Monday: So I hit a brick on the road (thank you Illinois Department of Transportation) which caused a flat tire (sidewall gash) and a bent rim. I changed the tire myself (not the first time) in a nearby parking lot and used the alignment pin as directed in the manual.

Now the fun starts...when I tried to remove the alignment pin, it jammed. I used a set of pliers I keep in the trunk and this still didn't work. I tried to remove it for 45 minutes in the 20F cold to no success. I figured if I couldn't remove a simple pin with pliers, I could drive home on it.

Tuesday: Made a trip to the tire shop to try to have the pin removed and my tire fixed. They were able to remove the pin (which was shredded and had no threads left), but then told me the housing of the lug nut was also without threads since I drove with the pin in place. This supposedly ruined the internal threads that hold the lug nut in place.

I called the MB Dealership from the tire shop and explained the situation, the rep told me that I should have called MB Roadside Emergency Service to change my tire and that it sounds like this was my fault. He asked me to call back in the morning and set up an appointment so an MB Tech can see the car firsthand.

I also called my insurance and this type of damage is covered by them.

Wednesday: Made my appointment and am EXTREMELY annoyed that I might not have a car for the next few days because of this.

Questions:

1) Am I liable for not calling Roadside Service to change my tire? I used only supplied MB Equipment to perform the change myself as directed in the owners manual which was GIVEN to me along with the MB Equipment.

2) Does anyone know what the part is called that houses the lug nut? Estimated cost of replacement and/or repair?

3) If MB denies any faulty equipment or responsibility, can I get my car serviced and repaired through my insurance at MB? How do major insurance companies decide where you can get your car serviced at?

4) WHY ARE THE ROADS SO CROWDED THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING? DOESN'T ANYONE PLAN AHEAD???

Thanks guys and have a GREAT Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend!!!

 

It's called the wheel hub. It's expensive and labor to replace is not insignificant.

You don't have lug nuts, you have lug bolts.

It's quite possible to screw the wheel alignment pin all the way through the threads in the hub, i.e. it doesn't bottom. If you do this, you're going to have to hold it straight to get it to thread back out. Absolutly zero muscle is required nor desirable in installing this pin to help align the wheel.

This, unfortunately is simply operator error.

There is simply zero liability on the part of Mercedes.

You have a VERY generous insurance agent if this is going to be covered.

But first of all I'd let the dealer look at it to verify whether it's true the threads in the hub are ruined. If you properly tightened the other four lug bolts before driving, there should have been little opportunity for damage to the threads in the 5th hub hole. The pin itself is very soft aluminum. So far it's pretty likely the only folks that have seen your car have zip for Mercedes experience.