So on Jan 2nd, I took the Evo to my local dealer to get my new all season tires mounted for the winter. When I picked up the car I noticed that the finish on every wheel had been scratched around the bead where the mounting tool rides, along with multiple impact marks around the recessed lug nut holes. I immediately walked in to the service manager and complained. After a bunch of aggravation, the dealership agreed to re-finish the wheels. I then asked what the process was to re-finish, since i didn't want a "band-aid spray paint job." I was told they would be sandblasted and re-finished by a professional third-party. I agreed that was fine and two weeks later dropped the car off and picked up my rental. When I picked up the vehicle later that evening I noticed right away there were still visible scratches around the bead, and the sandblasting looked like it was done with a scotch-brite pad. I swallowed my pride and cut my losses since they were decent and I planned on powder coating soon.

Now getting to the point. I rotated my tires this weekend, now that the weather is getting nicer here in Ohio. When I took off my wheels my heart dropped. Every Brembo is scratched and chipped to all hell, most of the damage was hidden inside the quarter inch gap, between the rim and brake making it impossible to see without taking the wheels off. I assume when they mounted the wheels, they set the wheel on top of the brake and rotated the wheel to align the holes which scratched the **** out of them.

I know this is from the hack who mounted my wheels or the third party company who refinished them. Another example of the workmanship, I also noticed the pinch weld was bent over from someone jacking the car up and the lug-nuts were very tight so I checked the torque, and they were at 115!

The car is eight months old and has only been touched by myself and the dealership, and I know for a fact I did not cause any of this damage. I guess I should have went straight home and checked for any damage, but it was sooo cold I did not. I went today to speak with the manager, and he basically said theres nothing he could do. Also, he told me that he "wished I would of bought the car from him." and that "from a business aspect, he cant say anything" which made me want to strangle him. Anyways my questions are...

The manager said maybe something got caught while driving, between the rim and brake causing the scratches, has anyone experienced this? On all 4? Highly doubt, but have to ask.

Now that it's been 6 weeks since Ive had the wheels refinished, am I too late to lawyer up? Is it worth my time and money? Do I have a leg to stand on?

I can tell by speaking with the manager that he knows they did it but hes still refusing to take any accountability.

Advise?

 

I never take my car to the dealer. Only if motor & trany goes.
I dont care whats covered by warranty everything else i take care on my own.

 

Advice, forget it to late my friend

 

I usually dont either but i dont have the tools to mount and balance tires. I honestly dont let anyone touch my car but i needed tires.

 

Yeah, you're kinda hosed more than likely. The only thing you can really do is see what they say. One thing for sure, avoid that dealership.

As far whether or not you're overreacting: No, I don't think so. You paid for the car, and you paid for their service(s). The vehicle shouldn't incur damage beyond what's unavoidable like minor marks on fasteners, while in for service.

 

Yeah, forget it. At least you can't see it when rims are mounted! I never return to dealerships

 

Totally crappy situation man, sorry to hear it. I hate to say it, but I think it would be tough to prove without before/after photos, etc. Usually in cases like this you have to rely on the dealer being willing to make it right and not wanting to lose a customer. If the dealer sucks, you may be out of luck. Pursuing it legally is likely to cost more than its worth since its "he said, she said" at this point. Sucks because its almost certainly something they caused given that all 4 wheels came off twice - plenty of opportunity to f it up.

 

Google places, my friend. Leave a honest review so other people can avoid this. Be factual, but tell the truth. Other people will avoid this place, they will lose money, and hopefully get their stuff together.

In addition to that you might try writing to someone higher up on the chain.

 

I have pictures of he brakes from when I rotated the Yoko's. I only have a few, but you can tell their mint. Also, that was the last time I rotated (touched) the rims prior to getting new tires. I feel like Im screwed but I know it was them. I thought I was doing the right thing by taking the wheels and tires to a dealership rather than a conrads or something

 

I've already left a message with corporate and I will definitely be leaving reviews.

 

Also, when I was looking to buy my evo i went to this same dealership. I ended up getting a better deal somewhere else and I know the manager remembers me. Its like hes paying me back now for not buying from them

 

i'd just let it go. going after them to fix their first mistake already put you in a worse position than you were before. find a shop or shops that can handle things the way you expect. a good shop can't/won't be more expensive than the dealership.

at least it is just minor cosmetic things and not something that messes up driveability.

your stock wheels will get a little chew up with use and always mounting and dismounting from the car....it's inevitable....the enkei's paint is very tough though. the calipers will also get little marks and also discolor once you really start driving your car.

these things are all easily and affordably refinished if you're really bothered by it or something down the line. give it 6 months and see how much you still care about it.....

 

Do you have any pictures?

 

I had the same situation, my wheels all got scratched and my brembos got chipped.

Honestly though, the dealer has taken care of me on more than one occasion so I'm not too concerned. At the end of the day, wheels get chipped and brakes get faded. If they ever actually damage the car's body, that's different.

 

Sadly your situation is fairly common. I have said many times that taking your Evo to a Mitsubishi dealership should void the warranty. The brake caliper finish, while a bummer, is really not that big of a deal if you can't see it with the wheels mounted. I would recommend taking the wheels to a good powder coating shop, and getting them coated in the exact color you want. A good coating shop that does wheels will be able to fix your wheels blemishes so you will never know they were there.