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Chevrolet Corvette won't shift problems

103 of the 5,049 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Corvette describe stuck in gear or won't shift, most of them for the 2005 model year.

owner complaints
103
worst model year
2005
typical repair cost reported
$1,100
typical mileage
39,800
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below

By model year

Often reported together

Won't start 2Overheating 2Loss of power 2Headlights 2Door locks 2ABS 2Transmission failure 1Pulling 1

Trouble codes mentioned

P1955 1P0869 1P0868 1P0101 1

What owners say

Filed May 12, 2026 · Transmission · SC

The dual clutch transmission on my 2020 C8 Corvette has a diagnostic code of p1955. This was determined after the service light on the vehicle illuminated and it was taken to service at the dealership. Other codes that stored included p0868 and p0869 which indicate low hydraulic pressure and high hydraulic pressure respectively. The p1955 code is an internal fault that requires complete replacement of the transmission according to GM service bulletins. This bulletin also advises that no repair attempts are to be made except for complete replacement. The vehicle has not shown any symptoms currently. Gears shift normally, there are no vibrations, etc. However, the dealership advised the transmission can go into limp mode, fail completely, or damage other components of the power train at any point. This issue is known to GM. They have investigated the matter since 2021 or earlier. There have been no recalls on the transmission despite the safety risks of sudden loss of power, being stranded, or catastrophic destructive failure without warning. These pose risks to occupants inside the vehicle and other vehicles or people on the road. My repeated questioning of this matter to the dealership and GM customer service have been ignored. They only advise the cost to replace is with the owner of the vehicle despite the root cause being at the level of engineering of the part. They are unwilling to admit this failure is at the level of a manufacturing/engineering defect as a financial cost mitigation strategy. The Issue with sudden failure of the transmission in these vehicles are widely known, investigated, and occurring at a high rate, especially in early model C8 Corvettes.

Filed Jan 15, 2026 · Brakes · TX

Brake system failure, ESC shutdown, Speed-limited limp mode.

Filed Nov 15, 2025 · Fuel system · OR

Transmission gets stuck in park position and I am unable to shift it into any other gear. Unable to move the car if it's in a dangerous location.

Filed Aug 14, 2023 · Brakes, Electrical · CA

I purchased my 2005 Corvette C6 from a used car dealership on 4/30/2023. The car was fine for the first week. The second week I began getting a lot of error codes specifically: Service Active Handling System Service Traction Control Service ABS Shocks Inoperative Service Fuel System. At times it would go into limp mode. I would find a safe place to pull off. I would shut the car off and it would not restart. I would check the relays under the hood and the passenger floorboard. Eventually it would restart and drive again until the next time. I have replaced the following components: Battery cables with factory replacement New Battery, twice New high output alternator and a new belt. These items solved the many codes. Now I get Service Traction System, and the traction control shuts off. When this happened last, I got a P0101 MAF sensor error. Replaced the MAF Sensor 8/13. Has not happened as of yesterday. I have checked all of the grounds, added a new ground system called the Big Three. I should not have to put all this work into a well documented issue not only in the C6 but other models.

Filed Aug 5, 2023 · Transmission · WI

Brake transmission interlock failed. Car wouldnt shift out of park.

Filed Apr 6, 2023 · CA

This is a safety concern when I start my car and can not put it in reverse. This in todays world of violence and crime everywhere is truly a safety concern for women stuck in a car that you can not get out of park. The shift is stuck in park and will not move in any other position. Looking on the web this is a known problem on many 2005 and 2006 Corvette's for years. This has happened to many times to count.

Filed Sep 16, 2022 · Acceleration, Electrical · SC

My car has been broken for over a year now. It has been to the dealership for the main engine wiring harness part number 19115750 which is unique to the 2005 and 2006 corvette. The failure causes several different problem. It keeps the TCM from which is the traction control module which adjust speed and traction to the wheels which is design to help drivers keep their cars under control. Without this system the car will loose traction and can cause it to go off the road. The second issue with the harness is it can put the car limp mode which restricts the speed to under 40mph which if you are driving and trying to excel into traffic this system will come in without notice and put you into a situation where if you are trying to merge or just go when the light changes it will only go like 5 mph causes the cars behind you to run into the rear of your vehicle and when if fail and you are pulling into traffic it causes your car to be in a direct line of impact with oncoming vehicle. The engine harness also provides power to the transmission via the ECM which keeps it from providing enough power to run the transmission control computer. This will make your car not go into gear or make it go completely out so without a transmission your car won’t move at all. This happens without notice. Now GM doesn’t make a replacement harness anymore making your vehicle unusable. GM also wants between 7k and 10k to make a harness for the vehicle. This doesn’t include installation. This makes the owners like myself have to seek other means to repair the vehicle. Like having a custom harness made for vehicle. Since GM only made this harness for 2 years it has been impossible for me to get my vehicle repaired at any cost. Making owner to make decisions that are unfair to owners. Like sell the car for scrap Paid the expensive repair which is like half the value of the car. Trade the car and lose thousands of dollars if you can find a dealership willing to take it

Filed Aug 30, 2022 · Transmission · TN

Shifter will not shift from park after starting engine.

Filed Aug 2, 2022 · Transmission · PA

This particular Corvette C6 model (2005 through 2013 model years) has a well known and documented problem with the automatic transmissions. Upon engine startup, it oftentimes will not shift out of the Park gear. When the Chevrolet Customer Service people were called about this, their response was that they are well aware of this problem with the C6 model years. The Customer Service people said that a Recall was not issued because the way to address this problem is to: Shut off the engine, put the ignition in the Accessory mode, then try and shift the transmission into Neutral. If it is able to shift into Neutral, then start the engine. Once the engine starts, then try and shift the transmission into the Drive or Reverse gear. If this sequence doesn't work, we were told just to keep repeating this sequence over and over. There have been occasions when we had to repeat this sequence at least half a dozen times and there have also been occasions where we were stranded in parking lots and had to leave the car and come back to it later to try again. This is a safety concern due to the real possibility of being stranded at night in parking lots. There aren't any warning lights or messages. There also aren't any advanced warnings, in terms of symptoms. The only way the problem manifests itself, is when the car cannot be shifted out of the Park gear. Whenever the car is brought into service, including at Chevrolet dealers for such items as oil changes, the mechanics try shifting it out of the Park gear and when they can't, they will call and ask us what to do. The added concern here is that if the mechanic physically forces the shifter out of the Park gear, the entire shifter and possibly the transmission will be damaged. We are the original owners of the car and it only has 18,000 miles on it. This problem first appeared about two years ago but it is happening much more often now.

Filed May 18, 2022 · Transmission · TX

Vehicle will not shift out of park after starting, even when brake pedal is properly depressed.

Related recalls

Power train: driveline: driveshaftReported February 17, 2022 · 22 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. The rear half-shaft assemblies may be missing one or more ball bearings, which can result in a loss of drive power.
Risk
An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the left or right rear half-shaft assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 4, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is N212351320.

Recall number 22V091000 · Recall details

Questions about the Chevrolet Corvette won't shift

Which Chevrolet Corvette years have stuck in gear or won't shift problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2005 (44 complaints), 2007 (25 complaints) and 2006 (14 complaints).

How much does it cost to fix stuck in gear or won't shift on the Chevrolet Corvette?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,100 (median of 10 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

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