Corvette Z06’s $19K Carbon Fiber Wheels Damaged By Dealership During Tire Change

You might want to think twice about getting carbon wheels on your Z06, especially if the car won’t see track use

by Andrew Gutman

2 hours ago

by Andrew Gutman

Being a performance bargain when not marked up to the moon, the Chevy Corvette offers a lot for the money. And along with that, it also makes some exotic options available to the general public that normally wouldn’t be. The new C8 Z06’s pricey carbon fiber wheels are a perfect example of that, though there’s a case to be made that just because you can afford to get them, doesn’t mean they’re the best option.

YouTuber Austin Everett, the face of the channel Speed Phenom, recently uploaded a video detailing his struggles with his Z06’s carbon fiber wheels, and it may make you want to rethink optioning them if you plan on placing an order for the car anytime soon.

It all started when he took his recently purchased Corvette on a multiple-thousand-mile cross-country road trip. When he returned from said trip, a nail in his tire necessitated they be changed. However, he wasn’t able to easily find a shop to do the tire change, as many were hesitant about taking on the job with the carbon fiber wheels. Eventually, he found a Chevrolet dealership that was willing to perform the task.

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Unfortunately for him, the equipment they were using was gouging the surface of the wheels, and this was done multiple times, as the owner took his car to the track and changed tires quite often. When confronted about the issue, the dealership claimed they weren’t properly trained to deal with carbon fiber wheels, instead advising that he got them refurbished at a third-party shop, but Everett believes that’s exactly the problem.

The Z06 may be designed to offer buyers a low-cost alternative to the likes of Porsche and Ferrari , but when it comes to service, it receives the treatment of a Chevy. Everett believes that the Corvette deserves special treatment, and suggests that dealerships should have separate equipment for servicing the high-end sports car. He raises concerns about debris from dirty wheels of other Chevy models damaging the expensive carbon fiber wheels of the Z06, which, as noted by TheDrive, cost $9,995 plus an additional $8,995 for the mandatory Z07 package needed to option them.

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Thankfully, the wheels are still structurally sound, so the car can still be used until a solution gets worked out.