Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Chevrolet Corvette owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact's friend owns a 2004 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that while his friend was starting the vehicle, the steering wheel seized. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that they were unable to assist due to the age of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V060000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
This request involves a safety bulletin [#0400c6], dated 2/8/2006 relating to the electronic column lock (ecl) for approximately 96% of all 220,000+ c-5 generation corvettes. 2004 was the last year of production for the c-5 generation. Total production in 2004 is estimated to have been about 35,000: out of this, 20,861 vehicles were covered by the above service bulletin, but as mine was assembled after VIN #45120862 until assembly began for the 2005 model year (c-6 generation), my VIN number was not included on page 2 of the bulletin. Prior to the steering column on my car locking on 6/28/2016 I had not been made aware that this perilous condition existed. GM has indicated that it will not provide any funds to offset the cost of repairing this fault because it was not included on any service bulletin. …
The vehicle's electronic column locking system was having intermittent severe failure. When trying to steer the car after ignition and moving down the road the wheel would lock in certain positions and to prevent a crash I would have to stop the car and hope the locking system released. I found that this issue was covered by #04006c product safety recall. When I contacted the service department at nucar Chevrolet; they indicated that the recall was not still open. Thus I was forced to have my mechanic repair this before a serious crash occurred. I also called the Chevrolet product recall line and was told that my vehicle was not one of the affected VIN's. That is not the case if you review document id#1761087 or the attached documentation I have found. On 8/24/16 I paid $215.46 plus my time and talent to research and bring this forward. I believe GM needs to reimburse me for this issue. …
Takata recall visible gasoline leakage after vehicle hasn't been parked over a period of months. Then I began to take notes of what , when , where this leak was occurring, I would fill the tank, park the auto in the garage . The next time I used the vehicle, a noticeable gas odor, spot on the garage floor was noted. I started to place a cardboard under the front end to more readily be able to observe the substance leaking. The odor was unmistakable. Several occurrences n spotting is evident after having parked in my garage . The auto was parked overnight in my garage. I am listing the latest calendar date and photo. I have other dates in my notepad. 2) my seatbelt occasionally will not lock. I hear the click of a seatbelt lock then upon driving away from my home ~ ,25 miles ~ my seatbelt unlocked through no fault of my own. 3) airbag cannot be checked for effectiveness .
Tl contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Corvette. While driving 40 MPH on slick pavement, the traction control warning light illuminated for approximately three seconds and then dimmed at one point, the contact deactivated the traction control in order to control the vehicle. Suddenly, the vehicle lost complete power, and both the rear driver's side wheel and steering wheel locked up. The vehicle struck the median on the rear passenger corner panel and spun around several times. The contact had been experiencing issues with the valve stems losing pressure. He referenced NHTSA campaign id numbers 04V273000 (steering linkages) and 04V060000 (steering: column locking:anti-theft device). The contact has pictures available. A police report was filed. The current and failure mileages were 55,000. Updated 10/14/08 updated 10/23/08.
Dt*: the contact stated while making a left hand turn out of a parking lot at 10 MPH, the contact lost control of the vehicle. Although, the steering wheel was manually adjusted to a straight position, it continued to move to the right. The vehicle then made a 270 degree turn to the left and hit another vehicle. There was no damage or police report taken. The vehicle was towed to the dealership and it was determined the steering linkage failed at the knuckle. A representative from the manufacturer read the black box and determined the failure was caused by the impact with the other vehicle. There is a NHTSA recall, # 04V273000, regarding the steering linkages. The vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however, it is not included in the recall due to the VIN.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Corvette. While the vehicle was parked outside the garage and the ignition was started, the clutch was released and the vehicle seized. Also, the steering column lock warning message illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 04V060000 (steering). The vehicle was not able to be driven. The contact called maguire Chevrolet Cadillac of ithaca (located at 35 cinema dr, ithaca, ny 14850, [phone]) and notified them of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The failure mileage was 6,890.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Corvette. While attempting to restart the vehicle, the engine shut off and a "service steering column" message displayed. The vehicle continued to stall. The contact also observed a second message that read "take the key out for 10 second and reinsert". After following the instructions, the vehicle operated normally. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The dealer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 04v06000 (steering), although the failures were identical. The failure mileage was 6,100.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Corvette. While backing out of a parking space, the steering wheel suddenly locked up and a message indicating a steering lock failure was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who indicated that the electronic column locking system failed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 04V060000 (steering). The contact stated that the vehicle experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 81,000.
While traveling down the freeway at around 80 MPH on a straight flat surface, the Corvette sharply veered to the side as I heard a loud screech from one of the brakes it lasted for about a second. The turn was so abrupt I thought I was going to roll but after fishtailing was able to get things going straight. Immediately a service active handling system message popped up. Happened about a week later going about 60 MPH not quite as abrupt. This condition could have lead to a fatality.
Related recalls
Steering › Linkages
On certain passenger vehicles involved in this campaign, the lower control arm ball stud nut/washer assemblies with washers were made of the wrong material. The washers May fracture and become loose or fall away from the vehicle, reducing clamp load.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the ball stud joints and measure the torque of the nut for all front lower control arms in all models affected as well as the rear lower control arms on the xlr and corvette.
Steering › Column locking › Anti-theft device
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with electronic column lock systems (ecl), when the ignition switch is turned to "lock," the ecl system prevents turning of the steering system. When the vehicle is started, the ecl unlocks the steering system.
Remedy: On vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, the dealer will disable the steering column lock by removing the column lock plate.
NHTSA investigations
Steering column lockup
In 2001, general motors (GM) issued customer service campaigns 1044 and 1044a to address a condition where the steering column would fail to unlock during the initial key-in and start-up in certain my 1998-2000 corvette vehicles.however, odi continued to receive complaints concerning steering column lockup on corvette vehicles.as a result, pe02-054 was opened and later upgraded to ea02-031 for my 1997-2001 subject…
Steering complaints in other Corvette years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2004 Chevrolet Corvette?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the steering of the 2004 Chevrolet Corvette, 17% of the model year's 217 complaints. The component named most often is column locking › anti-theft device (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Chevrolet Corvette steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 04V-273 (linkages, Jun 9, 2004); NHTSA recall 04V-060 (anti-theft device, Feb 9, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2004 Chevrolet Corvette steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 33,000 miles, and 41% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to steering 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.