2008 Chevrolet Corvette

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, THE SHIFTER COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE PARK POSITION. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AND SLUGGISH SHIFTING BETWEEN 2ND/3RD/4TH GEARS. WHEN SHIFTING BETWEEN THE REFERENCED GEARS THE TRANSMISSION SLIDES INTO THE NEXT GEAR. GM HAS LOOKED AT IT ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND REPAIRS WERE MADE YET CONDITION REMAINED. GM THEN NOTED THE PROBLEM BUT SAYS ITS WITHIN FACTORY TOLERANCES AFTER GM'S INDIFFERENCE I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MULTIPLE PRIVATE TRANSMISSION SHOPS. ALL CONCLUDED THE SAME CONDITION. THE GM "VALVE BODY" IS MALFUNCTIONING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT BUTTON FAILED TO RELEASE. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT GEARS WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000.

ENGINE WAS MISFIRING WITH CEL CODE SHOWING. MECHANIC DECIDED IT WAS A MECHANICAL ISSUE, WHILE CHECKING VALVES AND VALVE GUIDES ON CYLINDER 6, REMOVED SPRINGS AND EXHAUST VALVE WAS LOOSE IN VALVE GUIDE, EASILY MOVED SIDE TO SIDE IN VALVE GUIDE. IN CASES WHERE THE VALVE HEAD HAS BROKEN OFF, ENGINE SEIZES AND LOSS OF POWER BRAKES AND STEERING RESULTS AS WELL AS LOSS OF COOLANT AND OIL ONTO ROAD. VERY DANGEROUS COMBINATION OF EVENTS AT HIGHWAY SPEED. AFTER REMOVING HEADS TO HAVE THEM REPAIRED, FOUND THAT THE CASE HARDENING ON THE LIFTERS HAD BECOME COMPROMISED AND DAMAGED THE CAMSHAFT. ENGINE REPLACED

I DROVE FROM GADSDEN AL. TO CHATTANOOGA TN. FOR A CAR SHOW AT COKER TIRE. I HAD NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH MY 2008 CORVETTE Z06 BEFORE. I PARKED THE CAR AND IT SAT FOR APPROX 5 HRS. AS THE GROUP OF PEOPLE I WAS WITH BEGAN LEAVING. I ENTERED THE CORVETTE SAT DOWN BUCKLED UP PUSH THE CLUTCH PEDAL DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR.WHEN I PRESSED THE START BUTTON THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD. I SLAMMED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND SHUT THE IGNITION OFF. I ALMOST RAN THRU A CROWD OF PEOPLE. WHEN I SETTLED DOWN I REALIZED THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS STUCK ON THE FLOOR. THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER HAD FAILED.(BUT STILL ALLOWED THE CAR TO BE STARTED IN GEAR A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW) IT DID NOT RELEASE THE CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE AS WAS DESIGNED TO DO. THE CAR WAS PUSHED DOWN BY HAND TO THE COKER GARAGE. I CAME BACK MONDAY .WITH MY TRAILER AND HAULED IT BACK TO GADSDEN AL.( I CALLED GM AND OPENED A CASE #[XXX]. I EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED THEY SEEM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND WANTED TO KNOW IF ANYONE WAS HURT. I TOLD THE GM REP THAT WAS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE DESIGN OF THE CORVETTE CLUTCH SYSTEM THEY DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS WAS AN ISSUE WAS VERY EVASIVE DID NOT ANSWER MY QUESTIONS. I DROPPED THE CORVETTE OFF AT CHEVROLET OF GADSDEN AND DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. HE SAID HE WOULD WAIT FOR A REPLY FROM GM. I WAS INFORMED THE NEXT DAY THAT GM WOULD NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE REPAIR OR ADMIT THERE WAS A SAFETY CONCERN I WAS TOLD THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER AND LABOR WERE $900. I WILL HAVE IT REPAIRED ELSEWHERE I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF CASE OF CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER FAILURE ON ALL TYPES OF GM VEHICLES BUT THE CORVETTE Z06 IS THE WORST . IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOME ONE WILL DIE ( OR PROBABLY HAS ALREADY) BECAUSE OF GM REFUSAL TO ADMIT AND RECALL THE VEHICLES TO BE FIXED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

C6 CORVETTES HAVE ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DOORS SO IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN A DOOR WHEN THE BATTERY IS DEAD. HAVING A DEAD BATTERY, I PLACED THE CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY TO JUMP START IT. AS I WENT TO MY TRUCK TO START IT AND CONNECT THE JUMPER CABLES THE CORVETTE BEGAN TO SLOWLY ROLL BACKWARDS - APPARENTLY THE HAND BRAKE WAS NOT QUITE SET ENOUGH (MANUAL TRANSMISSION). I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR TO APPLY THE BRAKES OR HANDBRAKE BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF BATTERY POWER. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ROLL BACKWARDS, ACCELERATING, WITH ME UNABLE TO HOLD OR STOP IT. IT ROLLED ACROSS THE STREET, DOWN MY NEIGHBOR'S DRIVEWAY, AND THROUGH HIS CLOSED GARAGE DOOR COMING TO A STOP AT THE REAR OF HIS GARAGE WITH A HEAVY IMPACT (OVER $11 THOUSAND IN DAMAGES). MY NEIGHBOR'S 2 SMALL GIRLS OFTEN PLAY IN THAT GARAGE WITH THE DOORS CLOSED OR IN THE DRIVEWAY. IF THEY HAD BEEN PLAYING OR ANYONE OR ANY VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN THE STREET AT THAT TIME THERE WOULD LIKELY HAVE BEEN ONE OR MORE FATALITIES DUE TO THE RUNAWAY DRIVER-LESS VEHICLE. ONLY LUCK PREVENTED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WITH POSSIBLE FATALITIES OR SERIOUS INJURIES. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY AN UNACCEPTABLE AND UNNECESSARY DESIGN DEFECT FOR C6 CORVETTES (AND POSSIBLY OTHER VEHICLES WITH KEY-LESS ENTRY AND ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DOORS). I BELIEVE THAT CHEVROLET SHOULD RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND ADD A MECHANICAL WAY TO QUICKLY OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE IN EVENT OF A RUNAWAY SITUATION (THERE IS A MECHANICAL BACKUP IF ONE IS IN THE CAR OR IF ONE HAS THE TIME TO MANUALLY OPEN THE TRUNK - A SLOW PROCEDURE). *TR

MY NEW (TO ME - SECOND OWNER) 2008 CORVETTE WAS STUCK IN PARK IN A GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT. I FINALLY HAD TO FORCE IT OUT AND THIS DAMAGED THE SHIFT ASSEMBLY THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE ELECTRONIC MODULE THAT IS PART OF THE SHIFT ASSEMBLY THAT CONTROLS THE HOLD BRAKE BEFORE STARTING. I FOUND OUT AFTER THE FACT THAT A NUMBER OF CORVETTE OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

JUST AS I GOT HOME AND PARKED MY CAR IN THE GARAGE, I MOVED THE AUTOMATIC SHIFTER TO PARK AND FELT SOMETHING BREAK. I DISCOVERED THAT THE SHIFTER CABLE TO THE TRANSMISSION CASE BROKE, WHICH LEFT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. THIS WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IF IT HAPPENED TO SOMEONE WHO PARKED ON A HILL, SINCE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ISN'T STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE CAR. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHICH SURPRISINGLY HAD THE PART IN STOCK (A SIGN THAT THIS HAPPENS OFTEN ENOUGH THAT THEY KEEP THE PART ON HAND?). SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS LATER, THE DEALER REPLACED THE CABLE, I HAVE TO CROSS MY FINGERS THAT THIS PART DOESN'T BREAK AGAIN. *TR

I'VE HAD REPEATED FAILURES THAT HAVE REQUIRED MULTIPLE REPAIRS 1. ENGINE KNOCKING- REPEATED REPAIRS, UPPER END REPLACED KNOCKING AND ENGINE ROUGHNESS STILL THERE 2. TRANSMISSION- FAILURE OF CLUTCH PLATES, REPLACED PROBLEM NOT RESOLVED, TRANSMISSION SLIPPING IS INCREASING 3. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE: THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN, NOTHING OPERATES EVEN THE HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS- THIS HAS OCCURRED A MINIMUM OF 8 TIMES. RELAYS, SWITCHES WIRING BATTERY GET EXTREMELY HOT UNTIL BATTERY BLEEDS DOWN. HIGH POTENTIAL FOR ELECTRICAL FIRES AND CAR CESSATION OF OPERATIONS HAVE LEFT US IN PERILOUS CONDITIONS ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. *TR