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Had my ‘13 SL550 in for service and they say my right rear wheel has 5 cracks in it and want $1,700 to replace it. It holds air just fine but if it’s truly cracked I want to replace it just for safety purposes but $1,700 seems outrageous. I had to have the front one replaced along with a tire as a pot hole took out both at the same time, but the front rim was only $940. Seems like a huge difference considering the rears are only 1” wider. Am I being taken or does this sound reasonable to you? A quick check on e-bay shows a number of “refurbished “ rims in the $700-$800 range but I’m always leery of buying from an unknown source.
Other factor is that I don’t plan on keeping this car forever, but will likely have if until the new SL’s are a bit more readily available and not going for huge amounts over sticker.
Sounds exactly what I would expect MB to charge. Not even the least bit surprised at that quote. Those prices are why I have aftermarket wheels now. I had multiple cracked wheels, but only one leaked. When I checked MB and saw their replacement quotes I just left and ordered some AM wheels. I actually sold my cracked wheels to a repair company that refinishes/repairs them. The sale of my cracked wheels paid for my replacement wheels. Couldn't be happier.
Originally Posted by SteveL1
Had my ‘13 SL550 in for service and they say my right rear wheel has 5 cracks in it and want $1,700 to replace it. It holds air just fine but if it’s truly cracked I want to replace it just for safety purposes but $1,700 seems outrageous. I had to have the front one replaced along with a tire as a pot hole took out both at the same time, but the front rim was only $940. Seems like a huge difference considering the rears are only 1” wider. Am I being taken or does this sound reasonable to you? A quick check on e-bay shows a number of “refurbished “ rims in the $700-$800 range but I’m always leery of buying from an unknown source.
Other factor is that I don’t plan on keeping this car forever, but will likely have if until the new SL’s are a bit more readily available and not going for huge amounts over sticker.
Last edited by ThatsMyDawg; Sep 14, 2022 at 08:56 AM.
Our 2014 had a cracked right front wheel and I got a similar quote from the closest MB dealership. Took it an independent that specializes in european vehicles and he got a replacement that looks new for $990 including labor to change and balance. I don't know where he sourced it from, but was able to get it quickly so they must be readily available.
'13 SL550 Mars Red, Designo White interior, B and O sound
I looked and looked and, given my urgent need for a replacement (three cracks and leaking air), I did the following: I opened a new credit card account with a $200 cash back after spending >$500; I checked the local tire shop where I've done business for years and they confirmed they could get the wheel at the same price as at the dealership ($900: front 19"); they also would take care of the core return issue (you need to return the old wheel to recoup the $150 deposit they charge so inconvenience and gas, tolls, etc.); and they got it within a day. So for about the same price as from the UK (linked elsewhere above) and overnight – rather than a week to ten days (optimistically, apparently) – I came out about the same cost but way ahead in terms of convenience.
In the first two years we had our R231, we 'cracked' two rims; when the third cracked, I went aftermarket with wheels from Avant Garde. For the next three years, zero cracks; I am a believer in the aftermarket, or the forged AMG wheel. They were still in great shape when we parted with the car a bit over a year ago.
2006 CLS55 AMG Sold 2010 E550 Coupe totaled by mechanic, '13 SL550 I totaled it, 2017 SL63 current
How could a car as over engineered as an MB have such poor quality rims? I would crack a rim on my CLS55 AMG literally every week. Luckily my friend owns a wheel repair shop but there are only some many times you can repair it. Granted I lived in NY and the roads are horrible, but that was just completely absurd. In fact, it was the sole reason I sold the car. Now even in Miami, everytime I hit a bump I'm waiting for the tire to go flat due to a crack.
2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, 2024 BMW I7 xDrive60
It’s the ridiculously low profile tires. Hit a big hole or other object and all that force has no place to go, so the wheel cracks. Add “run flat technology” to the mix and we have a recipe for disaster. When tires had more compliant, deeper sidewalls, cracked wheels were very few and far between. In addition, my personal belief is that the car companies love this. It’s a cash cow for them, with dealers even selling insurance to cover the under engineered wheels and idiotic tires. Just my opinion, of course.
I know I post this photo a lot, but these are my kind of sidewalls:
Last edited by Streamliner; Sep 18, 2022 at 10:40 AM.
We had one leaking air and cracked. We had another that had been welded and fixed before we bought the car. We replaced them with these Mandrus wheels. We like the looks and they are problem free. The Mercedes replacement wheel was $1200 plus tax. We have really liked the car and the pros outnumber the cons by far. But some things I would think they would do better.
How could a car as over engineered as an MB have such poor quality rims? I would crack a rim on my CLS55 AMG literally every week. Luckily my friend owns a wheel repair shop but there are only some many times you can repair it. Granted I lived in NY and the roads are horrible, but that was just completely absurd. In fact, it was the sole reason I sold the car. Now even in Miami, everytime I hit a bump I'm waiting for the tire to go flat due to a crack.
Those are just cheap cast aluminum wheels, designed for the stiffer run-flat sidewalls. But historically all SL's have inner tire war in the rear even when properly aligned (same with the R230). We had multiple cracked wheels (Brabus) until a Master tech suggested to just add a couple of PSI to the std. pressure listed on the fuel filler cover.
Since then, no more inner tire wear (actually some but very minor - not reducing the lifespan) and zero wheel issue since. We definitely hit a lot of potholes over the years... Ooh and we got rid of run flats tires as soon as we got the cars
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
