[AndrewC1989]

Originally Posted by Mosely

New wheel is probably cheaper than trying to repair that.

Not in my experience. I've had 2 rims curbed and repaired so far in my 2 years of ownership and it was less than $200 each time. New wheels are like $800 a pop.

[DanG]

Originally Posted by Spa2k

Go shopping for the wheels at the vendors here - I paid under $750, delivered.

The problem he has is that he is in the UK. The shipping is too high from a US vendor.

[Spa2k]

The way the dealers discount the cars over there, a couple of dealers must have a thriving discount-parts business.

[azibux1]

Originally Posted by pruettfan

Forged wheels get weakened by welding and reheating, I wouldn't trust that wheel. Cosmetically it might look fine but why risk it? There is a reason TUV does not allow these type of repairs. If it is simple curb rash of course that is not a big deal

OP, Make sure you find a good shop with experience in these wheels, I drove 400 miles to get mine fixed because nobody in my area could match the finish. The alternative is to buy a new wheel which is just under a $1,000 USD. Make sure the dealer fully inspects your suspension when they do the alignment

It was just a curb mark but it was unfortunately a bit deep, so they just welded it to bring it back level with the rest of the wheel so they didn't have to cut too deep when doing the diamond cut

[M4SW]

I ran out of talent in my Golf R a few years back. Try Lepsons for wheel repair. I think they are in Kent.

Good luck with the steering issue. Sounds like the wheels are the least of your worries.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by akkando

If you go through insurance will it be an accident car on the car fax?

Originally Posted by Smindustries

He's in the UK, so I can't speak for whatever is used over there, but in the US, going through insurance generally does not result in a Carfax data point. Insurers in most states are liable for diminished value payouts, and vehicle history reports are the easiest way for a claimant to justify a claim. It is not in the interest of insurers to share that data with Carfax.

That said, Carfax has data agreements with companies that make products for body shops, such as Chief frame machines. When a car goes onto a Chief machine to check for damage, the machine asks for the VIN to pull up the correct specs. Chief collects that data and shares it with Carfax.

Any time the police are called and they generate an accident report, that data is shared with Carfax because police reports are public records. Never call the cops.

Source: Once upon a time I worked for Carfax in the role of Source Data Analyst.

Very true story and an excellent reporting of exactly when and how carfax gets notified.

This should be common knowledge for car enthusiasts but many don't know how carfax works.

I was aware of all of this except for how the frame machine by the company Chief is involved. Culling public records for data is one thing but .... taking data that's used for repairs and then passing it on to an outside vendor for $ pay$ ..... Ouch. That's actually kinda sleazy.

Based on my own experience seeing many carfax reports , I can confirm that there are a number of chain body shop vendors that apparently use the CHIEF frame machine.

As an employee of an insurance company , I am continually telling people , WE ( insurers ) don't notify carfax of an accident. Personally , it's my own opinion that the majority of insurers don't share information with carfax simply due to privacy laws as well as the fact that insurers don't share their work product unless there is a legal reason/requirement to do so.

Whatever the reason is however , as stated above, insurance companies don't play nice with carfax.

Originally Posted by Cibbersicks

Luckily it happened near my local dealer, so I managed to limp her back to them and have left it there for them to take a look at tomorrow.

I'd rather not go through insurance but if it's going to be thousands I'll have no choice.

I'll agree with the other individual who indicated the wheels are the least concern. I had a collision in my own car after a young driver pulled out in front of me.

If your steering wheel is off on a modern bmw , repair charges will escalate quickly. If the tie rod is damaged then likely the dealer will recommend a complete new steering rack ... " just to be sure ". Once that happens you will be into a several thousand dollar repair and you likely may want to use your insurance.

If you didn't call the cops to get your car towed , then make sure to ask the body shop if they have a chief frame machine and if they do then run far - run fast !!

[CosmosMpower]

Originally Posted by andrewc89

Not in my experience. I've had 2 rims curbed and repaired so far in my 2 years of ownership and it was less than $200 each time. New wheels are like $800 a pop.

Local wheel repair shops here charge 100-200 a wheel to fix and refinish. You probably need to do both wheels on one side of the car or else it won't match.

[AndrewC1989]

Originally Posted by CosmosMpower

Local wheel repair shops here charge 100-200 a wheel to fix and refinish. You probably need to do both wheels on one side of the car or else it won't match.

I got lucky and got great matches both times. Depends on the repair shop I guess.