Bent OEM Alloy Wheels (Boerne, Cove: sales, 2015, to buy)

[wellguy]

My Son recently purchased a Certified Used Car from a Reputable Dealer. He noticed slight road noise during the test drive but the Salesman insisted it was HWY 281. Right or Wrong He purchased the car. He was asked to bring the car back for a wheel balance when time permitted.
After attempting a wheel balance the Service Manager told him the front wheels were probably bent. He blamed the previous Owner hitting a few potholes. The Dealer had the wheels trued by a Mobile Wheel Repair Co. Excessive road noise was then noticed when he drive home. I forgot to mention that they replced a front tire due to a flat spot.
In order to have his ducks in a row he took the car to Discount Tire. They could not balance them properly. They also found that the replaced tire was defective. He wasn't charged but received great documentation.
Can you ever "true"a bent wheel ?
If the two front wheels were bent wouldn't the test ones also be bent? I'm certain the rear tires hit the same potholes.
He's not done with Dealer and will visit them next week.

[TexasRedneck]

I'm afraid your son is about to learn a VERY valuable lesson here. Car sales are "as is, where is". Tell him to keep his cool with the dealer and be thankful for ANY "slack" they give him on this. They're under NO legal obligation to do ANYTHING that wasn't promised IN WRITING once he signs the paperwork. Now, it DOES sound like they're trying to work with him - and that's a good thing - it means they're honest and reputable....let's just hope that the "fix" isn't more than they're willing to write off. They could well have damaged just the front wheels - or just the wheels on one side. I WOULD run it by CarFax (although I'm the first to tell you that they do NOT catch close to everything, it's the only thing you can do at this point). If you have a buddy with a body shop, ask them to check it over for wreck repairs and frame alignment.
This is where our kids learn that their parents really COULD have helped them - had they bothered to ask.

[wellguy]

Your 100% Correct on learning a lesson. He got a wild hair one day and traded in a 2015 Subaru Forester for a 2014 Maxima.
The Dealer gave him a 90 day warranty and he has 17000 miles left on the factory warranty. As you know this problem won't be covered by Nissan.
A Car Fax was provided which didn't show any accidents. As you know that doesn't mean that it wasn't.
I wish he would have spent $100 or so to a Reputable Mechanic before making the deal. I suggested that to him several times.
I think he'll be able to keep calm with the Dealer.
Hopefully !!


I've read several articles about bent wheels. Several said it'll never be true, some the metal has a "memory" and they can be. Others say to buy a new wheel. I guess one good thing is they admitted the wheels were bent and didn't place the "blame" upon him.

[TexasRedneck]

True enough.....since they know they're bent, and that it was a known issue with the car from the get-go.....wonder if they'll be willing to replace them? One thing I'd do first, though - normally, to bend a rim you're gonna hit hard. I'd get the front end and suspension checked by someone GOOD.

[Azure110]

Did discount tire use the hunter GSP 9700 "ride match" machine to check them? If so, they can do a "rim runout" to verify if the rim is indeed bent. If the employee even knows how to use that feature.

A bent wheel can not be "trued" or repaired as original, especially alloy but it can be close.

[wellguy]

Sorry this has taken so long.
Yes Discount Tire and the Dealer used Hunter Machines. The Dealer had rage wheels truer again. At least that's what they said.
Last week they put four new Goodyear Tires but the vibration is still there. Now they think it's the tires and have said they'll put four Michelins on.
They want him to take it to the Nissan Dealer on 410.....it seems like they have a good relationship.
It's going to a Nissan Dealer in the Boerne area next week .
I had a long talk with the General Manager of the Used Car Department on Friday. I called him several times during the week with no response so I paid him a personal visit.
I talked about the bent wheels, 4 times back to the shop, the BS 200 point inspection, etc. I asked if anyone drove the car before it was put on the lot. He assured me it was but since they sell $40k plus cars with an entirely different ride the vibration was never noticed.
You could tell he is a Car Salesman.
Among other things I told him to stop spending money on a damaged car and buy it back.
He had two responses why he couldnt......One was that the car had already been titled and that a two Owner car would not sell since his clients want a one owner car.
Well it's not over.
I've changed my entire tone. Yes my Son bought a used car that should have been checked out by a private Mechanic. The Dealership had to know the car was screwed up that's why they keep throwing money into it. In my opinion they didn't expect a Customer especially a 25 year old to bend him over a barrel.
BTW...I have it in writing that any expenses during the process of finding out what is wrong will be reimbursed.

[TrapperL]

I wish you the best of luck with this but although you mentioned it was a Certified Used Car, that does not mean it comes with a warranty. It only means it went thru a check point list and they usually fix any items on the checklist. Unless you have a written warranty, you most likely are out of luck. Yes, most decent car dealers will attempt to make you happy but they're only going to go so far and then it's your car, you fix it. Most of the used car warranties do not cover things like wheels, brakes, batteries, tires, etc. They cover just the hard basics like the engine block, transmission case, rear axle housing, things that generally do not break. The interior mechanical parts, the wearables, are not covered even with the used car warranty. Even a brand new car in most cases the wheels are not warrantied. Most new cars, the brakes are covered for 30, sometimes 90 days at most. You'd be surprised at the amount of dimwits that buy a new car and can destroy it before the first payment is due. The car makers protect themselves by not warranting certain parts like wheels, brakes, etc. except for a very limited time. Here's the NEW Ford warranty and take a look at what is NOT covered. You'll see hitting a curb which means wheels, clutch linings, brake pads are limited, etc. So unless you have a written warranty, they are probably not going to help you anymore. If you have a written warranty, read it. Most likely you'll find the wheels are not covered by any warranty. Their position could easily be- the car wasn't like that during their 200 point inspection. Your son must have damaged the vehicle...and yes, it happens to the best of sons. But I hope you find a satisfactory solution to the problem. Nothing quite so irritating as an item bought that has issues and then getting fixed without breaking the bank.
2016 Ford Warranty - What´s Covered & What Isn´t.

[Azure110]

Maybe the brake rotors are warped or bent. That can cause vibration.