NHTSA Complaint #10407299 — 2002 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

THIS CAR HAS HAD A PRIOR CRACKED RIM THAT WAS REPLACED OUT OF POCKET. NOW A SECOND RIM CRACKED. THERE ARE MULTIPLE REPORTS OF THE RIMS ON THE 2000-2004 CORVETTES MADE THAT HAVE NOT FOR WHAT EVER REASON SEEM TO NOT BE ADDRESSED BY THIS AGENCY BECAUSE THERE ARE NO RELATED DEATHS OR INJURIES. THERE IS LARGE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION ON THE CORVETTE FORUMS AND THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION AVAILABLE FROM AN EMAIL WHICH THE POSTER CLAIMS WAS SENT OUT BY NHTSA "CURRENTLY THERE ARE 9 REPORTS OF WHEELS CRACKING INVOLVING MODEL YEARS 2001 AND 2002 CHEVROLET CORVETTE VEHICLES IN OUR DATABASE. HOWEVER, AVAILABLE DATA INDICATES THAT THE CRACKS ARE MINOR AND THAT THERE NO REPORTS OF A DRIVER LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO CRACK WHEELS. THUS, THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A SAFETY-RELATED CONSEQUENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROBLEM. UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE IS INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO WARRANT OPENING A SAFETY DEFECT INVESTIGATION AT THIS TIME. THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE PROVIDED HAS BEEN ENTERED INTO OUR DATABASE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS ISSUE AND WILL TAKE FARTHER ACTION AS NECESSARY." I MYSELF NOW HAVE A SECOND RIM THAT IS CRACKED AND GM IS REFUSING TO COVER THE REPLACEMENT DUE TO NON WARRANTY. DESPITE THE TSB 070310003 FROM NHTSA ITEM NUMBER : 10021451. IS IT THE POSITION OF NHTSA AND GM THAT A CRACKED RIM IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT IS OK TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE AT POSTED SPEEDS IN TEXAS UP TO 80 MILES PER HOUR WITH CRACKED RIMS? IS IT THE POSITION OF NHTSA THAT UNTIL THERE IS A LOSS OF LIFE OR SERIOUS BODILY INJURY THAT THERE IS NOT A SAFETY HAZARD OR IT IS NOT WORTH THE TIME TO INVESTIGATE AND RECALL THESE RIMS? *TR