Why Are Factory Alloy Wheels So Expensive? The Answer May Shock You
Shouldn’t new alloy wheels be cheaper considering they are mass produced?
Okay, so with a new year just over the horizon, we got to thinking and reflecting back on 2023 and then I realised something strange. A friend of mine complained that their 2014 Honda vehicle recently needed its wheels changed and complained that the wheel ended up costing way more than anticipated. Why is this?
He even commented saying, “If I wanted to pay this much for a wheel, then I would have bought a BMW.” While my friend prefers I did not reveal any details about him or his car, the alloy wheel ended up costing upwards of RM9,000 for all 4 wheels and this utterly shocked me as I assumed Japanese car parts would be slightly cheaper.
Moreover, it only gets worse when one owns premium or new cars as even though they come with mass produced alloy wheels. So why do they cost so much to replace when one damages their alloy wheel or wheel? Well, the simple answer is alloys themselves are not cheap to buy or manufacture.
The long answer is the alloy material itself can drive the price up. Then there are dealer mark ups to ensure the brand turns an even bigger profit. Isn’t capitalism great? I mean, some Rolls Royce wheels cost as much as RM60,000 and German cars are no better as some of their factory wheels cost from RM12,000 for 4 wheels. Why?
So typically, most cars come with alloy wheels composed of an aluminium alloy and either chrome or steel. Now, steel is becoming less and less common but it is cheaper than alternative metals which is why most carmakers opt for the latter when making new car wheels. So the main reason wheels are this expensive is greed.
On top of that, melting and combining these alloys is not easy or quick, so these new alloy wheels typically cost a lot to cover the admittedly very hard labour that goes behind manufacturing them. This is one of the more fair reasons and one that I personally can understand but it is still one of, if not, the biggest reason behind the high prices.
Naturally, the type of process used can also drive up the price as there are more than one way to make an alloy wheel, so more modern approaches will definitely cost a bit more as they would likely have to cover the cost of the machinery used, even though that actually counters the need for higher prices, but then again, it is what it is.
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