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).
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking fuel from the fuel pump. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and the contact was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
Fuel tank has a leak and the unburned fuel sits on top of the tank. The whole inside of the cabin smells strong of fuel and goes away about five minutes after driving. The unburned fuel and the smell only happen when the vehicle is parked and turned off. I have called the dealership about this issue multiple times and am still waiting for a call back to see what can be done. It has been about one month and still haven't received anything back. With the unburned fuel sitting on the top of the tank, while driving it could spill onto the exhaust pipes and cause a fire. There has been no warning lights of any kind that would have told me that something was wrong.
With approximately 38,000 miles on my 2005 Corvette, I began smelling gas fumes whenever I would fill the gas tank. The fumes would fill my garage and also leaked into my house. I took the car into the dealership. After about 7 weeks, they informed me that I needed to replace one of the gas tanks and the rear main seal, which cost $2,700. The night I picked my car up from the shop, I parked it in the garage. The next morning, my garage was once again filled with fumes, so I dropped the Corvette off at the dealership and let them know that the problem was not fixed. Another two weeks, the dealership called and said they couldn't find anything, so I picked up the car. I drove it for a week without any issue with gas fumes until I filled up the tank for the first time. That night, my garage and house were filled with gas fumes. …
My 2005 Corvette c6 coupe has a strong fuel smell coming from the back, driver's side fender well. Fuel smell is present in the cabin and within 50' of the vehicle. Driver's side fuel sending unit shows signs of leaking but fuel evaporates before hitting the ground. This is a common problem with corvettes and GM has issued a special service bulltin #15682 but only for corvettes by VIN from 2007-2013. My vehicle has the exact same problem with the exact same parts but I am being told they will not cover it at this time. I was issued a case number (# 8-4417928449). I believe this to be a manufactures defect with high safety/environmental impact that should be corrected/paid for by GM...does not matter if the vehicle is running, driving or off.
There is a fuel leak from the fuel tank on my 2005 c6 Corvette. You can smell it in the cabin of the vehicle when you're driving it. It's very dangerous to have it in confined areas like a garage near a water heater of any kind or just any type of ignition source. There is not a manufacturer recall yet but there should be one shortly. From all the Corvette owners blog pages this seems to be affecting 2005-2008 c6 corvettes. Get your vehicle to the dealership immediately. It's not safe outside your garage either to others. The fuel tank needs to be drained for it to be completely safe. Do not attempt draining yourself.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that the vehicle was at stand still and was unable to start the ignition. The contact stated that the ABS warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the steering wheel ceased. The contact also stated the door unlock button was inoperable. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to moss bros Chevrolet (12625 auto mall dr, moreno valley, ca 92555), to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the fuel pump and fuse box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Vehicle has a very strong gasoline smell following refueling. The gasoline vapors invade the passenger cabin to the extent the windows have to be down for ventilation. It remains that way until the fuel tank reaches half full, and disappears as the tank reaches 1/4 full. Now I only fil the tank to 1/2 full to minimize the vapor. I am concerned that a spark May ignite the vapor if the tank were filled . I have heard this condition exists on this model and am wondering why it hasn't been addressed, or if is has please enlighten me, this is a very serious condition concerning the fuel delivery system.
If I put more than 1/2 tank of fuel there is a strong odor of fuel coming from the car and inside the passenger cabin. The smell is so strong that I can't drive the car with the windows up. If I park the car in my garage, the garage fills with fumes from the gas. I see fuel puddles under the car in front of the driver rear wheel. The fuel smell is in the car whether the car is moving or not.
The fuel pump assembly is made of plastic. This plastic on fuel pump outlet has developed a small crack due to the inferior plastic, causing high pressure fuel to spray out, pool on top of tank, and drip down the side of the tank near the hot exhaust. Apparently this has been a problem on multiple year c6 corvettes and GM doesn't not want to issue a recall.
Heavy fuel fumes when car is sitting static, there is no leaks, no spots under the car. The fumes are very heavy and it's impossible to park the car in the garage, I have spoken to about 09 Corvette c6 owners and they have the same problem, dealer admits there is a problem, but GM will not allow them to repair it.
Fuel System complaints in other Corvette years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2005 Chevrolet Corvette?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2005 Chevrolet Corvette, 5% of the model year's 532 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2005 Chevrolet Corvette fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2005 Chevrolet Corvette, though it has 6 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 2005 Chevrolet Corvette fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
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.