--- title: "Class-Action Over Cracking Corvette Wheels Finally Has a Resolution—With a Big Asterisk" date: "2024-08-14" modified: "2024-08-14" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/class-action-over-cracking-corvette-wheels-finally-has-a-resolution-with-a-big-asterisk" categories: - "Chevrolet News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Chevrolet" - "Corvette" - "sports car" --- # Class-Action Over Cracking Corvette Wheels Finally Has a Resolution—With a Big Asterisk ![C7 Corvette Grand Sport]() *Chevrolet* It's easy to imagine the frustration of C7 [Corvette Z06 ]()and Grand Sport owners when they spend good money on their dream sports car, only for a wheel to bend or crack at the first sight of a pothole. Especially when it happens two, four, or even seven times. It's even easier to imagine the frustration of those owners when they look to GM for answers and get nothing but shoulder shrugs. Now, after several years of lawsuits and [customer complaints]() of unexpectedly broken or bent wheels, [GM]() is finally willing to reimburse owners for damaged wheels caused by poor manufacturing. But, of course, there's a catch. According to *[CarComplaints]()*, GM recently announced the *Corvette Wheels Limited Special Reimbursement Program*, which applies to current and former owners or lessees of 2015-2019 Z06 and 2017-2019 Grand Sport models. The program will reimburse customers for 100% of their out-of-pocket costs to replace or repair a bent or cracked wheel during its original warranty and extended four-year/48,000-mile warranty, even if it wasn't repaired or replaced by a GM dealer. Here's the catch, though: The customer has to prove that the wheel damage wasn't their fault. "You will not, however, be eligible to receive anything under the Program where there are service records, receipts, or invoices provided by GM, a GM-authorized dealer, or any other vehicle repair or servicing entity that explicitly state that a wheel repair or replacement was performed for reasons such as damage caused by impact damage or road hazard damage such as cracks, punctures, cuts, snags, and breaks resulting from pothole impact, curb impact, or from other objects, or words to the same effect." ![]() *2018 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport. *Chevrolet** I get that it isn't fair to replace a wheel under warranty if the customer curbed it at 40 mph ... but an OEM wheel should be able to handle a pothole impact or two. Unfortunately, if the dealer technician adds a note to the repair that a pothole caused the wheel damage, the customer is out of luck. A customer can also get reimbursed by providing a sworn statement, under penalty of perjury, "attesting that the vehicle received a wheel repair or replacement for a bent or cracked wheel and that, to the best understanding, knowledge, and belief of the owner or lessee, the wheel repair or replacement was performed for reasons other than damage caused by impact damage or road hazard damage." So in other words: If you can get a receipt for replacement Z06 or Grand Sport Corvette wheels you bought, due to the originals cracking, during your warranty period, and you can swear that the crack was not caused by a road hazard ... you can get reimbursed. Unless there's a line in the work order that says "pothole damage," "road-hazard damage" or something similar. Which a service writer may well have typed even if you never said or knew how a wheel got split. GM's hesitancy to believe customers is frustrating when you consider [how many reports]() of bent or cracked wheels on Z06 and [Grand Sport]() there have been. During *[Car and Driver's]()* long-term test of a 2017 Corvette Grand Sport, which spanned 40,000 miles, they experienced an absurd number of damaged wheels. "In all, we spent $4098 on wheel repair and replacement—seven repairs and three replacements, for an average failure rate of once every 4,000 miles," said *C&D* during its long-term review. If any customers want to take their shot at getting their wheel repair or replacement costs reimbursed, they have to contact Analytics Consulting, not a GM dealer, and can call 833-941-5297. *The Drive* asked GM for a comment and will update this story when we get more information. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()