Wheels of Justice Keep Turning in Corvette Cracked Wheels Class Action Lawsuit

By
Mitch Talley
-
15
31663

Wheels of Justice Keep Turning in Corvette Cracked Wheels Class Action Lawsuit

Photo Credit: CorvetteImages.com


The “cracked” wheels of justice are said to turn slowly, but a case involving allegedly defective C7 Corvette wheels is taking a new turn.

The class action lawsuit involves 2015-19 Z06s and 2017-19 Grand Sports, alleging that GM equipped the cars with defective wheels that are too weak and deform and crack under normal driving conditions.

Plaintiffs further argued that GM “is systematically denying [warranty] coverage,” causing them to pay “thousands of dollars out-of-pocket to repair, and if they purchase the replacements from GM, to replace the wheels with equally defective wheels.”

Earlier, GM filed a motion to dismiss the suit, but the motion was denied for all claims except the unjust enrichment claim. The company then made a motion that one Corvette owner’s claims should be heard in arbitration, not by a court, claiming that when Derrol Turner bought his new Grand Sport in South Carolina in 2016, he had agreed to arbitration through his purchase contract that GM says contains an arbitration provision covering claims regarding the “purchase, lease, or condition of the vehicle.”

Wheels of Justice Keep Turning in Corvette Cracked Wheels Class Action Lawsuit CorvetteBlogger reader’s 2019 Corvette Z06 Wheel with a crack.


Since his contract was with the GM dealership where he bought the Corvette and not with GM itself, Turner argued that means only he and the dealer may decide to pursue arbitration.

GM countered that argument, admitting that while it isn’t a signatory to the purchase agreement or arbitration provision, it is entitled to enforce the agreement under the principle of equitable estoppel because “[I]f Plaintiff had not entered into the agreement to purchase his vehicle, he would have no claims against GM.” GM further argued that the purchase agreement “expressly delegates questions of the enforceability and scope of the arbitration provision to the arbitrator[,]” which precludes the judge from resolving any threshold question regarding arbitrability.

Judge Bernard A. Friedman agreed with GM’s stance and ruled, “IT IS ORDERED that defendant’s motion to compel arbitration of plaintiff Derrol Turner’s claims…is granted.”


Source:
carcomplaints.com

Related:
Federal Judge Rules the Cracked Wheels Lawsuit Against General Motors Can Proceed
A Lawsuit Against GM Over Cracked Corvette Wheels Has Been Dismissed
Hundreds of C7 Corvette Owners Join Class Action Lawsuit Against GM Over Defective Wheels

 



-

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

15 COMMENTS

  1. I have had two cracked GM wheels and one cracked aftermarket wheel on my 2017 C7 Z06. In at least one case I hit what might be called a pot hole, but it was on a concrete road and was more like a crack.
    Cast aluminum wheels just cannot take any major shock without cracking, especially on a low profile wheel like the Z06 has, and with an extremely tight suspension, i.e. track mode.
    So, yes, the wheels GM puts on C7 Z06’s are prone to cracking more easily and owners don’t realize that bumps that are not a problem for other wheels may be for them.
    I stopped driving around town in track mode and take care to avoid even small cracks or abrupt bumps in the road and I haven’t cracked any more of my (aftermarket) cast aluminum wheels for at least 2 years now. Maybe they are stronger than the GM ones, but I did crack one (which the manufacturer replaced free of charge) shortly after getting them, so I doubt it. I think this is the nature of cast aluminum wheels with low profile tires, on a racing suspension, on the street. If you don’t want them to ever crack, drop several additional grand on forged wheels.
    The question still remains, should GM have just not use cast aluminum wheels in the first place? I think the answer to that is yes. When they crack, it tends to be hairline and only noticeable by the loss of a few pounds of pressure over a few days or weeks. This is particularly dangerous if you’re going to be driving at high speed or tracking the car, because your wheel may be cracked without giving you any immediate indication that it is weakened.

  2. Again I ask over and over again!. Have not seen or read that this is happening to Aluminum Wheels (CHROME) !??

  3. MY 2000 GRAND PRIX HAS THE ORIGINAL ALUMINIUM WHEELS AND I HAVE RAN OVER
    MANY POTHOLES, 2X4 S, ROCKS, ETC. BUT THEY ARE NOT BENT OR CRACKED

  4. What a mess, why is it only the Corvettes having problems?? Many manufacturers use Aluminum wheels. This wheel option has been around for decades, why now?? GM needs to pull it’s head out and stop being A-holes about lot’s of stuff. My C6 GS has the “Spider” ZO6 wheels in chrome and I have had zero problems.

  5. I have 4 cracked rims on my 2017 GS. welded 3 of them . To date with minimal driving no current cracks. It also be known, to much weight in the trunk will also crack the rims. I had a passenger and 2 sets of golf clubs. After driving an hr and not hitting any potholes, the rim was leaking air.
    This is my 3rd corvette, I worried about my C8 order that I my cancel

  8. My 2019 Z06 had three cracked aluminum wheels. two rear and one front. I never recall driving over a bumps, or pot holes or something like that. I was cautious and worried about it from the time I bought the car. I never drove it in track mode, and very seldom Sport mode. To no avail. I simply bought some flow formed forged wheels of $2,400 and have been driving like I stole it ever since. No issues.

  9. Aftermarket rims crack also on low profile tires. It is the nature of the beast.. when you go to low pro tires…

  11. As someone who works for an OE equipment manufacturer, this shouldn’t be going to court. GM should simply sell the rims at cost and most would be happy. No doubt these rims can’t handle the poor road conditions we all face. That’s not GMs fault. At the same time, they should look to improve them somehow.

  12. This is BS. They have been building cars for over 100 years, they have engineering departments to test and computers to design this stuff. It should NOT be happening.
    All manufacturers not just GM. Transmissions failing, bad engines just after warranty runs out. We need to demand we get what we pay large sums of money for, and that is a reliable trustworthy vehicle.
    The wheels on a $100,000+ car should NEVER crack. I have purchased last GM car and will never purchase and electric vehicle.

  13. Car manufacturers these days do not stand by their products. I personally had a new 2006 impala LT that had slipping transmission issues while still in warranty and the dealer would always say no problem found but I certainly new it was a problem. The warranty ended and I still hadn’t gotten a resolution. I have not bought another gm product going forward but I’m sure it’s not only gm…

  14. I had a 16 Z06, and a 19 Z06, both bought new, both sold a a few years later with less than 7,000 miles never had any wheel problems. I live in Vegas, good road, and temperatures don’t usually go below freezing, all metals expand & contract due to temperatures, maybe temperatures have a lot to due with cracking rims?

  15. I have a 2017 Grand sport one rear cracked wheel 20,000 MI had it welded 120 bucks seems to be fine definitely going to keep an eye on it probably going to replace it soon.

Comments are closed.