NHTSA Complaint #11404817 — 2019 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

CAR WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER TO HAVE 4 NEW TIRES INSTALLED. UPON INSTALLATION THE DEALER DISCOVERED BOTH REAR RIMS WERE CRACKED (1 COULD NOT HOLD AIR) AND ONE FRONT RIM WAS BENT. THE DEALER WILL NOT COVER THE WHEELS AND MY WHEEL INSURANCE WILL NOT COVER ANYTHING BUT OEM PARTS. I SECURED FORGED WHEELS AS I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY BY REPLACING THE SAME RIMS THAT CAME WITH THE CAR. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR WITH THE OEM WHEELS. GM IS CLAIMING DRIVING BEHAVIOR AND/OR POTHOLES. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING CORVETTES ON AND OFF SINCE 1986 AND NEVER HAD ANY CRACKED RIMS. IN ALL THAT TIME MY DRIVING HABITS HAVE NOT SUDDENLY CHANGED. SECONDLY, IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT I WOULD HAVE THREE DEFECTIVE RIMS ALL AT THE SAME TIME SIMPLY DUE TO POT HOLES. AFTER CONDUCTING RESEARCH MY STRONGEST BELIEF IS THAT SINCE THE RIM IS CAST AND NOT FORGED IT LACKS THE STRENGTH NEED FOR A PERFORMANCE VEHICLE AND THAT THE CRACKS ARE FATIGUE CRACKS WHICH OCCUR OVER TIME. FURTHER, THERE IS NO SENSOR OR WARNING SYSTEM TO LET YOU KNOW THE CRACKS ARE PRESENT. IN ADDITION, THE PROBLEM IS MAGNIFIED IN THAT THE CRACKS ARE ON THE INSIDE OF THE RIM AND NOT VISIBLE WHEN LOOKING AT THE WHEEL. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THERE WILL BE FATALITIES ATTRIBUTABLE TO THIS DEFECT. I AM UPLOADING EVERYTHING I SENT TO MY INSURER WHO INFORMED ME THAT THEY CANNOT COVER AFTER MARKET WHEELS, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE LESS EXPENSIVE. PS: I CANNOT TELL FROM YOUR FILE UPLOAD IF BOTH FILES WERE LOADED.