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I have stopped driving the car. I contacted the company to get a resolution late Friday the 15th. I was told that the warranty department would look at the pictures and contact me asap.
I was contacted this morning(Monday the 18th) by a representative letting me know that they would replace the wheels free of charge. They also recommended that I change wheels to the original style that was stock on the LS430. I wanted to change to that style anyway so that was a welcome surprise as well.
I understand the pros and cons to purchasing replica wheels and that they may not be up to the standards of OEM. Just wanted to relay the info that they were standing behind their product and making it right.
I wont post the company or website but if you want to know you can PM me and I will respond.
Personally I would throw them in the trash and toss it out as a learning experience. No way I would run them again.
Thats great they are making it right...but an inferior quality product is still an inferior quality product...its not a piece of trim or something that can fail and be of no safety consequence...these are the cars wheels...
This does happen:
I could never feel confident the wheels wouldn't crack and fail again. Has nothing to do with the style of the wheels...their wheels are just junk.
The wheels just failed. That happens with these knock off wheels. Had you continued driving on your cracked wheels this could have happened to you too. Could have been a curb, pothole..anything...
They also recommended that I change wheels to the original style that was stock on the LS430. I wanted to change to that style anyway so that was a welcome surprise as well.
Lucky you caught this when you were DIY replacing your brake pads. You likely avoided a serious accident. Did they say why they want you to "go back to original style" that was OEM? The wheels that failed are 18" made in china. Are you going to a smaller size wheel? (which means new tires) or thicker/fewer wheel spokes and/or chrome? You're gonna have to keep a close eye on the "new" wheels.
I've learned that you get what you pay for, go for drop forged rims or a well known company because not only are they stronger but they are lighter as well and that means not much but increased gas mileage and more power as lighter wheels will be easier on the engine and transmission to move by a small amount. You can luck out most of the time on used wheels when people don't have the space for them.
Despite the numerous auto regulations in the U.S., the NHTSA and NTSB apparently allow hazardous "replica" wheels to be imported and sold without restrictions or specifications.
Wow, you dodged a bullet there. Although that brand or manufacturer may be bad, not all less expensive aftermarket wheels are in the same category. If you want the OEM look, you can get 4 after market for for the price of 1 OEM and possibly risk what you have or you're going to have to pony up some serious cash.
When looking for wheels for my 2002 that where starting to show their age, I stumbled across a great deal on Ebay being sold from a Lexus dealer. I guess a customer ordered them and never picked them up. I picked them up right from the dealer. The tires (Michelin MXWv4's) still had the stickers on them and the tire and wheel set was $800. The wheels were MSW "Type 14" made by O.Z. I have about 70,000 - 80,000 miles and maybe 2 1/2 season or so of Chicago weather on them (Snow, salt, etc.) and they still look new. At about $114 a wheel, I think they look good and have held up very well. I take them off maybe 3 times a year or so for a thorough cleaning. There are no signs of pitting, cracking, etc.
Sorry if this is off topic but there are people out there that think if you don't spend over $1,000 or more on wheels, they are no good. There are some good after market wheels out there for a reasonable price.
Sorry if this is off topic but there are people out there that think if you don't spend over $1,000 or more on wheels, they are no good. There are some good after market wheels out there for a reasonable price.
I concur. Just read up on how wheels are constructed (ie. https://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech....jsp?techid=90), and then ask the seller about the construction before you buy. Plenty of aftermarkets make strong wheels, although whether you can find them cheaper than OEM is a different question.
