What's up with the garbage lug nuts on the '09 Aspen? They're almost single-use. Once they are wrenched on once they get all buggered up.

Any idea where to get a good solid replacement set?

 

Funny you posted this. I just got new tires on my '08, and they had to replace one of the lug nuts. The tire guys where telling me how crappy the Chrysler lug nuts are. They see problems with them all the time.

 

Yeah, I just got new tires too and they had to replace a lug and the nut.

I just ordered a new set of nuts on Ebay last night but I think I messed up. I ordered plain nuts with the hole all the way through. If the center caps on the factory rims hook onto the lug nuts then these new ones won't work. I can't remember how the center caps attach.

Oh well, the nuts were only $17 for the whole set.

 

They are definitely garbage. The lugnuts are steel, but they're covered with a softer "jacket" for appearance. This eventually bends/warps/swells, and looks like crap.

I had my Aspen at the Chrysler dealer on Saturday for some routine maintenance, and they brought me back to the service bay to show me the poor condition of the lugnuts. They then told me they'd be glad to replace them for $16 EACH. I laughed and told them they are crazy, and the parts guy agreed that the price was ridiculous. They offered to go down to $6.75/each, but I chose to order some chrome lugnuts from ebay today for $23.99 shipped (for 20).

I was just amazed that they would point out the poor quality of their parts, and then expect me to buy more poor quality parts.