Tire Shops Swamped By Repairs From Potholes

(CBS DETROIT) - As if busting your tire on a pothole isn't already bad enough, imagine cracking your rim beyond repair.

Now you're in for an even bigger problem.

"It is a very expensive repair and many times when the wheel is damaged it's damaged so badly that it can't be repaired and then you have to replace it and as you well know, wheels are quite expensive now," said Jonathan Sucher, president of Sucher Tire in Detroit.

So how expensive is quite expensive?

"Between $175 to $500 depending on what it is," Sucher explained.

The tire shop owner says that's just a ballpark number, but the costs can be more.

Since the big meltdown Sucher says drivers have been stopping by non-stop for repairs from potholes.

"I literally hear that 30-40 times a day," Sucher said.

The worse part about it is the demand for rims are so high, it might take some time to get an order in.

"People are limited," Sucher said.

"We always try and find something like a loaner wheel. If I have a wheel it might be the wrong style wheel for your car. It might be cosmetically imperfect but you're rolling; So we'll loan that to you while we send your wheel out for repair or we get another rim."

Sucher says filing a claim for tire repairs might not be the best route because you could end up spending more money.

"Everyone's got a deductible to pay and if you have to pay a $500 deductible chances are you can get for less than the costs of your deductible, so it's just not worth it and then your rates go up and etcetera, etcetera," Sucher said.

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