Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Chevrolet Corvette owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Vehicle has open recall 09v491 for roof panel separation. The roof on the vehicle has separated and come apart in pieces leaving the front seal exposed. Gengras Chevrolet in Ct has ordered and received the replacement panel which has now been sitting at their dealership for approximately 2.5 weeks because they refuse to send it to paint until they rectify the outdated paint supply reimbursement cost with GM. In the meantime I have not had a spot for the vehicle inside and if I dont know its going to rain or dont get the car inside somewhere in time the water leaks down the windshield post and into the body control module. Currently the car drains the battery, gauges intermittently do not work as well as the power windows, starter button etc. from a recent pop up storm. Ive been back and forth with the dealer and spoke to a GM rep, niehter of which have proven useful in the situation. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. While driving 15 MPH, the contact heard a thump sound on the roof of the vehicle. The contact pulled the vehicle over to inspect, but found nothing. While proceeding to drive again, the contact heard the same noise and air whistling. The contact thought the convertible roof was not latched properly and pulled over once again. The contact stated the roof was latched correctly and he decided to remove the top. Upon further investigation, the contact noticed that the frame for the top was separating from the body panel. The dealer diagnosed that the roof needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. While driving 45 MPH and above, the contact heard the sound of air coming through the roof panel, which was not structurally connected. The contact was uncertain if the roof panel would fracture without warning while the vehicle was in operation. The dealer (ken garff Chevrolet, 548 e 1000 s, American fork, ut 84003, [phone]) was notified, but did not test drive the vehicle. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 09V491000 (structure); however, the vehicle exhibited the same failure listed in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 33,500.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. While driving 50 MPH, the roof panel separated without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 09V491000 (structure). In addition, the contact mentioned that the anti lock brakes engaged independently and pulled the vehicle to the right. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician stated that the steering reposition sensor, calipers, and rotors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 62,835.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. While driving at unknown speeds, there was an abnormal snapping noise emerging from the roof area while traveling over bumps in the road. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to charlie obaugh Chevrolet (2551 w main st, waynesboro, va 22980, [phone]) and the dealer stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 09V491000 (structure). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was 128,000.
Dt*: the contact stated the roof on the vehicle has flown off four times. There was a recall # 06V181000; pertaining to the structure: body: roof and pillars. The contact was unsure if a recall letter was received. The first three times the roof flew off, the dealership replaced the roof. During one incident, there was an accident, however the vehicle was able to get out of the way and no one was injured. There was not a police report filed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. While driving various speeds, the vehicle's fiberglass top separated from the removable top. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 09V491000 (structure). The approximate failure mileage was 31,000.
Column lock failure (4 times) . Convertible top 5+ times rib in top broken,top will not raise or lower or will move and stop. Plastic interior parts dry up and break visor.all before 50K miles.car is in the dealer shop (30+ days at this time)
Vehicle starts but will not shift out of park with foot on brake. Eventually after repeated attempts or leaving vehicle for a little while, re-try and issue goes away. Issue happens randomly and cannot be replicated easily.
A recall exists for all 05-07 c6 OEM Corvette removable targa tops. The glue bond holding the removable top to its frame breaks with temperature changes, and the tops break away and fly off the car. Over time, air at highway speeds air eventually blows under the top and pulls it off the frame. As part of the recall repair, GM injected foam under the thin plastic top into the roof frame to prevent the air from entering and ripping the top off. They did not address the real problem with the glue not holding the top on. They only addressed a symptom of the real problem to avoid the cost of replacement. My top had months of air leaking under it, a lot of noise over that period, and the foam inject recall had been performed with a previous owner. GM denied my safety recall claim stating they injected the foam, but in reality they only treated a symptom. …
Related recalls
Structure › Body › Roof and pillars
General motors is recalling certain model year 2005 through 2007 corvette vehicles equipped with a removable roof and model year 2006 and 2007 corvette z06 vehicles. The adhesive between the roof panel and the frame May separate.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new design roof panel free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during April 2010. Owners May contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or at www.gmownercenter.com.
Structure › Body › Roof and pillars
On certain 2005-2006 Chevrolet corvettes equipped with painted roofs, the adhesive between the roof panel and the frame May separate.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect vehicles free of charge for potential roof panel-to- frame separation and add the specified adhesive foam or replace the roof with one having adhesive foam. The recall began on October 19, 2006.
Body complaints in other Corvette years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2005 Chevrolet Corvette?
NHTSA has 52 complaints about the body & structure of the 2005 Chevrolet Corvette, 10% of the model year's 532 complaints. The component named most often is body › roof and pillars (32 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Chevrolet Corvette body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 09V-491 (roof and pillars, Dec 23, 2009); NHTSA recall 06V-181 (roof and pillars, May 24, 2006). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2005 Chevrolet Corvette body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 15,000 miles, and 52% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to body & structure 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.