Anybody know what could cause this wheel scratching?

[2010GMCYD]

2 of the 4 wheels had this chipping/scratching on them when I bought my Yukon. Never saw this before. It doesn't chip off more with a fingernail. Any idea what might have caused it?

I'm considering either 1. buying 2 OEM (or replica OEM) wheels to replace them, 2. rechrome the 2 bad ones, or 3. plastidip all 4, probably black. Any thoughts on those options?

 

[2010GMCYD]

Forgot the pic!....

 

[OR VietVet]

Drove thru a freshly grown "barb wire field".

Hell, I don't know.

 

[2010GMCYD]

Drove thru a freshly grown "barb wire field".

Hell, I don't know.

Lmao. Looks like it, right? Just 2 wheels, weird.

 

[Brandon2489]

Do you by chance get your vehicle serviced at a dealer or some other place that offers a complementary car wash? Reason I ask is they usually use a wheel acid to clean the wheels. Over time it causes etching then the coating starts to flake off. Just a thought. Strange it is on just 2.

 

[adventurenali92]

It looks like some sort of pitch or tar stain.

 

[OR VietVet]

I immediately thought of tar but he said could not scrape off with his fingernail but now I see "it does not chip off MORE" with a fingernail. Kind of confusing.

Just two wheels? Wheelie thru the fresh grown barb wire field? Again, Hell, I don't know.

 

[2010GMCYD]

It looks like some sort of pitch or tar stain.

Nothing on the wheel. The black is under the chrome.

 

[2010GMCYD]

Do you by chance get your vehicle serviced at a dealer or some other place that offers a complementary car wash? Reason I ask is they usually use a wheel acid to clean the wheels. Over time it causes etching then the coating starts to flake off. Just a thought. Strange it is on just 2.

The Yukon is new to me but maintenance history does show service at a dealer. Your idea about the acid sounds reasonable but yes, odd that it’s only 2 wheels.

 

[Brandon2489]

It's possible somebody had tar on the wheels before you and used a type of acid cleaner to remove it. While it removed the tar its possible it removed the coating as well. Especially if it was only on 2 wheels.