Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Chevrolet Corvette owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was the owner of a 1999 c-5 Corvette sport coup with 12,924 miles and in mint condition. On nov.17,04 at 7:50 pm, I was pulling away from a stop sign. As I made a right hand turn around a corner I accelerated the car in a normal manner. All of a sudden the engine went to the full throttle position and the rear of the car jumped to the left. I tried to correct and then the car jumped to the right and I hit a palm tree. During this rapid acceleration event I lifted my foot from the accelerator with no effect to the engine RPM. The distance from the stop sign where I made the right hand turn to the palm tree was about 150-200 feet. The car was totaled by my insurance company. A passenger and myself are OK but we have some seat belt bruising. I feel that the seat belt and air bags saved our lives. I would like the nstb to look into these types of crashes and advise me of the results. …
While pulling my car out of the garage and in drive the steering wheel locked as if the key was removed and in the security mode. I stopped the car and tried to wiggle the key to remedy, it would not, I had to stop the car, return the transmission to park, turn the key off and remove, and when I reinstalled and started the car the steering wheel would unlock. I took the car to the dealer, whom informed me this was a safety recall, had been addressed about 3500 miles prior, and it would now need to be repeated and my cost is almost $1000.00. It appears to me the recall correction was either not designed, installed, or has correctly resolved the recall problem. Imagine had this occurred while traveling at highway speeds?? I contacted GM and reported, they chose to do nothing. [redacted]
My Corvette as well as many others from 97-04 suffer from the active handling ABS/traction control system going bad. The part is known as the ebcm. When it goes bad (if cruise is engaged) the car will disable cruise control suddenly causing car to slow down. Also, when the system fails while moving it cause cause uneven brake feeling and you loose the ABS and traction control systems . GM has discontinued the parts required to repair this and this issue has been major safety concerns for many years now affecting many 97-04 corvettes. Also a part of this system is the steeling wheel position sensor which is also discontinued. Swps can send wrong info to the other computers and the car will make erroneous 'corrections' that can lead to brakes being applied at any moment while driving.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Corvette. While driving 1 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the service column lock indicator illuminated and the "pull key ten seconds" message displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was showing the same symptoms as indicated in NHTSA campaign number: 04V060000 (steering). The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 30,300.
Service active handling message on dic . It comes and gos . It usually shuts off after turning ignition off and restarting . I don't know if it is working or not. This safety concern . GM should have service parts for electronic components or have some other company have the rights to make them . What are owners supposed to do? We need a law for this. This is not a throw a way car . This car has only 24000 miles.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that stated that while attempting to drive the vehicle, the service column lock warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 04V060000 (steering), however the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 92,846.
Headlights randomly turn off while driving. This was recalled on many other GM vehicles including the c6 model, but has not been recalled for the same issue on my 1999 c5, which is a low-mileage, always garaged vehicle. There are many other owners with the same issue, and there are certainly other complaints. This is a serious and dangerous safety issue and the recall should be expanded to include this vehicle.
Something is wrong where it will stall out when you start driving. Soon as I put the car in gear and start rolling forward it dies. And I've looked online and it's quite common.
In light of all the gas pedal problems we have seen lately, I would like to share one which I encountered two years ago on my 1999 Corvette. Being a professional engineer, I was able to pin-point the problem to the brake pedal much better than my dealer. My local Chevy dealer wanted me to replace the car's battery, since that was the first code he saw when he scanned the computer. Naturally, the car didn't need a battery so I drove away from the dealer. The symptom was at any time the car would pop-on the engine trouble light and immediately slow down. The car could only be driven up to 20 MPH. This happened about six times without incident. I could reset my computer, but the issue soon returned. I replaced the electronic gas pedal assembly and the problem was fixed.
According to your recall#04V060000, dated 02/09/04 the steering wheel lockup on 97 through 2000 corvettes. Mine did it and I had to have the dealer disable the wheel lock. They informed me that my car was not covered by the recall, even though I had the same problem. Now a friend of mine's 99 Corvette just did the same thing and had to be hauled to the dealer and he was told his was not included in the recall. I would like to know why we were excluded from the recall. I would also like to be reimbursed for the expense. I await you reply.
Electrical complaints in other Corvette years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1999 Chevrolet Corvette?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the electrical system of the 1999 Chevrolet Corvette, 10% of the model year's 308 complaints. The component named most often is ignition › module (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Chevrolet Corvette electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1999 Chevrolet Corvette, though it has 2 recalls 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 1999 Chevrolet Corvette electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 42,000 miles, and 29% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to electrical system 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.