2009 Chevrolet Corvette

I BECAME AWARE OF A POTENTIAL VALVE GUIDE WEAR ISSUE WITH THE LS7 AND LS9 ENGINES THROUGH THE CORVETTE FORUM, THE CORVETTE ACTION CENTER, AND OTHER SOURCES. I BEGAN RESEARCHING THE ISSUE AND DECIDED THAT I SHOULD HAVE MY CAR CHECKED OUT AT A GM DEALERSHIP. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VALVE TRAIN NOISE APPEARED TO BE NORMAL AND THE ENGINE WAS NOT BURNING OR USING ANY EXCESSIVE OIL. THE MORE I FOLLOWED THE VALVE GUIDE WEAR ISSUE, THE MORE CONCERNED I BECAME. THAT BEING SAID AND THE FACT THAT THE DEALER HAD NEVER HEARD OF OR HAD ANY CUSTOMER COME IN FOR THE ISSUE I DECIDED TO HAVE A LOCAL PERFORMANCE ENGINE SHOP (BECAUSE OF THEIR EXTENSIVE LS7 EXPERIENCE) INSTALL A REWORKED SET OF HEADS WITH BRONZE VALVE GUIDES WITH ADDITIONAL PARTS RECOMMEND BY THE SHOP, TO FIX THE PROBLEM PERMANENTLY, BASED ON THEIR KNOWLEDGE WITH THE ISSUE. MY ORIGINAL HEADS WERE EVALUATED FOR VALVE GUIDE WEAR AND 'EVERY INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVE GUIDE WAS OUTSIDE OF THE GM SERVICE BULLETIN SERVICE LIMIT OF .0037 WITH THE #8 INTAKE VALVE BEING SO FAR OUT THAT IT WAS DEEMED N/R (SO LOOSE IT WAS TOO BIG FOR THE GAUGE READOUT). THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 7500 MILES ON IT. 88% OF THE CORVETTE FORUM MEMBERS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR CYLINDER HEADS TESTED FOR EXCESSIVE VALVE GUIDE WEAR, WERE OUT OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS. SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.CORVETTEFORUM.COM/FORUMS/...-REGISTRY.HTML GM NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE, THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ENGINE FAILURES AS A RESULT OF A DROPPED VALVE INTO A CYLINDER WHICH CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND FIRES. GM IS VERY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS HUGE SAFETY RISK TO DRIVERS, PASSENGERS, AND NEARBY VEHICLES IF THE ENGINE FAILS GOING DOWN THE ROAD. *TR

THE ENGINE EXHAUST VALVE GUIDES WERE OUTSIDE OF GM SPECIFICATIONS AND BOTH CYLINDER HEADS WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE OF THIS. THIS DEFECT CAN CAUSE THE HEAD OF A VALVE TO SNAP OFF AND DESTROY THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WILL STOP WORKING IMMEDIATELY, CAUSING THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES SYSTEMS TO FAIL. THE VALVE FAILURE CAN CAUSE A OIL SPILL ONTO THE ROAD IF THE ENGINE IS DESTROYED. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ENGINE FAILURES AS A RESULT OF A DROPPED VALVE INTO A CYLINDER WHICH CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND FIRES. GM IS VERY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS HUGE SAFETY RISK TO DRIVERS, PASSENGERS, AND NEARBY VEHICLES IF THE ENGINE FAILS GOING DOWN THE ROAD. *TR

MY SON'S CAR BLEW UP WHILE TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. HE WILL FILE A SEPARATE COMPLAINT. THERE IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH THE Z06 AND THE 427 ENGINE SO I HAD MY HEADS CHECKED AS A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE AND THEY WERE FAR ENOUGH OUT OF SPEC THAT SELF DESTRUCTION WAS IMMINENT. THE HEADS WERE CHECKED AND REPLACED BY A CHEVROLET DEALER. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF EXAMPLES OF THIS PROBLEM ON THE CORVETTE FORUM AND IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED. I SINCERELY HOPE YOU WILL LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM IN TIME TO PERHAPS SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE. *TR

STRONG ODOR OF GAS IN GARAGE, DEALER DETERMINED PROBLEM TO BE FAULTY FUEL MODULE, CRACK DISCOVERED WITH SMOKE TEST. THE GAS SMELL WAS SO STRONG I WAS AFRAID TO LEAVE THE CAR IN THE GARAGE FOR FEAR OF AN EXPLOSION OR FIRE, I NOTIFIED CHEVROLET AND THEIR ONLY REPLY WAS THANK YOU FOR BEING A GM CUSTOMER. COST OF REPAIR WAS $2731.39, WHICH GM REFUSED TO REIMBURSE SAYING CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *TR UPDATED 3/15/16 *JS

HI, I BOUGHT THE CORVETTE USED. THE FIRST TIME I FILLED IT ALL THE UP WITH GAS I NOTICED A VERY STRONG GAS SMELL THE NEXT DAY IN MY GARAGE. I HOPED IT WOULD GO AWAY OR IT WAS JUST SOMETHING I WASN'T AWARE OF ABOUT THE CAR SINCE I JUST BOUGHT IT USED. THE NEXT TIME I FILLED IT UP THE SAME THING THE WHOLE GARAGE SMELLED LIKE GAS THE NEXT DAY. DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND OUT THERE ARE ALLOT OF THE C6 CORVETTES WITH THIS DEFECT. IF YOU FILL THE CAR UP OVER HALF FULL GAS LEAKS FROM THE TOP OF THE TANK DOWN THE INSIDE AND ON TO THE TAILPIPE. CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY REFUSED TO FIX IT OR RECALL THE DEFECTIVE PART. IM AFRAID OF TWO POSSIBLE THINGS HAPPENING EITHER THE CAR CATCHING FIRE OR THE FUMES IGNITING MY GAS WATER HEATER THATS IN THE GARAGE AS WELL. HOPE YOU GUYS CAN GET SOMETHING DONE ABOUT IT. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. *JS

MY FUEL GAUGE WOULD NOT RECORD ANY FUEL LEVEL AFTER FILLING THE TANK AND DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER OF THE TANK OF FUEL.THE GAUGE WOULD DROP TO "EMPTY". THIS TRIGGERED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, AND AN ERROR CODE, RESULTING IN NOT BEING ABLE TO PASS MY CAR INSPECTED IN AZ, WHERE IT IS REGISTERED. I WAS CHARGED $2300.00 BY THE DEALER TO FIX THIS PROBLEM IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO USE MY CAR. THIS PRESENTS A PROBLEM OF POSSIBLY RUNNING OUT OF GAS WHILE IN THE PASSING LANE OF A HIGHWAY. FORTUNATELY THIS DID NOT HAPPEN TO ME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V251000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 114,000. .UPDATED 09/30/14 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE INCIDENT HAPPENED WHEN THE VEHICLES TEMPERATURE WAS OVER 100 DEGREES. THE CONSUMER COULD NO LONGER DRIVE THE VEHICLE WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ON. UPDATED 10/07/14