IllustrationCONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A FUEL GAUGE PROBLEM. VEHICLE RAN OUT OF FUEL, BUT THE FUEL GAGE INDICATED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS FULL. FUEL GAUGE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED 4 TIMES. CURRENTLY, WARRANTY EXPIRED. DEALER WAS CHARGING $1300.00 FOR REPAIRS. *AK
2001 Chevrolet Corvette
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Corvette years
Owner complaints for the 2001 Chevrolet Corvette are substantially higher than the model-year median of 29.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Corvette years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
350–25K
5125–50K
2850–75K
1175–100K
4100–150K
3150K+
132 reports with mileage · 71 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Steering. Review the 87 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports3 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
203 reportsLOSES POWER SUDDENLY ON FREEWAY WITHOUT WARNING. ENGINE DIES QUICKLY DURING DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING. RYDELL CHEVROLET (818)933-3000 UNABLE TO DETECT OR FIX PROBLEM AFTER SEVERAL VISITS. PROBLEM PERSISTS.*AK
STEERING-JUMPING FEELING WHEN WHEELS ARE TURNED AS FAR AS POSSIBLE-WHILE MOVING FORWARD OR IN REVERSE AFTER BEING PARKED AND AS YOU MOVE TO LEAVE. TIRES FEEL AS THEY ARE NOT JUST ROLLING BUT SMALL HOPPING FEELING. *LA
STEERING COLUMN LOCK UP. *LA
WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. (NAR) *LA *CB
ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS I HAVE HAD THE FUEL GAUGE READ FROM OVER A HALVE OF A TANK TO IMMEDIATELY READING NOTHING. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED TO ME "WELL IT'S NOT A PERFECT SCIENCE YOU KNOW" AND PROCEEDED TO DO NOTHING TO INVESTIGATE IT OR REPAIR IT. I HAVE ALSO BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE …
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ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS I HAVE HAD THE FUEL GAUGE READ FROM OVER A HALVE OF A TANK TO IMMEDIATELY READING NOTHING. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED TO ME "WELL IT'S NOT A PERFECT SCIENCE YOU KNOW" AND PROCEEDED TO DO NOTHING TO INVESTIGATE IT OR REPAIR IT. I HAVE ALSO BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE LIGHTS IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE MPH LIGHT IS BLINKING ON AND OFF AND JUST THE OTHER DAY THE LIGHT INFO BAR WENT COMPLETELY OFF AND I COULDN'T READ MY COMPUTER INFO. I HAVE ADDRESSED SEVERAL TIMES WITH THE DEALER ABOUT THE SEVERE FRONT END VIBRATION WHEN THE VEHICLE REACHES SPEEDS OF 70MPH, BUT THE DEALER WON'T LOOK INTO IT BECAUSE THEY SAY THEY CAN;T DRIVE IT THAT FAST. WHAT! IF THE LAW ALLOWS ME TO GO THAT FAST, WHY CAN'T THEY? THE DRIVES SEAT BELT CONSTANTLY LOCKS ON ME NOT ALLOWING ME TO LOOK OUT MY SIDE OR REAR WINDOW. IN THE CONVERTIBLE YOU REALLY HAVE TO STRETCH TO SEE OUT THAT SMALL WINDOW IN THE TOP, THE SEAT BELT DOES NOT ALLOW ME TO AND I FIGHT TO GET IT TO RELEASE. THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IT TAKE MY SEAT BELT OFF WHEN I'M DRIVING! PLEASE LOOK INTO THESE PROBLEMS. THANK YOU. *CB
THIS 2001 CORVETTE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON SEP T12TH, 2003 FOR ENGINE FAILURE. PISTONS, RODS, BEARINGS & RELATED PARTS WERE REPLACED. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME 4 WEEKS LATER. AS OF 10/22/03 VEHICLE HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THE DEALER TWICE FOR RELATED ENGINE PROBLEMS & IS IN THEIR SHOP AT THIS TIME WITH NO ESTIMATED COMPLETION…
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THIS 2001 CORVETTE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON SEP T12TH, 2003 FOR ENGINE FAILURE. PISTONS, RODS, BEARINGS & RELATED PARTS WERE REPLACED. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME 4 WEEKS LATER. AS OF 10/22/03 VEHICLE HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THE DEALER TWICE FOR RELATED ENGINE PROBLEMS & IS IN THEIR SHOP AT THIS TIME WITH NO ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIME. I HAVE NOT BEEN OFFERED ANY SUBSTITUTE TRANSPORTATION. GM CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE WILL DO NOTHING AND HAS REFUSED TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY OR PROVIDE COMPENSATION FOR LOST USE OF THIS $52,000 VEHICLE.
WHILE DRIVING ON HWY AT 65-70 MPH STARTED TO TURN INTO CONVIENCE STORE, AND TURNED WHEEL FROM 12 TO 2 O'CLOCK POSITION, BUT DECIDED NOT TO GO INTO STORE. DRIVER TRIED TO TURN WHEEL LEFT TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE CAR, BUT WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN, AND STAYED LOCKED FOR 10-15 SECONDS BEFORE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO GET IT UNLOCKED. DRIVER EN…
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WHILE DRIVING ON HWY AT 65-70 MPH STARTED TO TURN INTO CONVIENCE STORE, AND TURNED WHEEL FROM 12 TO 2 O'CLOCK POSITION, BUT DECIDED NOT TO GO INTO STORE. DRIVER TRIED TO TURN WHEEL LEFT TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE CAR, BUT WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN, AND STAYED LOCKED FOR 10-15 SECONDS BEFORE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO GET IT UNLOCKED. DRIVER ENDED UP WITH 2 WHEELS IN A DITCH, AND DAMAGE TO FRONT END. DEALER CONTACT: MATT JOHNSON. *AK
2001 CHEVROLET CORVETTE CONVERTIBLE, PARKED AT GOLF COURSE, STARTED CAR TO LEAVE AND REALIZED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED. THE DASH DISPLAY READ "SERVICE STEERING COLUMN." THE CAR SAT AT THE GOLF COURSE A COUPLE DAYS WHILE I CHECKED WITH MECHANICS, FRIENDS, INTERNET AND NHTSA (MY SON WORKS FOR YOU). I DISCOVERED THIS IS A F…
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2001 CHEVROLET CORVETTE CONVERTIBLE, PARKED AT GOLF COURSE, STARTED CAR TO LEAVE AND REALIZED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED. THE DASH DISPLAY READ "SERVICE STEERING COLUMN." THE CAR SAT AT THE GOLF COURSE A COUPLE DAYS WHILE I CHECKED WITH MECHANICS, FRIENDS, INTERNET AND NHTSA (MY SON WORKS FOR YOU). I DISCOVERED THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH CORVETTES FROM 1997 AND UP (C5 BODY STYLE). I TRIED ALL THE "TRICKS" I WAS TOLD BY SEVERAL PEOPLE INCLUDING SHAKING THE STEERING WHEEL HARD LEFT TO RIGHT WITH THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION AND IN THE IGNITION, PLUS USING THE KEY INSTEAD OF THE REMOTE CONTROL TO UNLOCK THE DOOR. NOTHING WORKED. I HAD IT TOWED TO A CHEVROLET DEALER. THEY HAD IT SEVERAL DAYS AND COMMENTED THEY COULD NOT UNLOCK IT WITH THEIR SPECIAL TOOL. THEY FIXED IT IN THE END BY INSTALLING GM PART NUMBER 26050960 WHICH IS THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK ASSEMBLY/THEFT DETERRENT ACTUATOR. THE REPAIR BILL OF $392 ($171 FOR THE PART) STATED THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK HAD AN OPEN CIRCUIT CAUSING IT NOT TO RELEASE. THEY JUMP STARTED VEHICLE & VERIFIED CONCERN, REMOVED AND REPLACED THE STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY/THEFT DETERRENT ACTUATOR. THIS CAR HAS 45000 MILES ON IT, IS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. *LA
I HAVE A 2001 CORVETTE. SINCE I'VE OWNED IT, SEVERAL PROBLEMS HAVE OCCURRED. THE FIRST BEING THE DRIVERS DOOR LOCK. THE CAR DEALER REPLACED THE MODULE TWICE AND THEN IT SWITCH ITSELF. THEN THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM DEFAULTED WHERE I COULDN'T START THE CAR (TWICE). HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEN DRIVING ONE DAY THE…
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I HAVE A 2001 CORVETTE. SINCE I'VE OWNED IT, SEVERAL PROBLEMS HAVE OCCURRED. THE FIRST BEING THE DRIVERS DOOR LOCK. THE CAR DEALER REPLACED THE MODULE TWICE AND THEN IT SWITCH ITSELF. THEN THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM DEFAULTED WHERE I COULDN'T START THE CAR (TWICE). HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEN DRIVING ONE DAY THE FUEL GAUGE WENT FROM SHOWING HALF A TANK ALL THE WAY TO ZERO. ALL THE FUEL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. TOOK IT INTO SERVICE AND THEY REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER. THE VERY NEXT DAY I STARTED THE CAR AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK ENGAGED AFTER THE CAR FIRST STARTED, (I HAVEN'T HAD IT IN GEAR YET). THIS PROBLEM CONCERNED ME AND I STATED THAT TO THE SERVICE MANAGER WHO IMMEDIATELY STATED IT COULDN'T HAPPEN IF I WAS DRIVING THE CAR. (REALLY?) THEY REPAIRED THAT. THEN THE GAS GAUGE DID IT AGAIN. TOOK IT IN AGAIN AND THEY REPLACED SEVERAL ITEMS IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. NOW, ONE TANK OF GAS LATER, THE GAUGE DOESN'T READ PROPERLY. THE LOW LEVEL LIGHT CAME ON AND IT ONLY TOOK 10 GALLONS. TOOK IT BACK INTO THE DEALER AND THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT SO THEY'RE TALKING WITH GM ENGINEERS. ALSO THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER 2001 CORVETTE'S IN FOR THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM. NOW (10/3/03) I HAVE A RENTAL CAR AND DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHEN THEY WILL BE ABLE TO FIX MINE. *LA
Official recalls
104V060000 · Steering:column LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT Device
Feb 9, 2004
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRONIC COLUMN LOCK SYSTEMS (ECL), WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS TURNED TO "LOCK," THE ECL SYSTEM PREVENTS TURNING OF THE STEERING SYSTEM. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, THE ECL UNLOCKS THE STEERING SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE IS DESIGNED SO THAT IF THE COLUMN FAILS TO UNLOCK WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED AND THE CUSTOMER TRIES TO DRIVE, THE FUEL SUPPLY WILL BE SHUT OFF SO THAT THE VEHICLE CANNOT MOVE WHEN THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE STEERED. IF VOLTAGE AT THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE IS LOW OR INTERRUPTED, HOWEVER, THE FUEL SHUT OFF MAY NOT OCCUR AND THE VEHICLE CAN BE ACCELERATED WHILE THE STEERING SYSTEM IS LOCKED. ALSO WHEN THE CONTROL SYSTEM SHOWS THAT THE ECL IS UNLOCKED AND THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, THE LOCK PIN LOCATION CAN VARY. DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION OF THE LOCK PLATE RELATIVE TO THE SWITCH TRANSITION POINT, THERE COULD THEN BE CONTACT BETWEEN THE LOCK PLATE AND PIN CAUSING THE STEERING TO LOCK WHILE DRIVING .
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS, A CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER WILL DISABLE THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK BY REMOVING THE COLUMN LOCK PLATE. WHEN THE IGNITION KEY IS REMOVED, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WILL LOCK BUT THE STEERING COLUMN WILL NOT LOCK. ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER WILL REPROGRAM THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE, PERFORM A DIMENSIONAL CHECK OF THE COLUMN LOCK AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE LOCK PLATE. THE STEERING COLUMN ON THESE VEHICLES WILL CONTINUE TO LOCK WHEN THE KEY IS REMOVED. OWNER NOTIFICATION TO OWNERS OF 1997 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS BEGAN ON APRIL 26, 2004. OWNERS OF 1998 THROUGH 2004 VEHICLES (EXCEPT 1997-1998 MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES) WILL BE NOTIFIED BEGINNING ON AUGUST 2, 2004. THE REMAINING OWNERS (1997-1998 MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES) WILL BE NOTIFIED LATER IN 2004, WHEN PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA02031 · Steering Column Lockup
Opened Nov 15, 2002 · Closed Mar 11, 2004
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering; Steering:column; Steering:column LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT Device
IN 2001, GENERAL MOTORS (GM) ISSUED CUSTOMER SERVICE CAMPAIGNS 1044 AND 1044A TO ADDRESS A CONDITION WHERE THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD FAIL TO UNLOCK DURING THE INITIAL KEY-IN AND START-UP IN CERTAIN MY 1998-2000 CORVETTE VEHICLES.HOWEVER, ODI CONTINUED TO RECEIVE COMPLAINTS CONCERNING STEERING COLUMN LOCKUP ON CORVETTE VEHICLES.AS A RESULT, PE02-054 WAS OPENED AND LATER UPGRADED TO EA02-031 FOR MY 1997-2001 SUBJECT VEHICLES.ODI'S ANALYSIS IDENTIFIED CONCERNS WITH POST-REPAIR FAILURES IN VEHICLES SERVICED THROUGH THE CAMPAIGNS, AS WELL AS, FAILURES IN MY 1997-2003 SUBJECT VEHICLES NOT INCLUDED IN THE CAMPAIGNS.(NOTE: THE MANUFACTURER FAILURE DATA ABOVE IS LIMITED TO MY 1997-2003 VEHICLES THROUGH 10/17/2003.)ON FEBRUARY 6, 2004, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A SAFETY DEFECT IN MY 1997-2004 CORVETTE VEHCLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND MY 1997-2000 CORVETTE VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS.THE NOTIFICATION STATED THAT IF THE VOLTAGE AT THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM), WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO SHUT DOWN THE FUEL SUPPLY WHEN THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED TO UNLOCK AND THE CUSTOMER TRIED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, IS LOW OR INTERRUPTED, THE FUEL SHUT OFF MAY NOT OCCUR.AS A RESULT, THE CUSTOMER COULD DRIVE THE VEHICLE WHILE THE STEERING COLUMN WAS LOCKED CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE STEERING CONTROL AND POSSIBLY CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.GM WILL INSTRUCT OWNERS TO BRING THEIR VEHICLES TO A DEALER TO HAVE THE PCM REPROGRAMMED FOR MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES AND THE ELECTRIC COLUMN LOCK DISABLED FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION VEHICLES.ODI WILL MONITOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REMEDY IN THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Steering:column
IN 2001, GENERAL MOTORS (GM) ISSUED CUSTOMER SERVICE CAMPAIGNS 1044 AND 1044A TO ADDRESS A CONDITION WHERE THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD FAIL TO UNLOCK DURING THE INITIAL KEY-IN AND START-UP IN CERTAIN MY 1998-2000 CORVETTE VEHICLES.HOWEVER, ODI CONTINUED TO RECEIVE COMPLAINTS CONCERNING STEERING COLUMN LOCKUP ON CORVETTE VEHICLES.AS A RESULT, PE02-054 WAS OPENED AND LATER UPGRADED TO EA02-031 FOR MY 1997-2001 SUBJECT VEHICLES.ODI'S ANALYSIS IDENTIFIED CONCERNS WITH POST-REPAIR FAILURES IN VEHICLES SERVICED THROUGH THE CAMPAIGNS, AS WELL AS, FAILURES IN MY 1997-2003 SUBJECT VEHICLES NOT INCLUDED IN THE CAMPAIGNS.(NOTE: THE MANUFACTURER FAILURE DATA ABOVE IS LIMITED TO MY 1997-2003 VEHICLES THROUGH 10/17/2003.)ON FEBRUARY 6, 2004, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A SAFETY DEFECT IN MY 1997-2004 CORVETTE VEHCLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND MY 1997-2000 CORVETTE VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS.THE NOTIFICATION STATED THAT IF THE VOLTAGE AT THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM), WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO SHUT DOWN THE FUEL SUPPLY WHEN THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED TO UNLOCK AND THE CUSTOMER TRIED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, IS LOW OR INTERRUPTED, THE FUEL SHUT OFF MAY NOT OCCUR.AS A RESULT, THE CUSTOMER COULD DRIVE THE VEHICLE WHILE THE STEERING COLUMN WAS LOCKED CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE STEERING CONTROL AND POSSIBLY CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.GM WILL INSTRUCT OWNERS TO BRING THEIR VEHICLES TO A DEALER TO HAVE THE PCM REPROGRAMMED FOR MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES AND THE ELECTRIC COLUMN LOCK DISABLED FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION VEHICLES.ODI WILL MONITOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REMEDY IN THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED.
Steering:column LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT Device
IN 2001, GENERAL MOTORS (GM) ISSUED CUSTOMER SERVICE CAMPAIGNS 1044 AND 1044A TO ADDRESS A CONDITION WHERE THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD FAIL TO UNLOCK DURING THE INITIAL KEY-IN AND START-UP IN CERTAIN MY 1998-2000 CORVETTE VEHICLES.HOWEVER, ODI CONTINUED TO RECEIVE COMPLAINTS CONCERNING STEERING COLUMN LOCKUP ON CORVETTE VEHICLES.AS A RESULT, PE02-054 WAS OPENED AND LATER UPGRADED TO EA02-031 FOR MY 1997-2001 SUBJECT VEHICLES.ODI'S ANALYSIS IDENTIFIED CONCERNS WITH POST-REPAIR FAILURES IN VEHICLES SERVICED THROUGH THE CAMPAIGNS, AS WELL AS, FAILURES IN MY 1997-2003 SUBJECT VEHICLES NOT INCLUDED IN THE CAMPAIGNS.(NOTE: THE MANUFACTURER FAILURE DATA ABOVE IS LIMITED TO MY 1997-2003 VEHICLES THROUGH 10/17/2003.)ON FEBRUARY 6, 2004, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A SAFETY DEFECT IN MY 1997-2004 CORVETTE VEHCLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND MY 1997-2000 CORVETTE VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS.THE NOTIFICATION STATED THAT IF THE VOLTAGE AT THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM), WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO SHUT DOWN THE FUEL SUPPLY WHEN THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED TO UNLOCK AND THE CUSTOMER TRIED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, IS LOW OR INTERRUPTED, THE FUEL SHUT OFF MAY NOT OCCUR.AS A RESULT, THE CUSTOMER COULD DRIVE THE VEHICLE WHILE THE STEERING COLUMN WAS LOCKED CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE STEERING CONTROL AND POSSIBLY CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.GM WILL INSTRUCT OWNERS TO BRING THEIR VEHICLES TO A DEALER TO HAVE THE PCM REPROGRAMMED FOR MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES AND THE ELECTRIC COLUMN LOCK DISABLED FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION VEHICLES.ODI WILL MONITOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REMEDY IN THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED.
Steering
IN 2001, GENERAL MOTORS (GM) ISSUED CUSTOMER SERVICE CAMPAIGNS 1044 AND 1044A TO ADDRESS A CONDITION WHERE THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD FAIL TO UNLOCK DURING THE INITIAL KEY-IN AND START-UP IN CERTAIN MY 1998-2000 CORVETTE VEHICLES.HOWEVER, ODI CONTINUED TO RECEIVE COMPLAINTS CONCERNING STEERING COLUMN LOCKUP ON CORVETTE VEHICLES.AS A RESULT, PE02-054 WAS OPENED AND LATER UPGRADED TO EA02-031 FOR MY 1997-2001 SUBJECT VEHICLES.ODI'S ANALYSIS IDENTIFIED CONCERNS WITH POST-REPAIR FAILURES IN VEHICLES SERVICED THROUGH THE CAMPAIGNS, AS WELL AS, FAILURES IN MY 1997-2003 SUBJECT VEHICLES NOT INCLUDED IN THE CAMPAIGNS.(NOTE: THE MANUFACTURER FAILURE DATA ABOVE IS LIMITED TO MY 1997-2003 VEHICLES THROUGH 10/17/2003.)ON FEBRUARY 6, 2004, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A SAFETY DEFECT IN MY 1997-2004 CORVETTE VEHCLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND MY 1997-2000 CORVETTE VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS.THE NOTIFICATION STATED THAT IF THE VOLTAGE AT THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM), WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO SHUT DOWN THE FUEL SUPPLY WHEN THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED TO UNLOCK AND THE CUSTOMER TRIED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, IS LOW OR INTERRUPTED, THE FUEL SHUT OFF MAY NOT OCCUR.AS A RESULT, THE CUSTOMER COULD DRIVE THE VEHICLE WHILE THE STEERING COLUMN WAS LOCKED CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE STEERING CONTROL AND POSSIBLY CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.GM WILL INSTRUCT OWNERS TO BRING THEIR VEHICLES TO A DEALER TO HAVE THE PCM REPROGRAMMED FOR MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES AND THE ELECTRIC COLUMN LOCK DISABLED FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION VEHICLES.ODI WILL MONITOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REMEDY IN THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED.
PE02054 · Steering Column Lockup
Opened Jul 1, 2002 · Closed Nov 15, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
SEE RESUME IN REPOSITORY.