wheels777

I have 5000 miles on this car and am very careful with it.

You would think these wheels were made out of fine china.

A chip here, a couple of scratches there. I can't wait to see what they look like in another 10,000 miles. NO other cosmetic issues.

Dealer Service manager agrees they are delicate and Mercedes will pay for refinishing the wheels one time.

omgitselaine

Dude ... I see you're from NY so better be careful with the W212 wheels and our infamous potholes here especially in NYC !! I remember reading on another MB forum about a guy who also had a W212 and while drivign thru Times Square he hit a pothole and blew out 2 tires and damaged both wheels costing him an arm and a leg !! No to frighten you but just saying to be on the look !!!! Goood luck !!

K-A

Do you have the 5-Spoke Sport wheels?

I gotta say, just off of look and "feel", mine don't seem to be built with the same strength as the AMG's on my W211. I don't know if it's an illusion, but I guess I'll find out soon enough.

I figure if they start to get beat up, I can always get E63 wheels, but I know I don't wanna spend any more money on this car than I already have.

Also, are you saying M-B will repair these wheels one time, officially?

wheels777

Yes, I have the 5 Spoke Wheels.

After a conversation with the MB dealer service manager he spoke to the MB rep and told me that MB would refinish the wheels with damage (which is all 4) one time.

The service manager told me that the loaner cars (not just the E series) they have put into service have chips, scratches and nicks on the wheels after only 400 - 500 miles.

I have had numerous cars with many different alloy wheels and these are by far the LEAST durable. BTW, to the average person walking by the car the deterioration is not obvious but as one is washing and cleaning the car you start to notice more and more.

My E350 is a great car but these wheels (finish) are terrible. The worst for durability.

Ninjaryder

It appears that the 5-spoke sport wheels have a coating similar to teflon? The coating is for easy maintence & upkeep IMO but does not represent the overall durability of the wheel. The Cayman S wheels on my Porsche had the exact type of coating & never has issues. Has anyone had their factory wheels chromed? E-bay has a sight that does factory swap outs & chrome should add durability & a little flare to the E.

LaicepsYdobon

Wheel and Tire protection. Ask your dealer if they offer it.

petee1997

My wheels are still immaculate but they are very vulnerable to damage from curbs. This does not happen on my Porsche because the tire bulges out past the rim lip and prevents the wheel from making direct contact to the curb.

wheels777

0 curb damage here!

I wish I understood how thin scratches and small chips have occured on these wheels.

mbuster25

I have the split 5 spoke alloy wheels. This wheel is a b*tch to clean. Not sure about their scratch resistance but I can say the fit/finish is not as good as Lexus vehicles. It should be more scratch resistant than the clearcoat on the car, considering it is a wheel.

If Mercedes knows about the problem with easy scratching, they should do something.

pmb600

Just curious, but can you share any pictures. I am interested to see what the damage looks like.

wheels777

ipp

It seems like people are complaining a lot about the 18" 5-spoke wheels. Never heard any complains about the 18" double spoke AMG-wheels.

ESIX3POWER

I have the 18" double spoke AMG wheels and so far no issues, ive hit some pretty bad potholes and luckily no bend or damage or minor scratches. Does any one know if the AMG wheels are stronger than the 5 spoke ? I would guess so..

K-A

I think that AMG Wheels are stronger, not sure though (would be nice if that wasn't the case now for me).

My 211's AMG Wheels felt very strong, compared to these wheels, but again, that's just me feeling and observing the wheel, not much of an accurate comparison.

I would have jumped on the AMG Wheels, but I personally am not a big fan of the dual-spoke 6-spokes. I've always been a 5-spoke kinda person. Too bad I couldn't have my cake and eat it too this time around.

wheels777

The photos of the wheels I posted depict normal and careful driving conditions. Not exactly Mercedes or luxury car qualities. $15000 cars don't do this.

Apparently the paint and clear coat reflect poor durability. The franchise that refinishes wheels are going to get a good amount of business from 5 spoke customers as time goes on.
http://www.awrswheelrepair.com/

I had the chance to get the AMG wheels on the identical car for $750, but I happen to like the 5 spoke styling.

These happen to be the worst wheels for durability that I have seen in just observing other make cars. There may be only one other manufacturer that has a worse problem, and that is Toyota with painted alloy. In my area the paint actually bubbles up in patches and flakes off but that takes at least 3-4 years

lewylou78

Damn, I wanted to get these 18" E-Class 5-spoke wheels for my 2010 C-Class, but may opt for some other wheels after reading this

way2evil

How are you cleaning your wheels? Those scratch marks are not from driving. The chips probably are but not the scratches.

wheels777

When I first got the the MB in November 09 I was using a touch-less car wash. http://deltasoniccarwash.com/carwash/index.htm

The car wash had nylon rails that the tires track in to guide it through.
Stopped using that since I was concerned that the rails might be causing the damage. I posted on car washes before.
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...ightmares.html

I now hand wash using one mitt for the car and another for the wheels/tires with water changes in between. When I wash I make sure there isn't any grit on the mitts. Besides the car is not all that dirty when I do wash about once a week.

To have to baby a car like this is absurd.

Keep in mind the Mercedes Dealer service manager told me that his experiences with these and some other wheels was that they mark, chip and scratch easily from regular daily use.

The car is great except for ****ty wheels. IMO, MB Wheels manufactured with water base paints and coatings do not hold up to even careful use.

OR, Maybe it's because the wheels are convex in shape and tend to protrude out from the tire and this causes normal road dirt and stones to easily hit during driving.