GM Class Action Says ‘Track-Ready’ Corvette Engines Overheat

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General Motors was hit with a class action lawsuit alleging its Corvette Z06 cars contain defects that make the “track ready” vehicles unsafe to drive.

Plaintiffs Peter Jankovskis and Jonathan White claim GM markets the Corvette Z06 vehicles as being able to drive on racetracks; however, the cars allegedly overheat at random, sending them into a “limp mode” which causes them to lose speed and power without warning.

The GM class action states that this defect creates a danger to others on the track and even on highways.

Both plaintiffs say they purchased their Corvette Z06 vehicles specifically because they were advertised to take to the race track, but the alleged defect makes it unsafe for the plaintiffs to drive the cars either on the track or on highways.

“Typically, Z06s in Limp Mode can immediately go from well over 100 mph to a substantially lower speed and lose power,” alleges the Corvette class action lawsuit. “As a result, the driver can become disoriented and lose control of the Z06, increasing the risk of an accident. This scenario is also extremely dangerous for other drivers operating at high speeds nearby who do not expect the car racing in front of them to essentially freeze on the track, thereby putting them at risk for accidents as well.”

The plaintiffs allegedly paid between $80,000 and $120,000 for the vehicles based on advertising that the cars were ready for use on racing tracks. GM knew that the Corvette Z06 vehicles contained a defect that caused them to overheat at high speeds, argues the Corvette class action, but the company still advertised them to race track enthusiasts.

According to the GM class action lawsuit, Corvette Z06 owners can get an expensive fix to cure the alleged defect in the transmission that causes the overheating. But, say the plaintiffs, the fix costs approximately $20,000 and the repairs have not been approved by GM and can also void the warranty.

The plaintiffs allege that they would not have paid as much for their “track ready” cars that either overheat randomly or cost a fortune to fix only to have to “cross their fingers that such modifications will not affect the performance or long-term reliability of their Z06.”

This is the second class action lawsuit to hit GM over the alleged transmission defects in the Corvette Z06. The first class action was filed in Florida and GM is objecting over jurisdictional Class issues.

The plaintiffs in this class action seek to represent owners of model year 2015, 2016, and 2017 Corvette Z06 vehicles. They allege that GM engaged in deceptive advertising and are seeking damages. They also want GM to stop advertising the Z06 as “track ready.”

Jankovskis and White are represented by Steve Berman, Shelby Smith and Elizabeth Fegan of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, Stuart Grossman and Rachel Furst of Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen and Jason Weisser of Schuler Halvorsen Weisser Zoller & Overbeck.

The Corvette Z06 Overheating Class Action Lawsuit is Jankovskis, et al. v. General Motors LLC, Case No. 1:17-cv-07822, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.