2007 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Complaints

AFTER MONTHS OF READING ABOUT THE EXHAUST VALVE ISSUE WITH CORVETTE Z06S I TOOK MY CAR AND HAD THE HEADS CHECKED. THE SHOP FOUND THE VALVE GUIDE CLEARANCE TO BE OUTSIDE THE SPECIFIED ACCEPTABLE RANGE. THE DEFECT PUTS UNDUE STRESS ON THE SODIUM FILLED VALVES AND IF THE VALVE FAILS IT CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY SITUATION IF THIS OCCURS AT SPEED ON THE ROADWAY AS THE DRIVER WILL LOSE ABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE POTENTIALLY CAUSING A DEADLY ACCIDENT. I PAID SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS OUT OF POCKET TO FIX THIS ISSUE DESPITE GM ACKNOWLEDGING THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES.

THIS MODEL CORVETTE CAN SUDDENLY DROP AN ENGINE VALVE (EXHAUST OR INTAKE) AND UNEXPECTEDLY DEVELOP A HOLE IN THE BLOCK ACCOMPANIED WITH OIL SPILLED ON THE ROADWAY, SMOKE BILLOWING WITH RISK FOR VEHICLES BEHIND AND IN FRONT, AND THE RISK FOR TOTAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING, BRAKING AND CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE OUTCOME IF THIS HAPPENED ON A FREEWAY WITH CARS TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED IS POTENTIALLY FATAL. ALL OF THIS IS DUE TO MACHINING ERRORS AND SUPPLIER DEFECTS FOR THE ASSOCIATED PARTS (VALVES, GUIDES, ETC.) ON ALL 2006-2013 CORVETTE C6 Z06'S MADE BY GM. *TR

WIGGLE TEST ON ALL VALVES SHOWED ALL EXHAUST VALVES WITH EXCESSIVE GUID WHERE....SAFETY ISSUE....!!! THIS CAN AND HAS LED TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AT FREEWAY SPEEDS....... *TR

UPON PARKING THE VEHICLE IN MY GARAGE I NOTICED A VERY STRONG FUEL SMELL EMITTING FROM THE VEHICLE. I SEARCH ALL AROUND THE CAR AND COULD NOT FIND A LEAK. THIS VERY POWERFUL FUEL/GASOLINE SMELL WOULD PERMEATE MY ENTIRE HOUSE CAUSING A BIT OF NAUSEA AT TIMES. I STARTED TO PARK THE CAR OUTSIDE BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD AS WELL AS THE NOXIOUS FUMES. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND THEY FOUND THAT THE MAIN FUEL PUMP (LOCATED IN THE LEFT SIDE FUEL TANK) HAD BEEN LEAKING FROM THE HIGH PRESSURE SIDE OF THE PUMP. THE PLASTIC THAT FUEL PUMP MODULE IS COMPOSED OF STARTED TO DETERIORATE ON IT'S OWN, AND BEGAN TO SPRAY FUEL ONTO THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK. THERE IS A LARGE SKID/SUPPORT PLATE THAT HOLDS UP THE FUEL TANK AND THIS PLATE WAS RETAINING A MAJORITY OF THE FUEL. THIS TANK IS ALSO VERY CLOSE TO THE EXHAUST AND I'M JUST FORTUNATE THAT THE FUEL DID NOT SPRAY INTO THAT DIRECTION. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH ALL 2005-2013 CORVETTES. SO MANY ISSUES IN FACT THAT AC DELCO (THE VENDOR THAT SUPPLIES THE FUEL PUMP MODULES TO GM) HAS ISSUED 3 UPDATES TO THIS PARTICULAR PART. HERE IS MY OEM PART NUMBER AS WELL AS THE SUBSEQUENT UPDATE PART NUMBERS. MY OE PUMP THAT LEAKED: 15785206 (IS NO LONGER A GOOD AC DELCO #) 1ST UPDATE: 19133441 2ND UPDATE: 19302042 3RD UPDATE: 19149687. *TR

CAR WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK AFTER STARTING. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. INTERNET SEARCH REVEALS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SOLENOID. *TR

STRONG VAPORS OF RAW FUEL FROM VEHICLE WHEN OVER 1/2 A TANK OF GAS. DEALER COULD NOT LOCATE. GAS LEAK WAS ON TOP OF TANK WHICH WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM UNDERNEATH WITHOUT REMOVAL OF REAR WHEEL WELL. THIS IS DOCUMENTED ON CORVETTE FORUM AS MANY OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE. IT IS INTERMITTENT AND CAUSED BY CRACKING OF PLASTIC FITTING AT TOP OF THE TANK- APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN DEFECT. *TR

MADE ONLINE CONCERN AND ISSUE WITH LOW BEAM LIGHTS GOING OFF IN 2011. RECALL NOTICE FROM GM; JANUARY 2015, STATES IT WILL INSTALL "JUMPER" WIRE. I ALREADY HAD THIS COMPLETED ON 10/13/2011 WHICH RESULTED AS A SHORT TERM FIX. STILL ENDED UP HAVING PROBLEMS AND EVENTUALLY (HOPING FOR THE RECALL TO TRANSPIRE SOONER) HAVE IT SET UP NOW WHERE I NEED TO POP THE HOOD AND INSTALL A 20 AMP FUSE IN ORDER FOR LIGHTS TO GO ON. "JUMPER" FORMAT IS NOT ADEQUATE JUST BE AWARE. THE DESIGN OF THE UBEC UNIT SHOULD BE OVERHAULED TO ACCOMPLISH TWO KEY ISSUES; HEAT AND LESS SHARP BENDS OF THE INTERNAL COPPER WIRING TO PREVENT STRESS AND BREAKING. CURRENTLY ONLY FOG LIGHTS FUNCTION WITHOUT HAVING TO PLUG IN THE 20 AMP FUSE. EVEN MY BRIGHT LIGHTS NEED THE FUSED PLUG IN UNDER THE HOOD. *TR

I TOOK MY CAR TO AMERICAN HERITAGE PERFORMANCE IN CALIFORNIA AND HAD THE HEADS CHECKED AND THEY WERE ALL OUT OF SPECK, AT 16000 MILES, AND THIS CAR WAS ONLY STREET DRIVEN, AND HAD TO HAVE ALL THIS WORK DONE ON A LOW MILEAGE CAR WAS VERY UPSETTING, AND IN THE END FINDING OUT THAT MANY CARS HAVE THIS PROBLEM. HAVING TO GET ALL THIS WORK DONE ON A VIRTUALLY NEW CAR IS RIDICULOUS.. *TR

WHEN I PURCHASED THE 2007 CORVETTE Z06, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO HAVE THE HEADS CHECKED FOR EXCESSIVE VALVE GUIDE WEAR. I HAD THE HEADS PULLED AND THE VALVES EXAMINED BY A LOCAL EXPERT. HE INDICATED THAT THE VALVE GUIDES WERE OUT OF SPECIFICATION AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. I REPLACED THESE AT MY OWN EXPENSE OF OVER $2000.00. HAD THE ENGINE BLOWN UP AS A RESULT OF THIS DEFECTIVE CONDITION, THE BREAKS AND POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I WOULD LIKE GM TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS MODEL CORVETTE. *TR

AT ONLY 21,179 MILES, MY DEALER INSPECTED BOTH CYLINDER HEAD BANKS AND FOUND VALVE GUIDE CLEARANCE TO BE WELL OUT OF MAXIMUM ALLOWED SPECIFICATION. THIS DEFECT PUTS UNDUE STRESS ON THE HOLLOW, SODIUM-FILLED EXHAUST VALVES. IF AN EXHAUST VALVE BREAKS, THE EXHAUST VALVE WILL DROP INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER, AND CAUSE A COMPLETE, CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE ENGINE. THIS CAUSES HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR THE DRIVER, PASSENGER, AND SURROUNDING TRAFFIC: THE DRIVE WHEELS MAY BECOME LOCKED AS THE ENGINE SEIZES AND THE ENGINE BLOCK MAY BECOME WINDOWED BY A ROD, CAUSING A LARGE SPILL OF OIL AND COOLANT IMMEDIATELY UNDER THE VEHICLE ON THE ROADWAY. THESE CONDITIONS COULD LEAD TO A SEVERE ACCIDENT FROM A SUDDEN SPIN AND/OR A FIRE. I HAVE LITTLE CONFIDENCE THAT THE CYLINDER HEADS REPLACED ON MY CAR ARE FREE FROM THE VALVE GUIDE CLEARANCE DEFECT. AS MORE OWNERS HAVE BECOME AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, REPLACEMENT CYLINDER HEADS HAVE BEEN MEASURED BEFORE INSTALLATION ON THE ENGINE AND HAVE BEEN FOUND TO HAVE DEFECTS IN VALVE GUIDE CLEARANCE AND VALVE GUIDE TO SEAT CONCENTRICITY, SUCH AS WHAT COULD LEAD TO A DROPPED EXHAUST VALVE AND AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLES SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED BEFORE ANY MORE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS OCCUR. ALTHOUGH MY VEHICLE DID NOT FAIL DESPITE HAVING THE DEFECT, I HAVE SEEN A VIDEO OF A SPIN CAUSED BY THE FAILURE, I HAVE SEEN PICTURES OF A VEHICLE AFTER A FIRE CAUSED BY THE FAILURE, AND I HAVE SEEN REPORTS OF APPROXIMATELY 35 FAILURES; ALL FROM CORVETTEFORUM.COM. THEREFORE I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND I BELIEVE THE NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE THE MATTER. *TR