defective wheels..

 

[MarKona]

Hey, I love those wheels and if you decide to swap them out or whatever, give me a heads up. I'm in Portland.
I like my 17" SEL wheels, but the turbo wheels look sweet. Peace. Mark

 

[pnwkona]

Hey, I love those wheels and if you decide to swap them out or whatever, give me a heads up. I'm in Portland.
I like my 17" SEL wheels, but the turbo wheels look sweet. Peace. Mark

I will let you once I talk to the dealer and what their and I am thinking they will come up with an excuse not to warranty them, so I keep this updated.

Side note I am in Tricites, and plan on being in Portland on Monday to drop off lights.

 

[johnparjr]

Love my Turbo wheels

 

[pnwkona]

I do to and have even looked at aftermarket and have done the oem swap before on other cars but these I feel really stand out, downside is mine are a factory flawed set, clear coat in sun light is starting to fade already reason why I have an appointment with dealer and Hyundai area Manager next week also for paint issues on the rear wing.

 

[JR KONA]

The wheels are produced by a contracted wheel manufacturer as in all but a few manufactures. Are you using an actual Alloy Wheel Cleaner?

 

[pnwkona]

The wheels are produced by a contracted wheel manufacturer as in all but a few manufactures. Are you using an actual Alloy Wheel Cleaner?

Using only a microfiber cloth. They buffed them out today at the dealership. My concern and yes they are a soft aluminum as they stated but to scratch that easily, so needing to find the right product to clean them and to wipe them dry.

 

[JR KONA]

Well I know you're going to cringe but use Dow Bathroom Cleaner. You know the "FOAM CLEANER". It works wonders. To finish off and polish them use; Mothers Mag Polish and their polishing foam ball which will require a battery powered drill. When you're done with the polishing ball, clean it with Dawn Dish Soap. Spray them with the Dow and then wash it off. Polish them once a month and then use a spray detail wax like; Meguiars and buff with a micro fiber cloth. They will stay shiny and e easier to clean.

You live in a fairly rainy climate to say the least so it will take an little extra care on your part.

 

[MonyG]

Well I know you're going to cringe but use Dow Bathroom Cleaner. You know the "FOAM CLEANER". It works wonders. To finish off and polish them use; Mothers Mag Polish and their polishing foam ball which will require a battery powered drill. When you're done with the polishing ball, clean it with Dawn Dish Soap. Spray them with the Dow and then wash it off. Polish them once a month and then use a spray detail wax like; Meguiars and buff with a micro fiber cloth. They will stay shiny and e easier to clean.

You live in a fairly rainy climate to say the least so it will take an little extra care on your part.

. Yes, you made me cringe. I’ve been buying product from the Chemical Guys, Sticky Citrus Gel Wheel Cleaner. Did wonders. The detailer soft rim brush is a must buy. You can clean the entire rim(backside). Safe on any type of rim. Check their videos on YouTube, vast product line.

 

[pnwkona]

I believe many are missing the point of what has happened, mine are the wheels that come on the Limited being a polished with painted sections all clear coated. The polished section scratches easily just through washing them with a soft washcloth and then dry with a micro cloth. There are tons of aftermarket polished wheels out there that stand up better than these have, and I feel I got a bad set from the out sourced maker for Hyundai.
This issue is scratching so easily that ever time I feel from now one this will happen , reason I reached out to Hyundai.

 

[JR KONA]

We have the same wheels on the Ultimate. No problems here at all. The entire wheel is clear coated actually. Polish them and spray them with a spray wax and buff out with a teeshirt. Don't wipe them off if they are dirty with road film. You might want to clay bar them first. Run your hand on the wheel after you wash it. If there is any road particulates you will feel them with your hand. Clay baring will remove the particulates before you polish them. Particulates act like sand paper against the clear coat. Same with the painted surfaces. Don't use a carwash with brushes, bad deal all the way around, especially with a wheel cleaner. If you feel little bumps on the painted surfaces after cleaning, these are particulates that set on the clearcoat and need to be removed by clay barring first. I would venture to say this is the issue.

@ MonyG: I won't use anything that has a citrus base over a long period. It's acidic and can damage or dull the clear coat over time. If you don't get it all off when rinsing, you will accelerate the damage over time. I use a rim brush only when I know the wheels are free from road film and particulates. Citrus cleaners won't remove them. They can only be removed by clay barring and a detail wax as a lubricant. Particulates are what causes hairline scratches and swirl marks on painted surfaces. They have to be removed first. Scrubbing on them only creates more scratching problems. It's best to just wash down the visible dirt, then dry with a cotton cloth if your not going to clay bar them first.

 

[pnwkona]

The dealer buffed them out and it will be a watch and see , so hoping it was just the clear coat issue, another reason to look for a good set of aftermarket painted of which I have started a search for but nothing stands out so far.

 

[MonyG]

The product I’m using is totally safe, and is formulated for all rims and tires. Used by professional and master detailers. Here is link to the product.
https://www.chemicalguys.com/Sticky_Citrus_Gel_Wheel_Rim_Cleaner_1_Gal_p/cld105.htm

 

[JR KONA]

That's what they say. Great advertising can move you to buy anything. I know all about Chemical Guys, for a while. I use some of there products but not their wheel cleaners, nor any cleaner with an acidic base natural or not. Been there done that over the years and I've seen the results first hand. To each his own. Citrus based cleaners are a dime a dozen and they been around for decades. They are still acidic, plain and simple and cheaper to produce also.

We love the world scenario advertising, plays into this product a great deal. Go ahead an spray it on your paint clear coat and see what happens when the sun gets to it. Kinda like putting Coke Cola on it. I believe it also says, not to get it on painted surfaces in the instructions.:wink:

 

[MonyG]

That's what they say. Great advertising can move you to buy anything. I know all about Chemical Guys, for a while. I use some of there products but not their wheel cleaners, nor any cleaner with an acidic base natural or not. Been there done that over the years and I've seen the results first hand. To each his own. Citrus based cleaners are a dime a dozen and they been around for decades. They are still acidic plain and simple and cheaper to produce also.

We love the world scenario advertising, plays into this product a great deal. Go ahead an spray it on your paint clear coat and see what happens when the sun gets to it. Kinda like putting Coke Cola on it. I believe it also says not to get it on painted surfaces also in the instructions.

Thanks for the info! Do you any product recommendations?

 

[JR KONA]

Look at Meguiars Alloy Wheel Cleaner if you have doubts. I know what works for me and I know it makes you cringe but there is always Dow Bathroom Cleaner. It's pretty mild and just works.

Remember Windex Glass Cleaner? Well the main ingredient is; "Ammonia." It's less expensive to buy a bottle of ammonia and dilute it with water. If you really need the blue or green color put a little dye in it and work just as well if not better.

I can put Dow Bathroom Cleaner on porcelain, tile or polished stone and leave it for a hour and it doesn't stain or discolor. I use it on clear coated surfaces without any problems. It just cleans well. Naturally, I don't leave anything on alloy why, just because. No sense in inviting problems but I have left it on the wheels for about a half an hour before rinsing, no problems either. It's way cheaper and works well, better than most other alloy wheel cleaners because it sticks to the dirt and rinses it away with the dirt. You don't have to work very hard and use less of the product. It's a great engine cleaner, so is Dawn liquid. You want to get rid of grease it works wonders.

There you have it. Like I said, advertising plays a big role in all of this. Chemical Guys is no different than anyone else. They weren't very popular a few year ago and advertisement has boosted their sales tremendously. Don't get me wrong they have some good products and I use them. However to most, it's more about the advertising more than the actual product ingredients.

Cheers:grin:

 

[MonyG]

Look at Meguiars Alloy Wheel Cleaner if you have doubts. I know what works for me and I know it makes you cringe but there is always Dow Bathroom Cleaner. It's pretty mild and just works.

Remember Windex Glass Cleaner? Well the main ingredient is; "Ammonia." It's less expensive to buy a bottle of ammonia and dilute it with water. If you really need the blue or green color put a little dye in it and work just as well if not better.

I can put Dow Bathroom Cleaner on porcelain, tile or polished stone and leave it for a hour and it doesn't stain or discolor. I use it on clear coated surfaces without any problems. It just cleans well. Naturally, I don't leave anything on alloy why, just because. No sense in inviting problems but I have left it on the wheels for about a half an hour before rinsing, no problems either. It's way cheaper and works well, better than most other alloy wheel cleaners because it sticks to the dirt and rinses it away with the dirt. You don't have to work very hard and use less of the product. It's a great engine cleaner, so is Dawn liquid. You want to get rid of grease it works wonders.

There you have it. Like I said, advertising plays a big role in all of this. Chemical Guys is no different than anyone else. They weren't very popular a few year ago and advertisement has boosted their sales tremendously. Don't get me wrong they have some good products and I use them. However to most, it's more about the advertising more than the actual product ingredients.

Cheers

Thank you for the suggestions. I’m going to give some of them try. Washed the Kona this evening and thought about you. Didn’t use my Chemical Guys wheel Cleaner!?

 

[pnwkona]

Thank you for the suggestions. I’m going to give some of them try. Washed the Kona this evening and thought about you. Didn’t use my Chemical Guys wheel Cleaner!?

But overall no guarantee it is safe for Clear coated, of which are the wheels that come on the Limited/Ultimate. So for now I will use a mild dish soap as per owners manual and Hyundai USA. I feel they were a bad mix of flawed workmanship and lack of clear coat and needed to be polished out. I luckily do not live in a salt region to where these would simply loose the clear coat. I like these wheels but looking at aftermarket ones that are far superior and can can abuse without scratching.

 

[JR KONA]

Thank you for the suggestions. I’m going to give some of them try. Washed the Kona this evening and thought about you. Didn’t use my Chemical Guys wheel Cleaner!?

Funny how that work isn't it.:grin:

 

[JR KONA]

But overall no guarantee it is safe for Clear coated, of which are the wheels that come on the Limited/Ultimate. So for now I will use a mild dish soap as per owners manual and Hyundai USA. I feel they were a bad mix of flawed workmanship and lack of clear coat and needed to be polished out. I luckily do not live in a salt region to where these would simply loose the clear coat. I like these wheels but looking at aftermarket ones that are far superior and can can abuse without scratching.

Always a safe bet, just make sure you don't wipe them off when dry or without claying off any particulates, then use a good polish. The Meguiars "Wheel" Polishing Ball, will help you keep them shiny.

Claying, is only required when you feel particulate matter on the wheel after washing the same with your painted surfaces.:smile: https://www.autogeek.net/detailing-clay-bar.html

Don't forget to use touchless car washes also. The wheel brushes on the new washes will definitely scratch your wheels. Had it happen on my Lexus RCF. They've polish out but just a word of caution.:grin:

Also keep in mind, any alloy wheel with clear coat are prone to hairline scratches.:wink: