NHTSA Complaint #11131647 — 2015 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

WHEN I TOOK THE CAR INTO A DISCOUNT TIRE STORE TO HAVE NEW TIRES PUT ON THE BACK AT ABOUT 15,600 MILES ON THE CAR CRACKS WERE FOUND ON THE INSIDE RIM WHERE TIRE BEAD SEALS OF BOTH BACK WHEELS. PROBLEM WAS IMMEDIATELY REPORTED TO DEALER WHO VERIFIED CRACKS, BUT DEALER AND GM REFUSED TO REPLACE UNLESS I PURCHASE NEW WHEELS FOR DISCOUNTED PRICE OF $1,100.00 FOR REAR WHEELS ONLY. SPOKE WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF GM ENGINEERING AND FOUND PROBLEM IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH REAR WHEEL CRACKING GOING BACK SEVERAL YEARS WITH CAST CHINA MADE WHEELS ON CORVETTE Z06 AND ZR1 MODELS. I WAS TOLD GM CORVETTE CHIEF ENGINEER HAS POSTED INFORMATION ON THE WHEEL CRACKING PROBLEM ON CORVETTE FORUM AND ONLY WAY TO NOT HAVE WHEEL CRACKING PROBLEM ON REPLACEMENT WHEELS WOULD BE TO NOT DRIVE ON ROADS WITH BUMPS OR POT HOLES. THEY AGREED THIS WAS NOT REALISTIC BUT GM STANDS FIRM ON PAYMENT FOR NEW WHEELS WITH NO ASSURANCE THIS WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM. MY COMPLAINT WAS CLOSED AT GM AS CUSTOMER DECLINED REDUCED PRICE OFFER AND IS DISSATISFIED. CRACKING WHEELS SHOULD BE A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AND ESPECIALLY WITH CARS THAT HAVE THIS MUCH POWER TO THE WHEELS AND ARE CAPABLE OF THE SPEEDS THESE MODEL CARS CAN OBTAIN. THIS IS TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE OF GM TO ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN AND NOT RECALL THE WHEELS AND REPLACE THEM WITH ONES THAT DO NOT CRACK, ESPECIALLY ON CARS WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE.