Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I am extremely concerned about excessive valve train noise and after reading several Corvette forum threads about improperly machined heads by GM's supplier linamar, and that numerous vehicles have had valves drop and ruin the engines causing a loss of control of the vehicle due to the engine stopping abruptly. 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/c6-Z06-discussion/3386141-the-out-of-spec-guide-wear-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 severe accidents and fires. …
I was concerned about excessive valve train noise and after reading several Corvette forum threads about improperly machined heads by GM's supplier linamar, and that numerous vehicles have had valves drop and ruin the engines, I took my car with 27000 miles on it to a Corvette specialty shop to have my valve guide clearance tested. I had (2) intake valve guides outside of service specifications, (4) exhaust valve guides outside of service specifications, and a combination of (10) other intake and exhaust valve guides at or near the maximum outside of service specifications. The car is being repaired with proper re-machining of the heads to make the valve guides concentric, new intake and exhaust valve guides installed, as well as new seals, valves, springs, etc. …
#1 azdanz06's avatarazdanz06 , 01-06-2015 11:27 am link to file complaint: https://www-odi.NHTSA.dot.gov/vehicl...nt/index.xhtml I just filed a complaint with the NHTSA about the out of spec valve guide issue, I would encourage everyone else to do so as well, maybe just maybe it will force GM to finally do a recall and qc on parts. Here is my complaint: I was concerned about excessive valve train noise and after reading several Corvette forum threads about improperly machined heads by GM's supplier linamar, and that numerous vehicles have had valves drop and ruin the engines, 88% of the Corvette forum members who have had their cylinder heads tested for excessive valve guide wear, were out of service specifications. …
I've read several different posts about people with 2007 corvettes having problems with valves and dropping valves and losing control when this because of the power steering and brakes not working when this happens. I bought my 2007 Corvette Z06 new back in 2007 and I've always noticed valve noise and lately it seems a little louder. I hear the valve noise mostly driving it in town. I'm not sure if I should just wait for the valves to fail and take my chances or pay to have someone to pull the heads and check all the valves and repair any ones that are out of specification. So I think it's GM's responsibility to do a recall for this because in my opinion this is a defect and it would be very dangerous to drop a valve and lose control of my car. I spent a lot of money on this car and I just don't feel I should need to pay anymore money to diagnose and fix this problem. …
My 2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 droped a valve while I was driving home. I was on a regular 45mph speed limit road in traffic when I realized the car was losing power and quickly pulled on the side of the road because there were cars in front and behind me. Luckily nobody was hurt but if I had been on a highway in the middle lane someone could have lost their life including me. From the second I realized the car was losing power to the point the engine shut off was a matter of 5 seconds maybe. After doing much research online I found out there is a very common problem with valve guides being out of spec in this model Corvette.
After months of reading about the exhaust valve issue with Corvette z06s I took my car and had the heads checked. The shop found the valve guide clearance to be outside the specified acceptable range. The defect puts undue stress on the sodium filled valves and if the valve fails it can cause catastrophic engine damage and potentially deadly situation if this occurs at speed on the roadway as the driver will lose ability to control the vehicle potentially causing a deadly accident. I paid several thousand dollars out of pocket to fix this issue despite GM acknowledging there is an issue with these vehicles.
This model Corvette can suddenly drop an engine valve (exhaust or intake) and unexpectedly develop a hole in the block accompanied with oil spilled on the roadway, smoke billowing with risk for vehicles behind and in front, and the risk for total loss of power steering, braking and control of the vehicle. The outcome if this happened on a freeway with cars traveling at a high rate of speed is potentially fatal. All of this is due to machining errors and supplier defects for the associated parts (valves, guides, etc.) on all 2006-2013 Corvette c6 Z06's made by GM.
When I purchased the 2007 Corvette Z06, I was instructed to have the heads checked for excessive valve guide wear. I had the heads pulled and the valves examined by a local expert. He indicated that the valve guides were out of specification and needed replacement. I replaced these at my own expense of over $2000.00. Had the engine blown up as a result of this defective condition, the breaks and power steering would fail causing an accident. I would like GM to issue a recall on this model Corvette.
I took my car to American heritage performance in california and had the heads checked and they were all out of speck, at 16000 miles, and this car was only street driven, and had to have all this work done on a low mileage car was very upsetting, and in the end finding out that many cars have this problem. Having to get all this work done on a virtually new car is ridiculous..
'Takata recall' just bought a 2007 Z06 Corvette and lately I've been seeing a lot of complaints about the valve stems breaking and causing catastrophic engine failture causing the power steering and breaks to fail so now I have to pay 5000.00 + to get it serviced and every 10K miles do the same thing because the valve stem and guides get hot and start to wiggle
Engine complaints in other Corvette Z06 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, 60% of the model year's 45 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 33,000 miles, and 44% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.