NHTSA Complaint #11289930 — 2017 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

MY COMPLAINT CENTERS ON GM IGNORING SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES WITH CRACKS IN DEFECTIVE WHEELS ON THEIR C7 CORVETTE Z06 AND GS MODELS POTENTIALLY CAUSING ACCIDENTS, INJURY AND DEATHS DUE TO DEFECTIVE WHEELS. I WAS HAVING MY TIRES REPLACED ON MY 2017 CORVETTE Z06 BY DISCOUNT TIRE (TXD56). MANAGER INFORMED ME THAT RIGHT PASSENGER WHEEL WAS CRACKED AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HOLD AIR AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED, ONLY REPLACED. I TOOK CAR TO CLASSIC CHEVROLET - GRAPEVINE, TX. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED CRACK BUT SAID THAT THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE A DECISION ON WARRANTY COVERAGE DUE TO GM POLICY SPECIFIC TO CORVETTE Z06 AND GS MODELS. THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT COMPLETED AN INSPECTION AND INCLUDED FOLLOWING COMMENT: 996 C/S PASS SIDE REAR WHEEL CRACKED. DID PRA THRU GM AND GM DECLINED TO ASSIST CUSTOMER. PHOTOS OF THE WHEEL CLEARLY SHOW THE CRACK BUT NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL. I CALLED GM CUSTOMER ASSIST CENTER FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATION. GM SR. ADVISOR SENT A VOICEMAIL AND EMAIL SAYING THAT MY VEHICLE WAS "OUT OF WARRANTY" ( WHICH IS NOT TRUE, AS COVERAGE IS THRU DEC 22,2019.) AND THAT THERE ARE NO DEFECTS TO THE WHEEL. WHEN I FOLLOWED UP WITH ANOTHER CALL, SR. ADVISOR ACKNOWLEDGED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT STILL DENIED COVERAGE UNDER BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY AND SAID WHEEL WAS DAMAGED. I TOLD THEM THAT BASED ON REVIEW OF PICTURES AND VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE WHEEL THERE IS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL ONLY THE CRACK.(WHEEL STILL IN MY POSSESSION). BASED ON CORVETTE ORGANIZATIONS AND POSTINGS, CONSIDERABLE NUMBERS OF COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO GM OF DEFECTIVE WHEELS CAUSING AIR LEAKS. GM HAS DENIED NEARLY ALL OF THESE OCCURRENCES AS "DAMAGE" AND NOT A DEFECT. THERE ARE 2 CLASS ACTION SUITS FILED AGAINST GM FOR NOT CORRECTING DEFECTIVE 2015 - 2019 CORVETTE Z06 AND GS MODE WHEELS.