Two weeks with this car, and first a ding on Day 2, and then yesterday got two flats and a cracked rim =*( I'm Italian, and a strong believer in the mallochio (evil eye), and I really REALLY feel that some jealous $#*&@ put the horns on me when I got my car. I had to get an evil eye bracelet and tie it to my "oh $heeeyit handle", for protection lol.

Got everything fixed up today though ($1,200 later). But I have a few questions for you guys:

First, I've now been hearing that Benzes are very prone to these kinds of mishaps, especially on the rims. Is this true? What's your experience with tires/wheels on your rides?

Second, I was talked out of a professional rim fixer by the tire guy. I heard of this welder here in NY (Whitey's Welding), that specialize in rims. I had 10 people tell me it was great, and at only $75, you can't go wrong. But 2 people told me that it wasn't a good idea, that it would be discolored, and that heating the alloy and shaping it causes it to weaken. I even heard that if I hit a pothole in the same spot it could be dangerous, cracking again (and worse) possibly on the highway, etc. I had visions of spending $75 only to get stuck spending $450 on a new rim anyway, so I just opted to buy the new rim. In my head, it's a two week old Benz, it deserves to ride on properly colored, sufficiently strong wheels, and I'd probably regret it if I went the cheap route anyway. But since coming back from the dealership, I've had an additional two people tell me that I was nuts, and that welding the cracked rim is fine, and I would have saved myself almost $400. What's your thoughts on this?

Lastly, I was not offered tire/rim insurance by the dealership. Had they offered, and told me that MB's (especially sport models with low profile tires) were especially prone to this, I would have taken it. But I wasn't offered it, and BAM! this happens before the car even has 500 miles on it. You guys think it would get me anywhere complaining to MB, and possibly get them to split the cost with me or something? Or do you think it'll just be a big waste of time lol.

Either way, thanks for reading, and I appreciate any input you guys might have on this =)

-Chris

 

Depending on the extent of damage to you rim it may or may not be possible to safely repair it. I had one alloy wheel repaired on my old Benz years ago and it was fine. The wheels are painted so no colour difference and it looked brand new. I hit many potholes in the years after and no issues whatsoever.

With low profile tires there is very little rubber between the road and the rim so you need to be careful. No worse on a Benz than any other car.

 

That dent is easily repairable and won't require welding. The people you talked to are idiots.

 

The only difference is that a Benz is heavier than a lot of other cars with similar low profile tires....read the manual. There is NOTHING you can do as the manual clearly states wheels are subject to damage with low profile tires (or something along those lines). Some have even switched from 18" to 17" wheels because they got tired of replacing rims. I on the other hand keep considering changing 17" to 18" but my wife would kill me if she ever had a problem due to the low profile tires.

 

E series are no more susceptible to bent rims than any other car. Quite simply, 3 inches of sidewall can't readily protect a rim or suspension components - regardless of the type of car. This affects VW's, Audis, BMW, MB and anyone else using a low profile tires.

That must have been a really nasty pothole the OP hit. He should document that on that jurisdiction's website and file a claim.

 

Go to your dealer and ask them if they sell Fidelity tire and rim insurance.
I paid for that $920 2 weeks after I leased my car and it's already paid off. From November 2009 I changed 1 rim and 2 tires. I think another two tires will be changed at the end of this winter... PM me if you need more info.

 

Wow...how in the world did you ding that rim? If you hit a large pothole, then blame the city for that...not the wheel.

Not sure you can blame the wheels for this, but if you are saying the wheel alloy is soft and tend to bend easily, not sure how to prove that.

 

Search the 212 forum. Im pretty sure you will find a rim problem thread every other page.

I too had to replace a flat tire after hitting a pothole. Now I drive like a madman swerving around each and every pothole / road imperfection I can...

I would have spent that money with a little extra and bought aftermarket wheels.

Maybe something to consider if you have the same problem in the future...

 

I had a double blowout last February on the passenger side of the car 1/4 mile from the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel going into NYC on a cold rainy night. Have to be careful with 18 inch rims. It is even worse with the airmatic suspension that comes on the e550. I switched to 17 inch rims to reduce chance of blowouts since I live with the crappy New Jersey roads. Don't expect any renumeration from Mercedes but not too late to get the tire and wheel insurance. I would only do this if I lived in an area with generally crappy roads. You may have had your one unlucky event. BTW, congrats on the new car. The e350's are great, a true built like a tank Mercedes. The e350 engine is great with enough hp and lots of torque. The car can be stepped on to move when needed. Some say its under powered for the class but I don't agree. Enjoy. Regards. Ned.

 

Fair enough. In my mind I was thinking of comparable cars e.g, BMW 535xi, that are just as heavy.

 

I see you are from NY, Which dealer?
I had my rim bent within the 1st week of ownership and the dealership took care of my issue immediately.

 

I'm surprised you guys bend those. They are pretty hefty. My dad ordered a set of those off ebay to use as his winter wheels so when they came in, I weighed one. 25lbs.

Point is, I don't understand how these are bending so easily. BMW wheels are known for bending if you run over a pebble, but that's because they are made out of **** aluminum and only weigh 22lbs or so for similar sizes. Audi and Mercedes wheels weigh about the same, yet over on Audizine, there are never bent wheel threads.

What gives, Mercedes?

 

Yeah I live in Staten Island, and the roads here are miserableeeeee. I'm waiting to hear back from the dealer on the rim/tire insurance. Really wish I would have known this before though. This is gonna round me out at $2000 now if I do it =( With the roads here though, and the sensitivity of the low profile tires, I'm sure I'm gonna need it.

GSC, I got the car through a client of mine who owns a leasing company. The dealership who I signed with through them was Mercedes Benz of Greenwich (CT).

Thanks for the thoughts and opinions guys, much appreciated =)

 

where on SI was the pothole, i live on the island and dont wanna see that!

 

Johnny, the pothole was on Rockland Ave and Brielle. I reported it though, and they fixed it a few days later. See attached pic.

EDIT - It's not letting me upload, so here are a few links:

Picture 1

Picture 2

 

FIGURES!

i got a bubble in my sidewall of my tire on MANOR ROAD between Brielle and the Jewish center by wagner, its was ANKLE DEEP!

 

Yeah Johnny, the roads here are awful. Funny thing is, I was going to take that exact route down Manor, but opted instead for Brielle. I've cursed myself 1000 times since then for not going that way lol. But it looks like my situation probably would have happened either way! Like I said, someone put the horns on me and my new car lol, I'm absolutely convinced.

 

I had a double blowout in February and a pebble hit my windshield in March making a small crack right at eye level!! No curses since!!! Sh-t happens. Regards. Ned.