Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (electronic stability control and traction control).
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).
A strong fume odor enter my house as if something was burning, my Corvette was in my garage it hasnt been used in more than 3days.....I noticed it was coming from the bottom of the car, and in effect it was! Contacted my mechanic and he advised me that it was the ABS system caught on fire damaging the conector, module and regulator. He found a leak of brake fluid thru the modulator that cause the modules cables burned the connector. Had to change all the ABS system since Chevrolet modified the previous ABS system cause it was defective. However no recall has been made to this system. An aprox $3500. In repairs for a system that they know is defective. We were lucky nothing else in our garage/house got damage it was an scary situation.
Prior to the incident I experienced the service traction light would come on maybe a handful of times a month. Until the incident I had to actual issues and figured that my exhaust being as loud as it is caused something to set it off. On February 8th the service traction light came on once again however I had to issues that day. It wasn't till the next day that as I was driving normal speeds about 35mph approaching a stop sign before I would enter the feeder road to enter the highway. The road I was on had a very slight curve to the left and the ground was completely dry/ all conditions were normal. Out of no where I felt my vehicle being forced hard to the left as if I was hydroplanning and had lost the ability to control the braking of my car. My vehicle crossed the next lane over and with absolutely no control what so ever I was forced over a curb and into a street sign. …
I was nearly involved in 2 accidents in the past week and I no longer feel safe driving my car. I have a 2005 Chevy Corvette which has very low mileage on it (~42,000) for how old it is. The problem I am experiencing exactly matches a recall listed for 2005 Chevy corvettes however because my VIN number does not list that recall Chevy refuses to honor it. This recall: http://www-odi.NHTSA.dot.gov/cars/problems/defect/relateddefectssummary.cfm?rcl_id=10V172000&defectidlist=ea09002&moduletype=vehicles&type=vehicle below are brief summaries of the near accidents that occurred: 1. I was switching lanes in the city and the car locked the steering wheel, applied the breaks, did does not let me accelerate such that I was stuck in the middle of two lane and a car in the lane I was trying to change into nearly hit me and had to swerve around me. 2. …
My wife was driving our 2005 Corvette on a straight road at about 50 miles per hour when the car suddenly shot off to the left lane towards another vehicle. She lost all control of the vehicle and returned across the two lane road hitting the curb, which was about 6" tall, the car then left the ground and made contact with a guard rail that was two rails high. The impact on the guard rail was at the top about 3' from the ground. Behind the guard rail is a 75' drop to a grocery store parking lot. The car then came back across the road and stopped in the opposite direction traffic. The damage to the vehicle now stands at $20,000.00. She states that it felt as if the front left tire locked up and has no idea what happened from that point on. She was just holding on for dear life. Both air bags deployed and she has had a sore back since the accident. …
This incident happened 4 or more times. However, this last time, I was traveling at 75 miles per hour on the i95. The traction control system light came on and then the car engine died on me as has happened on a number of other occasions. I was in the left lane on the highway. Lucky for me there were no vehicles behind or to the right of me so I was able to coast to a dead stop on the safe side of the road shoulder (right). The car normally would start again after this system failure. This time it did not and I had to have it towed to the nearest garage which was a Ford dealership. This could have been very serious had it not been for light traffic. I have had the vehicle service a number of times at GM dealerships for the engine light being on. The issue is still unresolved. I no longer have confidence in the vehicle as to its drivability and safety.
First occurrance was a month or two ago. We were exiting a parking lotat about 5mph when the car's active handling locked the right side brakes to where I could not keep the car straight. I could not accelerate without a heavy throttle to overcome the brakes. Service active handling icon lit. I had to shut the car down for a minute then restart to clear the brakes. This has happened several times since, almost identically. The car was checked by the dealer but there were no stored codes for them to follow up on. Apparently the "mechanics" cannot physically inspect cars anymore. Recently and after the dealer serviced the car, it has happened several more times with my wife driving. It is back at the dealer as we speak. We are both beginning to be worried about our safety and that of other motorists.
I just entered the freeway and traffic was slow 40 to 45 MPH. I moved from far right to center lane then from center to left lane. When I moved from center to left I was traveling between 45 and 50 MPH when the rear of the car began to slide out of control. When I but did not understand why as the roads where dry and clear. As I tried to regain control the car did not respond and continued to slide completely out of control 180 degree and slid sideways into a wall of plowed ice and snow in the left shoulder and flip on its roof. The loss of understanding of how this happened has given me much anguish as I know I had the traction control handling on, until I found out about a recall having to do with the steering and handling a few months later.
I was driving my vehicle at approximately 68 MPH in a straight line on the highway. The road conditions were dry and cold. I was driving straight and did not hit any bumps in the road when suddenly I felt the steering pulling my car about 1/4 turn to the left and about a 1/2 turn to the right and brakes were applied, not by me. I then heard a chiming noise and saw an error code on my dash saying "service active handling system". I gained control of my vehicle and exited the highway. I read on many forums that other c6 owners, especially years '05-'06 have had this issue and that the defect May lie in the steering wheel position sensor connector. My vehicle is equipped with a telescoping steering wheel where this issue seems to arise.
I purchased my 2005 Corvette c6 convertible used last year. The service active handling light and message comes up often when I drive the car. The code goes away if I turn the car on and off. If I hit a bump in the road the service active handling comes on again. I have not noticed any handling issues. I read the Corvette forum and a thread sent me to this site. Is there a recall that GM should have fixed on my Corvette? If yes, will the recall hold up considering the age of the vehicle? Please advise how I should proceed. Thanks, [redacted]
If a sensor faults related to the "active handling system" the front driver side brake locks up. At that time it give a "service active handling" notice. This happens while at any speed in including at highway speed. The brake locks up completely for about one second before releasing. Results in extremely hard pull to the left. Vehicle had previous recall service performed but recall service does not prevent the lock up. Date listed below is the last time as I had the service department disconnect the sensor to turn the system off upon starting the vehicle. This was done to eliminate fault that could result in a potentially fatal accident.
NHTSA investigations
Electronic stability control malfunction
On September 17, 2008, odi opened preliminary evaluation pe08-056 to investigate allegations of inappropriate activation of the electronic stability control (ESC) system in model year (my) 2005 and 2006 Chevrolet corvette vehicles.some reports received by odi and some reports to general motors (GM) contained in GM's response to pe08-056 allege that the ESC system malfunctioned causing a sudden and inappropriate…
Electronic Stability Control
On April 26, 2010, at NHTSA's request following this investigation, General Motors submitted a Defect Information Report to NHTSA to correct a defect associated with the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system in approximately 40,000 Model Year (MY) 2005 and 2006 Chevrolet Corvette vehicles (NHTSA Recall No.
Traction Control complaints in other Corvette years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2005 Chevrolet Corvette?
NHTSA has 103 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2005 Chevrolet Corvette, 19% of the model year's 532 complaints. The component named most often is automatic (asc) (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Chevrolet Corvette traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control 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 traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 40,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 1 fire and 4 injuries to stability & traction control 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.