Wheel Rim problems of the 2001 Nissan Maxima

Leased 2001 Maxima anniversary edition. Coming off lease 11/28/03. Nissan sends man to inspect vehicle. Man says lip of three wheels are scratched (they are) and that we must replace them at a cost of $559. 00 per wheel as excessive wear and tear on vehicle. Anyone who knows the Maxima se knows Nissan engineers designed it low to the ground and that at recommended inflation of tires the wheels of the Maxima are always lower than any curb in the metropolitan area of new york. It would be impossible to drive a Maxima se as designed and not have wheels strike the curb over the course of a 3 year lease. Our family had been a loyal Nissan customer since our first Maxima in 1990. I believe we have purchased or leased 5 Maximas, I know we purchased 2 sentras and leased one altima. Now this is how Nissan is treating us, with greedy fingers and a shakedown of over $1650. 00 to replace the 3 wheels. It is obviously a design flaw of the wheel if the Nissan engineers did not anticipate that we have curbs in the united states and that vehicle traffic law of new york requires all drivers to parallel park on the street. If they are going to charge leasing customers for damage to the lip of the wheel they should recall every Maxima se and put normal size wheels on the vehicles not the alloy wheels they now have with less than 2 inches of tire to the actual wheel. Beware of Nissan leasing policy. Never again will a Nissan vehicle cross the threshold of our family driveway. Then to complete this shakedown they offer to take $500. 00 dollars off their "damage assessment" if we will lease or buy a new Nissan. Extortion! keep your cars we will get our son another type of car. You blew it, lost a good customer and hopefully those who read this many more customers.