Osteoman

Well I picked up my new ES350 PP package with added UL chrome wheels on Wednesday. I looked at it prior to taking delivery but I guess didn't look closely enough at the wheels.

Today, while going over with a fine tooth comb I noticed a 1-2 inch long area of curb rash, all the way down through the chrome on one of the wheels.

I'm the only person who has driven the car since I took delivery and believe me when I say I didn't hit, rub, or scratch anything.

My guess is it happened when the dealership took it to get the off site XM or tinting installed prior to my picking the car up.

I don't see a way they are going to believe I didn't do it, so I guess I'm left trying to repair it myself. Bummer. Otherwise the car is flawless.

Any thoughts?

Dave Mac

You are right, it's going to be a tough sell even after just a few days but I would try to dealer anyway. They just might replace the wheel as a goodwill item for a new owner.

Good luck and enjoy the car.

Dave Mac

codex57

You can try, but I do believe it's gonna be a tough sell too since you drove it off the lot. It's purely going to be a goodwill gesture on part of the dealer if they decide to repair it.

I dunno about chrome wheels, but a regular painted wheel only costs about $100-150 to fix some minor curb rash.

MX5NES350

The dealer will most likely not want to eat that cost unless they want to try and keep you as a customer and a reference. After you speak with them and they say "uh, no" you can ask them to recommend a shop and perhaps pay for it yourself - at their cost.

Additionally, you can try a place such as Wheel Collision Center who offer to repair wheels as well as selling refurbed wheels.

Osteoman

Thanks for all the input. Just thought I'd let everyone know what happened at the dealership today. Chief service manager looked at the wheel and agreed it didn't happen by hitting anything. He's not sure something didn't hit it. Although he feels his detailers would have caught it when they were prepping the car.

I couldn't argue since I don't know exactly when it happened, just didn't happen while I (the only driver) was behind the wheel.

We stood around looking at each other for a while and he said "well I want you to be happy". He said it couldn't be easily fixed. He then offered to pay for half of the new UL chrome wheel to replace it with. The total on it was $700 and some change of which they would pay half.

Given, I can't prove when it happened this is probably fair. I just need to figure out whether there is a product I could just paint over the scratch with so as not to have to spend $350. Is there a paint "chrome" out there or something similar that would cover the scratch and at least keep it from corroding? Has anyone seen a product like this?

Dave Mac

I don't believe there is anything that is going to make your scratched wheel look much better. Your dealer's deal while not great is fair, I'd probably take it.

Or I would look on ebay or contact a local wheel refinisher for an exchange price on a replacement wheel. Probably less than $300.

Dave Mac

Dave Mac

Or one more option. Several years ago I scuffed a chrome wheel on an almost new LS400 which, I assume like your UL, had a full size alloy wheel as a spare. I contact my sales person who hooked me up with the parts manager who got me a chrome wheel exchange for $150. If you only plan on using your spare as a spare this might be the most economical option.

You can probably assume that the exchange cost on a chrome UL wheel is now more than $150.

Dave Mac

Osteoman

Dave,

Thanks for the good info. I appreciate it. I considered the exchange idea but my spare, while full size, has the non UL OEM wheel on it. This is becuase I added UL chrome wheels to a non UL ES (if this makes since). I asked them about an exchange, just thinking it may cost me more because of this but they said my spare wheel had "no value". Funny if they tried to sell me one I bet it would cost a fortune.

codex57

Just curious, is the chrome wheel option a dealer accessory? I've seen it here, but it's not listed on the website or brochure so I take it it's not a factory option.

Osteoman

Yes it's a dealer option where we are. I was orginally looking at an UL but then decided not to buy it. The Salesman had quoted a price for the chromes whether I bought the UL or the PP package. When I decided to buy the PP version I insisted on the UL chromes instead of the regular chromes. The price he had quoted me on the chromes was the same whether I bought the UL or the PP.

Then the manager came in and we shook on the deal. A short time later the manager realized the salesman had quoted me the wrong price for the UL chromes on a non UL car. He came to me and actually said he didn't know what to do but needed to "unwind" the deal. I told him I didn't know where he came from but when I shook on a deal the deal is done.

He was very angry, I believe mostly at the salesman, but he agreed to honor the deal.

Sorry for more info then you wanted but yes it's a dealer option.

codex57

It's ok. A story always makes an explanation more interesting.

Wow. He needed to "unwind" a deal? And in Texas? At least he did go through with the deal in the end, cuz I imagine the bad press for "unwinding" a deal down there would be pretty bad.