NHTSA Complaint #10149178 — 2002 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

I HAVE A 2002 CORVETTE I RECENTLY PURCHASED FROM A FRIEND OF MINE. WHILE CLEANING THE CAR RECENTLY I NOTICED A SMALL CRACK AT THE BASE OF ONE OF THE SPOKES ON MY LEFT REAR RIM. THIS CRACK HAD NOT BEEN THERE PREVIOUSLY. WORRIED ABOUT THE STRUCTURE I WENT TO A LOCAL TIRE SHOP TO ORDER A REPLACEMENT. WHILE THERE I NOTICED A 2000 CORVETTE ON THE RACK FOR TIRES. I WENT OVER TO LOOK AT IT'S RIMS AND SAW THAT THE LEFT REAR HAD 3 SPOKES CRACKED. I ORDERED A NEW AFTERMARKET RIM, MINE ARE GM AND WENT HOME. WHEN I GOT HOME I RECHECKED THE VEHICLE AND NOW SAW THAT THE LEFT HAD MORE FRACTURES COMING FROM THE ORIGINAL CRACK, AND NOW THE RIGHT REAR ALSO HAD A CRACK AT THE BASE OF THE SPOKE. THE CAR HAS 46,000 MILES. THE WHEELS HAVE NEVER BEEN CURBED AND ONLY ONE NEW SET OF TIRES HAS BEEN PUT ON AT A REPUTABLE TIRE COMPANY. I CHECKED ON A CORVETTE WEB SITE AND GOT MANY RESPONSES OF ADDITIONAL CORVETTES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB