2013 Chevrolet Corvette

I EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE CAUSING MY NEARLY NEW VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY LOSE POWER AND STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS SOME KIND OF FAILURE DEALING WITH THE VALVES INSIDE OF THE ENGINE WHICH CAUSED METAL FRAGMENTS TO BE PRESENT IN THE OIL, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SEIZE. I WAS SHOWN A CONTAINER WHICH HELD SOME OF THE OIL INSIDE MY ENGINE AND YOU COULD CLEARLY SEE METAL PARTICLES. THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE.

IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS I HAVE NOTICED A STRONG GASOLINE SMELL FROM THE OUTSIDE OF MY CAR. NOW THAT SMELL IS OCCURRING INSIDE THE CAR ALSO EVERTIME I FILL THE TANK. I HAVE CHECKED SEVERAL DATABASES ON LINE TO SEE IF OTHER CARS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM AND IT HAS BEEN REPORTED SEVERAL TIMES.IT IS BECOMING STRONGER NOW THAN BEFORE, HOWEVER I CANNOT DETECT A LEAK UNDER THE CAR. I WILL BE CONTACTING A DEALER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, HOWEVER IT IS NOT THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR. I PURCHASED THE CAR IN ANOTHER STATE. THE PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH OTHER VEHICLES LIKE THIS MAKE AND MODEL IS A SMALL LEAK AT THE VALVE ON THE FUEL TANK DUE TO A BROKEN OR CRACKED CONNECTOR OF SOME SORT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE TPMS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE "REAR TIRE LOW" MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THREE-WAY CHEVROLET (4501 WIBLE RD, BAKERSFIELD, CA 93313, (661) 384-7578) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR WHEEL HAD A HAIRLINE CRACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

I NOTICED A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE IN MY GARAGE AND IT WAS ALSO INSIDE THE CAR. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF A SPECIAL SERVICE BULLETIN FROM GM, DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: 2007 - 2013 CORVETTE: SERVICE BULLETIN: 15682 PRIMARY TANK MODULE FLANGE FUEL AND VAPOR LEAKS SPECIAL COVERAGE ADJUSTMENT 15682 PRIMARY TANK MODULE FLANGE FUEL AND VAPOR LEAKS REFERENCE NUMBER: N150682 RELEASE DATE: JULY 2016 CONDITION SOME 2007 TO 2009 MODEL YEAR CADILLAC XLR AND 2007 TO 2013 MODEL YEAR CHEVROLET CORVETTE VEHICLES MAY HAVE A CONDITION WHERE A FUEL ODOR IS DETECTED, FUEL DROPLETS APPEAR BELOW THE LEFT-HAND FUEL TANK WITH FUEL GAUGE LEVEL ABOVE 1/2, OR A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ILLUMINATES DUE TO A LEAK PATH IN THE LEFT-HAND FUEL PUMP MODULE FLANGE. SPECIAL COVERAGE ADJUSTMENT THIS SPECIAL COVERAGE COVERS THE CONDITION DESCRIBED ABOVE FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS OR 120,000 MILES (193,000 KM), WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST, FROM THE DATE THE VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PLACED IN SERVICE, REGARDLESS OF OWNERSHIP. FOR VEHICLES COVERED BY VEHICLE SERVICE CONTRACTS, ALL ELIGIBLE CLAIMS WITH REPAIR ORDERS ON OR AFTER JULY 25, 2016, ARE COVERED BY THIS SPECIAL COVERAGE AND MUST BE SUBMITTED USING THE LABOR OPERATION CODES PROVIDED WITH THIS BULLETIN. CLAIMS WITH REPAIR ORDERS PRIOR TO JULY 25, 2016, MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE SERVICE CONTRACT PROVIDER. CORRECTION DEALERS ARE TO REPLACE THE LEFT HAND FUEL TANK FUEL PUMP MODULE. THE REPAIRS WILL BE MADE AT NO CHARGE TO THE CUSTOMER." I LEFT THE VEHICLE WITH THE DEALER THIS MORNING AND THIS AFTERNOON WAS TOLD THAT THEY DON'T SMELL ANYTHING. THERE ARE A LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS PROBLEM IN A CORVETTE FORUM. HTTPS://WWW.CORVETTEFORUM.COM/FORUMS/C6-CORVETTE-GENERAL-DISCUSSION/3563123-DANGER-FUEL-LEAKS-SAFETY-RECALL.HTML

WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN JULY OF 2018 FROM ARIZONA SPECIALTY MOTORS WITH APPROXIMATELY 14,500 MILES. WE USED THE CAR AS A 3RD VEHICLE/RECREATIONAL DRIVER SINCE PURCHASE. ON MONDAY, 09/02/19 WE WERE DRIVING BACK FROM MT. LEMMON, AZ AND THE CAR QUIT RUNNING AT APPROXIMATELY 18,500 MILES HALFWAY DOWN THE MOUNTAIN ON OUR RETURN. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS A PULLOUT WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP ALTHOUGH WE HAD NO POWER, OTHERWISE WE COULD HAVE DRIVEN OR PUSHED OVER THE CLIFF. WE HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED BACK AND TOOK IT TO WATSON CHEVROLET IN TUCSON, AZ. ON WEDNESDAY, 09/04/19 WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE VALVE DROPPED IN CYLINDER #2 WHICH RESULTED IN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY SITTING AT WATSON CHEVROLET WITH A COMPLETELY FAILED MOTOR AND HAVE BEEN PROVIDED AN ESTIMATED $20,000 IN REPAIRS. GM POSTED A SERVICE BULLETIN IN 2011 CLAIMING THIS ISSUE WAS FIXED; HOWEVER, THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS ONLINE THAT IT IS STILL OCCURRING AND NOW WE ARE ALSO A VICTIM.