Engine complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 50% | — |
| 2025 | 1 | 9% | — |
| 2024 | 2 | 10% | — |
| 2023 | 2 | 8% | — |
| 2022 | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2020 | 5 | 15% | 1,000 miles |
| 2019 | 4 | 3% | 35,000 miles |
| 2017 | 3 | 1% | 1,000 miles |
| 2016 | 6 | 6% | 15,000 miles |
| 2015 | 8 | 12% | 11,000 miles |
| 2014 | 6 | 10% | 4,000 miles |
| 2013 | 8 | 10% | 10,000 miles |
| 2012 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2011 | 6 | 7% | 37,000 miles |
| 2010 | 3 | 4% | 19,000 miles |
| 2009 | 25 | 17% | 30,000 miles |
| 2008 | 22 | 4% | 32,000 miles |
| 2007 | 28 | 8% | 33,000 miles |
| 2006 | 28 | 8% | 29,000 miles |
| 2005 | 29 | 5% | 29,000 miles |
| 2004 | 4 | 2% | 30,000 miles |
| 2003 | 6 | 7% | 34,000 miles |
| 2002 | 7 | 4% | 44,000 miles |
| 2001 | 27 | 13% | 50,000 miles |
| 2000 | 16 | 6% | 34,000 miles |
| 1999 | 11 | 4% | 50,000 miles |
| 1998 | 24 | 6% | 72,000 miles |
| 1997 | 16 | 10% | 37,000 miles |
| 1996 | 2 | 5% | 100,000 miles |
| 1995 | 3 | 9% | 100,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Car is equipped with remote start. On April 20th I parked in the garage, put groceries away including some that went in the fridge in the garage. The Corvette keys were in my pocket. I set a timer for one hour for items I had put in the garage freezer to chill. When I went back at the one hour alarm, the vehicle was running in the closed garage. To use remote start the vehicle has to be locked first and I never lock the vehicle in a closed garage. Chance motion of those keys in my pocket had locked the vehicle and initiated remote engine start. I had just laid down to nap when the one hour alarm went off. I shudder to think what would have happened had I not used my alarm for those food items.
Received 2020 Corvette on 9/15/20, on 9/24/20 went to use the car to do to doctor. The car started and then would not run. Had all kind of message; service engine, no oil pressure; traction control, had bad smell. Had to have flatbed tow truck get the car and take it to a Chevrolet dealer. Car has broken valve springs. Car has been gone 10 days so far and do not have all of the valve springs to repair car. Car only has 115 miles on it. Luckily the car was in the garage when this happened.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway to inspect the vehicle. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the #5 and #6 spark plugs had burned and melted. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the high-pressure fuel pump causing the vehicle to run lean, resulting in damages to the engine and spark plugs. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed by the dealer that the manufacturer was no longer producing the 6.2-liter V8 engine for the year, make, and model. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. …
My vehicle has been a legacy gmc dealership in Slidell la for three months now waiting on a replacement engine from a factory failure. And I have no clue when and if I will ever get it back because all General Motors is says is that the engine is on back order and from what I'm reading they discontinued this engine back in 2023. They haven't helped me with anything I been paying my car note and renting a vehicle at my cost and they're doing nothing. And I can't get them to give me any info on if or when this will get fixed . Meanwhile, this is putting a huge financial burden on me and my family and GM doesn't give [redacted][ about it. Companies like this be allowed to just walk over people with no record of their actions. Thank you for any help with this. I've reached out to everyone and no one will help. Thank you. case number [redacted]
I have about 500 miles on my 2017 c7 Corvette and obviously never drove it in the winter, always garaged and just took it out a very few times over the past 2 weeks during nice weather. I opened the hood for the very first time and showed a friend of mine the engine, he was a mechanic for years, and we both immediately seen the manifolds were rusty. This is horrible that GM would release a nearly $60,000 vehicle with such a flaw and possibly near future catastrophic engine problems because of it!??????? Please see the attached photos and advise me if you can please have these manifold headers replaced with ones which won't rust horrifically such as stainless steel or similar? All over the internet many Corvette owners with new corvettes are complaining about the same concerns and issues! …
I was going down the highway and noticed that the Corvette was getting really hot, than about 5 min later OnStar reported a engine, trans, and rear end problem along with a loud clanking noise from the motor. Now it only does about 65 thank it goes to 5K rpms and goes nowhere.
I left my car at Vandergriff Chevrolet in Arlington, TX for diagnosis and repair of a transmission sensor failure. They took nearly 6 weeks to fix the issue. When I went to pick up the car, there was a new noise in the engine so I left the vehicle for diagnosis. Now, they are telling me it's a known issue that is considered 'crucial' to repair but is not a recall and they are so far unwilling to cover the repair since it seems to have happened while they had the vehicle. I've attached their service bulletin indicating the known issue and repair.
At 627 miles took to dealer, transmission was slow shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. Dealer reprogrammed transmission. At 2319 miles took to dealer. Transmission shudders at steady speed on highway or going up slight incline. Dealer flushed and changed transmission fluid to remedy problem. Customer charged $576. Car was manufactured with incorrect transmission fluid for the 8 speed automatic transmission application. Temporary complaint #cln19-56809
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Corvette years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2005 (29), 2006 (28), 2007 (28), 2001 (27) and 2009 (25) model years. Engine complaints make up 5% of all complaints for the 2005.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Corvette engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for any Chevrolet Corvette model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Corvette engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 33,000 miles; 74% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine › gasoline (44 mentions), followed by the engine (18).
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.