2003 Chevrolet Corvette

ACCIDENT ON 8/9/2008 FRONT IMPACT HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE IN VIRGINA, 2/2/2011 ACCIDENT LEFT SIDE IMPACT HIT A CURB, AND AN OBJECT. 12/15/2011 CONSUMER BOUGHT. FOUND OUT THAT COOLING FAN HAS BEEN GLUED, COOLING FAN HAS BEEN WIRED WHICH MAKES THE FAN TO BE ALWAYS ON, AIR FILTER MISSING BOLTS, STEERING WHEEL LOCKS AND CAR GIVES ERROR MESSAGE AND THEN JUST STOPS, INFORMED DEALER AND THEY STATED JUST TO DOUBLE CLICK UNLOCK B/C IS JUST A SECURITY ISSUE. CAR WAS SOLD WITH BROKEN RACK AND PINION. DEALER STATED THAT IS WHY YOU BOUGHT A 18K CAR AND NOT A 60K CAR, YOU GET IT AS IS. THEY ARE USING A BBB AWARD AND ON WEBSITE THEY ARE RATED AND F. HAD ONE OF THEIR APPLICATION PROCESSORS CHECK THE CAR AND STATED EVERYTHING WAS FINE, HE DOES NOT HAVE CERTIFIED MECHANIC LICENSE AND WAS TOLD THAT ON 12/28/2011. MORE ISSUES... *KB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY LOCKED UP. AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE, IT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AT HIGHER SPEEDS WHEN HE THEN CRASHED INTO A DITCH, WENT AIRBORNE AND LANDED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE POLICE WERE CALLED AND A REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO A INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY WERE ADVISED THAT A GM INVESTIGATOR WOULD COME AND INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THEY ARE WAITING THE OUTCOME, BUT IT WAS DEEMED DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000. UPDATED06/07/11*LJ UPDATED 08/17/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WOULD LOCK SPORADICALLY. AFTER RECEIVING NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V060000(STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE) AND AFTER HAVING THE RECALLED REPAIR PERFORMED TWICE, THE FAILURE RECURRED A THIRD TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THEY CORRECTED THE ISSUE FOR THE RECALL AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PERFORM ANY FURTHER REPAIRS UNDER THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 18,700.

THIS IS AN AMENDMENT TO YOUR ODI NUMBER 10297619. OUR 2003 CHEVROLET CORVETTE HAS SUSTAINED SEVERE UNDERCARRAIGE DAMAGE AS WELL AS PASSENGER SIDE BODY DAMAGE AND WHEEL AND TIRE DAMAGE. PASSENGER DOOR WILL NOT OPEN AND DRIVERS DOOR WILL OPEN WHEN MUCH STRENGTH APPLIED TO PULL IT OPEN. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF MINUTES AFTER THE CRASH THAT IT WAS APPARENT THE DOORS WERE NOT GOING TO OPEN WITHOUT SOME KIND OF ASSISTANCE. JUST PRIOR TO THE CRASHWE EXPERIENCED A SMALL FISHING OF OF THE REAR OF THE CAR AT WHICH TIME THE ACCELERATOR WAS DISENGAGED AND THE BRAKES APPLIED HARD. THE STEERING WAS LOCKED IN THE POSITION WE WERE DRIVING IN AT THE TIME WHICH WAS ON A CURVE. THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP US, AND AT THIS TIME THE RPM WAS RACING UPWARD ON THE CAR WHICH WAS ACCELERATING WHEN NO GAS WAS BEING APPLIED AT ALL. ONE OTHER TIME WHEN WE HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES QUICKLY, FOR A CHANGING LIGHT, THE RPM RACED WAY UP WHILE WE WERE STOPPED. OUR COMPUTER SAID NOTHING AT THIS TIME WHICH INDICATED TO US THAT THERE WAS NOTHING NOTED ABOUT THE INCIDENT THAT WE COULD SEE. ALSO AIRBAGS FAILED TO OPEN! WITHOUT OUR SEATBELTS, THE 37 INCIDENT AMONG CORVETTES WOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST CASUALITY IN THE STEERING LOCK FAILURE. MOST NOTABLY AND CRITICAL OF THE FAILURES IS THE STEERING LOCK FIAILURE NO.1, NO 2 IS BRAKES FAILING TO STOP VEHICLE AND NO. 3 IS AIRBAGS FAILING TO DEPLOY. NO 4 IS THE RPM ACCELERATING WHEN BRAKES ARE TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVEABLE AT THIS TIME AND IS CURRENTLY IN STORAGE UNTIL THERE ARE RESOLUTIONS TO THESE FAILURES. DATE OF CRACH DEC. 11, 2009 ABOUT 9:30 AM. *TR

THERE REALLY WASN'T ANY EVENTS LEADING UP TO OUR ACCIDENT THAT I WAS AWARE OF. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS AS OF YET,MY INTERNET HAS BEEN DOWN AND WAS ONLY FIXED THIS EVENING AROUND 4:00. BUT BACK TO MY ACCIDENT,MY STEERING LOCKED UP ON ME AND ALL LOST ALL CONTROL OF MY CAR. SORRY I DON'T HAVE MORE INFORMATION. I JUST KNOW MY WIFE AND I ARE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. THANK YOU! *TR

2003 CORVETTE MANUAL TRANS. I HAD THE WORK DONE FOR THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK RECALL PROGRAM #04V060000 BACK IN 2006. ON DEC. 24TH 2009, THE VEHICLE WOULD START BUT NOT MOVE FORWARD. POSSIBLE FUEL SHUT OFF DUE TO HARNESS LOCK FAILURE. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE GMC DEALER IN WATSONVILLE CALIF. THEY ADVISED ME THAT THIS ITEM WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. MY QUESTION IF THE RECALL ITEM HAS FAILED AGAIN WHY ISN'T THE DEALER OR GM RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACEMENT AT NO COST TO THE CUSTOMER? I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS ONLY FOR THE FIRST 12,000 MILES OR 12 MONTHS. SEEMS ODD THAT THIS PART THAT WAS REPLACED IN 2006 HAS ALREADY FAILED WHEN THE CAR HAS HAD ONLY 7,000 MILES APPROX. PUT ON THE VEHICLE SINCE THE RECALL WORK WAS COMPLETED. THE TOTAL MILES FOR THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY 15,900 MILES. HAS THERE BEEN ANY REPORTS THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS DEFECTIVE AS WELL? *TR

WHILE DRIVING, MY VEHICLE'S WARNING SYSTEM FOR THE ACTIVE HANDLING & ABS SYSTEM ACTIVATES DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT BOTH OF THESE SYSTEMS WOULD DEVELOP A PROBLEM AT THE SAME TIME. UPON RESEARCHING THIS, I DISCOVERED THAT GM REALIZED A FLAW IN THE DESIGNING OF THE WIRING HARNESS THAT IS CONTAINED WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT IS RESPONSIBLE. GM HAS DESIGNED A PART TO FIX THIS, BUT AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. IN THESE TYPES OF VEHICLES, THE ACTIVE HANDLING & ABS IS A SAFETY FEATURE, AND I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT WHENEVER THE WARNINGS ARE ACTIVATED THESE SAFETY FUNCTIONS ARE NO LONGER FUNCTIONING AS THE COMPUTER BELIEVES THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THEM WHEN THERE ISN'T. THE WARNINGS DO NOT COME ON AT THE TIME OF START UP, BUT ONLY AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 5 MILES. IF THERE IN FACT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THESE FEATURES, A WARNING WOULD COME ON AT START UP. GM HAS FOUND THAT THE WIRING HARNESS BECOMES STRETCHED FROM CONTINUED USE OF THE TELESCOPING STEERING COLUMN OVER THE YEARS WHICH CAUSES THE FALSE WARNINGS. OTHER DRIVERS HAVE REPORTED POWER STEERING FAILURE AND OTHER PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT COULD CAUSE DRASTIC PROBLEMS IF THE COMPUTER FALSELY DISENGAGES THESE FEATURES, ESPECIALLY THE ABS DURING DRIVING IN THE RAIN OR SNOW. THESE VEHICLES RELY ON THESE SYSTEMS FOR SAFE OPERATIONS. ONCE THE WARNING COMES ON, THERE IS NO WAY TO CHECK TO SEE IF THE ACTIVE HANDLING FEATURE IS ON OR OFF, AS THE COMPUTER WILL NOT ALLOW THE SYSTEM TO BE CHECKED. *TR

A MESSAGE WAS RANDOMLY DISPLAYED SAYING THAT THE ACTIVE HANDLING SYSTEM HAD FAILED AND THAT SERVICE WAS NEEDED. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THE CAR'S COMPUTER WOULD THEN SHUT OFF THE ACTIVE HANDLING SYSTEM, BUT WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF AND THEN BACK ON, THE ACTIVE HANDLING SYSTEM WOULD BE ACTIVE UNTIL THE NEXT FAILURE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS FAILURE CONSTITUTES A SAFETY PROBLEM. AFTER MANY MONTHS OF THIS (I WASN'T OVERLY CONCERNED SINCE I DON'T DRIVE ERRATICALLY AND RARELY ACTIVATE THE ACTIVE HANDLING SYSTEM), I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALER (WEST CHEVROLET, ALCOA, TN) AND WAS TOLD (1) THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE ON CORVETTES AND (2) IT IS DUE TO THE WIRING HARNESS IN THE STEERING COLUMN BEING TOO SHORT. (THIS CAR HAS A POWER TELESCOPING STEERING WHEEL AND MEMORY SEATS SO THAT EVERY TIME THE DRIVER GETS IN AND OUT OF THE CAR, THE STEERING COLUMN AUTOMATICALLY MOVES OUT AND IN, EVIDENTLY TUGGING ON THE WIRING HARNESS EACH TIME.) THE DEALERS TECHNICIAN FOREMAN SAID THAT ONE OF SIGNALS CARRIED BY THE HARNESS IS THE ANGLE OF THE STEERING WHEEL WHICH IS USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH A YAW-RATE SENSOR TO DETERMINE IF THE CAR IS "SPINNING OUT" AND WHAT CORRECTIVE ACTION IS REQUIRED TO CORRECT THIS. HE ALSO SAID THAT DUE TO THE TOO-SHORT HARNESS, THE INTEGRITY OF THE HARNESS CONNECTOR DEGRADES OVER TIME CAUSING THE INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF THE ACTIVE HANDLING SYSTEM. (3) THE DEALER SAID THAT THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED BY EXTENDING THE HARNESS WITH A GM PART WHICH IMPLIES THAT GM KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM AND HAVE DEVELOPED A PART TO FIX IT. (4) I ASKED THE DEALER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I DID NOT FIX IT. I WAS TOLD THAT EVENTUALLY THE CONNECTOR WOULD COMPLETELY FAIL RESULTING IN A LOSS OF THE POWER STEERING. THIS WOULD THEN BE ANOTHER SAFETY PROBLEM. SO I HAD TO HAVE IT FIXED BUT IT WASN'T CHEAP - $594.68. *TR

AFTER RECALL WAS DONE ON 2003 CHEVROLET CORVETTE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WHILE IN MOTION. *TS THE RECALL THAT WAS PERFORMED ON 8/18/2004 WAS INTENDED TO PREVENT THE STEERING WHEEL FROM LOCKING UP. THERE WAS NO RESULTING ACCIDENT OR INJURY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER ON 12/21/2004. THE REPAIR ORDER SHOWED THAT THE PROGRAMMING DID NOT TAKE ON RECALL REPAIR.(RECALL NUMBER 04V060000, RECALL 04006). *NM

DT: THE STEERING LOCKED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2005 WHILE GOING 30 MPH, THERE WAS RECALL, AND HAD THE RECALL REPAIRS PERFORMED ON JUNE 10, 2005. CONTACTED GM, AND LEFT A MESSAGE WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER. THIS HAPPENED BEFORE WHILE BACKING THE VEHICLE OUT. CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND THAT WAS WHEN THE CONSUMER FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL. *AK