How To Save Money On Wheel Repair

By Brian Alexander
Dinged your rim(s) on a curb, did you? It’s ok, don’t panic. Almost everyone does it. First and foremost, whatever you do, don’t buy a new one! New rims are incredibly expensive and most blemishes and even deep scratches can be repaired fairly easily. 
 
Get yourself over to a local wheel shop that does rim repair as soon as you can. They’ll be able to tell you if you rim is repairable and how much it will cost you. Some shops will repair rims for under $100 each, but expect to pay no more than $200 for a really good patch job. Basically, they fill in the nicks and scratches with a putty-like substance and then paint over the entire rim. This is where it can get tricky.
 
You’re going to need to get your hands on the exact finish that’s on your rims. Wheel shops will want to charge you a fortune to sample and color match your paint, but the parts department at a local dealer can usually order a can of finish so long as you give them the make, model, year and trim of your vehicle. It shouldn’t be more than a few dollars. Pick up the paint and take it in to the wheel repair shop to avoid unnecessary charges. 
 
If your wheels are gouged beyond repair, look into refurbished wheels. There are parts recyclers out there for just about every make that refurbish old rims and sell them at a reduced cost. They won’t be as shiny and blemish-free as new wheels, but the cost savings makes them well worth it.
 



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