Yet Another Lawsuit Filed Over C7 Corvette Z06, Grand Sport Rim Issues
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Yet another class action lawsuit has been filed against General Motors alleging the factory rims on 2015-2019 Corvette Z06 and Corvette Grand Sport models are prone to pressure cracks and other damage.
According to The Detroit Free Press, a new class-action lawsuit has been filed seeking compensation for 18 separate C7 Corvette Z06 and Grand Sport owners and lessees, plus all others who either purchased or entered a lease agreement for either one of the vehicles in the United States.
The lawsuit, like others that have been filed over this same issue, alleges the factory rims on certain C7 Corvette model variants were manufactured using either substandard materials or faulty methods, making them prone to cracking and warping. The suit also notes that GM used inferior material than usual to reduce the unsprung weight of the wheels on these high-performance vehicles, further contributing to their alleged fragility.
The suit goes on to note that the wheel material is “cast, rather than forged, and is of insufficient strength, and in an insufficient quantity, to withstand the torque and power input from the drivetrain.” The C7 Corvette Z06 produces 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque from its supercharged GM 6.2L LT4 V8 engine, while the Grand Sport and its naturally aspirated 6.2L LT1 V8 make 460 horsepower and 465 pound-feet.
GM will not replace the damaged wheels under warranty, the lawsuit also states. GM did offer an optional wheel and tire protection package with the C7 Corvette Z06 and Grand Sport, The Detroit Free Press points out, which cost an additional $1,000.
“Consumers regularly paid over $900 per wheel to replace one cracked wheel with an equally defective replacement wheel,” the suit says.
Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter said in an online forum previously that the pressure cracks can form if the driver hits potholes and other deformities on the road, which can weaken the wheel and cause it to bend and warp over time.
“Since it is hundreds or thousands of miles after the damaging event, the driver often can’t remember hitting anything that would justify a crack in the wheel,” Juechter said in the post. “I have actually experienced this myself.”
An affected owner that spoke to The Detroit Free Press said he took his case against to the Better Business Bureau and won, with GM forced to reimburse him the $4,940 that he paid out of pocket to fix the car’s cracked OEM wheels. The arbitrator in that judgment said GM admitted that “minor depressions” at “low speeds” could cause the wheels to bend.
Vehicles included in this latest class action lawsuit span the 2015 to 2019 model years and include the C7 Corvette Z06 and Grand Sport only. A lawsuit was previously filed over this exact same issue back in early 2019, while a second similar lawsuit was filed earlier this year as well.
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The new class action lawsuit says that General Motors factory rims on 2015-2019 Corvette Z06 and Corvette Grand Sport models are prone to pressure cracks and other damage; but one has to wonder whether this was because how the 2015-2019 Corvette Z06 and Corvette Grand Sport models were driven because lesser Corvettes did not suffer this type of damage because they were not capable of the near 200 mph speeds or the stress it puts on the factory rims.. I remember watching a YouTube video where a young driver said the brake pads of his 2020 Chevrolet C8 Corvette Z51 were shot after a few laps on Laguna Seca raceway; does this mean there is something wrong with the factory brake pads or another way to interpret this incident is that OEM components are not designed to survive track conditions.
This type of lawsuit is a major downfall in our society. It’s a shame we are so suit crazy raising the prices of everything we buy. We used to follow the statement “buyer be ware”, I guess we aren’t smart enough for that anymore.
This isn’t a $20000 Cruze. The GS and Z06 are in the $60-$100k+ range new. 90% of them rarely get driven and when they do the wheels crack. It’s clearly a design flaw that GM has to correct.
I do not know if this makes a real difference but I’m glad I only have a Z51! I just have issues with that crappy 8 speed 8L90e automatic transmission which I’m waiting to see the results of the class action suit on that piece of $hit!
From selling these cars for the last 5 years can confirm these people have valid complaints. 9/10 of these cars we’ve sold have had wheel issues, doesn’t matter who the buyer has been. It’s unfortunate but these wheels are garbage.
Reminds me of the issues with the 1965 or 1966 (66 I think) cast wheels that were an upsell on the full size chevrolets. Not just cracking, but, outright failure. Cast auto wheels in mass production were a relatively new thing for down-market cars, and they hadn’t gotten the hang of making them by the tens of thousands yet.
But, this is 2020. Those problems should have been cured decades ago.
I have had 5 BENT WHEELS on my 2019 GS..IT WAS SO BAD, each time (2 incidents) the car was undriveable and the 2nd time car sat for 4 weeks because of no OEM’s available I had gloss black…finally when 4 wheels were found, they were stock silver wheels and I accepted them( and that was a $500.00 hit) only because OTHERWISE I would not been able to enjoy my Vette!…
I smartened up and bought a set of quality mono forged wheels from a well known aftermarket supplier…and now dont cringe everytime I hit a little bump…I also initiated 2 formal complaints, joined lawsuit and filed complaint with NHTSA. By the time lawyers are done…I’ll be lucky toa fford Happy Meal!
Hi,
Do you have an update on the class action lawsuit with rims?
Can we join this lawsuit?
Thanks
2017 Z06 owner with three cracked, bent rims
I have not had any problems so far however, I bought the tire and wheel protection plan when I leased my ZO6. Will GM reimburse those of us that paid for the tire and wheel package?
poilec cars. and
your
GM’s and Chevrolet’s “Premiere Sports Car” and their
Management resists liability. The fact that the same wheel issue occurred on a Corvette driven by Tag should be proof enough it’s a defect situation. Perhaps a metallurgist could shed some light on the real cause. Ahhh, but GM has assuredly done so as why else would they offer “insurance for wheel cracking”. The GM number crunchers have already figured out the up front charge for the wheel protection option Is a break even cost to replace the defective wheels. Unfortunately the current serviceable replacement wheels are also defective. Non-OE may be the best option!
The potholes in Southeast Michigan will wreck any sport wheel.
The cost of the tire and wheel insurance went up to $1500 on my 2020 C8 3LT Z51 and I bought that protection just for the road hazard warranty. He said it covered any tire or wheel that I put on it. Is that because any other wheel will likely be better. Anyway there aren’t many road defects in Southwest Florida but tire hazards are everywhere when you have such thin soft tires. I have heard of many people denting aftermarket wheels dented but maybe not cracked?
At about 18k miles I had 4 cracks in one rear wheel on my 2019 ZR1. Dealer inspected and tested the the wheel and submitted their results to GM for a warranty claim. GM claimed that it must be the result of hitting a pot hole!
At least the dealer got me a new wheel at their cost.
Bet it makes you feel real good that you spend 120K plus on a car and they won’t own up to their mistakes.
I bought my 2015 ZO6 new with the Spectra Gray wheels with machined edge. I’ve tracked and drag raced it more times than I can count. Never had a wheel issue. You hit a bad pothole your wheel is going to crack or bend no matter what car you drive. Thankfully I live in a state that doesn’t get any snow thus good roads.
Az is a great state very little pot holes. That’s all GM a bull crap! They only have this problem on GS,Z06,ZR1.2015 Z06 10 ths miles just turned I have owned 28 corvettes so far my rear wheel cracked GM doesn’t want to help their buyers. They know they are wrong upgraded black gloss GM wheels their stock run flat wheels came with the vette. This is a road hazard if something worse could happen to my vette me as a driver or another car done to GM YOUR WRONG AND YOU KNOW IT! My dealership said DO NOT order another stock set from them, they’re all BAD!
I had 5 bent wheels in pot holed Western N.Y. Fortunately i read about this and bought wheel/tire insurance..but didnt help as my 2019 GS sat 5 WEEKS in dealers’ bay UNDRIVABLE… while replacements were nowhere to be found..even called GM’s warehouse…meantime I spent nearly 6k$ and purchased mono forged gloss black wheels…and have not had a problem since…Mary Barra would not even answer my numerous emails…I wanted to thank her for screwing thousands of loyal Vette owners , including myself . I Joined class action lawsuit..it was a waste of paper..could oF saved a few trees!
We can only hope that the A-holes at Generous Motors read all these good comments because I have been dealing with them in Canada for over 50 years and now worrying about my 2019 G S wheels. You would not believe some of the stories I could tell you about those Pricks!
Well my rear right rim went down to 2 pounds on my Run flat it wasn’t the tires it was the rim…. Contact ped Chevy waiting for an answer.
No one will answer me if they or anyone has had the same problems with CHROME wheels!?
To make matters worse wheel repair shops either won’t repair/weld the wheels or won’t guarantee the repair they say the alloy is so poor that it won’t take a weld and will crack along the same fault shortly after the repair
Again I ask does this happen to Chrome, not Hurd of any so it seems they are all black and I hate all-black wheels!!