So earlier this year we decided to order a chrome brush guard from GM and install it on our Vue. Well I figured I would pull it off from winter just for good measures. Well guess what I found when I pulled it off, peeling chrome! What a surprise from GM .
This was only installed for 7 months at the most. GM just needs to take anything they make that chrome and throw it away and stop chroming things, unless they can learn to DO IT RIGHT. It probably hard to see in the pictures, but it is peeling, cracking, and getting ready to chip around the bolt holes, and this was NEVER run in winter at ALL








More instances:

Eww...

Well, in GMs defense, chrome really is an art, it takes many steps and much patience to chrome a wheel right. Also, look around you. How many other car companies put chrome rims on their cars stock? And I bet those have the same peeling effects, too.

How many people on here with chrome rims have had problems though? Do we know? Is it really a widespread problem? I don't have much to go on, but I doubt it, especially if rims are not run in winter weather.

I know Custom88 had some problems. My sister has an 05 Malibu and the chrome around her valve stems is peeling, but she drives in the winter and I know she doesn't keep up on keeping the car clean.

I can't explain your problem though. I'd suspect a defect.

Yeah I am making a trip to the Saturn dealer tomorrow. As far as I remember, this baby has a 1 year warranty on it Plus they still owe me a rim from one of mine they damaged.

It seems that GM is having problems on the chrome on new items, I don't see many problems in old applications. I did do a quick online search, and it looks like some other manufacturers are also having the same problem. IMO they should all stop and learn to do it correctly. I don't expect chrome to last forever, but come on, 7 months in a non winter application and its already bubbling and cracking?

Also, the area where this problem is occurring, mates with another painted metal piece. If I do get a new one, I will defiantly take measures to put some sort of rubber divider in there to allow possible moisture to move through

What about the bolts...that most likely mate right up next to the chrome. Are they possibly damaging the chrome too?

The bolts meet up on the other side of it, and the bolts are to be installed with a plastic washer to stop them from scratching the chrome. There is no bubbling of the chrome on the other side. The damaged side which is pictured meets up with a black metal bracket. The bolts then go through that bracket and screw into a nut, again with a plastic washer between the bracket and nut

Maybe a plastic washer on the bolt between the brush guard and bracket could also solve the problem.

That was my first thought too.

Every set of GM chrome rims anyone in my family has had over the past 5-7 years has had to top off the air in the tires as often, or more often than they filled up with gas.
Even my parents 2002 Park Avenue had corrosion around the valve stems on 3 rims when they bought it in 2006..... that car was barely 4 years off the showroom floor.
All 4 sets of chrome t-stars that have been in my family have had major corrosion (I've had 3 sets and my sister has the other).


But worse than this corrosion is the problem with W-Body cars and their blower fan resistor/modules going bad as often as they do -a DEFINITE safety hazard for people driving in extreme weather with young children (doesn't have to be kids to be effected) in the car.... I have honestly not personally known a 1997-2003 W-body owner that has not had that problem.
My buddy has went the past two winters with his 1999 Regal and no heat (no AC in the summer either) because GM friggin charges $300+ for the fan module for the Buick Regal and Century with digital climate control -I bought 5 module from Regals in local salvage yards and every one of them was bad -Ed came through, but I wonder what week in January it will go bad -if it does I am building one from scratch).

My 02'* are holding up so far. Although they've had corrosion on the sealing surface that was groud off last time I get tires, the cosmetic surfaces are all still good. I have to put air in every 3 or 4 months in one or two of them.