I noticed that you live in MA they put a ton of salt on the roads in the winter. The salt and all the de-icers put on the road can destroy the finish.
When I lived out there it just destroyed the finish on my wheels etc.

 

I noticed today that I have some minor bubbling (much less than the OP picture)... but my GX is only an '06. I guess I will keep an eye on it.

 

I just got the car recently and skimmed the carfax report. I don't recall where the vehicle was prior to my ownership. I can't imagine they would make equipment on an SUV that would break down from salt and de-icers. That would really defeat the purpose of having a SUV.

 

I have an O4 GX with 29k miles and the paint is also bubbling on the rims. It stays in the garage always and I have never used a harsh cleaner except for the detergent for the paint! I also intend to return to dealer to get this looked at!

 

So I had an appointment today at the Lexus Dealership in Norwood MA to get new rims replaced.

Sadyly the rims didn't get replaced. What happened was that the dealership never opened up the boxes that had the new rims. They didn't open up the boxes until the car was on the lift. When they did open up the boxes they saw that the rims were rusted worst then the rims on my car.

The good thing is that they rescheduled the appointment for August 7 but this time their going to pickup my car and drop off a loaner. Their going to detail the car at the same time.

 

OK... allow me to show my ignorance... I was under the assumption that these are "alloy" rims and therefore would not rust... is this a situation where the paint is peeling, or is it truly "corrosion"?

 

I think its corrosion because its bubbling from underneath the paint.

 

Actually the standard warranty applies because when I called the dealer the service guy asked how many miles on your car and he said its replaceable under the original warranty. You should look into it.

 

Mine did the same thing. SA stated that it was a problem on the 03's. Fully covered under though

 

I have a 2005 Lexus. Love the car, but I hVe had 8 flats in a year. It is dangerous and could cause accidents.
I have had the mechanic supposedly fix the rims, but have replaced six tires due to the problem.
About to replace rims, but am afraid to because of the history of the rims.
What else can I do?

Is anyone else having this issue?

 

If there's corrosion along the rim (the tire bead seating area) I would think it'd be more of a slow leak, which the TPMS would tell you about. The tire dealer should have easily been able to spot that with some soapy water to look for bubbles.

Have you gone to more than one tire shop to get 2nd opinions?

Chip H.

 

Surface corrosion is a know problem, leaks around the bead/rim you tire people should be able to confirm, sand and seal, otherwise, just bad luck and nothing to do with paint peeling.

 

We also have a 2005. We bought 4 new tires about a 1.5 years ago and since have had slow leaks on 2 tires over that time. Slow leaks as in needing to add air once every other week.

Luckily I bought the extra tire warranty and it has paid off. Both leaks were from corrosion on the rim at the bead. The tire shop had to remove the tire and sand off the corrosion. Since fixing we have had no issues. Just waiting for the other 2 tires to eventually have the same issue.

This is the GX's 3rd set of tires and first time we encountered this. Must be the 125k miles those rims have travelled!!

 

Well, I think I jinxed myself.....the tire light came on tonight. We have 6" of snow on the ground and of course the GX was flawless handling it tonight. Tomorrow I will have to see which tire is low and give it some air , then see how long it takes for the light to come back on.

Tire shop here I come!!

 

I've been around Toyota products for many years. One thing I see very common is the alloy wheel corrosion. Not that this doesn't happen with other brands but much more so with Toyota. I'll be ready for new tires next Fall. To avoid dealing with leaks, My plan is to source some newish oem wheels to replace these factory ones, most likely FJ wheels.