Wheel damage from Discount Tire

jayhuffdaddy

Need some advice here. Got 4 new Hankooks today installed at Discount and when I get home I notice that the two back rims are scraped pretty bad. Took it back to the shop and the manager tells me he has to wait till his manager comes back tomorrow to fill out the paper work.

The guy also states that the one wheel (first four pictures) could not have been damaged by them and it was probably a rock. He stated that when they fix the wheels, they send them out for repair and I would have to drive on my spare. Would like some advice on what to do. I think a call in to corporate might be in the works.

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kenchan

sorry to see this...while ive seen much worse discount tires have been notoriuos for doing crappy work so i never go there any more.

you have to take it to a shop that has the touchless mounters and a team that actually care about your wheels in order to get scratch-free installs. has been discussed here frequently.

i personally take my wheels to tirerack to have them installed. ive NEVER encountered one scratch from their installs. i know a lot of folks dont have access to tirerack but then again there should be plenty of shops (especally speed shops and wheel repair shops) in the area that have touchless mounters.

m4a1mustang

I would try to bitch at them enough to get some cash for the damage that you can apply towards having the car repaired on your own. Mobile wheel repair shops do a really good job and are fairly inexpensive.

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TypeOne

Unfortunately, wheel damage is always going to be a hard case to prove... Most shops will tell you to bring it somewhere else.

I always get my wheels mounted by someone I trust and that is not only experienced, but has the equipment to do the job properly.

jayhuffdaddy

Well for future reference, anyone know where there is touchless mounting in the Houston area?

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TypeOne

I would try to find a BMW, Mercedes or high end dealership to do it. It might be more expensive, but they have nicer machines that can mount wheels in our sizes without messing them up.

jayhuffdaddy

Quick update: Discount tire has agreed to redo all 4 wheels. They are wanting me to drop the car off on Tuesday next week and will keep it for two days. They are shipping the wheels to Sabs in Houston. I have to get a rental car and the manager stated to show him the receipt and I would be reimbursed for that as well. Discount is covering the cost to have the wheels stripped and redone for $500.

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Dwight Frye

I have seen this happen before. I make a habit now of walking around the car with the service manager and inspecting and making notes of any pre-existing dings or chips before any work starts. I had a couple of tiny rock chips on one wheel already, but Evans Tire installed my new Michelins without any damage and I was quite pleased.
I have used those mobile wheel repair services before when I curbed a rim on my Infiniti. They did a perfect job right in the parking lot where I work, and $125 a wheel is about right. Good thing the dealer stepped up and took responsibility.

tjlazer

^ yep! I feel like a crazed OCD freek when I do this but I don't give a !@#$. They always seem to mess stuff up and I am tired of it. I call them out everytime. So to try and avoid these issues I tell them upfront and we do a walk around. They always look at me like I am crazy. LOL

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11Thumper

Same here. I've had them tell me there were too busy and to not worry, so I leave in that case. Sounds like Discount Tire stepped up for the OP and that's good to hear.

rmax1949

I don't own a Z but came across your posting while researching Discount Tire damaging rims. I have a 2011 Mazdaspeed 3 with 2000 miles on it. I removed 2 of the wheels, cleaned them thoroughly & hauled them to Discount to get all-weather tires (car comes with summer tires - not to good for Michigan winters). When I got them back the outer portions of the rims were coated with bead lube. When I got home & cleaned them I found deep scratches & gouges. Discount denied responsibility until I told them that I had photographed the rims before I brought them in. Only then did they offer to have my rims refinished. I wanted new rims. My car is virtually new & the rims were show room condition. Also I had previously purchased a refinished rim for an older car & it flaked in less that a year. I'm fighting up the chain of command at Discount now with no success. Their regional manager actually laughed at me when I tried to resolve it with him.

kenchan

You should've drove to tirerack if in Michigan. They're in southbend, in. They have the right equipment and staff.

Jsolo

Look at who discount tire has working for them. The stores here have kids slightly older than hs age working. They could careless. Most people are not OCD about these things like most of us are on these forums . Anyways, we had a local store rotate/balance tires. No damage to the wheels, but they did forget to reinstall 6 (plastic) lug nut caps across 2 wheels. Didn't notice it til later. Called them on it and they did order and send them to me.

I guess it's important to do a walk around with the mgr for any vehicle damage, then do an inspection prior to any tire coming off and after new tires installed but not mounted to car. If the car is < 3 years old and in otherwise pristine condition, I too would be pushing for new wheels, not refinished. Good luck!

One benefit of DT is you get lifetime (life of tire) free rotation, balance, and tire repair. I dont care much for the rotation, but the free balance & repair can be helpful.