Curb Rash-- it's so humiliating

[Serfchick]

subtitle option: Can we save this almost marriage...

OK ok... so my fiance (he may not marry me now) just bought an S (car of his dreams) that belongs to "us". We had it one week and I was just getting used to viewing the camera images and the dashboard "warnings" about getting too close to objects-- we park it in our very tight garage-- when he asked me to pull the car out of the driveway and park it in the street. I had no idea the warnings would not display for curb height obstacles. Just 1 minute earlier I was watching red and yellow lines as I gently pulled out of the garage-- then I go to park on the nice wide open street and viola' I hit the curb with the wheel (not even the tire-- the wheel) our beautiful perfect one-week old wheels. He was devastated. He's a car guy. He can't drive a car with wheel rash. He might as well put a box of tissues on the dashboard and an AutoClub sticker on the bumper.

I am sad and humiliated. Why... oh why don't the warnings work on curbs and why... oh why... didn't anyone tell me that I can't rely on them? And.. imagine my trying to explain that the reason I hit the curb was because I was expecting that when I got close it was going to warn me. Yes, he was livid.

Can this marriage be saved? I have lost all cred with him. How can I ask to drive the car again?

 

[zanary]

For a few hundred dollars there are mobile rim repair companies that will come to your place and repair the rim. It won't be 100% perfect, but 95% is a good number and I'm sure it might make things just a little easier in his mind...

 

[ewoodrick]

It happens to a lot of people. The wheels are wider than the tires

 

[ChadS]

The day after I bought one of my cars, I let my stepmother drive it, and she got two blocks before curbing it. It happens. (Another time, she only got one block on my electric bike before she crashed it. I guess the car is easier to drive than the bike). I see a LOT of curbed Tesla rims around here.

I took the curbed wheel in to a wheel repair place, and for $125 they patched it up so well I have absolutely no idea where the damage was.

 

[lowtek]

Replace the damaged rims with new ones immediately .. the only thing you can (and should) do .. new rims makes it right .. repair job? not so much because he'll always know ..

 

[Watts_Up]

Can this marriage be saved? I have lost all cred with him. How can I ask to drive the car again?

When there was some issues of that matter, my Dad always said something like: "It's better that having a broken leg!"

I would recommend watching some of the following videos, to think about various options.

Note: the Model 3 might be a little bit wider than your previous car, thus explaining why many people have the same problem.

I would recommend doing a wheel alignment, I did it for reference when the car was new and the toe was a little bit out of range on each wheel.

Also, when doing a rotation, do it only between front and rear but don't rotate left and right, otherwise you might only get all the wheel scratched...

 

[random155]

Ive also noticed, at the superchargers, that very FEW Teslas have rims that ARENT curbed. Its actually kind of crazy how many tesla wheels are rashed up. I will admit that the width of the car is very deceiving and and the turning radius isnt the best. While I have not curbed my wheels yet, I know i will misjudge a turn around a parking lot barrier or curb, sooner or later. Sorry it happened in such a short time of ownership. I'd pay someone to fix it, but if he's that much of a car enthusiast I'd also start shopping for some take off wheels that are perfect.

 

[ddawson]

I real repair shop will heat and add metal, smooth and repaint the wheel in a paint booth.

 

[geoffmanley]

Once you get a few more, you won't even notice anymore. Take it from me...

 

[cbo111]

Maybe some of these?

 

[Cheburashka]

My wife curbed 3 of the rims a week after we bought the car.

 

[inikkor]

$500 or less buys you a new wheel. It's not the end of the world. Man up!

 

[CrayZ1]

Auto parable:

Long ago, my wife and I saved up for a truly bad-arse sportscar. We were so gentle with it; we were terrified of it. One day she drove it to a shopping center to get some office supplies. She was only gone 20 minutes, and somebody keyed it all down one side. It is fiberglass, so it cut into the body through the hand polished metallic paint job.

We were angry. We were depressed.

But... it broke the car's cherry. Now we were free to really enjoy the car. That simple gouge turned a garage queen into a track demon. That's when we really learned to love the car. We still have it, and it still has the scratch. It still puts a grin on my face everytime I drift it around a corner.

If you worry about curbing a rim, or getting a door ding, you will never get the maximum enjoyment out of the car. Freedom has a price.

 

[AMPd]

My wife curbed 3 of the rims a week after we bought the car.

How DEVASTATING!

 

[Naekuh]

tell him you did it on purpose to justify getting upgraded 21's.
im sure he wont mind the rash then while he's looking at TMC classified for used rims.

 

[boaterva]

Yeah, tell me. First week GF was driving our new 3, she wasn’t used to it and curbed a wheel. She’s a lot better now but eek...

My X I’m careful to keep away from curbs and use the mirrors (a profile with tilted mirrors helps).

Is there a reason these wheels do extend and are prone to getting wrecked? I’ve never seen an answer. Something to do with the load requirement?

 

[aerodyne]

I discourage my wife driving our MS, but then she went and bought a M-B S class 560. The thing is huge. Now I have to worry about her messing up that car...as well as door dings in the garage!

 

[P85DBeast]

Ugh, curb rash. All my wheels are curbed. Once it happens again you'll be over it. I was so upset when I curbed my wheels on my car but now since they ALL are curbed I don't care as much if someone did happen to curb them. My front passenger wheel is curbed all around.

To own a Tesla its absolutely necessary to have curbed wheels, if you don't then you can't be apart of the curbed wheel club.

 

[P85DBeast]

as well as door dings in the garage!

Oh god, tell me about it. My wife dented my car in the garage with her car and our garage has more than enough space!!!!!!!!

 

[aerodyne]

I hav the Tesla cover and foam boards hung on the sides, but have to worry about her hitting the charge port when she parks the German Beast.