2009 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Complaints

HAD TO HAVE CYLINDER HEADS REBUILT BECAUSE MANUFACTURING ISSUE WITH VALVE GUIDS WEARING QUICKLY OUT OF SPEC AND IF NOT CORRECTED DESTROYING THE ENTIRE MOTOR. I GOT A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WITH MISFIRE WHICH WAS CAUSED BY WORN GUIDES. SENT HEADS INTO BE REBUILT AND FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE WAY OUT OF SPEC. SOME AT .030 AND SPEC CUT OFF AT .006

I'M PURCHASED THE VEHICLE A MONTH AGO AND EVER SINCE I HAD IT IT GIVES OUT A FUEL SMELL SOMETIMES IT SMEEL A LOT AND OTHER TIMES IT'S NOT AS NOTICEABLE

VERY STRONG GAS SMELL WHEN THE TANK IS FILLED. FILLED GARAGE WITH SMELL. WAS AFRAID TO START CAR. PUSHED OUT OF GARAGE AND LET SIT FOR 2 DAYS. STARTED AND DROVE TO DEALERSHIP.

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 27000 MILES ON IT TO A CORVETTE SPECIALTY SHOP TO HAVE MY VALVE GUIDE CLEARANCE TESTED. I HAD (2) INTAKE VALVE GUIDES OUTSIDE OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS, (4) EXHAUST VALVE GUIDES OUTSIDE OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS, AND A COMBINATION OF (10) 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: HTTPS://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.

REGARDING THE CYLINDER HEADS, I AM ONE OF HUNDREDS THAT EXPERIENCED INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVES THAT WERE OUT OF SPECIFICATION DUE TO INADEQUATE CYLINDER HEAD DESIGN AND VALVE GUIDES. AS A RESULT, I NEEDED TO HAVE MY HEADS REPLACED WITH REBUILT HEADS AND NEW VALVE GUIDES. THE UPLOADED DOCUMENT HIGHLIGHTS THE MEASUREMENTS ON THE VALVES AS BEING OUT OF SPECIFICATION AFTER THEY WERE TESTED UPON REMOVAL FROM MY VEHICLE. ON AN ENGINE WITH ONLY 11,000 MILES AT THE TIME, THIS IS ALARMING. HUNDREDS OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS WHEN A VALVE DROPS, IT FALLS INTO THE ENGINE HAVING THE EFFECT OF POTENTIALLY IMMEDIATELY SEIZING IT UP WHICH WOULD THEN CAUSE THE CAR TO LOCK THE REAR WHEELS AND LOSE CONTROL

FUEL SMELL AFTER FULLY FILLING THE GAS TANK. KNOW ISSUE UNDER SPECIAL COVERAGE BULLETIN 15682 BY GM.

FUEL LEAKING FROM AROUND FUEL TANK. POSSIBLY FROM FUEL PUMP AREA. STRONG GAS SMELL FILLS GARAGE OVER NIGHT. GAS CAN ALSO BE SMELT INSIDE OF THE CAR WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAPPENS REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE GAS TANK, BUT IS MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN TANK IS 1/2 OR MORE FULL.

ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS A 2009 IT ONLY HAS 300 MILES ON IT. THE ZO6 MODEL WHICH HAS THE "LS7 ENGINE HAS A KNOWN VALVE ISSUE WITH BOTH INTAKE AND EXHAUST BEING OUT OF SPEC AND WEARING RAPIDLY. I HAD A "WIGGLE TEST" DONE ON ALL MY VALVES. MORE THAN HALF OF THE 16 VALVES WERE OUT OF SPEC. IF THE ISSUE IS NOT CORRECT A VALVE WILL DROP AND A NEW ENGINE WILL BE REQUIRED.

STRONG GASOLINE SMELL WHENEVER THE TANK IS MORE THAN HALF FULL. SO STRONG THAT I CAN SMELL GASOLINE IN THE HOUSE IF THE CAR HAS BEEN PARKED IN THE ATTACHED GARAGE OVERNIGHT. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE HIGH CONCENTRATION OF GASOLINE VAPOR MIGHT B E A FIRE HAZARD TO THE HOUSE. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT GASOLINE COULD TOUCH THE EXHAUST AND CATCH FIRE WHILE DRIVING. NO ODOR WHATSOEVER WHEN THE TANK IS BELOW HALF FULL.

AFTER FUEL TANK IS FILLED PAST 1/2 FULL, SMELL OF FUEL IN MY GARAGE UNTIL FUEL CAPACITY GOES BELOW 1/2 FULL.