Fleets are being urged to turn their backs on the growing trend to fit company cars with ‘polished’ or ‘two-tone’ alloy wheels or risk a higher repair bill.
Activa Contracts is warning that motor manufacturers are increasingly fitting such wheels as standard or offering them as options and that could land fleets with a risk of increased end-of-contract repair bills.
Approximately a dozen mainstream motor manufacturers are fitting popular company car models with ‘polished’ or ‘two-tone’ alloy wheels or offering them as an option.
Whilst they may add street credibility in the showroom, damage caused by kerbing and subsequent corrosion is far more expensive to repair than for ‘traditional’ alloy wheels. Typically an alloy wheel will cost £40-£45 to repair, but the bill for the new-look wheel rises to £100 or much more.
Martin Hughes, remarketing manager at the Milton Keynes-headquartered contract hire and leasing company, said: “It is an avoidable cost for fleets. We are recommending that our customers think carefully before specifying cars that are fitted with ‘polished’ or ‘two-tone’ alloy wheels and that they discourage the fitment of these where they are available as optional extras.”
He continued: “Alloy wheel damage is one of the most common recharge items incurred by fleets along with missing spare keys and unrepaired chips in windscreens and with a little forethought these “hidden” costs can be eliminated or at least kept to a minimum. We work closely with our customers to keep their end-of-contract damage charges in check and have been very successful in developing fleet policies that have delivered major savings.”
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