I've been trying to find a solution to curb rash since I've purchased my Model Y Performance in 2021. I've scratched the wheel first time by doing the parallel paring on my 1st week of owhership, scratched another wheel a month later, and after 2 years all four wheels are scratched, repaired and scratched again.
What I've learned:
1. I'm not alone with this issue! 90% of Model Y Performance that were on the road for 1+ year (by looking on ultra sonic sensors) have curb rash. Sometimes minor, sometimes pretty severe. I had many cars, including cars with low profile tires and had no issues with curb rash. My other car has 285/30/20 tires - the profile is even smaller then Uberturbines, and rims are in perfect shape. I believe that I'm really good with parallel parking! I can't understand what is so special with Ubertubines that people scratch them all the time.
2. The cost to replace the rim at Tesla Service Center is $903 today ($840 parts, $63 labor), I have a quote from Tesla Bellevue (WA).
3. Local body shops charge $250-300 to repair and repaint the rim, but they give no color match guarantee and from what I saw - I can see that one wheel is different from three others. But maybe I'm too picky.
4. Matching metallic gray paint is very hard. I've tried many touch up solutions from Amazon or Ebay - it just doesn't match. Ordered custom color matching from Sherwin Williams Auto Paint store - result didn't match at all. There are literally 50+ shades of gray, and metallic makes it even harder (yes, there are many levels of metallic outside of the color and sheen).
5. The worst thing - Tesla has variations of color on Uberturbine wheels. Share of gray will differ between 2021 and 2023 Model Ys and it will differ between Freemont and Austin built models. I've almost purchased a set of spare wheels from another Model Y and realized how different the color is from mine when I had a closer look. That is maybe the reason why some touch up paint kits work for some owners and don't work for others.
What was my solution to end this once and for all? Paint all four wheels satin black! Reasons for it:
1. Satin black is a good match with Model Y exterior. 20" Inductions wheels are satin black and they really match with black accents on Model Y. Door handles are black, window trim is black etc. Grey Uberturbines match (loosely) with carbon fiber spoiler on Model Y Performance and that's it - there is no more grey on the car.
2. If I scratch the rim again - I can just use Duplicolor universal black touch up paint to fix it within few minutes .100% perfect color match.
I've spent ~5 hours to remove all defects from rims with metal reinforced filler and sand paper, prime it and then paint with special Duplicolor wheel paint (used it many times in the past and it is very good). Here is the result:
What I've learned:
1. I'm not alone with this issue! 90% of Model Y Performance that were on the road for 1+ year (by looking on ultra sonic sensors) have curb rash. Sometimes minor, sometimes pretty severe. I had many cars, including cars with low profile tires and had no issues with curb rash. My other car has 285/30/20 tires - the profile is even smaller then Uberturbines, and rims are in perfect shape. I believe that I'm really good with parallel parking! I can't understand what is so special with Ubertubines that people scratch them all the time.
2. The cost to replace the rim at Tesla Service Center is $903 today ($840 parts, $63 labor), I have a quote from Tesla Bellevue (WA).
3. Local body shops charge $250-300 to repair and repaint the rim, but they give no color match guarantee and from what I saw - I can see that one wheel is different from three others. But maybe I'm too picky.
4. Matching metallic gray paint is very hard. I've tried many touch up solutions from Amazon or Ebay - it just doesn't match. Ordered custom color matching from Sherwin Williams Auto Paint store - result didn't match at all. There are literally 50+ shades of gray, and metallic makes it even harder (yes, there are many levels of metallic outside of the color and sheen).
5. The worst thing - Tesla has variations of color on Uberturbine wheels. Share of gray will differ between 2021 and 2023 Model Ys and it will differ between Freemont and Austin built models. I've almost purchased a set of spare wheels from another Model Y and realized how different the color is from mine when I had a closer look. That is maybe the reason why some touch up paint kits work for some owners and don't work for others.
What was my solution to end this once and for all? Paint all four wheels satin black! Reasons for it:
1. Satin black is a good match with Model Y exterior. 20" Inductions wheels are satin black and they really match with black accents on Model Y. Door handles are black, window trim is black etc. Grey Uberturbines match (loosely) with carbon fiber spoiler on Model Y Performance and that's it - there is no more grey on the car.
2. If I scratch the rim again - I can just use Duplicolor universal black touch up paint to fix it within few minutes .100% perfect color match.
I've spent ~5 hours to remove all defects from rims with metal reinforced filler and sand paper, prime it and then paint with special Duplicolor wheel paint (used it many times in the past and it is very good). Here is the result:
