majority of the failures that i have seen are from companies that copy the design completely (the look), but don't copy the materials. for example, a volk wheel would likely be engineered and tested for a specific process, such as forging. now another company, lets call them atoR, comes along and copies the design, but uses a simpler and cheaper casting method. now the wheels look the same, have the same casting marks, colors, etc, but one wheel is an inferior and dangerous product. im not saying XXR does this, i don't know what their processes are, but as a consumer you have to be aware of what your buying, as a failure on something like a wheel can have deadly results. imagine your wheel has a hairline crack from a casting fault, and it breaks while you are racing at 150mph...
and there are lots of sources for used wheels, i have seen lots of 16 and 17 inch used brand name wheels for under $800. the more popular designs in larger sizes and widths obviously cost more, supply and demand.
as i said before, it is up to you what you spend your money on, whether its wheels, exhaust, etc
