In short. Check a used wheel in three passes. Does it fit? Six numbers must match your car: the bolt pattern (PCD), the centre bore, the offset, the width and diameter, the seat of the nuts or bolts, and the load rating; the European wheel makers' association (EUWA) says never to use a wheel that cannot be well identified, even if it appears to have the right dimensions. Is it sound? Have it spun on a balancing machine: one car maker's limit is 0.7 mm of runout for the wheel alone, and a German refurbishing guideline takes 0.5 mm as its reference. Any crack, especially round the bolt holes, the inner barrel or the flange, means walk away: EUWA says replace, and the MOT calls a fracture or a welding defect dangerous. Look for the signs of a repair: fresh paint on the back, paint in the bolt seats, weld beads, a repairer's stamp. What do you get if it goes wrong? From a trader, the Consumer Rights Act gives you 30 days to reject faulty goods, but not for a defect your own inspection ought to have revealed; from a private seller, the wheels must match the description and little more. If they turn out to be stolen, call the police on 101 and claim a full refund from the seller.
What should you ask the seller before you go?
Most of the fit can be settled from your sofa, and a seller who cannot answer these questions has told you something too.
| Ask for | Why | A useful answer |
|---|---|---|
| A photo of the back of a spoke and the inside of the barrel | The size line, the part number, the load and the date are cast or stamped there | Legible markings such as 8.5Jx19 ET45 5x112, a part number, a load in kg |
| The car the wheels came off | A starting point for the bolt pattern, the bore and the seat; not proof | Make, model and generation, ideally with the registration year |
| Their history: kerbed, refurbished, straightened, welded | A refurbished face can hide what happened underneath | A plain yes or no for each, which also becomes part of the description |
| Whether the tyres come off for the inspection | A tyre covers the inner barrel and the bead seats, where damage hides | Bare wheels, or a seller willing to meet at a tyre fitter |
| Tyre pressure sensors: fitted or not | A car first used on or after 1 January 2012 can fail its MOT if the system does not work | Sensors in the valves, or a clear "no sensors" |
| Front and rear positions, if widths differ | A staggered set has two pairs that are not interchangeable | Which pair is which, with both size lines |
| Nuts, bolts, locking key, centre caps | The seat of the fixings must match the wheel; a missing locking key is a problem on the day | What is included, by name |
| Proof of purchase or the reason for sale | Stolen sets are sold second hand too | A receipt, or a car you can see them came off |
Will they fit your car? Six numbers to match
No stamp on a wheel says it fits your car: that comes from your car's figures and the measurements. EUWA puts it bluntly: the geometry of the wheel must correspond exactly to the hub and the brake for it to fit and carry the load properly (ES 1.09, § 2.1).
| Number | Where on the wheel | Where for your car | If it does not match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolt pattern (PCD), such as 5x112 | The size line, or measured across the holes | The handbook or the maker's wheel listing | The wheel cannot be bolted on as designed |
| Centre bore, such as 66.6 mm | Often not marked: measure it | The maker's figure for the hub | Larger than the hub: a centring ring may be needed. Smaller: it will not go on |
| Offset (ET), such as ET45 | The size line | The original wheels' marking, or the maker's list | The wheel sits further in or out than designed, which can bring rubbing |
| Width and diameter, such as 8.5Jx19 | The size line | The maker's list of sizes for your car | Tyres that do not suit, or no clearance at the brakes or the arches |
| Seat of the nuts or bolts | The shape of the hole: cone, ball (radius) or flat | Your car's fixings, by type | "A wheel and its fixings not compatible" is a major MOT defect |
| Load rating, such as 690 kg | Stamped near the size line, or in a permit | The axle masses on the car's plate | The wheel is asked to carry more than it is rated for |
Two of these deserve a closer look.
The bolt pattern can fool a ruler. Patterns that are close are hard to tell apart on a five-hole wheel, because you cannot measure straight across. Our calculation: the distance between the centres of two neighbouring holes is the PCD multiplied by sin 36°, so 65.8 mm on a 5x112 wheel and 67.2 mm on a 5x114.3 wheel. A difference of 1.4 mm between two holes is easy to miss in a car park. The PCD guide gives the measuring method and the table for every common pattern. EUWA also says that no technical modification is allowed on a wheel (§ 2.3), which rules out redrilling the holes or boring out the centre to make a set fit.
The offset is your car maker's figure, not ours. Compare the ET on the wheel with the ET on your original wheels, and see how far a difference moves each edge of the rim with the offset calculator; the offset guide explains the sign. If the seller suggests spacers to make the set fit, read what spacers change and what the law says first. Clearance at the brakes is a separate check: see will these wheels fit over my brakes.
How do you know a wheel is buckled?
A buckle (a bent rim or flange) does not always show to the eye. The usual sign on the car is a vibration that balancing does not cure. Off the car, the measurement is runout: how far the rim moves out of true, sideways (lateral) and up and down (radial), as it turns.
| Method | What it shows | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Spin on a balancing machine with a dial gauge | Radial and lateral runout in millimetres | The only reading worth a number |
| Roll it, or lay a straight edge across the flange | A bad bend or a flat spot | Misses small buckles and anything on the inner flange |
| Look along the inner flange with a torch | A dent or a flat where a pothole struck | The inner flange is hidden by the tyre and the car, so a dent there is easy to miss |
The numbers give an idea of scale. Porsche's tyre bulletin for the 911 (992) gives a maximum of 0.7 mm (0.028 in) radial and lateral runout for the wheel alone and 1.25 mm (0.049 in) for the wheel with its tyre (bulletin 38/25, 7 October 2025); those are one car maker's limits for its own wheels, not a standard. The German guideline for refurbishers, measured before any work, treats 0.5 mm (0.02 in) as the highest permissible guide value (KÜS note). If a seller's wheel reads well above figures of that order, it is bent.
What then? EUWA lists bent rim flanges among the defects that require the wheel to be replaced, and forbids repair by heating, welding, or adding or removing material (§ 2.3). Other texts disagree on straightening: British Columbia's weld repair rules allow welding combined with heat and cold straightening, while the German refurbishing guideline does not allow the metal to be reshaped at all; our guide to alloy wheel repair sets out where they differ. For a buyer the conclusion is simpler: a buckled wheel is priced as a wheel that may need replacing, not as a wheel with a small fault. In the MOT, a "badly distorted" wheel is a major defect (5.2.2 (c)).
One more figure from EUWA: wear on the top of the rim flanges is tolerated up to 10 per cent of the original thickness of the rim material (§ 2.3). A flange worn to a sharp edge by tyre fitting or kerbs is past that.
How do you find a crack?
Cracks are where the documents agree. EUWA lists cracks in the face of the wheel, in particular around the bolt holes and the ventilation holes, as a reason to replace it, and adds that in case of suspected damage, or any doubt about a wheel's suitability, it must be replaced (§ 2.3). In the MOT, "any fracture or welding defect on a wheel" is a dangerous defect (5.2.2 (a)), and after a dangerous defect the car has to be repaired before it can be driven (GOV.UK).
Where to look, with the wheel clean and a torch held low:
- Around each bolt hole and on the back of the spokes, where EUWA's list starts.
- The inner barrel and the inner flange, behind the spokes, where the tyre and the car hide them.
- Where the spokes meet the rim.
- Along a repair: a line of filler or paint that runs straight across a spoke is a reason to ask.
A hairline crack can be invisible to the eye. British Columbia, which regulates the weld repair of alloy wheels, requires every repair facility to have non-destructive test equipment to locate external cracks (B.C. Reg. 5/97), which tells you that a look is not a test. If the price justifies it, ask to have the wheels checked by a wheel repairer before paying. Leaks are a clue too: EUWA lists air loss through micro-cracks in the rim as a reason to replace the wheel (§ 2.3), so ask whether any tyre on the set lost air.
Has the wheel been repaired or refurbished?
A refurbished wheel is not illegal, and the MOT judges the result, not the history. But a fresh finish is exactly what hides a crack or a weld, so read the back of the wheel as closely as the face.
| Sign | What it can mean |
|---|---|
| Fresh paint or powder on the back and in the barrel | The whole wheel was refinished; ask why and by whom. The German refurbishing guideline says the barrel and the inner faces of the spokes are not to be refinished |
| Paint in the bolt seats or on the hub face | Against EUWA's advice: the bolt seats and nut contact area should not be painted, and coating on the mounting contact areas should not exceed 50 microns in total unless the vehicle maker states otherwise (§ 2.6) |
| A bead of weld, grinding marks or filler | A weld repair; EUWA forbids it and accepts no guarantee on repaired parts (§ 2.3) |
| A name and address marked inside | A refurbisher's mark, which the German guideline requires |
| A stamp with a number, a date and a single digit | In British Columbia, a weld repair: the digit is a severity rating from 0 (cosmetic) to 9 (straightening combined with welding); "UNSAFE" means the wheel was judged beyond repair and discarded |
| One wheel with a different finish or a newer date | That wheel was replaced or repaired; check it twice |
| A face that looks newer than the car | Not proof of anything, but a reason to inspect the back |
The bolt seats, the bore and the bead seats
Three surfaces carry the wheel and seal the tyre, and all three are on EUWA's list.
- The bolt seats. Deformation or abnormal marks in the seats of the bolts or nuts mean replacement (§ 2.3). A seat that is stepped, polished in a ring or chewed by an impact gun has been overtightened or run loose. The wheel nut torque guide explains the seats and why the fixings from your old wheels may not suit these.
- The centre bore. Wear between wheel and hub at the spigot is a major MOT defect (5.2.2 (c)). Measure the bore and look for an oval, polished or stepped edge. If it is larger than your hub, the hub-centric rings guide covers when a ring is needed.
- The bead seats, where the tyre sits. Corrosion or wear marks there let air through: EUWA counts leaks from wear on the rim-tyre surface as a reason to replace, while one car maker's bulletin allows a corroded seat to be cleaned and sealed within limits; the slow puncture guide has the figures. You only see the seats with the tyre off.
The load rating: will it carry your car?
The load stamped on a wheel is per wheel. Compare it with the car's statutory plate, usually on a door pillar, which shows the technically permissible maximum mass on each axle (Regulation (EU) No 19/2011, Annex I). The wheel should carry at least half the heaviest axle figure: that is the definition the Japanese VIA register uses for its load mark (NAPAC).
| Step | Example |
|---|---|
| Read the heaviest axle mass on the plate | 1,180 kg |
| Divide by two | 590 kg per wheel |
| Compare with the load on the wheel | A wheel marked 620 kg covers it; one marked 560 kg does not |
The figures are an illustration, not a car's values. A wheel from a lighter car with the same bolt pattern may carry less than yours needs. If the wheel shows no load, ask the seller for it in writing; if nobody can give it, you do not know it. EUWA's rule covers the whole assembly: do not load the tyre, wheel and axle beyond the rating of the lowest rated part (§ 2.6). How to read the stamps, JWL and VIA included, is in how to read wheel markings.
What about the tyres that come with them?
Part-worn tyres on a used set are a separate purchase, and the MOT treats several of their faults as major or dangerous.
| Check | The figure or the rule | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Tread depth | At least 1.6 mm in the main grooves across the central three-quarters of the tread, all the way round | MOT 5.2.3 (e), dangerous if not met; Construction and Use Regulations, reg. 27 |
| Load index and speed symbol | At least what your car requires; a tyre load capacity below the axle weight is a dangerous defect | MOT 5.2.3 (a) |
| Same size across an axle | Different sizes on the same axle are a major defect | MOT 5.2.3 (b) |
| Cuts, bulges, exposed cords | A bulge from structural failure is dangerous | MOT 5.2.3 (d) |
| Age | The last four digits of the DOT code are the week and the year (2319: week 23 of 2019) | 49 CFR 574.5 |
On age, the MOT's ten-year rule applies to a front steered axle of a bus or coach and to any axle of a minibus with single wheels (5.2.3 (m)), not to cars. The age is still worth reading, because it tells you how long the tyres have been on these wheels and can be set against what the seller says. The tyre size guide gives the load index and speed tables.
Tyre pressure sensors
If your car was first used on or after 1 January 2012, the MOT checks its tyre pressure monitoring system, and "malfunctioning or obviously not working" is a major defect (5.2.3 (h)). With direct sensors, a set bought without them, or with sensors made for another car, can leave the warning lamp lit. Ask what is in the valves, and read the MOT and TPMS guide before you count the sensors as included.
The twelve-point inspection
Take a torch, a tape measure or calliper, a rag and this table. A "walk away" column means the source treats the fault as a reason to replace the wheel or fail the car.
| # | Check | How | Walk away if | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Markings | Clean the back of a spoke, torch at a low angle | No size, no maker, no part number | EUWA § 2.1: never use a wheel that cannot be well identified |
| 2 | Bolt pattern | Size line, or hole to hole | It differs from your car | EUWA § 2.1 |
| 3 | Centre bore | Measure | Smaller than your hub | Fit |
| 4 | Offset, width, diameter | Size line against your originals | You cannot confirm clearance | Your car maker's list |
| 5 | Bolt seats | Look in each hole | Deformed or abnormal marks | EUWA § 2.3 |
| 6 | Bore edge | Look and measure | Worn, oval, stepped | MOT 5.2.2 (c) |
| 7 | Cracks | Bolt holes, spokes, inner barrel, flange | Any crack | EUWA § 2.3; MOT 5.2.2 (a) |
| 8 | Runout | Balancing machine | Well over figures of the order of 0.5 to 0.7 mm | German guideline; Porsche 38/25 |
| 9 | Flanges | Inner and outer, by eye and by touch | Bent, or worn past 10 per cent | EUWA § 2.3 |
| 10 | Repairs | Back of the wheel, seats, weld lines | A weld or filler on a structural part | EUWA § 2.3; MOT 5.2.2 (a) |
| 11 | Load | Stamp against half the axle mass | Lower, or unknown | Regulation 19/2011; EUWA § 2.6 |
| 12 | Tyres and sensors | Tread, code, damage, valves | Below 1.6 mm, bulged, or not the size you need | MOT 5.2.3 |
Buying from a trader or a private seller: what does the law give you?
The answer depends on who sells, and on how well you inspected.
| Bought from a trader | Bought from a private seller | |
|---|---|---|
| Must match the description | Yes (Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 11) | Yes: the Sale of Goods Act 1979 implies that goods sold by description match it, and Citizens Advice applies it to private sellers |
| Must be of satisfactory quality | Yes (CRA, section 9) | No: under the 1979 Act the quality term applies where the seller sells in the course of a business (section 14) |
| Time to reject faulty goods | 30 days (CRA, section 22) | No 30-day right: a claim only if the wheels do not match the description |
| Defects you should have seen | Not covered if you examined the goods before buying and that examination ought to have revealed them (CRA, section 9(4)) | Your own risk, beyond the description |
| If the wheels are stolen | Call the police on 101, do not keep them or hand them back yourself; Citizens Advice says you have the legal right to a full refund from the seller | The same |
Citizens Advice writes these pages for England and has separate pages for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Two practical consequences follow. First, the description is your protection in a private sale, so get it in writing: the advert, or a message from the seller saying "not refurbished, not welded, not buckled", is what you can rely on later; Citizens Advice has a template letter for goods that did not match. Second, inspecting cuts both ways when buying from a trader: a defect your inspection ought to have revealed is no longer the trader's problem, so do the inspection properly or have it done, rather than glancing and signing. On stolen goods, Citizens Advice also says that you should not get into trouble if you did not know the item was stolen when you bought it (Citizens Advice).
The traps
- "Fits all 5x112 cars." The bolt pattern is one number of six. The bore, the offset, the seat, the load and the brake clearance still have to match.
- The wheels arrive with the tyres on. Then you have not seen the inner barrel, the inner flange or the bead seats, where a dent, a crack or a corroded seat would show.
- A face that looks new on an old set. Refinishing is legitimate, and it is also what covers a weld; read the back and the seats.
- Your old nuts or bolts. A cone-seat bolt in a ball-seat wheel, or the reverse, does not clamp the wheel as designed, and the MOT fails a wheel and fixings that are not compatible.
- "It only needs spacers." A spacer changes the offset of the wheel you are buying; it does not change its bore, its seat or its load rating.
- Copies with no markings. A wheel that cannot be identified falls under EUWA's first rule: do not use it, whatever it measures.
- A staggered set mixed up. Wider rear wheels with a different offset cannot be swapped to the front.
- The missing locking key. Ask for it before you hand over the money, along with the centre caps if they matter to you.
- A set of four with one stranger. A different date or part number on one wheel usually means it was replaced after damage. That is normal, but it is the one to inspect first.
- "Slight buckle, you can't feel it." Ask for the runout reading. If nobody will measure it, price the wheel as a replacement.
Does it matter whether the wheel is cast, flow-formed or forged?
Not for the checks. EUWA's list of defects and the MOT's categories do not distinguish how a wheel was made, so a crack, a bent flange or a deformed bolt seat means the same on all three. What differs is the material and the tests behind it: the forged vs cast vs flow-formed guide compares the alloy data, so you know what you are paying for when a used set is sold as forged.
Wheels from Onyx Forged
Onyx Forged does not recommend any size or offset: we compare the figures and refer you to your car maker's documents. The numbers come from your car maker's list and the measurements above, and the guide to choosing aftermarket wheels shows where each number is found. Onyx Forged wheels are made to order, designed to JWL/VIA standards, for the car you describe; if you are looking at a second-hand set of ours and cannot read its markings, write to customer service with photos of the back of a spoke.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to buy used alloy wheels?
It can be, if you can identify them, they match your car, and a check shows no crack, no buckle and no structural repair. EUWA's advice is to replace a wheel if there is any doubt about it.
How can I tell if an alloy wheel is buckled?
Have it spun on a balancing machine and read the runout. One car maker's limit is 0.7 mm for the wheel alone; a German refurbishing guideline uses 0.5 mm. A vibration that balancing does not cure is the usual sign on the car.
How do I check an alloy wheel for cracks?
Clean it and use a torch at a low angle around the bolt holes, the back of the spokes, the inner barrel and the flanges, with the tyre off if possible. Hairline cracks may be invisible to the eye; a wheel repairer with crack-detection equipment can test for them.
Are refurbished alloy wheels safe?
In our reading, the repair texts accept a cosmetic refurbishment of the surface. The European wheel makers' association forbids repair by heating, welding, or adding or removing material, and the German refurbishing guideline also rules out reshaping the metal. Ask what was done and look at the back of the wheel and the bolt seats.
Will wheels from another car fit mine?
Only if the bolt pattern, centre bore, offset, width and diameter, seat of the fixings and load rating all suit your car, and the brakes clear the spokes. The same bolt pattern alone is not enough.
What load rating do my wheels need?
At least half the heaviest axle mass on your car's plate, per wheel. If a wheel has no load marking and the seller cannot give one in writing, you do not know it.
Do I have any rights if I buy wheels privately?
The wheels must match the description. There is no satisfactory quality term and no 30-day right to reject, which apply when you buy from a trader. Keep the advert and the seller's messages.
What if the wheels I bought turn out to be stolen?
Call the police on 101 or take them to a police station, do not return them to the seller yourself, and ask the seller for a full refund with the crime reference number, as Citizens Advice describes.
Where to go next
To read every stamp on the back of a wheel, see how to read wheel markings; for the bolt pattern and bore, PCD, bolt pattern and centre bore; for what can and cannot be mended, alloy wheel repair. Onyx Forged is a French brand of made-to-order forged wheels, designed to JWL/VIA standards: see Onyx Forged and the catalogue.
Sources
- EUWA, ES 1.09, Safety and service recommendations for wheels, sections 2.1, 2.3 and 2.6.
- GOV.UK, MOT inspection manual, sections 5.2.1 to 5.2.3; GOV.UK, after the MOT test; The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, regulation 27.
- Regulation (EU) No 19/2011, Annex I; NAPAC, wheel sizes and markings (in Japanese).
- Porsche AfterSales, bulletin 911 (992) 38/25; German refurbishment guideline, KÜS note; B.C. Reg. 5/97.
- 49 CFR § 574.5, tyre identification.
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 9, 11 and 22; Sale of Goods Act 1979, section 13 and section 14.
- Citizens Advice, misdescribed goods from a private seller; Citizens Advice, if you think you've bought stolen goods.
- NIST SP 811, Appendix B.9.
The Onyx Forged design office.