Ferrada Wheels Review: Good, Bad or Just Overpriced Reps?

If you are looking for concave style wheels you’ve probably come across Ferrada.

They offer some very attractive looking wheels in some rather eye catching colors.

However, are they actually any good?

In this blog I’m going to cover Ferrada in detail and how good the quality of their wheels is.

The History of Ferrada Wheels

When it comes to Ferrada, they aren’t a very old company and there isn’t a whole lot of history.

Ferrada was started by Michael Youssef in 2015 and is based in Houston Texas. They set about focusing on selling concave wheels in larger sizes to suit bigger cars like American sport coupes (Camaros, Mustangs etc), luxury and performance sedans and SUVs.

Other than that, there really isn’t a lot more to it. They don’t participate in motorsports and really only exist to sell wheels for road use and that’s it.

How Ferrada Wheels Are Made

Ferrada originally offered cast wheels, and a few years ago also started a flow formed line called Forge-8. Unfortunately, Ferrada do not have any information regarding exactly how they design, make and test their wheels, so the information is very limited. Here is what I do know.

Low Pressure Cast

Most of Ferrada’s wheels except for the Forge-8 line are low pressure cast.

Low pressure casting is a process where molten aluminium is forced into a mold under low pressure, which allows the metal structure to be tighter and more consistent, resulting in a stronger wheel than a gravity cast wheel.

Unfortunately, Ferrada do not reveal any specifics of the process they use, so we don’t know exactly how they make the wheels other than that they use this process.

Flow Formed

Ferrada’s Forge-8 line of wheels are flow formed, which Ferrada claims is done with their “special Forge-8 process” but they give no specifics about this.

Flow forming is done by casting a wheel center and then putting that center on a mandrel and spinning it at high speeds, while heat is applied and rollers apply pressure to form the barrel.

This results in a stronger wheel than a cast wheel while also being lighter. Combined with low pressure casting of the face, these wheels can be very durable and lightweight when done correctly.

Where Are Ferrada Wheels Made?

All Ferrada wheels are made in Taiwan.

Warranty

Ferrada claim on their website to offer a lifetime structural warranty covering manufacturing defects for their wheels. You will see why I say “claim” in a section further down where I will discuss what happened to people trying to make claims against their warranty.

Safety Testing & Certifications

I could not find any confirmation whether Ferrada wheels have any safety testing or certifications other than forum posts by vendors claiming that they meet all JWL and VIA standards, but that doesn’t guarantee anything. There is no information on Ferrada’s website about this.

Ferrada Wheel Options

Ferrada currently offer four wheel lines. Their wheels are available in 19”, 20”, 22” and 24” (depending on the model), with widths ranging from 8.5”-12”.

DC Series (Deep Concave) – Cast

CM Series (Concave Madness) – Cast

FT Series – SUV & Truck

F8 Series – Flow Formed

How Much Do Ferrada Wheels Weigh?

As with all wheels, weight is going to greatly depending on the size, wheel offset and design of the wheel. However, Ferrada wheels are definitely on the heavy side, weighing between around 30 lb (13.6 kg) for their 19×8.5s up to 51 lb (23.1 kg) for their 24×10. Even the flow formed wheels fall within this range. They are certainly not lightweight performance wheels.

How Much Do Ferrada Wheels Cost?

Ferrada wheels are actually quite expensive considering the fact that they are cast. The cheapest set they sell in 19×8.5 will cost you around $1600, while the most expensive set is up around $3200. That sort of price will get you some very nice flow formed wheels, and is getting close to forged wheel territory.

Problems With Ferrada

Unfortunately, there have been are numerous complaints about problems when it comes to both Ferrada as a company and their wheels.

By far the biggest issue is the fact that the finish on their wheels peels, which seems to be especially prominent on the gloss black lip finish. When it peels, it appears as though they have painted right over chrome and the paint had nothing to adhere to.

Unfortunately, Ferrada does not try to solve these issues with clients, and instead either says the wheels are out of warranty, blames the customer for using harsh cleaning chemicals, blames the installer for scratching the paint, or tries to sell the customer another wheel.

A quick Google search will reveal a large number of these reports which all seem to be a very similar experience, pointing to the fact that there is (or at least was) an issue with the finish of the wheels, and Ferrada just flat out refused to admit it and tried to pass the blame.

There are also several reports of their wheels cracking, which of course Ferrada just blames on a pot hole and is not interested in helping with. Yes, they may not even be obligated to, but many of the better wheel brands know how to take care of customers and will at least try to work with them on a replacement wheel.

Many of the reports specifically named the owner Michael claiming that he is difficult to deal with and is not helpful with resolving any problems.

A quick search of “Ferrada wheels review” or Ferrada wheel problems” will reveal countless complaints including several lodged cases with the Better Business Bureau, all of which are unanswered:

https://www.bbb.org/us/tx/houston/profile/custom-wheels/ferrada-wheels-0915-90049720/complaints

For a relatively young wheel company, they have certainly managed to stack up a fair few complaints from customers. It seems as though they are only interested in taking your money and not particularly interesting in looking after you as a customer or providing a top quality product.

Conclusion – Should You Buy Ferrada Wheels?

Personally I don’t think so.

While I will say that a lot of their wheels look quite good, there are just too many issues with them and the company for me to take the risk.

Combine that with the very high price they are asking for cast wheels, and the heavy weight of the wheels, I think that there are many much better options out there.

If I was paying that much for a set of cast wheels, I would expect every aspect of them to be top notch, not peeling after a year, and I would except world class customer service.

Everything I have seen just makes me think that Ferrada don’t really care about providing a good product or service and just want to take your money. Therefore, I would go elsewhere.

Alternatives to Ferrada

If you are looking for similar, high end wheels with a concave style, here are some brands I would recommend checking out instead:

Vossen

Vossen is one of the biggest names in the wheel industry at the moment when it comes to highly customizable wheels.

While their wheels aren’t exactly performance wheels, they specialize in making amazing looking wheels that are built to a high standard.

If you are looking at getting something in the style of Ferradas, definitely check out Vossen and see what they’ve got:

GET VOSSEN WHEELS FOR THE BEST PRICE HERE

BC FORGED

BC Forged offer affordable forged wheels which are highly customizable and have a great reputation.

They offer a range of concave monoblocks as well as many multi-piece options which you can configure to suit your needs perfectly.

If you are already spending a few thousand on wheels, you may as well get forged wheels with a decent reputation.

GET BC FORGED WHEELS FOR THE BEST PRICE HERE

Niche

Niche wheels have a wide range of options which are similar in style to Ferradas. However, Niche wheels have been around for decades and have proven to be better quality, and are actually cheaper (at least their cast line). They also offer a range of forged options if you are willing to spend a bit more.

GET NICHE WHEELS FOR THE BEST PRICE HERE

Vorsteiner

If you are looking for high end wheels, Vorsteiner is another good one to consider.

They offer a wide range of wheels made specific to some of the most high end cars on the planet, and offer options from flow formed to carbon.

GET VORSTEINER WHEELS FOR THE BEST PRICE HERE

Rotiform

Roiform are another big player in the wheel game that offer a vast range of unique and interesting wheels, many that can be customized to suit your needs.

While they are more motorsport inspired than Ferradas wheels, they have a very wide range of designs and will probably have something to suit your style. Definitely check them out:

GET ROTIFOM WHEELS FOR THE BEST PRICE HERE

FAQ About Ferrada Wheels

Are Ferrada Wheels Forged?

No, Ferrada does not make any forged wheels. They make cast wheels and their Forge-8 line of wheels is flow formed.

Are Ferrada Wheels Reps?

No, Ferrada wheels are not considered to be rep wheels.

Are Ferrada Wheels Lightweight?

No Ferrada wheels are not lightweight. In fact, they are quite heavy, weighing anywhere from around 30 lb (13.6 kg) up to 51 lb (23.1 kg).

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Mateja Matic

Having been in the car tuning game for 15 years, I'm now using all the knowledge I acquired to help other people learn and select the right parts for their cars through this blog.

Cars owned: Mk2 Golf with 1.8T swap, BMW E28 with M30B35 swap, BMW E36 328I Mtech, BMW 750IL, Nissan 300ZX, Honda Civic EF