Chevrolet Corvette Class Action Lawsuit Claims Wheels Easily Bend And Crack
General Motors faces a class action lawsuit over the Chevrolet Corvette, alleging the automaker withheld information about wheel defects on certain newer vehicles, which can cause them to break, bend or crack, increasing the risk of an accident.
The Chevrolet Corvette class action lawsuit (PDF) was filed late last month in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleging that General Motors knew, or should have known, about the safety issues posed by the wheels equipped on certain models.
Plaintiffs indicate that a rim defect can cause the wheels to easily warp, bend and crack. This can lead to costly repairs and replacements not covered under the 3-year, 36,000-mile Bumper to-Bumper warranty. The vehicles targeted by the class action include model years 2015 to present Chevrolet Corvette Z06 vehicles, and 2017 to present Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport vehicles.
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Learn MoreThe complaint also indicates consumers may be at an increased risk of a crash in the event the wheels crack and puncture a tire. The jagged edges may cause a tire blow out, causing drivers to lose control of the vehicle and increase the risk of a crash, jeopardizing customers, passengers and those nearby.
Plaintiffs allege General Motors was well aware of the problem from preproduction testing, design failure analysis, calls to its customer service hotline, and customer complaints made to dealers.
The lawsuit claims General Motors actively concealed the existence of the safety defect in its own internal database, responding to customer complaints that the cracked wheels were caused by roadway imperfections or driver error.
Plaintiff Anthony Nardizzi, states he leased a 2018 Chevrolet Corvette in June 2018 from a California dealership, alleging that he immediately took the vehicle to a third-party to have the wheels coated, where he was informed two of the wheels were bent, costing him approximately $7,500 to replace.
Nardizzi indicates he contacted the dealership where he leased the Corvette and they denied liability for the wheel replacement, claiming Nardizzi must have driven the vehicle incorrectly or ran over a pothole. Nardizzi subsequently contact General Motors Customer Service where they also rejected liability but agreed to compensate him $1,200 for the $7,500 replacement.
A similar customer complaint was issued to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after a California resident purchased a 2017 Corvette that required all four wheels to be replaced due to becoming warped. The vehicle reportedly had less than 1,000 miles traveled on the wheels.
The lawsuit seeks class action status for all other consumers similarly situated across the United States who unknowingly purchased or leased a Corvette model equipped with faulty alloy wheels. Plaintiffs are seeking relief from General Motors, presenting claims of unfair and deceptive business practices that unjustly enriched the company at the consumer’s expense, among other allegations.
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18 Comments
TonyMay 17, 2023 at 4:47 pm
Would like information pertaining to the law suite against GM , on the issue of the wheels on the Corvette's
VADAFebruary 10, 2023 at 3:42 pm
my 2019 c7 grandsport has a cracked wheel just replaced at a cost of $1200
RobertSeptember 30, 2021 at 4:59 pm
2017 Grand Sport purchased new. No track time. Cracked left rear OEM wheel causing the tire to go flat. I too wish to know how to join the class action lawsuit.
AllanSeptember 15, 2021 at 3:15 pm
how do I join the class action lawsuit against gm on corvette wheels
RichardAugust 20, 2020 at 11:45 pm
I just found out I have a crack left from wheel ruin the tire 1200$ to fix how do I get in the Class action suit
StephenJune 16, 2020 at 2:33 pm
2nd cracked rim on my 2017 GS. Dealers wont help. Called customer service.... That was a joke. Heard there is a class action lawsuit.... Wondering how to get attached to that.
MarkApril 22, 2020 at 4:41 am
I have straightened all the wheels on my 2018 grandsport and had a rear wheel crack. I have since solved the problem by buying forged custom wheels and have perfect wheels ever since I had the wheels manufactured. I'm not talking roto forged I am specifying 6061-T6 forged blanks that are then machined to the correct specifications anyone who wishes to learn more about these wheels can contact me[Show More]I have straightened all the wheels on my 2018 grandsport and had a rear wheel crack. I have since solved the problem by buying forged custom wheels and have perfect wheels ever since I had the wheels manufactured. I'm not talking roto forged I am specifying 6061-T6 forged blanks that are then machined to the correct specifications anyone who wishes to learn more about these wheels can contact me they are warranted for 5 years paint 2 years
geneApril 15, 2020 at 9:49 pm
just bt 2019 was never told of wheel issues already have air pressure issues
BobMarch 2, 2020 at 10:13 pm
I have a 2017 Grand sport with chrome wheels. I only drive it in the summer time. It has 8000 miles. The last time I drove it, it got rained on for the first time and the wipers didn’t work correctly so I took it to Wood Chevy in Arkansas and they told me they would order the parts. I also showed them the rusting on the rims and they took pictures of them and sent them to Chevy. Chevy said it was [Show More]I have a 2017 Grand sport with chrome wheels. I only drive it in the summer time. It has 8000 miles. The last time I drove it, it got rained on for the first time and the wipers didn’t work correctly so I took it to Wood Chevy in Arkansas and they told me they would order the parts. I also showed them the rusting on the rims and they took pictures of them and sent them to Chevy. Chevy said it was the disc pads that was throwing metal particles on them and rusting them. I called GM and they’ said they don’t warranty rims, but I told them they engineered the rims and pad specs. And the should recall and fix there screw up, But NO they said. I’ve owned over 20 vettes and now own. 58 , 67, and 2017 and GM has lost a future customer for the 2021 as I hoped to buy, as they just don’t give a damn about the safety of there customers, it’s dollar and cents to the CEO and money for her pocket which is way to much.
ScottMarch 2, 2020 at 5:03 pm
Same situation for my 2017 Grand Sport. Started losing tire pressure at 15k miles. The dealer mechanic seemed to know why before he even looked at it. Both rear rims had multiple cracks and front rims were bent. Not covered under my warranty.
RandyFebruary 14, 2020 at 2:12 am
2019 Grand Sport, rear wheel cracked from one side to the other, Chevrolet denied my claim, car has 7500 miles!
MackFebruary 9, 2020 at 2:44 am
I own a 2016 Z06 and experienced the same issue with Wheela to whereas air slow began to escape. Reported it to a Chevrolet dealership and they made it sound like it was my fault.
MarkNovember 30, 2019 at 9:26 pm
My 2017 Grand Sport was bought from Preston Chev Olds in Langley BC. After 2weeks ownership we drove to Vegas. There we found 1 rim cracked and welded and 1 tire with a patch on the sidewall, after the rear rim started losing all its air overnight. The insurance company covered both rim and tire after a 1 week fight over liability.
JamesOctober 30, 2019 at 1:09 am
My 2019 Z06 has two severely cracked rear rims. Not safe to drive. GM immediately denied warranty coverage. I want in on the class action suit. Because of the strike, I do not have parts and it has been 3 weeks with no car. Parts still on order. Luckily I have tire and rim protection that is covering the rims. GM should be sued heavily. They know of the defect.
RONALDOctober 2, 2019 at 4:04 am
I have a 2016 Z06 convertible. I started having vibration with my car. I took it into a shop to balance the wheels as I thought that a wheel weight had come off. They informed me that all 4 wheels were bent. I immediately took it to my Chevy dealer who said that there was nothing they could do to assist me. I had them contact their Chevrolet representative. Again nothing could be done for me. [Show More]I have a 2016 Z06 convertible. I started having vibration with my car. I took it into a shop to balance the wheels as I thought that a wheel weight had come off. They informed me that all 4 wheels were bent. I immediately took it to my Chevy dealer who said that there was nothing they could do to assist me. I had them contact their Chevrolet representative. Again nothing could be done for me. Now what? How can I be apart of this lawsuit?
BarryAugust 9, 2019 at 7:51 pm
I had no less than 4 within 2k ... 5th corvette .. 3 rd C7... I lives in the same small town for the last 11 years so nothing has changed. Tadge’s explanation , while plausible, lacks real world math !! These are Flow forged wheels and while I get you cannot jump RR tracks and still expect the wheels to hold up, I daily drive my Vettes and know when I have hit some thing that would be that severe[Show More]I had no less than 4 within 2k ... 5th corvette .. 3 rd C7... I lives in the same small town for the last 11 years so nothing has changed. Tadge’s explanation , while plausible, lacks real world math !! These are Flow forged wheels and while I get you cannot jump RR tracks and still expect the wheels to hold up, I daily drive my Vettes and know when I have hit some thing that would be that severe to cause damage to one or two wheels ... 4 ? Gimme me a break. Vette drivers are some of the most cautious there are ... shame on GM
RobertJune 24, 2019 at 7:25 pm
I have a 2017 GS collectors edition with 4,000 miles on it. I started taking the car to the dealership December 2018 with a vibration problem. March of 2019 the chevy dealership said that the vibration was caused by 4 bent wheels and three bad tires. The tires were covered but the wheels were not. A out of pocket cost 3200.00. I turned it over to auto ins vibration did not go away. Dealership did[Show More]I have a 2017 GS collectors edition with 4,000 miles on it. I started taking the car to the dealership December 2018 with a vibration problem. March of 2019 the chevy dealership said that the vibration was caused by 4 bent wheels and three bad tires. The tires were covered but the wheels were not. A out of pocket cost 3200.00. I turned it over to auto ins vibration did not go away. Dealership did a trans service problem did not go away. Took the car back to the dealer to find out that three of the new wheels were bent with less than 200 miles on them. The entire time the dealership said the the wheels were bending due to road conditions and driving style. GM did admit that the wheels are soft and fragile and owners are to very careful when driving there cars and to avoid potholes. There has been 7500.00 spent in one month on tires and wheels. I do not drive the car in fear of bending the wheels. GM was kind to offer a 100.00 service certificate for my problems.
DARWINJune 18, 2019 at 5:24 pm
I have same experienced and reported to Chevrolet .i started to have wheel bend prior to first maintenance service , dealers blame it on me and will not cover it. I went to an specialist who do bend repair and paid $300.00 . Now on my third maintenance my rear wheels have a hairline fracture ,Dealers service agents blamed it on the wear and tear and would not cover it .this one needs to be replace[Show More]I have same experienced and reported to Chevrolet .i started to have wheel bend prior to first maintenance service , dealers blame it on me and will not cover it. I went to an specialist who do bend repair and paid $300.00 . Now on my third maintenance my rear wheels have a hairline fracture ,Dealers service agents blamed it on the wear and tear and would not cover it .this one needs to be replace. i don’t feel safe replacing with the same corvette wheels. I have a 2017 ZO6 .