2009 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Complaints

WHEN GETTING READY TO PULL OUT OF THE GARAGE THE CLUTCH WENT TO THE FLOOR & WOULD NOT COME BACK UP. *TR

THERE WAS A MANUFACTURING ERROR MADE DURING ENGINE BUILD WITH THE VALVE GUIDES. THEY ARE MAKING A NOISE CURRENTLY. THIS CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO FAIL ABRUPTLY AND CONSEQUENTLY ONE COULD LOSE POWER (ENGINE) AND THUS LOOSE BRAKING ASSIST & POWER STEERING ASSIST AND CAN CAUSE A CRASH & COULD BE FATAL. *TR

I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT EXCESSIVE VALVE TRAIN NOISE AND AFTER READING SEVERAL CORVETTE FORUM THREADS ABOUT IMPROPERLY MACHINED HEADS BY GM'S SUPPLIER LINAMAR, AND THAT NUMEROUS VEHICLES HAVE HAD VALVES DROP AND RUIN THE ENGINES, I TOOK MY CAR WITH 7800 MILES ON IT TO A CORVETTE SPECIALTY SHOP ( KATECH) TO HAVE MY VALVE GUIDE CLEARANCE TESTED. I HAD (5) INTAKE VALVE GUIDES OUTSIDE OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS, (4) EXHAUST VALVE GUIDES OUTSIDE OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS, AND A COMBINATION OF (3) OTHER INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVE GUIDES AT OR NEAR THE MAXIMUM OUTSIDE OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS. THE CAR IS BEING REPAIRED WITH PROPER RE-MACHINING OF THE HEADS TO MAKE THE VALVE GUIDES CONCENTRIC, NEW INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVE GUIDES INSTALLED, AS WELL AS NEW SEALS, VALVES, SPRINGS, ETC. 88% OF THE CORVETTE FORUM MEMBERS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR CYLINDER HEADS TESTED FOR EXCESSIVE VALVE GUIDE WEAR, WERE OUT OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS. SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.CORVETTEFORUM.COM/FORUMS/...-REGISTRY.HTML GM NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE, THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ENGINE FAILURES AS A RESULT OF A DROPPED VALVE INTO A CYLINDER WHICH CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND FIRES. GM IS VERY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS HUGE SAFETY RISK TO DRIVERS, PASSENGERS, AND NEARBY VEHICLES IF THE ENGINE FAILS GOING DOWN THE ROAD. HERE IS A LINK WITH THE GUIDE MEASUREMENTS IN IT. HTTP://WWW.CORVETTEFORUM.COM/FORUMS/C6-Z06-DISCUSSION/3608443-KATECH-STAGE-2-Z06-SN-74-A.HTML. *TR

THE ENGINE HAD AN EXHAUST VALVE FAILURE CAUSING THE MOTOR TO LOCK UP AND REQUIRING OVER $5000 IN REPAIRS. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE CAR WAS FORCED TO BE STOPPED ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT POWER BRAKES OR STEERING. *TR

ENGINE HAD EXCESSIVE NOISE. AFTER READING SEVERAL CORVETTE COMPLAINTS ABOUT IMPROPERLY MACHINED HEADS BY GENERAL MOTOR'S SUPPLIER LINAMAR, AND THAT NUMEROUS VEHICLES HAVE HAD VALVES DROP AND CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, I HAD MY CAR WITH CHECKED AT A SPECIALTY SHOP. I HAD SEVERAL VALVE GUIDES OUTSIDE OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS. THE CAR IS BEING REPAIRED WITH PROPER RE-MACHINING OF THE HEADS TO MAKE THE VALVE GUIDES CONCENTRIC, NEW INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVE GUIDES INSTALLED, AS WELL AS NEW SEALS, VALVES, SPRINGS, ETC. 88% OF THE CORVETTE FORUM MEMBERS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR CYLINDER HEADS TESTED FOR EXCESSIVE VALVE GUIDE WEAR, WERE OUT OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS. SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.CORVETTEFORUM.COM/FORUMS/...-REGISTRY.HTML GM NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ENGINE FAILURES AS A RESULT OF A DROPPED VALVE INTO A CYLINDER. THIS STOPS THE ENGINE, POWER STEERING, AND POWER BRAKES WHICH CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND FIRES. GM IS VERY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS HUGE SAFETY RISK TO DRIVERS, PASSENGERS, AND NEARBY VEHICLES IF THE ENGINE FAILS GOING DOWN THE ROAD. REGARDS. *TR

I BECAME AWARE OF A POTENTIAL VALVE GUIDE WEAR ISSUE WITH THE LS7 AND LS9 ENGINES THROUGH THE CORVETTE FORUM, THE CORVETTE ACTION CENTER, AND OTHER SOURCES. I BEGAN RESEARCHING THE ISSUE AND DECIDED THAT I SHOULD HAVE MY CAR CHECKED OUT AT A GM DEALERSHIP. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VALVE TRAIN NOISE APPEARED TO BE NORMAL AND THE ENGINE WAS NOT BURNING OR USING ANY EXCESSIVE OIL. THE MORE I FOLLOWED THE VALVE GUIDE WEAR ISSUE, THE MORE CONCERNED I BECAME. THAT BEING SAID AND THE FACT THAT THE DEALER HAD NEVER HEARD OF OR HAD ANY CUSTOMER COME IN FOR THE ISSUE I DECIDED TO HAVE A LOCAL PERFORMANCE ENGINE SHOP (BECAUSE OF THEIR EXTENSIVE LS7 EXPERIENCE) INSTALL A REWORKED SET OF HEADS WITH BRONZE VALVE GUIDES WITH ADDITIONAL PARTS RECOMMEND BY THE SHOP, TO FIX THE PROBLEM PERMANENTLY, BASED ON THEIR KNOWLEDGE WITH THE ISSUE. MY ORIGINAL HEADS WERE EVALUATED FOR VALVE GUIDE WEAR AND 'EVERY INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVE GUIDE WAS OUTSIDE OF THE GM SERVICE BULLETIN SERVICE LIMIT OF .0037 WITH THE #8 INTAKE VALVE BEING SO FAR OUT THAT IT WAS DEEMED N/R (SO LOOSE IT WAS TOO BIG FOR THE GAUGE READOUT). THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 7500 MILES ON IT. 88% OF THE CORVETTE FORUM MEMBERS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR CYLINDER HEADS TESTED FOR EXCESSIVE VALVE GUIDE WEAR, WERE OUT OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS. SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.CORVETTEFORUM.COM/FORUMS/...-REGISTRY.HTML GM NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE, THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ENGINE FAILURES AS A RESULT OF A DROPPED VALVE INTO A CYLINDER WHICH CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND FIRES. GM IS VERY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS HUGE SAFETY RISK TO DRIVERS, PASSENGERS, AND NEARBY VEHICLES IF THE ENGINE FAILS GOING DOWN THE ROAD. *TR

THE ENGINE EXHAUST VALVE GUIDES WERE OUTSIDE OF GM SPECIFICATIONS AND BOTH CYLINDER HEADS WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE OF THIS. THIS DEFECT CAN CAUSE THE HEAD OF A VALVE TO SNAP OFF AND DESTROY THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WILL STOP WORKING IMMEDIATELY, CAUSING THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES SYSTEMS TO FAIL. THE VALVE FAILURE CAN CAUSE A OIL SPILL ONTO THE ROAD IF THE ENGINE IS DESTROYED. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ENGINE FAILURES AS A RESULT OF A DROPPED VALVE INTO A CYLINDER WHICH CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND FIRES. GM IS VERY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS HUGE SAFETY RISK TO DRIVERS, PASSENGERS, AND NEARBY VEHICLES IF THE ENGINE FAILS GOING DOWN THE ROAD. *TR

MY SON'S CAR BLEW UP WHILE TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. HE WILL FILE A SEPARATE COMPLAINT. THERE IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH THE Z06 AND THE 427 ENGINE SO I HAD MY HEADS CHECKED AS A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE AND THEY WERE FAR ENOUGH OUT OF SPEC THAT SELF DESTRUCTION WAS IMMINENT. THE HEADS WERE CHECKED AND REPLACED BY A CHEVROLET DEALER. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF EXAMPLES OF THIS PROBLEM ON THE CORVETTE FORUM AND IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED. I SINCERELY HOPE YOU WILL LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM IN TIME TO PERHAPS SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE. *TR

STRONG ODOR OF GAS IN GARAGE, DEALER DETERMINED PROBLEM TO BE FAULTY FUEL MODULE, CRACK DISCOVERED WITH SMOKE TEST. THE GAS SMELL WAS SO STRONG I WAS AFRAID TO LEAVE THE CAR IN THE GARAGE FOR FEAR OF AN EXPLOSION OR FIRE, I NOTIFIED CHEVROLET AND THEIR ONLY REPLY WAS THANK YOU FOR BEING A GM CUSTOMER. COST OF REPAIR WAS $2731.39, WHICH GM REFUSED TO REIMBURSE SAYING CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *TR UPDATED 3/15/16 *JS

HI, I BOUGHT THE CORVETTE USED. THE FIRST TIME I FILLED IT ALL THE UP WITH GAS I NOTICED A VERY STRONG GAS SMELL THE NEXT DAY IN MY GARAGE. I HOPED IT WOULD GO AWAY OR IT WAS JUST SOMETHING I WASN'T AWARE OF ABOUT THE CAR SINCE I JUST BOUGHT IT USED. THE NEXT TIME I FILLED IT UP THE SAME THING THE WHOLE GARAGE SMELLED LIKE GAS THE NEXT DAY. DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND OUT THERE ARE ALLOT OF THE C6 CORVETTES WITH THIS DEFECT. IF YOU FILL THE CAR UP OVER HALF FULL GAS LEAKS FROM THE TOP OF THE TANK DOWN THE INSIDE AND ON TO THE TAILPIPE. CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY REFUSED TO FIX IT OR RECALL THE DEFECTIVE PART. IM AFRAID OF TWO POSSIBLE THINGS HAPPENING EITHER THE CAR CATCHING FIRE OR THE FUMES IGNITING MY GAS WATER HEATER THATS IN THE GARAGE AS WELL. HOPE YOU GUYS CAN GET SOMETHING DONE ABOUT IT. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. *JS