Watchdog: Rusty alloys in a fix

The main appeal of alloys is their looks – a distinctive set of wheels can really set your car apart. So corrosion on the spokes is going to bug any car fan, and reader Karl Vincent is no different.

When he found marks covering three of the four alloys on his 2009 Mercedes C220 CDI Sport, he took the car straight to his dealer to raise a warranty claim.

Photos of the wheels were sent off to Mercedes’ head office, but the company agreed to replace only two of the three alloys, as the third had some damage.

“I was astonished,” said Karl, from Aberdeen. “There was a small stone chip on one of the spokes, but plenty of corrosion on the other spokes.”

Karl appealed the decision, yet Mercedes wouldn’t listen. A customer service representative wrote to him explaining: “I have reviewed the pictures taken by Mercedes-Benz of Aberdeen and confirm there is damage to the areas where the corrosion can be seen. This can only be due to an outside influence. Therefore, we will not be changing the original decision for this wheel.”

Karl told us: “It just doesn’t seem right. I really look after my cars. It seems as if Mercedes is trying to weasel out of its responsibility on a technicality.”

After seeing a picture of Karl’s wheel for ourselves, we got on to the firm to fight his corner. Surely the fact that there was corrosion on the undamaged spokes, and that two undamaged wheels had also been affected by heavy corrosion, meant that he had a genuine claim?

Mercedes disagreed. A spokesman said: “The corrosion that has caused the rejection is as a direct result of untreated stone chips giving the corrosion an ‘in’ into the wheel. It’s a genuine rejection.”

But we still got a good result for Karl. The spokesman said the firm would cover the cost of the wheel as a goodwill gesture.

Karl was delighted. “That’s fantastic,” he said. “It’s amazing what impact Auto Express can have with a problem like this.”

The problem
Three of the wheels on Karl’s C-Class were corroded, but Mercedes would only replace two under warranty, as there was damage to the third.

Mercedes' response
Although Mercedes refused to accept that Karl had a genuine case, the firm did agree to replace the third wheel as a goodwill gesture.

Legal advice
Karl could have contacted industry regulator Motor Codes (0800 692 0825). It offers an arbitration service for motorists in dispute with manufacturers. Car companies have to abide by any decision it makes, too.

Our verdict
Mercedes’ policy may be to reject a claim if the wheel is damaged, but manufacturers need to know when to apply common sense. The wheels on Karl’s car were obviously susceptible to corrosion.

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