IllustrationSTRONG FUEL SMELL AND LEAK ON DRIVER SIDE NOTICED AFTER FUELING ONLY TO AROUND 3/4 TANK HAS BEEN THIS WAY SINCE 19800MI WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR I SMELT GAS BUT ONLY ON 11/23/20 HAVE I SEEN FUEL ON THE GROUND
2009 Chevrolet Corvette
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Corvette years
Owner complaints for the 2009 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
330–25K
4825–50K
1950–75K
1375–100K
5100–150K
0150K+
118 reports with mileage · 33 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.
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 80 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports
Fuel/propulsion System complaints
80 reportsPROBLEM WITH STRONG FUEL SMELL AND IT IS COMING FROM BEHIND THE DRIVER SEAT.
SMELL OF FUEL IN CABIN WHILE DRIVING OR PARKED.
I BOUGHT THIS CAR LAST YEAR ON SEPTEMBER, THE CAR FOR JUST 3500 MILES, ON NOVEMBER THAT YEAR I PUT MY CAR IN STORAGE, I PICKED MY CAR UP THIS YEAR ON MARCH. TWO MONTHS AGO, I REALIZED THAT AFTER FUELING MY CAR A REALLY STRONG SMELL LIKE GAS WAS PRESENT, I CHECKED UNDERNEATH BOTH I COULDN'T SEE ANY LEAKAGE, BUT I CHECKED THE DRIV…
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I BOUGHT THIS CAR LAST YEAR ON SEPTEMBER, THE CAR FOR JUST 3500 MILES, ON NOVEMBER THAT YEAR I PUT MY CAR IN STORAGE, I PICKED MY CAR UP THIS YEAR ON MARCH. TWO MONTHS AGO, I REALIZED THAT AFTER FUELING MY CAR A REALLY STRONG SMELL LIKE GAS WAS PRESENT, I CHECKED UNDERNEATH BOTH I COULDN'T SEE ANY LEAKAGE, BUT I CHECKED THE DRIVER'S SIDE GAS TANK AND IT WAS KIND OF WET, I SAW TRACES OF GAS DROPLETS. I FOUND ONLINE THAT GMC POSTED A BULLETIN TO GET FIXED THIS ISSUE ON LOTS OF C6 CORVETTES, I TOOK THAT BULLETIN TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THE TIME FOR THAT BULLETIN EXPIRED LAST YEAR ON JUNE, I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I GOT THE CAR ON SEPTEMBER AND ALSO MY CAR JUST HAD 3500 MILES, BUT THE SAID THAT IF I WANT MY CAR TO GET FIXED I HAVE TO PAY. I TOLD ME THAT IT'S NOT FAIR BECAUSE THIS ISSUE IS GMC FAULT. THIS IS WHY I'M FILLING THIS COMPLAIN WITH YOU. I WAS ABLE JUST TO UPLOAD ONE PIC BUT I HAVE MORE, SHOWING THE GAS TANK WET.*DT*JB
FUEL LEAKING REAR DRIVERS SIDE POSSIBLE FUEL PUMP ASKED ABOUT RECALL WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT A RECALL ITEM THEN FOUND MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME ISSUE AND SAME MODEL CAR HAS LESS THAN 40,000 MILES. *TR
NOTICEABLE FUEL SMELL WHEN SITTING IN THE CAR, AND IN GARAGE WHEN CAR HAS BEEN PARKED FOR A FEW HOURS. IT IS THIS ISSUE: HTTPS://WWW.CORVETTEFORUM.COM/FORUMS/C6-CORVETTE-GENERAL-DISCUSSION/3563123-DANGER-FUEL-LEAKS-SAFETY-RECALL.HTML. *TR
HEAVY FUEL ODOR FROM CAR WHEN PARKED IN GARAGE. NO GASOLINE DRIP ON FLOOR.
MY 2009 CORVETTE (BASE MODEL) IS EXPERIENCING FUEL VAPOR LEAK. THERE ARE NO LIQUID LEAKS VISIBLE BENEATH THE CAR, OR ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. THE SMELL OF FUEL IS MORE INTENSE TOWARD THE DRIVERS REAR QUARTER PANEL, NEAR THE FILLER TUBE. I HAVE CHANGED MY GAS TANK CAP AND THIS MADE NO DIFFERENCE. THE SMELL OF FUEL PERSISTS. THE SMEL…
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MY 2009 CORVETTE (BASE MODEL) IS EXPERIENCING FUEL VAPOR LEAK. THERE ARE NO LIQUID LEAKS VISIBLE BENEATH THE CAR, OR ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. THE SMELL OF FUEL IS MORE INTENSE TOWARD THE DRIVERS REAR QUARTER PANEL, NEAR THE FILLER TUBE. I HAVE CHANGED MY GAS TANK CAP AND THIS MADE NO DIFFERENCE. THE SMELL OF FUEL PERSISTS. THE SMELL IS NOT PRESENT INSIDE THE CAR, OR WHILE IN MOTION. THE SMELL IS STRONGEST WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS FILLED AND SEEMS TO DIMINISH WHEN FUELS IS 1/2 TANK OR BELOW. I AM CONCERNED OF FIRE IN THE CAR, OR IN MY GARAGE, ATTACHED TO MY HOUSE.
FOR THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, I'VE NOTICED AN INCREASING FUEL SMELL EMANATING FROM MY CORVETTE'S DRIVER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL. THE FUEL VAPOR SMELL IS NOW AT THE POINT WHERE I NEED TO PARK MY VEHICLE OUTSIDE. AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, I'VE COME ACROSS NUMEROUS REPORTS OF COVETTE C6 OWNERS REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE. THE CONSENSU…
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FOR THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, I'VE NOTICED AN INCREASING FUEL SMELL EMANATING FROM MY CORVETTE'S DRIVER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL. THE FUEL VAPOR SMELL IS NOW AT THE POINT WHERE I NEED TO PARK MY VEHICLE OUTSIDE. AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, I'VE COME ACROSS NUMEROUS REPORTS OF COVETTE C6 OWNERS REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE. THE CONSENSUS SEEMS TO BE THAT HAIRLINE CRACKS DEVELOP ON THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANKS CAUSING FUEL TO LEAK ON AND DOWN THE SIDE OF THE TANK. OBVIOUSLY THIS COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS FIRE HAZARD IF IT WERE TO LEAK ON TO THE VEHICLES EXHAUST. WITH THE AMOUNT OF C6 OWNERS REPORTING THIS SAME ISSUE AND THE POTENTIAL FOR EXTREME FIRE HAZARD, I FEEL THAT GM SHOULD ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
AFTER FILLING THE GAS TANK THERE IS A STRONG GAS SMELL PRESENT. ONCE THE GAS LEVEL IS BELOW HALF TANK, THE ODOR IS GONE. ONLINE RESEARCH POINTS TO THE CROSSOVER TUBE, FUEL PUMP, EVAP SYSTEM ETC
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.