Why Dealerships Recondition Rims Before Listing a Car

Before

After

Most of our work is with dealerships, and there's a good reason for that. When a used car is being prepared for sale, the wheels are one of the easiest places to make a big difference in how the car looks, and how fast it sells.

Buyers notice wheels first

Most car shopping starts online, and the wheels are front and centre in almost every listing photo. Curb rash shows up clearly in photos, and it sends a message the buyer hasn't been told yet: this car wasn't looked after. On the lot it's the same story. Buyers walking around a car look at the wheels, and scuffed rims make a clean car look worn.

A small cost for a big visual difference

Compared to most reconditioning work, rim repair is inexpensive. It's priced per rim, and it can change the whole look of the car in photos and in person. Clean, colour-matched wheels help a car look the way buyers expect it to look for the price.

Why on-site repair works for dealers

• No transport: we come to your lot, so there's no sending wheels or vehicles out and no one tied up driving cars back and forth.
• Fast turnaround: a single rim can take 45 minutes to an hour, and a full set an hour and a half to 2 hours. We work on all the rims together, one step at a time.
• Work through multiple vehicles: tell us how many cars need attention and we'll work through them on site.
• Every finish: two-tone, hyper silver, machine finish, black, painted and more, colour-matched to the original.
• Volume pricing: pricing for multiple vehicles and regular visits.

Factory wheels sell better than replacements

Swapping scuffed wheels for cheap aftermarket ones can backfire. Buyers who know cars often prefer original wheels, and replacing a factory wheel costs far more than repairing it. Repairing keeps the car original and keeps the cost down. (We go into more detail in OEM vs. aftermarket rims.)

Fitting rim repair into your recon process

• Flag wheels at appraisal or intake, so rim repair gets scheduled alongside the rest of the reconditioning.
• Repair before detailing and photos, so listing photos show the car at its best.
• Batch vehicles together, so we can work through several cars in one visit.

Work with OTD

We provide on-site rim repair for dealerships, tire shops, storage facilities and fleets across the GTA, from Niagara to Barrie. Call or text 416-800-1757 for volume pricing, or learn more about our dealership and fleet service.