Wheel robbed from car

ciano1 · 13-11-2022 3:33pm #1

Hey all

Just came back from holidays to find my 07 Corolla up on a jack and the front passenger side wheel gone. Is it worth going through insurance to get a new one or am I better off just finding a replacement from a scrapyard? I'm located in West Dublin.

Guards have already been contacted and statement given.

BK5 · 13-11-2022 3:38pm

Just go to the scrapper in my opinion, do you know what the excess is on your policy?

I had an 05 Avensis years ago that needed a few tyres so I called into the local scrapyard and he sold me a set of alloys with 4 good tyres on them for €200, absolute bargain.

Best of luck, there is some sad scrotes out there.

CoBo55 · 13-11-2022 3:40pm

Stick on the spare and go to a breakers, hopefully they'll have one with a decent tyre on it. Why in the name of jaysus would somebody Nicky a wheel off a gorilla.... The mind boggles 🤬

Allinall · 13-11-2022 3:45pm

I’d say it was someone who came back from a trip and found they had a flat tyre and no spare.

ciano1 · 13-11-2022 3:48pm

No idea. A neighbour also has a wheel stolen from their avensis a few nights before. His was left up on a brick. They must be after a full set of Toyota wheels!

The scrotes were nice enough to leave me the hubcap and all 5 wheel nuts!

bazz26 · 13-11-2022 3:56pm

Lol, the excess you would have to pay on your insurance policy when making a claim will probably cost more than the price of a rim and tyre. Just buy a replacement from a scrap yard.

maninasia · 13-11-2022 3:58pm

Sad that they are even stealing old wheels and tyres.

the_amazing_raisin · 13-11-2022 5:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119869140#Comment_119869140

I think they tend to target older cars because newer cars have their wheels attached with security nuts, so they need a special fitting for them

It's like the lads going after the catalytic converters, it's relatively low reward but the risk is small so it's an easy grab.

They can grab a wheel off a car in under a minute and if they do a couple of houses and get a full set then that's a couple hundred in the bank

the_amazing_raisin · 13-11-2022 5:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119869097#Comment_119869097

Sounds like you got a free jack out of it as well 😂

Probably not worth getting the insurance company involved, doubt the excess will cover the replacement

Keep an eye on adverts, you'll probably be able to buy your wheel back in a day or two

colm_mcm · 13-11-2022 5:36pm

Is it a steel wheel or an alloy?

ciano1 · 13-11-2022 5:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119869520#Comment_119869520

Bog standard steel wheel!

colm_mcm · 13-11-2022 8:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119869564#Comment_119869564

Not the worst so. A wheel from an Auris 07+ or another Corolla will fit and they have the same wheel trim, older model Corollas and Yaris’s have a different stud pattern though, so won’t fit your hubs.

CoBo55 · 13-11-2022 10:09pm

Oponeo do steel wheels if you're having difficulty getting one, obviously you'll have to get a new tyre as well.

jmreire · 13-11-2022 10:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119869130#Comment_119869130

In General when it comes to your car insurance in this Country, unless you really have to, "Do Not Disturb". Go to a scrappers and pick up a replacement. And it may help to prevent a recurrence if you were to invest in a set locking wheel nuts / bolts.

antodeco · 13-11-2022 10:19pm

Also check out tyre leader. Managed to get a new wheel off them for an 06 Clio

colm_mcm · 13-11-2022 10:24pm

Down to the nearest scrapyard and get a tyre, wheel trim and OE wheel.

joebloggs32 · 13-11-2022 10:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119870712#Comment_119870712

Its hard to know. Mrs Blogs wrote off her car two years ago and we had a 20k claim paid out. Her insurance rose by the prinely sum of €60.

On the other hand our fridge freezer was took out this year by a power surge after a lightning strike in the area. After excess we got paid out €460, but our renewal shot up afterwards by €300!

jmreire · 13-11-2022 11:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119870833#Comment_119870833

It can depend on what kind of insurance cover was on the car,, you can insure against losing your no claim bonus, either in part or fully. Most Insurance company's offer "step -back" cover, or full 100% cover against loss of the no claim bonus. If you do not have any no-claims protection, then you go back to being treated as a first time insurance candidate, with the added weight of having lodged a claim. So your figure of increase of only €60, is perfectly believable, as is your story of the fridge freezer. And the fact is, your fridge story could apply equally to your car.

Dr_Colossus · 14-11-2022 12:42am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119870712#Comment_119870712

I have a 07 Volvo which had locknuts but after a tyre fitter damaged the key with the impact gun (only realised months later when doing other work) had to resort to drilling out all 4 locknuts. Nasty and time consuming job as the locknuts were hard as flint. Vowed to stay clear of locknuts in future as presumed no one would steal old alloy wheels so even more surprised some scumbag stole a steel wheel.

I've since observed a lot of newer cars and even those with fancy and expensive alloys don't have locknuts so presumed wheel theft wasn't that prevalent anymore.

jmreire · 14-11-2022 1:16am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119871255#Comment_119871255

Yes, you are not the first one to get caught with them. When they are new, you have some chance, but after the first time use,generally when a tyre (or tyres) need changing, and an overzealous tyre fitter gives it a "little bit higher torque..just in case) and thats it. Next time it has to come off, the lock nut slips, and thats it. The best lock nuts I ever saw were on an Audi A6 I once owned, the lock nuts had splined heads, so absolutely no problem removing them, there were several different nuts, with different Nrs of splines, so unless you had the correct one, it would not work. Just because your neighbour had the same car as yours, was no guarantee his nuts were the same as yours. But as for the other lock nuts I came across !!! first thing I do when I change my car (or any family members) I remove the lock nuts and replace them with standard. And I know I advised the original poster to fit them, but its a question of risk and prevention. Not an easy choice.

CoBo55 · 14-11-2022 1:30am

Don't bother with getting locknuts, as others have said they're more hassle than they're worth. They're almost as bad as bloody cable ties on wheel trims, boils my piss seeing them on cars.

lawred2 · 14-11-2022 1:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119869097#Comment_119869097

Sounds like trolling to be honest. Those wheels are worth nothing

ciano1 · 14-11-2022 1:43am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119871352#Comment_119871352

I wish I was trolling. I know they're worth feck all, that's why I'm perplexed as to why someone would go through the effort of robbing them!

lawred2 · 14-11-2022 8:30am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119871365#Comment_119871365

I meant the lads taking them are trolling. Not you.

MojoMaker · 14-11-2022 10:51am

And they left you a free jack (€€) and the wheel nuts, without which the wheels are useless.

Cool story!

hoodie6029 · 14-11-2022 5:51pm

I’ve certainly heard of wheels, even steel ones, being stolen, usually someone stuck without a spare or needing a wheel to pass an NCT would nick one.

Same with Berlingos etc with the wheel accessible from underneath the car. Easy to steal and some people just can’t stop themselves when they see low hanging fruit, regardless of the value.

Two cars in the same area in quick succession? Most likely a coincidence.