2 Different Cracked Rims in 5 months

[cleanser]

Has anyone else had an issue with a cracked wheel on their 21s? I have had to replace two in the past 5 months and it's starting to get expensive.
I avoid potholes whenever possible, but twice in 5 months is pretty ridiculous and leads me to believe this may be a quality issue with the wheels.

 

[Kaivball]

3000 miles here and zero problems in Northern California.

PS: I am sure that any 21" rim will crack when driven hard through a pothole.

 

[NigelM]

12,500 miles in 8 months here if FL. No cracks, one case of self-inflicted rim rash. Actually, haven't heard on anyone cracking pieces out of a rim except this one on the forum.

 

[NEWDL]

9 months and 4,000 miles in Ohio here! No issues...

 

[steve841]

Nearing 6,000 miles ... .I had one episode where I cut a turn early and clipped the ramp area of a curb and thought for sure I ruined my rim (either rash or crack)... somehow nothing wrong.

 

[cleanser]

12,500 miles in 8 months here if FL. No cracks, one case of self-inflicted rim rash. Actually, haven't heard on anyone cracking pieces out of a rim except this one on the forum.

Im about to hit 15k on mine. I guess I have to drive more carefully. The first rim there was no visible damage whatsoever to the rim. The tire kept losing air and upon closer inspection there was a hairline crack in the center of the rim. The second time there was some sidewall damage to the tire which may have been the result of a pothole. (not sure).

950 a rim is steep!

 

[ToddRLockwood]

With such low profile tires, there's not much room for mistakes. You've got to keep an eagle eye out for potholes and other road imperfections. And checking tire pressures regularly is important too. (42 lbs cold for the 21" wheels) Don't wait for the TPMS to warn you of low pressure. I installed a retractable air hose in my garage. Griots.com has a nice one, and they also sell a nice tire inflator tool that makes checking and inflating tires a breeze. You can get a table top air compressor from Home Depot for around $100.

 

[dflye]

After 13k miles (with a service at 12.5k miles not mentioning any rim issues) when I was in to put new tires on (as it turns out while Sears sells the 21" Continentals dirt cheap, they were afraid to touch the Tesla for liability reasons) Tesla said that both rear rims were bent and needed replacing. I don't live in the prolific pothole country that is found in parts of the NE, and don't recall having hit any of the epic tire-eating potholes I've seen when visiting the NE.

Not having noticed any issues with handling or road noise, figured I may as well keep the old rims to see if the local rim repair place either saw any issue with them or would make them round(er) for less than the replacement cost of about 1k per rim. From pulling one of the rims out of the box, I couldn't see any reason whatsoever that required them being replaced.

Some would think that after springing for 100k+ for a car that I should nary bat an eye at paying umpteen thousand per year in new tires and rims. I'm a bit miffed that I didn't pull the trigger on the rim/tire insurance before it was yanked (wife was saying don't get it, I was partially convinced to get it), and a bit miffed that Tesla is in the business of sell to replace, not to repair.

 

[DrComputer]

I don't think the rims are any stronger than any other low profile tire rim I've had on any car. A few month ago I ruined two of them (and the tires) on the 405 freeway when there was a metal pole in the middle of the road that I couldn't avoid.

 

[TurboFroggy]

DHAM DrComputer!!! I think I would have cried a little if that happened to me... :crying:

 

[Tilo]

Look at the bright side...

Look at the bright side: No cracked oil pan!

 

[aaronw]

About 4K miles so far and no problems, though I have hit a few potholes (SF Bay Area). I recently read an article about the 10 worst cities for repair costs due to bad roads and San Jose was #1. I am glad I bought the tire and rim insurance when it was available.

 

[kinddog]

I am glad I bought the tire and rim insurance when it was available.

it's not available anymore?

i bought it too.

although 5k miles in... no problems with my grey 21's...

 

[sreehyd]

Today i was caught in surprise with a cracked rear 19" rim. I never come across with this kind of issue for all of my previous owned cars. Probably it must be a bad pot hole , I don't have any recollection going over a bad pot hole ?

 

[jawdoc1234]

Yes. I had a rapid leak in my passenger side rear tire and slow leak in passenger side front tire. I brought the car in to learn that both rims were cracked. I have driven the care very carefully and do not recall hitting any potholes. A good friend of mine has had a similar problem with the 21" wheels on his Model S. I strongly suspect their is a design defect in the wheel and hope that Tesla will advise their loyal customers and propose a solution.

 

[jerry33]

Yes. I had a rapid leak in my passenger side rear tire and slow leak in passenger side front tire. I brought the car in to learn that both rims were cracked. I have driven the care very carefully and do not recall hitting any potholes. A good friend of mine has had a similar problem with the 21" wheels on his Model S. I strongly suspect their is a design defect in the wheel and hope that Tesla will advise their loyal customers and propose a solution.

With almost zero sidewall height to protect the wheel in a 35% aspect ratio, 21" tire, any low pressure situation is going to cause wheel expense. The air pressure in the tire is the only protection the wheels have--and even a couple of psi low put the wheels at risk. The TPMS is not useful for this. Think of the vehicle placard pressure as the minimum that you never want to go under in normal driving (This won't be a protection in every situation, but it will increase your chances of not having wheel problems.)

 

[slindell]

I cracked my 21" passenger side front tire last month, after 23,000 miles / 2 1/2 years of ownership. I've already bought two sets of 21" tires. I will change to 19" wheels/tires in the near future, as these 21" low profiles things are just too expensive.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

I just cracked one the 21" rear wheels on my P85+. $1100 for a new wheel. I switched to my "winter 19s" and shipped the fractured rim off for repair...

 

[PokerCareer]

Hairline Crack in the inside of my rim caused a flat today. Good thing my Tire mechanic dipped it in water. I go over a bump in the road everyday to work. I should file a claim with the city to repair the road.

 

[UnpluggedP]

Teslas, like many vehicles come with cast wheels from the factory. Cast wheels are typically less expensive to manufacture and heavier. They are also susceptible to cracking. To avoid this issue all together getting a nice set of flow form or forged wheels is a good idea. Both types of wheel are typically stronger and lighter. They will also bend rather than crack so can often be repaired.

If you opt for a different type of wheel it's crucial to pick a wheel that is made to fit on and handle the weight of a Tesla. Most wheels are not made to handle the SUV equivalent weight of a Model S and many are not designed to fit on a Tesla which can result in warped brake rotors.

We designed our own wheels to be both stronger and lighter than factory.

We used flow form technology for our UP-01s which gives strength similar to forging without the cost. They're also rated to withstand 2145lbs per wheel which translates into almost double the weight of an S for a set of 4 and they come with removable rim protectors to protect against side impact. Tesla was originally going to use BBS as their wheel supplier before switching to a less expensive option.

Our UP-02's are our forged option. They are both stronger and much lighter than a set of factory wheels. Currently, our 22" UP-02s for Model X weigh in at just 27lbs which is about 13lbs lighter than factory. With tires mounted they are even lighter than the factory 20's for Model X. They are also able to bend where the factory cast wheels would crack.

Whether you're interested in a modified look or not a good set of flow form or forged wheels is something to consider for better range and damage resistance