This service bulletin provides information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2018 Chevrolet Corvette wheels problems
moderate Owners of the 2018 Chevrolet Corvette have filed 43 NHTSA complaints about the wheels, typically surfacing around 12,000 miles at roughly $400 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See wheels across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
43
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$400
| Model year | wheels complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 Corvette | 12 |
| 2016 Corvette | 58 |
| 2017 Corvette | 219 |
| 2018 Corvette (this page) | 43 |
| 2019 Corvette | 122 |
When does it fail?
Of the 43 wheels complaints filed for the 2018 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 2018 Chevrolet Corvette by each odometer reading. Median failure: 13,600 mi.
10% have failed by2,800 mi
Half the fleet by13,600 mi
90% have failed by36,000 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
Owners have filed 43 wheels complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Reported failure mileage clusters in the 0-25,000 mi band — 10 of 14 complaints with an odometer reading on file land there.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering wheels on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
This service bulletin provides a procedure on how to clean and resurface aluminum wheel bead seats for vehicles that have the condition of Tire Slowly Goes Flat, Tire Air Loss, Low Tire Pressure Warning Light Illuminated, Aluminum Wheel Bead Seat Corrosion.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This service bulletin provides information on Wheel Alignment Specifications, Requirements and Recommendations for GM Vehicles.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This bulletin advises the dealers to maintain the vehicle stock on hand by doing a full inspection on the vehicles before being sold (prepping) to the customer.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This service bulletin provides a procedure to clean the back side of the rims and rotors and to correct the customer concern of wheel clicking.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners of 2018 Corvettes describe aluminum wheel failures that begin as early as 500 miles and continue to 25,000+ miles. The primary issues are inner-lip and bead-area cracks that cause slow or sudden tire pressure loss, plus out-of-round bending with no reported impact. A owner with 4,450 miles found a fractured rear wheel; another at 5,700 miles discovered two cracks on the driver's rear wheel bead. Vibrations, steering shimmy, and TPMS alerts are common discovery points.
Owners stress they were commuting or highway-driving—not off-roading or hitting visible potholes—when failures appeared. One bought new replacement wheels that developed identical cracks. Wheel repairs via welding reportedly failed to hold pressure. Replacement wheels run $800 each, and some tire shops refuse the work entirely.
Chevrolet and dealers consistently invoke potholes or road hazards despite no visible external damage and owners' denials of impact events. One dealer told an owner bending wheels are normal for these cars. GM has not recalled the wheels; a class action lawsuit exists but no resolution yet. Bumper-to-bumper warranty claims are routinely denied. Safety concern is real: complete pressure loss at highway speeds poses loss-of-control risk.
Same Chevrolet Corvette wheels reports on nearby years: 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2019
Failure modes owners describe
Rim cracking on inner lip or bead area
Cracks develop on the inner lip, inner bead, or inboard side of aluminum wheels, typically without visible impact damage. Cracks range from small stress fractures to multiple cracks spanning several inches. These crack locations are characteristic of manufacturing defects rather than road impacts.
When: From as early as 500 miles to 25,000+ miles; many owners report discovery within first 15,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Slow or rapid tire pressure loss (1-5 PSI per week to complete loss in hours); Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) alerts for low pressure; No visible external damage to the wheel; Cracks visible only when wheel is removed and inspected
Repairs/costs cited: Wheel replacement required; aftermarket repairs (welding) often unsuccessful. Replacement wheels cost $800+ per wheel. Some owners report new OEM replacement wheels develop the same cracks. No repair shops willing to weld these wheels.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM/Chevrolet consistently denies warranty coverage, claiming damage is from potholes or road hazards despite owners reporting normal driving conditions. GM has not issued a recall. Class action lawsuit filed in California. Dealers refuse coverage; GM told consumers this is 'normal wear and tear.'
Rim bending without visible impact
Wheels develop visible bends or become out-of-round during normal commuting and highway driving with no reported collision, pothole strike, or impact damage. Bending occurs on both front and rear wheels. Some owners report multiple wheels bending over the life of the vehicle.
When: From 500 miles to 15,000+ miles; often discovered during routine tire service
Symptoms owners cite: Vibration felt through steering wheel or chassis, especially at highway speeds; Vehicle shaking or rough ride quality; Wheels appear visibly bent when inspected; Out-of-round wheels detected during tire shop inspection
Repairs/costs cited: Wheel replacement required; bending often considered beyond repair. One owner replaced wheels twice within a year. Multiple wheels may be affected simultaneously.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealers and GM attribute bends to road conditions despite no reported impact. No recall issued. Warranty denied. One dealer technician told owner 'that's just the way these cars are, expect to replace a lot of rims.'
Synthesized from 43 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 17 most recent
I started feeling vibrations in dec 2018, took it to a local dealership and the dealership told me that one of my rims is bent...took it to another dealership june 2019 and that dealership confirmed that the rims were cracked...finally july 2020 I purchased four new tires and that's when it was discovered that my two front rims are bent and the two rear rims have cracks in them. Gm will not…
Rear OEM wheels of have lip cracks and Chevrolet will not honor new rims under the full factory warranty. They have stated that the rims have developed cracks from hitting pot holes. This is not correct because I have not hit any "potholes" or any other road imperfections that would cause all of these lip cracks. There are hundreds of the same complaints. This seems to be an ongoing issue…
Wheels on these cars commonly crack and break online. Mine have a visible crack in one of them and is losing air due to quality of wheel from Chevrolet
Both rear rims (wheels) cracked, resulting in repeated loss of tire pressure. Discovered at 13,500 miles, still under bumper to bumper warranty, gm declines warranty coverage stating it must have occurred from a road hazard. Corvette forums discuss multiple 2018 grand sports with similar cracked rims. Documentation from dealer available on request.
Corvette grand sport wheels have bent several times in normal driving conditions. Two wheels -1 front, 1-rear have been replaced by owner. The wheels seem to be not structurally strong enough for normal driving conditions
While getting new tires installed, the technician noticed one of my wheels was cracked. I had not hit any potholes or anything that would cause major stress to the wheel. If I had not needed new tires, the crack likely wouldn't have been found until it catastrophically failed.
4 cracks in rear wheel. 2nd occurance
My 2018 corvette zo6 upon inspection of the tire losing air, dealership found both right side wheels to be bent..theses are chrome aluminum wheels with 6,513 miles on the car. Date of service was jun 4, 2019. I payed to have them repaired.. Next time, on sept. 17, 2019, tire was losing air. This time the dealership found the rim to be cracked..I then had to pay for a new rim. Dealership…
The rim cracked several months after purchasing it. It's well known this model has been identified with this problem. The replacement was costly. 2018 grand sport, while traveling on the interstate my tire loss pressure and I had to make and emergency exit after being alerted by the vehicle.
4 bent and cracked rims under normal driving conditions. Gm refused to replace under warranty.
Had wheels trouble with your 2018 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 2018 Chevrolet Corvette?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 43 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 33 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most wheels failures cluster between 8,350 and 19,500 miles, with the median around 12,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 8,350; a quarter make it past 19,500. 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/2018/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.