Warranty & Return Policy
At American Retro, we stand behind the durability of our products. Below is our official policy regarding warranty coverage, component replacements, and retail returns.
Within 1 Year of Purchase: Full Unit Warranty:
We provide a one (1) year limited warranty from the original date of purchase against manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship under normal use.
What it Covers: If the steering wheel suffers a manufacturing defect within the first year, the entire unit is eligible for a full replacement or exchange.
Original Purchaser Only: This warranty is non-transferable and applies exclusively to the original retail buyer. A valid original receipt or invoice is strictly required.
How to Handle Claims: Please contact the authorized retail distributor or website where you purchased the item. They will process your full unit warranty claim or exchange directly according to their standard procedures.
What is Not Covered:
This warranty does not cover damages resulting from:
Improper Installation: Damage, stripped threads, or stress fractures caused by over-torquing bolts, incorrect hub adapter usage, or improper installation.
Misuse or Accidents: Racing, track use, off-road driving, or vehicular accidents.
Chemical & Maintenance Damage: Blistering, pitting, clouding, scratching, or peeling of chrome or plastic finishes caused by harsh chemical cleaners, solvents, alcohol wipes, or abrasive polishes. (We highly recommend using only a damp microfiber cloth to clean all surfaces).
Cosmetic Scratches: Scratches or abrasions on the plastic, metal, or chrome surfaces caused by jewelry, rings, or sharp objects.
Severe Thermal Shock: Plastic fracturing or cracking resulting strictly from unheated, sub-zero winter storage or extreme cabin climate cycles, except as outlined in our One-Time Grace Policy below.
After 1 Year of Purchase: Replacement Components (Lifetime In-Production):
Because our steering wheels feature modular construction, we back our molded plastic and chrome trim components with a lifetime commitment for the original owner, provided the product line is active.
What it Covers: Once your one-year full unit warranty expires, we will no longer replace the entire steering wheel assembly or offer monetary refunds. Instead, coverage is strictly limited to individual replacement components (such as a bare steering wheel framework or a replacement chrome trim piece).
Production & Availability Constraint: Replacement parts are guaranteed only as long as that specific steering wheel model remains in active production. If a model is discontinued or no longer offered in our catalog, American Retro is not obligated to manufacture, source, or engineer obsolete components, and all lifetime support for that model naturally terminates.
Do Not Contact the Retailer: After Year 1, all part requests must go directly through American Retro. Retailers do not stock or distribute these individual replacement components.
Proof Required: You must provide a clear photograph of the damage alongside an original distributor receipt or order number proving you are the original purchaser.
The One-Time Grace & Shipping Policy:
We understand that classic cars spend long periods in garage storage and that extreme seasonal temperature shifts (such as a sub-zero winter freeze) can occasionally cause injection-molded plastics to expand and crack while the vehicle is simply sitting.
To ensure you love your wheel, we offer a frictionless, one-time resolution:
First Claim (100% Free): For your very first component claim under an approved invoice, American Retro will ship your replacement part (bare framework or chrome trim) completely free of charge, with zero shipping or handling fees to the customer. No physical return of the broken part is required; your vehicle remains fully drivable. Because we do not require you to ship the cracked core back to us, we ask that you safely dispose of the damaged framework locally once your replacement arrives. Damaged frameworks are structurally compromised and are no longer safe for highway use.
Subsequent Claims (Sole Discretion & Paid Freight): Each original distributor invoice is eligible for exactly one (1) complimentary shipping fulfillment. If a wheel cracks or trim fails a subsequent time under the same invoice or vehicle, American Retro reserves the exclusive, sole right to either approve or deny the claim based on our engineering evaluation of environmental factors or storage conditions. If a repeat claim is approved as a gesture of goodwill, the customer will be responsible for a flat-rate shipping and warehouse handling fee.
RMA Requirement (For Physical Inspections Only):
In the event that American Retro determines a component must be sent back to our facility for physical inspection, you must obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number from our team prior to shipping.
Unauthorized Shipments: Any packages sent to our facility without a clearly marked, approved RMA number on the outside of the box will be subject to processing delays and/or will be refused and returned to the sender at their expense.
Vehicle Fitment & Compatibility:
Choosing the correct steering wheel for your specific vehicle is the buyer's responsibility. American Retro is not responsible for incorrect customer ordering decisions (for example, accidentally purchasing a Ford-specific steering wheel for a Chevrolet vehicle).
How to Handle Fitment Errors: If you accidentally purchased the wrong wheel, your return or exchange must be handled entirely through the retail distributor or website where you bought it. The return will be subject to that specific distributor's return windows, exchange rules, and restocking fees.
Limitation of Liability:
To the maximum extent permitted by law, American Retro is not responsible for direct, special, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from any breach of warranty or condition. This includes, but is not limited to, vehicle damage, towing fees, storage fees, labor costs for installation/removal/trim swapping, personal injury, or loss of use. Our total liability shall never exceed the original purchase price of the product.
Territorial Limitation (US Only):
This warranty policy and all associated component support are strictly limited to products purchased and utilized within the United States. American Retro does not provide warranty coverage, free replacement parts, or prepaid shipping labels for international purchases, cross-border transactions, or grey-market exports.
Required Information:
Please provide your original distributor receipt or order number, a description of the issue, and clear photos or a short video of the affected area showing the products defect clearly.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.
How to Request Direct Part Support (After Year 1):
If you are past your one-year warranty and need to request a replacement component, please contact our team directly. To make things as easy as possible, you do not need to fill out online RMA forms. Simply call us or send an email:
Phone: (909) 230-2438
Email: support@americanretro.com