2009 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Complaints

FUEL LEAKING REAR DRIVERS SIDE POSSIBLE FUEL PUMP ASKED ABOUT RECALL WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT A RECALL ITEM THEN FOUND MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME ISSUE AND SAME MODEL CAR HAS LESS THAN 40,000 MILES. *TR

I HAD A VALVE DROP AND THREW A ROD THRU MY ENGINE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. I LOST ENGINE POWER, POWER STEERING, AND SPILLED OIL AND OTHER CHEMICALS ONTO THE ROADWAY. A THICK CLOUD OF SMOKE BILLOWED FROM UNDERNEATH AND OUT THE BACK OF THE CAR MAKING IT UNSAFE FOR CARS TRAVELING BEHIND ME. THE DEALER WHO HAS SINCE INSPECTED MY CAR HAS STATED IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT THE "LIFTERS ARE WEAK". AFTER QUITE A BIT OF READING, IT APPEARS MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME CAR HAVE EXPERIENCED A MULTITUDE OF ISSUES WITH VALVES, LIFTERS, HEADS, ETC. GM IS AWARE OF FAULTY PARTS BUT I CANNOT FIND ANY NOTICE OF RECALLS. MAKE/MODEL: 2009 CORVETTE Z06; ENGINE: LS7. *TR

THIS IS HAPPENING INTERMITTENTLY, BUT FREQUENTLY: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTER STAYS LOCKED IN PARK, DESPITE ENGINE RUNNING AND FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. CAN'T SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THIS HAPPENS WHEN CAR IS PARKED, STARTING IT UP AND TRYING TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE. THE PROBLEM HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ELECTRONIC/MECHANICAL INTERLOCK OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THERE IS AN ELECTRONIC SWITCH OR SOLENOID THAT IS MALFUNCTIONING, THE PREVENTS THE MECHANICAL TRANSMISSION LOCK FROM DISENGAGING. TO WORKAROUND THE PROBLEM, YOU CAN TRY TO: - TURN THE CAR OFF, AND RESTART IT. AFTER MULTIPLE TRIES, IF YOU ARE LUCKY THE TRANSMISSION INTERLOCK MAY RELEASE SUCCESSFULLY. - THERE IS AN EMERGENCY WORKAROUND PROCEDURE WHERE BY PUTTING THE CAR IN ACCESSORY MODE BEFORE STARTING IT, YOU CAN BYPASS THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM. - THE CHEVROLET DEALERS I HAVE HEARD FROM RECOMMEND REPLACING THE ENTIRE SHIFTER SYSTEM FOR $700-$1000. BUT THE NEW SHIFTERS HAVE THE VERY SAME DESIGN PROBLEM! SO NEW SHIFTERS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE SAME FAILURES IN THE FUTURE! WHEN GOOGLING THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET FORUMS, IT APPEARS THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM AFFECTING "6TH-GENERATION" CORVETTES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 2005 AND 2013. (I HAVE A 2009 MODEL.) APPARENTLY GM HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR YEARS, BUT HAS NOT INVESTED IN ANY RECALL. AS A RESULT, IT APPEARS MANY OWNERS ARE CHOOSING TO DISABLE THE TRANSMISSION INTERLOCK SINCE IT IS UNRELIABLE. I WOULD LIKE TO URGE GM TO ISSUE A RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

NOTICEABLE FUEL SMELL WHEN SITTING IN THE CAR, AND IN GARAGE WHEN CAR HAS BEEN PARKED FOR A FEW HOURS. IT IS THIS ISSUE: HTTPS://WWW.CORVETTEFORUM.COM/FORUMS/C6-CORVETTE-GENERAL-DISCUSSION/3563123-DANGER-FUEL-LEAKS-SAFETY-RECALL.HTML. *TR

MY ENGINE EXPERIENCED VALVE GUIDE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING WHICH RESULTED IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AND SPILLED OIL ALL OVER THE ROAD. THE ENTIRE ENGINE WAS DESTROYED. IF I HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY IT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

I EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE. THIS RESULTED IN A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AT AN UNEXPECTED TIME. THIS OCCURRED DURING A HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVER EDUCATION EVENT AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY IN FONTANA, CA. THERE WAS NO WARNING BEFORE THE MOMENT THE ENGINE FAILED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS THE HEAD OF ONE OF THE EXHAUST VALVES SEPARATED FROM THE VALVE STEM AND FELL INTO THE CYLINDER, DESTROYING THE CYLINDER HEAD, PISTON AND CYLINDER WALL. THE ENGINE MODEL IN MY 2009 CORVETTE IS THE LS7. A GOOGLE SEARCH ON 'LS7 DROPPED VALVES' WILL FILL MANY PAGES.

AIRBAG SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE DRIVING. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND APPEARS TO BE AFFECTED BY POSITIONING OF THE PASSENGER SEAT.

MY 2009 CORVETTE (BASE MODEL) IS EXPERIENCING FUEL VAPOR LEAK. THERE ARE NO LIQUID LEAKS VISIBLE BENEATH THE CAR, OR ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. THE SMELL OF FUEL IS MORE INTENSE TOWARD THE DRIVERS REAR QUARTER PANEL, NEAR THE FILLER TUBE. I HAVE CHANGED MY GAS TANK CAP AND THIS MADE NO DIFFERENCE. THE SMELL OF FUEL PERSISTS. THE SMELL IS NOT PRESENT INSIDE THE CAR, OR WHILE IN MOTION. THE SMELL IS STRONGEST WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS FILLED AND SEEMS TO DIMINISH WHEN FUELS IS 1/2 TANK OR BELOW. I AM CONCERNED OF FIRE IN THE CAR, OR IN MY GARAGE, ATTACHED TO MY HOUSE.

FOR THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, I'VE NOTICED AN INCREASING FUEL SMELL EMANATING FROM MY CORVETTE'S DRIVER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL. THE FUEL VAPOR SMELL IS NOW AT THE POINT WHERE I NEED TO PARK MY VEHICLE OUTSIDE. AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, I'VE COME ACROSS NUMEROUS REPORTS OF COVETTE C6 OWNERS REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE. THE CONSENSUS SEEMS TO BE THAT HAIRLINE CRACKS DEVELOP ON THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANKS CAUSING FUEL TO LEAK ON AND DOWN THE SIDE OF THE TANK. OBVIOUSLY THIS COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS FIRE HAZARD IF IT WERE TO LEAK ON TO THE VEHICLES EXHAUST. WITH THE AMOUNT OF C6 OWNERS REPORTING THIS SAME ISSUE AND THE POTENTIAL FOR EXTREME FIRE HAZARD, I FEEL THAT GM SHOULD ADDRESS THE ISSUE.

AFTER FILLING THE GAS TANK THERE IS A STRONG GAS SMELL PRESENT. ONCE THE GAS LEVEL IS BELOW HALF TANK, THE ODOR IS GONE. ONLINE RESEARCH POINTS TO THE CROSSOVER TUBE, FUEL PUMP, EVAP SYSTEM ETC