Car was vibrating while driving and getting worse. Took to local tire shop for balance. Tire shop informed me I had 2 front and 1 rear bent wheels. Next trip to dealer for warranty work asked to have bent wheels replaced. Bent wheels were documented on work invoice but replacement was denied. Note wheels have never been inspected for cracks but do currently hold air.
2017 Chevrolet Corvette wheels problems
moderate 219 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $400 · see wheels across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
219
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$400
When does it fail?
Of the 219 wheels complaints filed for the 2017 Chevrolet Corvette, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
How fast does it fail?
Cumulative share of the 14 mileage-bearing wheels complaints filed against the 2017 Chevrolet Corvette by each odometer reading. Median failure: 11,500 mi.
10% have failed by4,000 mi
Half the fleet by11,500 mi
90% have failed by22,000 mi
Curve based on owner-reported odometer mileage at the time of complaint. Reflects when owners filed, not when symptoms first appeared. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve.
What stands out
Of the 8 model years of Chevrolet Corvette we track for wheels problems, this one carries the most owner complaints on file — 219.
Wheels accounts for 86% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 3 categories tracked.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: These 2017 Corvettes have a documented widespread issue with cast aluminum wheels cracking and bending under normal driving, causing tire leaks and safety hazards—yet GM systematically denies warranty coverage and refuses to recall. You will pay thousands of dollars out-of-pocket to replace wheels, likely multiple times, and should plan on upgrading to forged aftermarket wheels immediately.
Owners of 2017 Corvette Grand Sport and Z06 models report two distinct wheel failure modes occurring within 2,000 to 22,000 miles of normal, careful driving on typical roads—garage-kept vehicles with minimal highway use.
The first is hairline cracking at the inner wheel bead, on the inside edge where the tire seals. These cracks are difficult to spot visually and only appear when the wheel is removed or inspected closely. They cause slow air loss—typically 2 to 4 PSI weekly—triggering the tire-pressure warning light. One owner reported losing all pressure in 15 minutes. Multiple cracks appear on the same wheel or different wheels within weeks.
The second failure is radial runout bending. Wheels that look pristine externally develop excessive bend—measured runouts of 0.075 inches versus the 0.03-inch specification—causing steering vibration and tire noise at highway speeds. All four wheels often show some degree of bend on a single vehicle.
What distinguishes these complaints: owners drove carefully, avoided potholes, kept cars garaged, and never tracked them. Tires show no puncture marks or impact damage. Yet dealers and GM consistently deny warranty claims, calling the failures "road hazards" or driver damage, without providing written failure analysis or testing data. Replacement wheels cost $250 to $900 each; owners report spending $3,000 to $6,226 for complete sets. Straightened wheels re-bend within 1,700 miles. Dealers lack stock for replacements, citing weeks-long backlogs. Multiple class-action lawsuits are filed but unresolved.
Same Chevrolet Corvette wheels reports on nearby years: 2015 · 2016 · 2018 · 2019
Failure modes owners describe
Wheel cracking at bead/flange area
Hairline and visible cracks forming at the inner bead area of cast aluminum wheels, often perpendicular to the wheel or extending into the barrel. Cracks are internal or on the inside edge where tire bead meets wheel, making them difficult to detect visually. No external impact marks present. Cracks cause slow air leaks, typically detectable only via TPMS warning or sustained pressure loss.
When: 2,000 to 22,600 miles; most commonly 10,000–20,000 miles. Appears early in vehicle ownership for some owners.
Symptoms owners cite: Tire pressure warning light activation; Slow air leak (2–4 PSI per week or loss reaching 0 PSI in 15 minutes); No visible damage to tire or wheel surface; Multiple cracks on same or different wheels occurring within weeks or months; Cracks on inside edge of rim, difficult to detect without wheel removal
Repairs/costs cited: Wheel repair shops report inability to repair wheels with multiple cracks. Single repairs often fail within 1,000 miles with new cracks appearing. Replacement wheels cost $250–$900+ per wheel; complete set replacement $3,000–$6,226+. Owners report dealer-denied warranty claims and forced purchase of aftermarket forged wheels.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM repeatedly denies warranty claims, classifying cracks as 'road hazards' or 'damage' despite no evidence of impact. Dealers acknowledge 'this is a known problem' and report GM rejects warranty claims automatically. Some dealers offer partial discounts (50% cost reduction noted). Multiple class-action lawsuits filed against GM for 2015–2019 Z06 and Grand Sport models. Aftermarket wheel suppliers indicate GM is aware of the issue. No recall issued. One owner reported GM Sr. Advisor initially stated vehicle was 'out of warranty' when it was not.
Wheel bending/runout out-of-tolerance
Cast aluminum wheels bend during normal driving, developing radial runout exceeding specification. Specification stated at 0.03 inches; owner measurements show runout up to 0.075 inches. Wheels appear pristine externally with no impact marks, dents, or surface damage. All four wheels often affected to varying degrees, even on garage-kept vehicles with minimal driving.
When: 2,000 to 14,000 miles; often detected during tire service or routine maintenance.
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel vibration at highway speeds (55+ MPH); Tire whirring or noise from wheels; Pulsing in brake rotors (coincident with bent wheels); Vibration detected during acceleration or turning; No recall of hitting potholes or road hazards
Repairs/costs cited: Bent wheels measured out-of-tolerance. Wheel balance shops can balance but note wheels may have continued issues. Some owners have bent wheels straightened at third-party shops ($110 per wheel). Straightened wheels re-bend within 1,700 miles. Replacement wheels unavailable from dealer for extended periods (1–3 months stated). Complete set replacement $1,000–$1,800 for fronts alone.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM denies warranty coverage, claiming damage is customer-caused. Warranty denial letters cite 'out of tolerance for runout' but do not explain cause. Replacement wheels unavailable from GM dealer inventory for weeks. Customer service unable to provide consistent definition of 'bent wheel' or testing methodology. No TSB or recall issued.
Tire shredding due to wheel defects
Tire belts shred and wear irregularly due to bent or cracked wheels, despite tires being brand new or in good condition. Uneven tire wear visible across the set, with some tires shredded to cords while others retain 80% tread.
When: Occurs within 11,000–15,000 miles of ownership; accelerated from initial bent-wheel detection.
Symptoms owners cite: Severe premature tire wear on tires mounted to bent wheels; Tire belts worn down to cords on 3 of 4 tires while one tire remains unworn; Shredding and internal damage to tire structure; Uneven wear pattern indicating wheel imbalance
Repairs/costs cited: Tire replacement required along with wheel replacement. Multiple tire replacements necessary within short ownership period. Owner incurred cost of new tires plus wheel repairs/replacements.
Warranty denial and customer service obstruction
GM and dealerships systematically deny warranty coverage for cracked and bent wheels, citing 'road hazard' or 'customer damage' classification without supporting evidence. Owners report difficulty obtaining written explanations, inconsistent rulings, and delayed responses. Regional warranty representatives decline to provide documentation or methodology for 'defect vs. damage' determination. Dealers instructed not to honor claims and told to blame drivers.
When: Within warranty period (3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper); denials occur immediately or within weeks of claim filing.
Symptoms owners cite: Verbal warranty denial without written documentation; GM rejects claim within 2 hours to 1 week of submission; Customer Service refuses to escalate or provide transcripts of conversations; Dealer told GM policy forbids warranty coverage on Z06/GS wheels; Replacement wheel parts unavailable after denial
Codes mentioned: Case 8-4778215369, Case 9-5019078980, Case 9-5012193448, Case 9-5742425781, Case 9-5956196745
Repairs/costs cited: Owners forced to purchase wheels out-of-pocket at $3,000–$6,226 for complete sets. Partial discounts offered by some dealers (50% reduction cited). Extended warranty on tires/wheels covers failures but does not address root cause. One owner pursued arbitration through Better Business Bureau and won.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM denies all claims for cracked/bent wheels as 'damage,' not defect. Customer Service representatives contradict each other regarding warranty status. GM states wheels do not have defects and are not recalled. No written explanation of failure analysis provided to customers. Multiple class-action lawsuits filed; at least two mentioned as pending. Better Business Bureau arbitrations have ruled in favor of owners, but GM does not honor decisions as policy.
Synthesized from 219 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 19 most recent
My rear passanger side rim has cracked from normal driving on a 2017 with 6550 miles on it. Had the tire replaced, next morning there was no air in tire, took to gm dealership was told rim was cracked, and was not covered under the b to b warranty
Tire rack in south bend indiana went to replace my corvettes tires and when they removed the rear wheels they identified two cracks. Due to safety policy's they could not remount my tires or pout new tires on the wheels... I was stuck so I called GM to discuss. GM opened a case for me and said that is all they could do at the time. I purchased new wheels to get the car back on the road and waited…
My rear rims cracked mulitple times. I had gotten them fixed but got tired of fixing them and accumulated around 5-8 cracks in total for my rear rims.
The rear passenger wheel developed two cracks in the inner outside edge of rim. Cracks appeared with no noticeable road trauma/debris/collision. First indication was slow leak of air from tire. Tire was inflated and vehicle was driven two more times. On the second drive of approx 10 miles, air had leaked out of the tire. On the third drive of approximately 3 miles, the tire would not hold air.…
An intermittent, slow leak in the passenger rear tire was determined to be due to a crack in the rim. No evidence of a hard impact can be seen on the tire or rim , failure found on 12/26/19
Wheels bend out of round during normal use..dangerous and is a manufacturers defect that Chevrolet will not acknowledge.. I am aware of several instances with other c7 grand sport owners this should be addressed by Chevrolet. Fixed at no charge to the owners... The wheel could sheer of the car and result in a serious accident and fatalities
Had new tires put on car as they showed wear on the inside only 19000 miles but was told I had two bent rims and they needed to be replaced. Car has been pampered and no way should have damaged rims. Car is a weekend driver / show car with about 6500 miles a year. They are upgraded aluminum factory rims. Warranty is up in april 2020 but are not covered as dealer says its from my use.
Left rear tire had been leaking about 1 pound a week, took it to dealer and he found a crack in the wheel. Gm and dealer said it was caused by pot hole or speed bump even though there was no tire damage. The car is still in dealer shop waiting to have new wheel installed.
An intermittent, slow leak in the left rear tire was determined to be due to a crack in the rim. No evidence of a hard impact can be seen on the tire or rim (internally or externally). No specific instance of an impact with a road hazard is recalled or associated with the wheel failure. Failure discovered on 12/16/19
Had wheels trouble with your 2017 Chevrolet Corvette?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the wheels problem on the 2017 Chevrolet Corvette?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 219 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $400 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the wheels typically fail?
Across the 159 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most wheels failures cluster between 9,400 and 20,000 miles, with the median around 15,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 9,400; a quarter make it past 20,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $400 for wheels repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to wheels?
No active recalls currently cover wheels issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2017/Chevrolet/Corvette.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.