2008 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Complaints

FUEL LEAK / FIRE HAZARD MY 2008 CORVETTE LS2 EMITS A STRONG GASOLINE SMELL AFTER I ADD MORE THAN A COUPLE OF GALLONS OF FUEL. THE ODOR IS STRONGEST NEAR THE FUEL DOOR AREA, INCLUDING INSIDE THE CAR. RECENTLY THE GASOLINE HAS BEGUN LEAKING ONTO MY GARAGE FLOOR, FILLING BOTH THE GARAGE AND MY HOUSE WITH FUMES. INTERNET RESEARCH REVEALS THIS IS A WIDELY REPORTED PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL, AND WEB FORUM POSTS AS WELL AS SERVICE TECHNICIANS I'VE JUST SPOKEN TO INSTRUCT ME NOT TO EVEN START THE CAR, AS THE LEAK POSES A SIGNIFICANT FIRE RISK. PREVIOUSLY, DRIVING THE CAR HELPED THE SMELL DISSIPATE, BUT IT RE-INTENSIFIES ONCE STATIONARY. TIMEFRAME: I STARTED EXPERIENCING THE ODOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. MILEAGE: ODOMETER CITED BELOW IN THIS FORM IS CURRENT; I DID NOT RECORD THE MILEAGE AT THE TIME THE ISSUE FIRST OCCURRED.

AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON DUE TO FAULTY ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR UNDERNEATH DRIVER POWER SEAT. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON ISSUE THAT GM IS AWARE OF. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL BY GM DUE TO BEING A LIFE SAFETY SYSTEM.

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. STARTING ABOUT A MONTH AGO I WOULD OFTEN NOTICE THE SMELL OF GASOLINE IN MY GARAGE. AFTER INSPECTION, NONE OF MY OTHER VEHICLES ARE LEAKING FUEL. AFTER SEARCHING FOR A LEAK, I TURNED TO CORVETTE FORUM, WHICH HAS A DISCUSSION ON FUEL LEAKS IN THE 2008 MODEL YEAR CORVETTE. EVIDENTLY WHEN THE GAS TANK IS 1/2 OR MORE FILLED WITH FUEL, THERE IS A LEAK WHICH DEPOSITS RAW GAS ON THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK, FROM WHICH IT DRIPS OR EVAPORATES. I CONSIDER THIS LEAK A FIRE HAZARD, AND URGE NHTSA TO REQUIRE A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROMPT ATTENTION TO MY REQUEST.

THE CAR WAS PARKED I GOY A STRONG GAS SMELL. BROUGHT TO CORVETTE DEALER WAS ADVISED THIS PROBLEM WAS PART OF RECALL OR BULLETIN. I AM TRYING TO FIND OUT IF STILL COVERED UNDER ORIGINAL RECALL/BULLETIN.

STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE AROUND THE CAR WHEN THE TANK IS FULL. FUEL CAP REPLACED WITH NEW ONE. ODOR DISAPPEARS WHEN LESS THAN HALF A TANK IS LEFT AND APPEARS AGAIN WHEN THE TANK IS FULL.

GETTING A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE IN THE CABIN AND IN THE GARAGE WHEN PARKED. CANNOT SEE ANY FUEL ON THE GROUND, BUT THE AREA UNDER THE FUEL TANK NEAR THE FILLER AREA IS DISCOLORED AND MAY BE WICKING TO THAT AREA.

THE BATTERY ON MY CORVETTE PHYSICALLY EXPLODED WHEN I TRIED TO START IT AND LITERALLY BLEW PART OF THE BATTERY AWAY AND STARTED A FIRE. IT WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY KILLED ME IF I HAD THE HOOD OPEN AND WAS INSPECTING THE ENGINE. THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO GM AND TODAY I RECEIVED THE ACDELCO GENERIC FORM LETTER DATED 25 SEPTEMBER 2020 MAKING THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE BATTERY WAS BEING CHARGED FOR 8-YEARS, MAKE THE ASSUMPTION IT WAS OVER CHARGED AND INSTRUCT ME TO GO AND BUY AN AIR FRESHENER TO GET THE ACID SMELL OUT OF MY VEHICLE. AS A PROUD AND LOYAL GM VEHICLE OWNER FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS, I FIND YOUR ARROGANT RESPONSE TO OUR COMPLAINT NOTHING LESS THAN DISGUSTING AND IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION LIKE GENERAL MOTORS. FURTHERMORE, MAKING FALSE CLAIMS AND OUTRIGHT LYING DOES NOT HELP THE IMAGE OF YOUR COMPANY. ONE GETS THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU ARE READING A GENERAL RESPONSE FROM A Q-CARD WITHOUT ANY FEELING OR ANY INTENTION TO TRY AND ADDRESS THE ISSUE, NEVER MIND RESOLVING THE ISSUE. PROVIDE US WITH THE CONTACT DETAILS OF YOUR DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR TO TAKE IT UP DIRECTLY WITH HIM. DURING OUR CALL TODAY, 18 NOVEMBER 2020 YOUR OFFICE WAS ADAMANT THAT THERE IS A VERY CLEAR WARNING IN THE OWNERS MANUAL THAT STATES THAT A TRICKLE CHARGER SHOULD NOT BE USED AND THAT YOU WILL SEND US A COPY OF THE WARNING. WE REVIEWED THE GM EMAIL DATED 18 NOVEMBER 2020 AND IT DOES NOT HAVE ANY WARNING AGAINST USING A TRICKLE CHARGER. IN FACT, THE EMAIL RECEIVED RECOMMEND USING A TRICKLE CHARGER ' SEE BELOW: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXTENDED STORAGE: REMOVE THE BLACK, NEGATIVE (−) CABLE FROM THE BATTERY OR USE A BATTERY TRICKLE CHARGER. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

THERE IS A STRONG SMELL OF FUEL COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. PARTICULARLY THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE. WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED IN A GARAGE, THE SMELL OF FUEL IS PRETTY ABUNDANT. IT IS MOST NOTICABLE WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS FULL OR NEAR FULL AND WHILE THE SMELL IS LESS INTENSE WHEN THE TANK IS AT LOWER LEVELS, IT IS STILL PRESENT. THIS SMELL CAN BE NOTICED WHILE DRIVING WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN AS WELL, I THINK THE AIR FROM AROUND THE VEHICLE GETS PULLED INTO THE COCKPIT, DURING PERIODS OF DRIVING AND THE ONLY WAY TO NOT HAVE THE FUEL SMELL IS TO CLOSE THE WINDOWS AND RUN THE CLIMATE SYSTEM. I'D ASSUME THE CLIMATE CONTROL DRAWS AIR IN FROM THE FRONT IF THE VEHICLE WHICH ISN'T WHERE THE SMELL IS EMITTING FROM. I'VE TRIED CLEANING EVERYTHING I KNOW HOW TO AND CAN SAFELY REACH, THE SMELL OF FUEL DOESN'T GO AWAY. I ALSO DO NOT OVERFILL WHEN REFUELING MY VEHICLE. SOME RESEARCH INDICATES SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME 2008 MODEL YEAR VEHICLES HAVE HAD SIMILAR ISSUES STEMMING FROM BRITTLE PLASTIC ON THE FUEL PUMP CRACKING AND SPRAYING/ VAPORIZING FUEL THROUGH THESE SMALL CRACKS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING. APPARENTLY, FUEL CAN POOL ON TOP OF THE GAS TANK AND DRIP DOWN THE SIDE OF THE TANK POTENTIALLY DRIPPING ONTO THE HOT EXHAUST. OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD.

FUEL SMELL AFTER FILL UP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS MOST RECENT IS LISTED. STARTED ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO.

STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE AFTER FUELING THE CAR, STRONG SMELL IN THE GARAGE WHERE THE VEHICLE IS PARKED. SMELL IS EVEN PRESENT WHEN DRIVING WITH AN OPEN WINDOW.