Earlier we reported on a tale of a man, a Mustang, and a broken wheel. The wheel maker's shady actions after the wheel failure (most notably alteration of their warranty after the fact) didn't exactly earn them much sympathy in our comments, though there was plenty of speculation if the painting process (not powder-coating) affected the wheels, as well as the wisdom of taking such thin-spoke wheels on the track in the first place. Neither of which changes the fundamental impression that these wheels, which appear marketed as suitable for track use, failed spectacularly on the track.
The company did issue a response, on the Mercedes-Benz-centered forum MBWorld (and other forums):
To all our valued members, we would certainly like to address this matter in greater detail, as all stories have 2 sides and a greater portion of the story was left out. Unfortunately, since this is a pending legal matter, our counsel has asked that we not discuss this matter with anyone, much less in a public forum. We hope you understand and can respect this. Suffice it to say, this disgruntled client has elected to try and tarnish our image that has been built over many years of providing a high quality product and outstanding service.
We would be more than happy to entertain any questions concerning our product, fitments, and warranty however we would ask that it be done via PM, as anything directly related to this posting is not something we can/should address at this moment in time.
So, they're saying they're not saying and, of course, lawyers are involved. As an outsider, I'd still think the easiest thing for everyone would be for Cor to just replace the wheel and repair the damage and be done with it. If they don't want to be liable for this sort of damage in the future, they need to stop promoting their products for use in a track context, or be ready to support their customers in the contexts that they market their wheels.
UPDATE: Cor has notified me of their full response, which I'm placing in its entirety here:
Due to some unfortunate circumstances regarding a set of COR forged wheels, we feel that it is necessary to publicly address the situation and reiterate our company's commitment to quality and customer service that has helped us build a strong reputation within the industry.
We are sure that many of you feel this response is long overdue, but given the sensitive nature and legalities involved, we had no alternative but to proceed with care, so as not to inflame an already volatile situation. Until this time, we have had nothing but excellent feedback and reviews from our clients concerning our products and service. In relation to the number of wheels that we have produced, our warranty adjustments have been less than one tenth of one-percent, which is a superb standard for any manufactured product. This is due in no small part to our commitment to building long lasting relationships with our distributors and returning customer base whose support is well recognized and very much appreciated.
The isolated incident that occurred with one of our clients was very unfortunate and unforeseeable, and we are thankful that there were no injuries. The product involved was designed, developed and third-party tested to ensure its integrity, strength, and reliability. The safety of our customers is extremely important to us, and is not a matter taken lightly by any member of our organization.
It is customary–and our preference–to service our customers directly. The client elected to bypass our resolution process by communicating with us through third parties (specifically an attorney). We sincerely hope that those following this series of events can appreciate that we had no other option than to turn this matter over to our product liability carrier, which exists specifically to address situations such as this. To be clear, the claim for warranty denied on the published letter was a response to the client's attorney's demand letter, and not COR Wheels refusing to stand behind its product. Prior to the involvement of legal counsel, the client was offered a full refund, regardless of any specific warranty considerations. We would like to clarify that the revisions made to our warranty were a direct result of the client's attorney's assertion that our terminology was vague. This does not speak of the safety and appropriateness of the product, which we feel is 100-percent safe for use on or off the track, but rather to the applicability of our warranty. With this revision, our warranty policy is more in-line with industry norms, which even at the OEM level precludes the use in a track environment.
As a final thought, we at COR wheels want to reiterate our commitment to the performance aftermarket and help further everyone's understanding of the process and technology behind automotive wheels. We have a standing invitation for any interested party or any member of the media to visit our headquarters in Florida, tour our facilities, and meet the individuals responsible for designing, creating, and manufacturing the products that we are so very proud to offer. We sincerely hope that you will avail yourselves of this offer so that you may observe first-hand, our manufacturing and quality control process and the effort that goes into each and every product that leaves our facility.
Sincerely,
Christopher Robles & Robert Herrera
Founders & Owners
COR International, LLC
2799 NW 82nd AvenueMiami, Florida 33122
Phone: 305.477.5850
Fax: 786.427.1324