2016 Chevrolet Corvette wheel problems

WHEELS

Overview: Beginning sometime in 2020, the coating of the rearview inside mirror began to degrade and lose its reflective capability. By [XXX] visibility through the mirror was so bad that I had to have it replaced by the local Chevy dealership. Because it was out of warranty, I had to pay $453.93 out of pocket. The vehicle was unsafe to drive due to the mirror's degraded condition. 1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Rearview interior mirror 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I could not see clearly in the rearview mirror. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Many other drivers have reported the same issue with this model on the Corvette forum (see [XXX] ) Also, Sunrise Chevrolet in Collierville, TN confirmed the mirror was defective and replaced it at my expense. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11639504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

Overview - November 2022, my 2016 Covette Stingray vibrated badly at highway speeds, that I took it into the Sunrise Chevrolet Buick GMC dealership in Collierville, TN to investigate the cause. They made videos showing 3 of the 4 wheels (not tires) were warped. This is my second car (rarely driven), so I was quite surprised. Chevy was out of stock and the vehicle was out of warranty, so I had to replace all 4 wheels using after-market parts that had to be shipped to the dealership at total cost of $3,400.58. A few weeks after the wheels were replaced, I noticed the vibration was still occurring at highway speeds, so I returned it to the same dealership on Jan 3rd, 2023. The dealership said that the transmission fluid had to be replaced with a "new design" to prevent the shaking at my expense for a total of $1,066.10. The problem is so well-known, that it's called the "Chevy Shake" on the Corvette forum. I feel that Chevrolet has put my safety at risk twice in 2022 with a faulty mirror (I files a separate complaint for that), the faulty tires, and the faulty transmission fluid.

NHTSA complaint #11639515 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

Normal driving - about 69,000 miles. Rear wheel rim developed cracks in inner bead lip causing complete loss of inflation.

NHTSA complaint #11555794 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

Rear rims have cracks. Which is causing the car to lose air and it also lose traction.

NHTSA complaint #11549396 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

Wheels are defective and cracked at approx 22k miles normal use. Inside of driver wheel cracked and does not hold air.

NHTSA complaint #11516202 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS:RIM

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that the wheels were cracking from the inside. The contact stated that the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the wheels needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA complaint #11497475 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

Started loosing tire pressure on L/R tire, local tire shop informed and showed me that my left rear rim has a crack which causes loos of air. This is a known issue that GM wants to blame on drivers but issue stems from GM using cheaper cast aluminum materials instead of forged materials which are better suited due to the amount of torque that the ZO6 models generated. *Note* GM used forged material on their ZR1 models!!

NHTSA complaint #11491451 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

Vehicle has less than 8k miles and right rear wheel has a stress fracture on inside of wheel. Zero signs of damage to the tire or anything indicating cause of fracture was from a road hazard. Fracture causes a slow air leak. Hundreds if not 1000s of corvette owners 2015-2019 have had this issue.

NHTSA complaint #11459678 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

Rear rims (20 by 12, cast aluminum) have both cracked with no trauma to the rim other than simply driving the car on the street. Right rear has been repaired multiple times and has now cracked right beside the repaired cracks. The left rear has cracked on the inside by the bead and with two wheels cracked and leaking air, I have ended up ordering two new rims from GM. I put some tire sealant in the left rear and that slowed down the slow leak while the new rims were being delivered. I have talked about this many times with the dealer and with GM, and they say I must have caused the cracks by my driving, which doesn't make sense to me. They say sue me and point out that you, the NTHSA, haven't ordered the rims recalled. These are now the seventh and eighth cracks that have developed on my rear rims, three different rims. One original lasted 27,000 miles before the first crack. The replacement original for that first rim lasted about 7,000 miles before the first crack. The last original rim of the same size on the back lasted 37,500 miles before the first crack appeared. I bought a 1978 Corvette new with forged aluminum rims and drove it some 150,000 miles with no rim cracking problems and I drove a 2001 Corvette Z06 that I bought used for over 100,000 miles over the same roads I've now driving my 2016 Corvette on and had not a single rim cracking problem (again, forged aluminum rims on that). I have had no cracking problems with the front 19 by 10 cast aluminum rims, so it sure appears to be the rear rim cracks are because of defects in the casting process. GM make the choice to go with cast aluminum rims instead of the stronger forged aluminum, and I don't take exception to their design choice as long as the rims hold up to everyday driving stresses. The rim cracks historically expand over time and ignoring them could, in the dealer's estimation, result in catastrophic rim failure resulting in a serious accident and potential driver fatality.

NHTSA complaint #11456523 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

Rear rim (20 inch by 12 inch, cast aluminum) cracked in two places. These are the fifth and sixth cracks I've had in two rear rims. Reported it to the dealer and they effectively said "sue GM", won't help me. When the rim cracks, the tire looses air pressure and the car's sensors tell me the air pressure is low. These cracks appear on the inside of the rear wheels without any trauma to the rim. I do have the rim available for inspection upon request. Obviously a cracked rim could result in the rim coming apart while I'm driving resulting in an uncontrollable car and an accident that could be life threatening. Mileage at the moment is 37,201. Pictures of the original cracking were sent to a metalurgy professor who opined the rim was obviously defective. GM refuses to acknowledge the cracking issue with these Z06 rims and now won't even find me a replacement rim.

NHTSA complaint #11441072 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

All 4 rims were all bent when tires were replaced a few months ago and Americas tire found that there were several cracks in the rims with only 25,000 miles on the car. Looking through the corvette forum, thousands of people have had the same problem. This is a huge safety concern with this fast of a car.

NHTSA complaint #11437735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

Have now experienced, for the FOURTH time, a crack in one of my rear cast aluminum rims on my 2016 limited edition C7R Corvette. Once the rim cracks, it leaks air, slowly to start with but then faster and faster as the crack grows over time. This latest crack is on a rim that I bought for over $1,000 from my local GM/Chevy dealer when they wouldn't do anything for me over a previously cracked rim. Every one of the four cracks have been on the inside of the rear rim with no trauma evidence to be seen as a don't hit curbs or potholes with my car. I drive carefully as evidenced by my getting 19.7 miles per gallon for the life of my car and as much as 27 miles per gallon for a 50 mile stretch. I don't take it racing or abuse it as this was my dream car, one of 500 made for the US market. The local dealer folks admit the rims are defective but say they can't do anything about it because GM says the rims are not defective. The first cracked rim was also examined by a metals professor at Sacramento State who confirmed the rim was defective but said destructive testing would be required to prove that with absolute certainty. I have not agreed to destructive testing and am in possession of the latest cracked rim. Once a rim cracks, I have to get it replaced or fixed as the car is not really usable with a flat tire.

NHTSA complaint #11436289 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

Right rim is cracked. Mechanic informed me the tire leak is due to cracked rim. Appears like others have the same issue. What’s not known is if the crack is propagating therefore becoming a true safety hazard while driving the vehicle at highway speeds.

NHTSA complaint #11434329 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

The left rear rim on the vehicle cracked resulting in air loss. GM covered only a 40% of the cost to replace. This fracture places all four of the wheels in question. Rims should not CRACK and fail.

NHTSA complaint #11431337 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS:RIM

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated while the vehicle was being serviced at a tire shop, he was notified that the rear driver and passenger side rims were cracked. The contact called the local dealer to inform them of the failure and ordered both rims to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired as of yet. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,488.

NHTSA complaint #11421316 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

I RETURNED TO MY CAR AFTER PLAYING A ROUND OF GOLF ON MONDAY AND THE CAR SAID THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WAS LOW. I DROVE TO THE TIRE STORE AND THEY FOUND THE RIM WAS CRACKED WITH NO SIGNS OF ANY TRAUMA TO THE RIM OR TIRE. I HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN IN JANUARY 2020, AND ENDED UP BUYING A NEW ALUMINUM RIM FROM THE DEALER (OVER $1.000) BECAUSE GM SAYS THE RIM ISN'T DEFECTIVE. THE CAR THEN HAD 26,500 MILES ON IT. NOW 7,600 MILES AND A LITTLE OVER A YEAR LATER, THE NEW REPLACEMENT RIM CRACKS ON THE INSIDE OF THE RIM IN THE VERY SAME MANNER AS THE ORIGINAL RIM CRACKED. I'VE ATTACHED A PICTURE AND NOW HAVE TWO CRACKED (DEFECTIVE) RIMS IN HAND. I REPORTED THE FIRST CRACKED RIM TO NTHSA WHEN IT HAPPENED A YEAR AGO AND NOW AM REPORTING THE SECOND IDENTICAL DEFECT. DO I NEED TO DRIVE THE CAR AND HURT MYSELF VIA AN ACCIDENT TO GET YOU FOLKS TO TAKE MY CASE SERIOUSLY?

NHTSA complaint #11416711 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

WHEELS DEVELOPED CRACKS AND ARE SUBJECT TO BECOMING OUT OF ROUND.

NHTSA complaint #11400325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR LESS THAN A YEAR. TOOK IT IN TO BE SERVICED AND TO GET NEW TIRES. UPON TAKING THE RIMS OFF, THE DEALERSHIP SHOWED ME THAT 3 OF MY RIMS HAD CRACKS IN THEM. ONE OF THE THREE RIMS HAD 3 CRACKS IN IT ALL THE WAY AROUND THAT COULD HAVE BROKEN AND FOLDED AT ANYTIME CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR EVEN DEATH. AFTER DOING RESEARCH THIS SEEMS TO BE AN EXTENSIVE PROBLEM FOR NUMEROUS CORVETTE OWNERS FROM 2015 TO PRESENT. WORST PART IS I'M ACTIVE DUTY MARINE CORPS AND USED MY DEPLOYMENT MONEY TO BUY THIS VEHICLE THAT IS NO LONGER RELIABLE OR SAFE, AND IS NOW JUST SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY, UNDRIVEABLE AS THE RIMS CONTINUE TO CRACK AND ARE NOT SAFE.

NHTSA complaint #11396081 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS:RIM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET CORVETTE EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN TIRES, TIRE LINE: PILOT SPORT A/S 3PLUS, TIRE SIZE: 335/25/ZR20, DOT NUMBER 4M2R00VX3418. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE RIM WAS CRACKED IN TWO PLACES. ADDITIONALLY, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE RIM WAS BENT SINCE HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER AUTONATION CHEVROLET PEMBROKE PINES (8600 PINES BLVD, PEMBROKE PINES, FL 33024, (954) 644-5038) WHERE THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE RIM WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,070.

NHTSA complaint #11395725 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

I WAS DRIVING DOWN I-20 AND MY TIRE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOR THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. I TOOK THE CAR TO DISCOUNT TIRE AND THE TECHNICIAN PULLED THE TIRE AND SAID THAT THE RIM WAS CRACKED AND SHOWED ME THE CRACK. I BELIEVE IF I HAD DISREGARDED THE TIRE WARNING AND JUST ADDED AIR I COULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT IF THE RIM DISINTEGRATED WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA complaint #11376698 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS:RIM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AIR WAS LEAKING FROM THE PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DISCOVER FOUR CRACKS ON THE INTERIOR SECTION OF THE WHEEL CAUSING THE AIR TO LEAK FROM THE TIRE. THE WHEEL WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WERE NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER COUGHLIN CHEVROLET OF PATASKALA (900 EAST BROAD ST, PATASKALA, OH 43062) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

NHTSA complaint #11364351 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

MULTIPLE STRESS CRACKS IN BOTH REAR WHEELS, NO DAMAGE OR INSULTS TO WHEEL! GENERAL MOTORS OR NASSANI BROTHERS CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP CULVER CITY, CA, WOULD ACKNOWLEDG THE PROBLEM. THIS WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND GENERAL MOTORS NUMEROUS TIMES, WITH GM TELLING TO TAKE IT TO DEALERSHIP AND THE DEALERSHIP TELLING ME TO CONTACT GENERAL MOTORS, I CONTINUE TO HAVE PROBLEMS RESULTING IN BUYING 1 TIRE AND NEW WHEELS OUT OF POCKET.

NHTSA complaint #11363886 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

BENT OR CRACKED WHEEL RIMS DESPITE LOW MILEAGE AND CAREFUL DRIVING. SOME HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, OTHERS TO THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU.

NHTSA complaint #11363925 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2020, I TOOK MY 2016 CORVETTE Z06 TO CLASSIC CHEVROLET IN SUGAR LAND, TEXAS BECASE I HAD A LEAK IN MY RIGHT REAR TIRE/WHEEL. I WAS TOLD LATER THAT DAY THAT I HAD A CRACKED WHEEL AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST TO ME OF $900. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO REPLACE THE WHEEL. I HAVE NOT HIT ANYTHING THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS CRACK, AND FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE WITH Z06'S HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM; THAT IS, CRACKED WHEELS FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I QUESTIONED THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN ABOUT THIS COMPLAINT AS I HAVE READ ABOUT IT ON LINE. HE SAID GM KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THIS IS NOT ONLY POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS, BUT A HORRIBLE EXPENSE THAT SHOULD NOT BE BORNE BY Z06 OWNERS.

NHTSA complaint #11363797 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

I WAS DRIVING AND I NOTICE A WHEEL IS LOW ON AIR. I GO TO A TIRE SHOP AND THEY TELL ME THAT THE WHEEL IS CRACKED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE SO FAR. I DON'T REMEMBER HITTING A POT HOLE OR ANYTHING.

NHTSA complaint #11363746 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

ALL 4 RIMS WERE BENT WHEN I TOOK MY CHEVY CORVETTE IN FOR A TIRE CHANGE AT 15,000 MILES.

NHTSA complaint #11351461 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

RIGHT REAR TIME CRACKED MULTIPLE TIMES AND SUPERCHARGER RATTLE AT LOWES SPEEDS

NHTSA complaint #11338811 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

MY DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE HAD A SLOW LEAK, AND I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL TIRE SHOP FOR A QUICK REPAIR AND SIDE TO SIDE TIRE ROTATION. COME TO FIND OUT BOTH REAR WHEELS ARE CRACKED AND CANNOT BE REPAIRED. I SEARCHED THE GM CORVETTE OWNER'S FORUM, AND IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM. THIS ISN'T COVERED BY WARRANTY EITHER DESPITE THIS BEING THE SECOND SET OF WHEELS FOR MY VETTE. THE FIRST WERE BENT OUT OF ROUND.

NHTSA complaint #11330675 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

MY 2016 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 CONVERTIBLE JUST PASSED 18000 MILES. I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THE FAULTY BRAKE WEAR SENSORS REPLACED. I ALSO HAD A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT DONE AS THE INSIDE OF MY TIRES WERE WEARING. WHEN THEY GOT THE CAR UP THEY SHOWED ME CORDS ON MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE WERE SHOWING ON THE INSIDE WEAR AREA. SO I HAD TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES, DEALERSHIP SAID 18000 MILES FROM FACTORY TIRES WAS GREAT. I THINK THAT IS AN INDICATION OF HOW I DRIVE THE VEHICLE, MEANING I DON'T BEAT IT UP NOR TRACK IT. ON MY WAY HOME I NOTICED A VERY STRONG SHAKING/VIBRATION IN THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR BACK AND THE DEALER SAID MY RIGHT FRONT RIM WAS DENTED. I'VE OWNED THE CAR SINCE 1825 MILES AND HAVE BEEN THE ONLY PERSON TO DRIVE IT. I HAVE NEVER HIT A POT HOLE OR ANYTHING TO CAUSE THIS. SO I WAS SHOCKED WHEN THEY SAID MY WHEEL WAS DENTED. THEY THEN SAID THAT THIS IS EXTREMELY COMMON ON THE C7 CORVETTE. THE DEALER SAID THEY'VE HAD CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE REPLACED 3-4 WHEELS. THEY RECOMMENDED BUYING AFTER MARKET FORGED WHEELS AS REPLACING THEM WITH NEW FACTORY WHEELS WON'T GUARANTEE THAT THEY WON'T BEND OR CRACK. A SET OF FORGED WHEELS RUNS $8000 OR BETTER FOR THE CAR. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE ON A VERY EXPENSIVE CAR THAT WAS DESIGNED TO RUN ON A RACE TRACK. THIS COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF THE WHEEL FAILS WHY DRIVING. ONLINE YOU CAN SEE THIS ISN'T JUST A MINOR PROBLEM, BUT ONE THAT SEEMS TO BE PLAGUING MAY OF THE C7 Z06 AND GRAND SPORT OWNERS. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE ZR1 OWNERS, MAYBE GM GOT THEIR WHEELS RIGHT. GM SHOULD BE REPLACING ALL Z06 AND GRAND SPORT OWNERS WHEELS AND NOT WITH THE CURRENT FACTORY WHEELS AS THEY ARE CLEARLY DEFECTIVE. ANYWAY I JUST WANTED TO POST MY COMPLAINT AS I THINK ITS IMPORTANT FOR YOUR AGENCY TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY AFFECTED. I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY THAT HAVEN'T THAT HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #11329756 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

Z06 MODEL, BLACK WHEELS WITH MACHINED GROOVE, 12K MILES,MARCH 2016 BUILD. HAIRLINE CRACK FOUND ON LEFT REAR WHEEL, ON THE INSIDE LIP. APPEARS IDENTICAL TO PROBLEMS REPORTED BY OTHERS HERE AND ON CORVETTE RELATED WEB SITES. FIRST NOTED AS SLOW LOSS OF AIR IN SEPTEMBER 2019. THE AIR LOSS WORSENED AND WAS BROUGHT IN FOR REPAIR IN JUNE 2020. THE LOCAL SHOP DISCOVERED THE CRACK AS THE CAUSE OF THE LEAK. THE WHEEL WAS FIXED (WELDED) AND IS BACK ON THE ROAD. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE RIMS SAFETY GIVEN THE (APPARENT) ORIGINAL MANUFACTURING DEFICIENCY, AND ALSO THAT ONE HAS NOW NEEDED TO BE WELDED. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO HAVE HAPPENED ON ITS OWN. THERE ARE NO KNOWN CONTRIBUTING FACTORS SUCH AS ACCIDENTS, UNDERINFLATION, RACING, POTHOLES OR SUCH.

NHTSA complaint #11328303 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.