I got a 2.7T '02 Quattro a few months ago. I have since cracked the driver's side front rim 2x. I avoid pot holes like the plague. Has anybody ever heard of this happening? If so, what could be causing it?

 

Sounds like you got some crap wheels, I would get some new ones, NO it is not a common thing to crack a wheel, bending yes.

 

not common on European wheels at all, they should bend under significant impact.. well the lowert he profile the easier to bend of course... 19's are known for this...
However, other Asian brand wheels with lower or different build standards tend to break/crack... AXXIS is an example. Look for TUV approved wheels.

 

Cracking rims is highly unusual, are you running after market wheels? If so, they are probably cheap ones (not trying to offend). Even if the wheels look stock, a lot of dealers will swap on cheap repli-wheels to save money on the used car lot.

 

Try to look at your rim, you will see made in china too.

 

I too have had this problem.

When I first purchased my car, I noticed a vibration at around 50 mph. After investigating, I ended up with two new front tyres, two bent and cracked wheels that needed fixing,all wheels requiring re-balancing and the tyres re-alighned. The vibration was then much much less, but not perfect. It's now either gone, or I've gotten used to it.

I was not impressed with my Made in Italy original S rims. Having said that, the number of wheels that were being fixed that day (all original alloys) makes me think this is common in alloys in certain extreme conditions on bad roads. Hitting curbs certainly won't help.

 

1998 A6, 2.8, 2wd.

I live in the Clevleand area and have cracked two rims from hitting potholes. They were OEMs and the car had 90k miles on it at the time.
There was a dent and a crack in the same spot. The other posters may be thinking of larger cracks, or cracks that are more visiable.
In both cases there was a dent on the lip of the rim about 1/2 deep. The crack was a hairline crack and could not be seen with tire on the rim.
In one case it was such that I got a scrap credit. In the other case the rim was repairable, so I got a "core" credit towards my purchase.

I used a company called Motomotion in Medina, Ohio. I bought a reconditioned OEM rim. For the price and the fact my car is used in all weather conditions, that worked for me. So far they have worked fine.
There is another place I think near Easton, PA that does the same thing.