VW sold me a car with after market wheels

[boycie_2010]

2 years ago I bought a car from the local VW dealer in Swindon. The car was their Managing Directors and had been modified slightly - body trim, window tints etc. and a set of 22" alloy wheels (non VW).

Last weekend I took the car into a tyre centre to have them look at a suspected puncture. Well upon removing the wheel and tyre they discovered that the wheel had 4 cracks in the inside wheel rim. These cracks do not look like impact cracks and the guy in the tyre centre said "I'd take this straight back to VW mate".

I then went to the nearest VW dealership (not the one I bought the car from) and the used car sales manager put the car up on the ramps to inspect the other wheels and then said "they should never have sold you this car with these wheels as the are not fit for purpose" !

 

The dealership is saying that I knew that the car had after market wheels fitted to it and that it's not their problem ! What can I do to take this further ? I've already been to another VW dealer and they have also said that the wheels are not suitable for the car. The wheel dealership that sold the wheels to the MD at VW have said that there is nothing wrong with the size and spec of the wheels and that they are going to investigate why the rims cracked "but suspect normal driving impact, potholes etc.)

 

Where do I stand ??:-|

[kwaks]

Cant see any easy solution unless the wheel manufacturers replace.

 

VW will never recommend aftermarket wheels on their vehicles, it closes down a potential revenue stream for them and in this world of litigation it is easier to be safe than sorry.

[Conniff]

Not another managing directors car, when are they going to think up some other sales pitch.

 

I take it the car was used and not new?

 

If you can get the dealers who said they were not fit for purpose to put that in black and white, then you stand a good chance with the seller.

 

Are the 'aftermarket' part indicated on any of the paperwork that came when you bought it?

[heliosuk]

Not so sure Conniff as there are cracks and there are cracks. The wheels would really need an x ray or ultrasound to determine if the crack is a crack. A tyre centre is certainley not able to determine this and is probably reffering to cracks in the lacquer which is not structural.

 

Having said that, what is worrying is that a VW dealer would sell a newish car with wheel sizes that are not specified for that model as they would or ought to know it would invalidate the warranty not just on the wheels but also on the drive train and suspension.

 

It's funny, this reminds me of a VAG course I attended in Milton Keynes some 30 years ago where the class was reminded that the fitting of non approved wheels led to handling and increased warranty problems so should be discouraged and avoided at all costs. In my current position I would wholeheartedly agree with this.

[boycie_2010]

Yeah car was used, not new. Genuine MDs car, it's on the log book and it took me 6 weeks to buy the car !

Wheels not mentioned on original paperwork. I'm sure the other VW dealership will put it in writing if I ask them nicely.

The tyre and wheel place where I took the damaged wheel to are pretty big and are going to send the wheel away for some NDT.

[heliosuk]

Be aware that NDT is not all it seems as there are a few methods of doing this as I reckon you will know by the use of the letters NDT. A dye and light test will show up surface fatigue which might be expected but you need to look at potential or actual structual fatigue. These methods are expensive and I have yet to come across any company that does it for nought. In fact it's probably worth more than the wheel. So treat the report with caution before deciding what to do next unless it has gone through the proper method.