General Motors and Michelin point fingers at each other while buyers of Corvette C7 Stingray and C7 Z06 with cracked tires continue to get screwed

The one thing that distinguishes the seventh generation of Corvette from the previous generations is the continuous stupidity, with the course or curse set at the very beginning by the fool in charge, none other than +Tadge Juechter .  Among the super stupid marketing strategies aimed at selling as many as possible Corvettes the summer only standard equipment tires on all Corvettes gets the cake.

To Juechter's credit, at least this guy is consistent in his stupidity and will not budge a bit, thus, the comedy of cracking tires continues and apparently will continue for foreseeable future, offering this blog a great opportunity to pass the time between more shocking happenings. 

Between the two fatalities, plenty of non fatal accidents and the exponentially growing number of buyers ending up with cracked tires on their brand new purchases before they complete the delivery, the heat is certainly on +General Motors but apparently it is getting to Michelin, the supplier of these tires as well.

The funny part here is the absolute contradiction between GM and Michelin regarding the safety issues related to these cracked tires.  While GM and its dealears continue to claim the cracks are of cosmetic variety only, there is certainly no doubt that Michelin does not feel remotely as nonchalant about this issue as GM. 

Of course, should this idiocy generate lawsuits, either directly or indirectly linking the cracked tires to injuries, Michelin will be dragged to courts together with General Motors, shelling out big bucks to settle any claims.  However, there is another aspect to this situation: BAD PUBLICITY for Michelin (Firestone style).  Thus, here comes a public statement from Michelin, stating plainly among other things, full prohibition of using these cracked tires for anything even remotely related to driving.  Furthermore, Michelin insists on not just not driving the car during subzero temperatures.  Michelin goes as far as actually removing the wheels and tires and storing them in suitable temperatures.  Now, this is not anything that GM advises and as already well documented, GM exposes brand new cars from the moment their production is finished and rolls them around in those temperatures.

Apparently Michelin has had enough of covering the damages and the outcome of this statement may be followed by Michelin refusing to assist GM in warranty tire replacements, assuming they are even available, without new car buyers, especially Z06 buyers waiting for several months to have the shor tires replaced.

Son now, since Michelin clearly discourages Corvette buyers from driving their cars under any circumstances, where will the fault lie should a nasty accident happen?  Certainly, Michelin tries to account for this scenario.

“This winter has been extremely harsh in much of the country and some recently shipped Corvette tires may exhibit cracking. In general, summer tires should never be driven on or moved in temperatures under 20°F because they may crack. Tires should be carefully inspected at the dealership before taking delivery of a vehicle. Never use a tire with freeze cracks, breaks, or damage to the sidewall or tread. For those residing in colder climates, Corvette owners should have a plan for vehicle storage during cold winter months. If your garage drops below 20°F regularly, consider removing tires and storing them inside. If you live in colder climates and want to drive your vehicle in temperatures below 40°F we strongly recommend investing in a set of winter or all-season tires.”