C450 Rims Cracking
06-07-2019, 11:14 AM
#26
i already replaced my oem runflat with the same runflat at 38,000 miles. going to replace it with runflat again next time.
going to try Pirelli next time. they brag about PNCS, The PIRELLI NOISE CANCELLING SYSTEM™ (PNCS) is a technology able to reduce the noise inside the vehicle thanks to a sound absorbing device applied to the inside circumferential wall of the tyre, reducing noise significantly.
can you imaging got a flat at 2am on a dark road or wait over a hour for tow service without run flat?
it' not fun when you carrying your gf, wife, kids, or parents without run flat.
going to try Pirelli next time. they brag about PNCS, The PIRELLI NOISE CANCELLING SYSTEM™ (PNCS) is a technology able to reduce the noise inside the vehicle thanks to a sound absorbing device applied to the inside circumferential wall of the tyre, reducing noise significantly.
can you imaging got a flat at 2am on a dark road or wait over a hour for tow service without run flat?
it' not fun when you carrying your gf, wife, kids, or parents without run flat.
06-07-2019, 12:05 PM
#27
Member
i already replaced my oem runflat with the same runflat at 38,000 miles. going to replace it with runflat again next time.
going to try Pirelli next time. they brag about PNCS, The PIRELLI NOISE CANCELLING SYSTEM™ (PNCS) is a technology able to reduce the noise inside the vehicle thanks to a sound absorbing device applied to the inside circumferential wall of the tyre, reducing noise significantly.
can you imaging got a flat at 2am on a dark road or wait over a hour for tow service without run flat?
it' not fun when you carrying your gf, wife, kids, or parents without run flat.
going to try Pirelli next time. they brag about PNCS, The PIRELLI NOISE CANCELLING SYSTEM™ (PNCS) is a technology able to reduce the noise inside the vehicle thanks to a sound absorbing device applied to the inside circumferential wall of the tyre, reducing noise significantly.
can you imaging got a flat at 2am on a dark road or wait over a hour for tow service without run flat?
it' not fun when you carrying your gf, wife, kids, or parents without run flat.
We used to have a Toyota Minivan with runflats, and they would wear out every 15K miles like clockwork! So crazy and expensive to replace. I got fed up and put regular tires on. Then my wife got a job that required her to drive through bad parts of town regularly and the worrying about her getting a flat, alone, around there was enough for me to put the RF tires back on.
They aren't great for performance cars, and the low profile RF tires are not so great at the moment, but I'm hoping they improve.
Until then, I know a place that welds and repairs rims for about $100, and offers a warranty on their repairs. Luckily I haven't had a problem... yet.
06-07-2019, 04:30 PM
#28
Super Member
I think if we take a poll you will find that the percentage of cracked wheels on runflats is10X as often as cracked wheels on non runflats. Low profile tires have been abound for more than 15 years and we didn't hear about cracked wheels until runflats came along.I have been driving on low profile tires for 15 years and didn't crack a wheel until my C450 with runflats.
my c450 left front rim was cracked, leaking 15 PSI like every 2 days. waited for a week for a remanufactured rim from ebay to arrives.
i feel comfortable driving to home at night without stopping to pump more air. or stopping to pump air and make me late for work, i dont need to do that with runflat, i can keep driving with low psi.
UPDATE: is your 15 years old car also a Mercedes? or maybe Mercedes is trying to cut costs by using cheap, weak rims.
Last edited by netboy; 06-07-2019 at 04:34 PM.
06-07-2019, 07:03 PM
#29
You are missing my point.I think you will have much less tire failures and cracked wheels with non runflats.The stiff sidewalls on runflats needed to hold the weight of the car with loss of air causes much higher transfer of force to the wheel when you hit a pothole. You are making my point with the slow loss of air.You have plenty of time on non runflats to find and fix the problem without being stranded. The failure I had on my C450 was a sow leak(about 5LBS a day).The tire wasn't damaged but the wheel
was cracked. I wasn't talking about 1 car for 15 years.I had 1 other MB, and 2 BMW's in that time period. I do agree with you that MB's wheels are inferior quality,but I think they would fail far less often on non runflat tires.
.
was cracked. I wasn't talking about 1 car for 15 years.I had 1 other MB, and 2 BMW's in that time period. I do agree with you that MB's wheels are inferior quality,but I think they would fail far less often on non runflat tires.
.
06-08-2019, 01:57 PM
#31
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2012 CLS63
Any one else have issues with the front 5-spoke rims on the C450/C43 cracking an obscene amount? I've read about the lawsuit regarding the rims a few years ago that was dismissed, but was wondering if anyone has any advice for getting the issue fixed without buying new rims every few months.
I adopted the lease on my C450 but, unfortunately, the original leasee didn't purchase the wheel and tire package. I've put about 6,000 miles on the car, and had a rim crack about 3 months ago (welded it at a local rim shop) and then today found out both of my front rims are now cracked again with one leaking air. The dealer quoted me $2000+ for two new rims. Is there anything I can do to solve this issue? I'll need the rims without welds or cracks in 4 months when I turn in the lease, but I don't want to spend $2k on rims for a car that doesn't even belong to me. I've read some people have been successful in persuading MB to replace the rims or overlook the damage when the lease is over. I've owned Lexus, Audi, and BMW, all with low profile tires and 18"+ rims and have never cracked or even bent a rim, so this is really driving (ha, get it?) me away from MB. As much as I adore my C450, the way the dealers in my area and MB Corporate have treated me is just ridiculous, considering this seems to be an MB issue.
If anyone has experience with this issue or wants to share their MB rim nightmares, I'm all ears.
I adopted the lease on my C450 but, unfortunately, the original leasee didn't purchase the wheel and tire package. I've put about 6,000 miles on the car, and had a rim crack about 3 months ago (welded it at a local rim shop) and then today found out both of my front rims are now cracked again with one leaking air. The dealer quoted me $2000+ for two new rims. Is there anything I can do to solve this issue? I'll need the rims without welds or cracks in 4 months when I turn in the lease, but I don't want to spend $2k on rims for a car that doesn't even belong to me. I've read some people have been successful in persuading MB to replace the rims or overlook the damage when the lease is over. I've owned Lexus, Audi, and BMW, all with low profile tires and 18"+ rims and have never cracked or even bent a rim, so this is really driving (ha, get it?) me away from MB. As much as I adore my C450, the way the dealers in my area and MB Corporate have treated me is just ridiculous, considering this seems to be an MB issue.
If anyone has experience with this issue or wants to share their MB rim nightmares, I'm all ears.
06-13-2019, 09:15 AM
#35
Yes, i sent an email directly to Christian. This was the response that I got:
"Dear Mr. xxxx,
Thank you for your email to our Vice President Christian Treiber. After review, I have been asked to respond on his behalf.
We are sorry to hear of the circumstances concerning your 2016 C450W4 that prompted you to contact our corporate offices.
It may be helpful to know that all factory installed tires and wheels meet and or exceed all Federal regulations however because low-profile tires by nature have a smaller sidewall, they are more susceptible to road hazard damage and wear. A common effect of road hazard damage are bubbles, which result from impact against a pothole, curb, etc. While sometimes unavoidable, Mercedes-Benz does offer at time of vehicle purchase a tire warranty to cover these instances.
Mr. xxxx, we value your loyalty to our brand and hope you can understand our limitations in the matter. We do want to offer you a $250 credit to use towards future service or parts in recognition of the inconvenience caused, good at any authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer. We will note this to your record with us and kindly ask you contact us when you would like to use this gesture of good will.
We appreciate the opportunity to correspond.
Ralph Porco
Executive Referral Manager
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
800-367-6372 ext. 6229"
The second time they used my last name, didn't even get it right. Haha, yea, maybe we'll get a free Mercedes key chain next. I responded to the email with basically the same thing you said. $250 seems like nothing compared to the cost of a new wheel and this is a pretty common problem.
"Dear Mr. xxxx,
Thank you for your email to our Vice President Christian Treiber. After review, I have been asked to respond on his behalf.
We are sorry to hear of the circumstances concerning your 2016 C450W4 that prompted you to contact our corporate offices.
It may be helpful to know that all factory installed tires and wheels meet and or exceed all Federal regulations however because low-profile tires by nature have a smaller sidewall, they are more susceptible to road hazard damage and wear. A common effect of road hazard damage are bubbles, which result from impact against a pothole, curb, etc. While sometimes unavoidable, Mercedes-Benz does offer at time of vehicle purchase a tire warranty to cover these instances.
Mr. xxxx, we value your loyalty to our brand and hope you can understand our limitations in the matter. We do want to offer you a $250 credit to use towards future service or parts in recognition of the inconvenience caused, good at any authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer. We will note this to your record with us and kindly ask you contact us when you would like to use this gesture of good will.
We appreciate the opportunity to correspond.
Ralph Porco
Executive Referral Manager
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
800-367-6372 ext. 6229"
The second time they used my last name, didn't even get it right. Haha, yea, maybe we'll get a free Mercedes key chain next. I responded to the email with basically the same thing you said. $250 seems like nothing compared to the cost of a new wheel and this is a pretty common problem.
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Sailorlite (06-13-2019)
06-13-2019, 09:54 AM
#37
I’ll be running these soon enough. Will feedback if I have any problems.
That thick area is really just a “disc”. If you can imagine aero style bicycle wheels. Just behind the “disc” is like a regular wheel.
That thick area is really just a “disc”. If you can imagine aero style bicycle wheels. Just behind the “disc” is like a regular wheel.
Last edited by TModelle; 06-13-2019 at 09:57 AM.
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Sleepy914 (11-17-2019)
06-13-2019, 12:25 PM
#41
12-02-2019, 11:39 AM
#43
12-02-2019, 04:36 PM
#45
Any one else have issues with the front 5-spoke rims on the C450/C43 cracking an obscene amount? I've read about the lawsuit regarding the rims a few years ago that was dismissed, but was wondering if anyone has any advice for getting the issue fixed without buying new rims every few months.
I adopted the lease on my C450 but, unfortunately, the original leasee didn't purchase the wheel and tire package. I've put about 6,000 miles on the car, and had a rim crack about 3 months ago (welded it at a local rim shop) and then today found out both of my front rims are now cracked again with one leaking air. The dealer quoted me $2000+ for two new rims. Is there anything I can do to solve this issue? I'll need the rims without welds or cracks in 4 months when I turn in the lease, but I don't want to spend $2k on rims for a car that doesn't even belong to me. I've read some people have been successful in persuading MB to replace the rims or overlook the damage when the lease is over. I've owned Lexus, Audi, and BMW, all with low profile tires and 18"+ rims and have never cracked or even bent a rim, so this is really driving (ha, get it?) me away from MB. As much as I adore my C450, the way the dealers in my area and MB Corporate have treated me is just ridiculous, considering this seems to be an MB issue.
If anyone has experience with this issue or wants to share their MB rim nightmares, I'm all ears.
I adopted the lease on my C450 but, unfortunately, the original leasee didn't purchase the wheel and tire package. I've put about 6,000 miles on the car, and had a rim crack about 3 months ago (welded it at a local rim shop) and then today found out both of my front rims are now cracked again with one leaking air. The dealer quoted me $2000+ for two new rims. Is there anything I can do to solve this issue? I'll need the rims without welds or cracks in 4 months when I turn in the lease, but I don't want to spend $2k on rims for a car that doesn't even belong to me. I've read some people have been successful in persuading MB to replace the rims or overlook the damage when the lease is over. I've owned Lexus, Audi, and BMW, all with low profile tires and 18"+ rims and have never cracked or even bent a rim, so this is really driving (ha, get it?) me away from MB. As much as I adore my C450, the way the dealers in my area and MB Corporate have treated me is just ridiculous, considering this seems to be an MB issue.
If anyone has experience with this issue or wants to share their MB rim nightmares, I'm all ears.
01-16-2020, 11:55 AM
#46
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C450
On my second cracked rim on the C450 I bought. Right front; now left front. Mech shop noted that the left front had -two- separate weld repair spots on it from prior hits. So, with this particular car, there have been at least -5- instances of cracked rims.
The shop I take it to is very familiar with MBZ cracks and they snicker every time they see one roll up. But, they charge anywhere from $150 to $225 to repair. The dealership wanted $1,300 for a new wheel. To hell with that.
The shop I take it to is very familiar with MBZ cracks and they snicker every time they see one roll up. But, they charge anywhere from $150 to $225 to repair. The dealership wanted $1,300 for a new wheel. To hell with that.
01-17-2020, 04:19 PM
#47
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01-17-2020, 04:19 PM
#48
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2016 C450 AMG
My dealership just quoted me $5200 for new wheels. Not sure if that was for two or four, but I have two with cracks. Time to dump this turd. No more Mercedes for me. So much for "The best or nothing"
01-17-2020, 05:40 PM
#49
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C450
If you have cracks that aren't massive, most wheel repair shops that do aluminum welding can do a repair. Takes about an hour to 90 minutes if there's no wait.
That all said, the rate of cracking on these wheels is crazy. I have the 18" 5-spoke wheels noted by bhcubed in June.
The shop I took my car to does about 3 wheel jobs a day (not all Mercedes). They're pretty much the only shop in the close in part of DC (Virginia side), and they're convenient to a metro.
01-17-2020, 05:50 PM
#50
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2016 C450 AMG
Definitely sounds like a set of four.
If you have cracks that aren't massive, most wheel repair shops that do aluminum welding can do a repair. Takes about an hour to 90 minutes if there's no wait.
That all said, the rate of cracking on these wheels is crazy. I have the 18" 5-spoke wheels noted by bhcubed in June.
The shop I took my car to does about 3 wheel jobs a day (not all Mercedes). They're pretty much the only shop in the close in part of DC (Virginia side), and they're convenient to a metro.
If you have cracks that aren't massive, most wheel repair shops that do aluminum welding can do a repair. Takes about an hour to 90 minutes if there's no wait.
That all said, the rate of cracking on these wheels is crazy. I have the 18" 5-spoke wheels noted by bhcubed in June.
The shop I took my car to does about 3 wheel jobs a day (not all Mercedes). They're pretty much the only shop in the close in part of DC (Virginia side), and they're convenient to a metro.
