Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Chevrolet Corvette owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift from PARK or REVERSE. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed that the shift lever needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
At first I couldn't get it out of Park sometimes. Then it became more frequent & finally it wouldn't go into Reverse or Park from Drive. The only available gears were Neutral & Drive. My son had to come & disconnect the battery because it wouldn't turn off all lights & accessories. Since it wouldn't start in Neutral I had to have it towed to my Chevrolet Dealership. This car only has 34469 miles on it so I'm not understanding how this could be happening! As it has now sat in the repair yard since July 29, 2021 waiting on parts to fix the problem to the tune of $1300 I think GM should cover that cost. I have kept this car in excellent shape & am proud of it, I get many remarks on its beauty! There is no reason this should happen on a car with 34468 miles on it. I have since seen many forums where a lot of other Corvette owners have had the same issue! …
After starting the automatic will often not shift out of park. After turning off the engine and/or waiting 2-3 min. sometimes it will allow shifting and sometimes this may take several tries. When away from home this could become a MAJOR safety problem if someone needed medical attention etc. So far, I have always been able to get it work after time, but as I have checked on the web, others have been stuck. Also, a lot of people disable the safety "lockout" (which seems to be the problem) which is there to make sure the car is started in Park. The dealers know about this problem on C-6 Corvettes but want $$$ to replace the entire shift assembly. Without a mandated recall a lot of people will use the instructions on the Web to defeat the lockout creating safety issues for current and future owners when cars are sold. …
The vehicle would not shift out of Park. Car has less than 20,000 miles. This happened once in a while at first then over time increased to almost every other time the car was started. I took it for repair and was told after searching the VIN # that my 2008 was installed with a 2007 shifter and gear. They said Chevy had numerous problems with the 2007 shifter and changed the 2008 parts so this would not happen. I had to replace both parts at around $2,500.00! I also had to wait on the parts to be found and there was only one available in the entire U.S. Chevy should have to pay for my repair since a 2007 part(s) should not have been placed in a 2008!
C6 corvettes have electrically operated doors so it is impossible to open a door when the battery is dead. Having a dead battery, I placed the car in my driveway to jump start it. As I went to my truck to start it and connect the jumper cables the Corvette began to slowly roll backwards - apparently the hand brake was not quite set enough (manual transmission). I was unable to open the door to apply the brakes or handbrake because of the lack of battery power. The car continued to roll backwards, accelerating, with me unable to hold or stop it. It rolled across the street, down my neighbor's driveway, and through his closed garage door coming to a stop at the rear of his garage with a heavy impact (over $11 thousand in damages). My neighbor's 2 small girls often play in that garage with the doors closed or in the driveway. …
I stopped the car for about 1 minute at a drive-thru and put the shift lever in park with the engine on. When attempting to shift back into drive, while pressing on the brake and shift lever, I could not get the lever out of park. After trying several times I turned the engine off and then restarted the car. After several more tries it finally shifted out of park. In reviewing this and other web sites I found that this is a common Corvette problem. My car only has 17,728 miles!! I believe that this is a potentially very dangerous situation and could leave one stranded either in poor weather conditions, poor neighborhoods, or in a perilous situation. Due to the extent of the problem involving so many corvettes, I believe that a recall should be made for this problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Corvette. While driving 40 MPH, the clutch pedal failed to disengage and became stuck to the floorboard. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road. The contact turned the engine off and restarted the vehicle, but was unable to drive. The contact also stated that when the vehicle was restarted, it accelerated due to the clutch being in gear. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing of the clutch failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall and did not offer any further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
The vehicle dropped a cylinder head valve and was fixed under original factory warranty in 2012. It was fixed by the dealer using factory parts. It was on the freeway and the motor lost almost all power. I had to get towed. It happened again in 2016 after 20,000 miles and religious oil changes. This car was maintained meticulously. They cylinders were found to be at fault of destroying an exhaust valve both times. Additionally, the number 8 cylinder was found to be consuming oil, which destroyed my catalytic converter. This is all with a vehicle which had under 40,000 miles (within powertrain mileage warranty, but expired duration warranty)
This vehicle in particular and the c6 Corvette in general is experiencing a reoccurring problem with the transmission becoming locked in the "park" position of the automatic transmission. This problem intermittently occurs when stop the vehicle and place it in park often times it will not come out of the park position. I was stopped behind a stalled vehicle and assisted that vehicle in getting out of a moving lane of traffic. When I re-entered my vehicle I could not move it because it was locked in the park position. My vehicle then created another potential life threatening situation for me and other drivers approaching from the rear.
Engine was misfiring with CEL code showing. Mechanic decided it was a mechanical issue, while checking valves and valve guides on cylinder 6, removed springs and exhaust valve was loose in valve guide, easily moved side to side in valve guide. In cases where the valve head has broken off, engine seizes and loss of power brakes and steering results as well as loss of coolant and oil onto road. Very dangerous combination of events at highway speed. After removing heads to have them repaired, found that the case hardening on the lifters had become compromised and damaged the camshaft. Engine replaced
Transmission complaints in other Corvette years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette, 6% of the model year's 541 complaints. The component named most often is clutch assembly (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Chevrolet Corvette transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette. 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 2008 Chevrolet Corvette transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 25,000 miles, and 48% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.