GM has Issued a Response
There have been some issues with the brakes catching fire on some C8 Corvettes with the Z51 package. Apparently, not all dealers were doing the brake ducts installs correctly during the PDI process.
There have been a few videos popping up of brake fires, and it’s not clear this is due to technicians not following the instructions for the PDI process on some cars. According to MidEngineCorvetteForum.com, General Motors reached out with a response about this issue. The response reads:
“During the 2020 Stingray Z51 pre-delivery inspection, the lower and upper front rubber brake intake cooling ducts and the upper rear brake intake duct shall be installed on every Z51 C8.” Also as specified in the PDI, “the cooling ducts attached to the lower rear control arm are for track use only and should not be installed during the PDI.”
General Motors provided the dealers with all of the right information. However, some technicians at dealerships did not follow the clearly laid-out instructions for the cars. This is what’s causing the issues.
If you have a C8 Z51, then you need to ensure that the required Z51 brake ducts were installed and that the lower ducts were not installed as is stated in the PDI. If you see both installed, then you should contact your dealer. If you’re unsure, then look in the bag that was provided upon delivery, if there are two of them remaining, then you’re probably good. If you’re still unsure, contact your dealer. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
