1997 Chevrolet Corvette Recalls & Complaints

Incident: March 3, 1997 · Filed: April 1, 2020

DRIVER SEAT ELECTRIC FASTENING MOUNTING WEAR IS TOO DEFECTIVE AND HAS TO BE REPLACES. IT MOVES IN AND OUT , SEAT IS MOVING BACK AND FORTH IN ALL POSITIONS. GM REFUSES TO RECALL THEIR PROBLEM.

Incident: December 21, 2019 · Filed: December 27, 2019

FILLED GAS TANK..NEXT DAY GAS LEAKING WITH HEAVY GAS FUMES..MOVED CAR OUT OF GARAGE AND PARKED IN THE STREET..

Incident: September 13, 2014 · Filed: October 10, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE IN REVERSE, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY SERVICED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V060000 (STEERING). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

Incident: January 18, 2012 · Filed: October 2, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG FUEL ODOR COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE GASKETS AROUND THE FUEL PUMP WERE LOOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,000.

Incident: June 25, 2013 · Filed: May 28, 2014

THE CHEVROLET CORVETTE WAS STARTED IN THE COURTHOUSE PARKING LOT MOVING IN REVERSE WITH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED IN PLACE NARROWING AVOIDING PEDESTRIANS. THE VEHICLE COULD BE MOVED IN EITHER DIRECTION, BUT THE STEERING WHEEL COULD NOT BE UNLOCKED AND SUBSEQUENTLY TRANSPORTED TO PRINCETON CHEVROLET [FORMERLY KNOWN AS SUPERIOR CHEVROLET] IN LAWRENCEVILLE, NEW JERSEY FOR REPAIR. DURING PREVIOUS SERVICE, THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED FOR RECALLS INCLUDING THE STEERING DEFECT WITH THE MANAGER STATING THAT ALL RECALLS WERE COMPLETE. THE JUNE 26, 2013 DEALER STEERING REPAIR INVOICE MAKES NO MENTION OF THE SERVICE RECALL, THE MANAGER EXPLAINING THE JUNE 25, 2013 INCIDENT WAS UNRELATED TO THE STEERING DEFECT AND SAFETY RECALL. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR RESPOND TO OUR INQUIRIES REFERENCING THE "ELECTRONIC COLUMN LOCK SYSTEM" PRODUCT SAFETY RECALL [04006C] WHICH STATES;" GENERAL MOTORS HAS DECIDED THAT A DEFECT, WHICH RELATES TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY, EXISTS IN CERTAIN 1997-2004 MODEL YEAR CHEVROLET CORVETTE VEHICLES.WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, IT UNLOCKS THE STEERING. TWO CONDITIONS CAN PREVENT STEERING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING: ... IF ONE OF THESE CONDITIONS OCCURS, A CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING." [PG 1 RECALL BULLETIN NO.: 04006C] THE RECALL SPECIFICALLY WARNS DEALERS; "WHENEVER A VEHICLE SUBJECT TO A RECALL ... IS IN YOUR DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE ... YOU MUST TAKE THE STEPS NECESSARY TO BE SURE THE RECALL CORRECTION HAS BEEN MADE BEFORE ... RELEASING THE VEHICLE." [PG 28 RECALL NO.: 04006C] WE REQUEST NHTSA INVESTIGATE THE FAILURE OF GENERAL MOTORS TO PROMPTLY ALERT OWNERS WITH THE LOCKING STEERING DEFECT, WHY THE VEHICLE WAS RELEASED BY THE DEALER WITHOUT VERIFYING THE RECALL STEERING STATUS, AND WHETHER THE REPAIR PERFORMED AT PRINCETON CHEVROLET ON JUNE 26, 2013 WAS THE REPAIR PROCEDURE OUTLINED IN GM SERVICE BULLETIN NO. 04006C. *TR

Incident: September 1, 2004 · Filed: September 6, 2012

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STEERING LOCK BOX WAS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE CONTROL STEERING LOCK WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER PREVIOUSLY FOR REPAIRS UNDER RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V060000 (STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE). THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WHO EXPLAINED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS ONLY REQUIRED TO PAY FOR RECALL REPAIRS ONCE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 268,000.

Incident: August 15, 2011 · Filed: October 7, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C5. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 55 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE OVER 30 MPH. THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE WAS RESOLVED TEMPORARILY WHEN THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 48,000.

Incident: April 10, 2011 · Filed: April 10, 2011

THERE APPEAR TO BE MANY VERIFIED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SEATS MOVING UNDER ACCELERATION AND/OR BRAKING IN THE 1997-2004 CORVETTES. WHY HAVEN'T YOU REQUIRED CHEVROLET TO FIX THIS? *TR

Incident: September 17, 2010 · Filed: September 17, 2010

THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE SEAT TRACKS OF THE 1997 CORVETTE THAT CAUSE THE SEAT TO LURCH FORWARD ABOUT 1 INCH UNDER FIRM BRAKING. THIS SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE SEAT POSITION CAN CAUSE THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM IS REPORTED TO EXIST IN ALL CORVETTES MANUFACTURED FROM 1997 THROUGH 2004. CHEVROLET AND GM HAVE LONG BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT PROVIDE A REPAIR UNLESS THE CUSTOMER PAYS OVER $500 FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SEAT TRACK. THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE RECALLED AND CHEVROLET SHOULD BE ORDERED TO CORRECT THIS SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. *TR

Incident: September 17, 2010 · Filed: September 17, 2010

THE GAS GAUGE IN THE 1997 CORVETTE, AS WELL AS ALL OTHER C5 CORVETTES BUILT FROM 1997 THROUGH 2004, WILL SUDDENLY FALL TO EMPTY WITH NO WARNING, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS FUEL REMAINING. DRIVING ON HIGHWAYS WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO QUICKLY STOP FOR FUEL CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS PROBLEM SINCE THE DRIVER WILL NOT KNOW IF THEY ARE ABOUT TO RUN OUT OF FUEL WITHOUT WARNING. CHEVROLET AND GM HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND REFUSE TO FIX IT WITHOUT EXPENSIVE REPAIRS THAT COULD COST AS MUCH AS $1800 WITH NO ASSURANCE THAT THE PROBLEM WILL BE CORRECTED. I BELIEVE THIS ENTIRE RANGE OF VEHICLES SHOULD BE RECALLED TO CORRECT THIS SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. *TR