GM directed dealers this week it will begin offering new extended warranty coverage on 2015-18 Z06s because some cars
“may have a condition where the vehicle may overheat and enter a reduced power mode when driven on a track at sustained high speeds in high ambient temperatures.”
Ever since it debuted in 2015, some Z06 models have experienced overheating on the track, & GM tried to solve the problem in 2017 by changing the hood intake vents & cooling system, with only limited results.
The revised warranty will cover 2015-18 Z06s for a period of 7 years or 72,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the date the car was originally placed in service, regardless of ownership.
In addition, owners or lessees who have already paid for repairs are eligible to have their money refunded.
To fix the problem,
GM is telling dealers to install an updated radiator package & to update shift point calibration software for Z06s with A8 transmissions,
at no charge to owners if they provide proof of the overheating problem via a diagnostic code, photos, or video.
(Overheating has also been reported in cars equipped with 7-speed manual transmissions.)
Class-action lawsuits have popped up over the years against GM because of the overheating problems, which surfaced early in the life of the 650-horsepower behemoth Corvette.
In fact, back in October 2015, Motor Trend itself reported the issue during its Best Driver’s Car competition, leading to a Did Not Finish for the Z06. That car entered limp mode repeatedly during testing by MT, and Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter explained the culprit back then in this way:
“One of our pre-loan checks is to bleed the intercooler circuit to make sure there is no air in it,” Juechter said.
“Some customer complaints about overheating Z06s have been traced to improperly bled intercoolers
. [However, that was not the exact issue; instead] the technician doing the work plugged in the electrical connector for the intercooler pump and it seemed to seat and ‘click’ into position, but the secondary latching mechanism did not fully lock into position leading to intermittent operation.”
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A federal judge gave a nod to several state consumer-rights claims pertaining to warranty and fraud in a class-action lawsuit filed against General Motors regarding its Corvette Z06 vehicles that attorneys say were knowingly sold with a defective cooling system that causes the engine to overheat unexpectedly and makes the car unsuitable for track use, despite the automaker’s promises of a track-proven racecar, according to Hagens Berman.
Law firms Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen, the Miller Law Firm, and Schuler Halvorsen Weisser Zoller Overbeck also represent the vehicle owners who say that GM sold more than 30,000 affected Corvette Z06 cars that it knew were defective.
Judge Victoria A. Robert issued the order Mar. 29, 2019 upholding the rights of plaintiffs under various state laws in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
The 70 remaining claims fall into two major categories: warranty claims and fraud claims.
If you own or lease a 2015-2017 Corvette Z06, you may be entitled to compensation for this defect that inhibits your car’s performance.
Contact Hagens Berman to find out more about this issue and your consumer rights against GM.
“We look forward to continuing to represent the classes of consumers in this case and fighting for their rights against General Motors,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman.
“We believe those who purchased the affected Corvette Z06 so-called ‘track cars’ were severely shortchanged and GM owes them answers after failing to live up to deliver on the racecar hype it created.”
The defect at the center of the lawsuit manifests after less than 15 minutes of track driving, when affected Corvette Z06 models overheat and causes the car to enter limp mode due to a defective cooling system.
When the vehicle enters limp mode its power and speed are “drastically reduced,” creating an incredibly dangerous situation when surrounded by other speeding cars, the lawsuit says.
Owners report they have experienced limp mode also while on public roadways.
“Accepting as true Plaintiffs’ allegations, the Court finds that Plaintiffs plausibly allege their cars are not fit for the ordinary purpose of providing safe and reliable transportation on public roads and safe and reliable use on race tracks,” the order states.
Judge Robert upheld fraudulent concealment claims, stating, “In fact, accepting as true Plaintiffs’ allegations regarding the frequency in which the Z06 overheats and enters Limp Mode when used on the track, and in light of how rigorously [Corvette’s chief engineer, Tadge] Juechter says GM track-tests the car, it would be implausible to infer that GM was not aware of the car’s alleged defective cooling system as a result of its testing.” Judge Robert also upheld claims that GM had a duty to disclose the defect and likely had knowledge prior to sale.
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages as well as injunctive relief for GM’s misconduct related to the design, manufacture, marketing, sale and lease of affected vehicles.
