Engine needed to be replaced and it was but new engine misfiring and throwing knock codes and misfire codes. Contacted General Motors only to be told they can’t do anything about it and that’s unacceptable. Case number [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Chevrolet Corvette engine failure problems
117 of the 5,049 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Corvette describe engine failure, most of them for the 2000 model year.
- owner complaints
- 117
- worst model year
- 2000
- typical mileage
- 33,321
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
Often reported together
Steering lock-up 43Stalling 9Loss of power 7Power steering loss 4Knocking 3Won't start 2Fire or smoke 2Won't shift 1
What owners say
Engine blew up and it’s been at dealership waiting on GM to replace sense January 2025. And GM has done nothing to fix the problem. Been paying car note and renting a vehicle at my cost also . And they are still doing nothing. How can these people be aloud to treat Americans like this without any recourse?
The contact owned a 2000 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the steering wheel seized, with the steering column warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and became aware that the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 21,000.
The contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where an independent mechanic diagnosed that the steering column lock bypass needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated the engine of the vehicle was replaced because he wanted to update the engine. The contact stated that once the engine was replaced the vehicle would not start. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and stated that 5 cylinder fractured causing the engine to lock up. The manufacturer was contacted and provided no further assistance. The failure mileage was 0.
The contact's friend owns a 2004 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that while his friend was starting the vehicle, the steering wheel seized. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that they were unable to assist due to the age of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 04V060000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
On 2/24/18 while driving the vehicle in first gear taking off from a stoplight averaging a speed no higher than 30mph and not yet entering 2nd gear the vehicle made a loud screeching noise from the motor area and then abruptly stopped and shut off the engine. A dashboard warning of reduced motor speed appeared and the vehicle stayed in accessory mode only allowing the interior electrical systems to operate. The roadway that I was on being 3 lanes wide and at time of engine failure I was in the middle lane, I was forced to attempt to take vehicle off main roadway onto a side street. Being that the engine abruptly stopped, speed was lost rather quickly putting me in a dangerous situation where the vehicles behind me and next to me could potentially hit me endangering my safety. Additionally I had to cross over in front of oncoming traffic as the only available safe stop was a side street was on the opposite side of road. At that point I was able to stop the vehicle off the roadway onto a side street where the vehicle was then towed back to our residence. The vehicle was then later towed to our mechanic where bore scope inspection revealed a thrown piston and rod. At that time we authorized a tear down to be completed by the mechanic that revealed a thrown piston and rod in the 1st cylinder, which we have since found out is a known and common cylinder to fail. The rod was thrown through the block and piston shattering which made this catastrophic motor failure not allowing repair to be completed and the only option being a full motor replacement. The mechanic advised this was due to a faulty valve in the cylinder head. Symptoms I feel may have been related and ultimately contributed to this failure date back as far as the date I purchased the vehicle on 4/2/16 where vehicle engine made irregular noises. Vehicle was seen 4/18/16 by Chevy stating noises normal and characteristic to alternator, as well as 11/14/17 when a cylinder 3 injector malfunction was detected.
The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated the transmission had been seized in the park(P) position intermittently. The transmission would eventually release after manipulating the gear shifter several times. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 1,621.
On Wednesday March 16, I was driving my 2022 C8 Corvette with only 450 miles on it. I stopped a red light and the car stalled out. I didn't think anything of it and push to start it up again and it started as i continued to drive I approached another red light and as I stopped at it the car shut off and again and wouldn't start back up, as I pushed the start button I smelled smoke and I stop trying to start the car. Oil pressure gauge was reading 0 pressure and flashing red. A notification came across the dash board indicating engine failure and also was notified by my app on my cell phone that the engine failed. Tow truck driver couldn't put the car in neutral due to the vehicle not starting, having to drag onto the flatbed for towing back to dealer
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle felt as if the passenger’s side front brakes had seized. The contact stated that the vehicle was jerking while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 10V172000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included. The approximate failure mileage was 27,400.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Chevrolet Corvette engine failure
Which Chevrolet Corvette years have engine failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2000 (15 complaints), 2009 (13 complaints) and 2005 (12 complaints).
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