2004 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Complaints

THIS CAR HAS 23,000 MILES ON IT AND I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. IT HAS DEVELOPED SOME SORT OF FUEL LEAK ONE OF THE TWO FUEL TANKS OR THE CONNECTING TUBE WHILE SITTING PARKED THE GARAGE. GM HAS KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE FOR YEARS. THEY DID NOT WARN OWNERS OF THESE CARS OF THIS PROBLEM. NOW THAT I HAVE THIS ISSUE I HAVE DISCOVERED THE GM WOULD FIX THIS IF YOU DISCOVERED THIS PROBLEM IN TEN YEARS OR 100,000 MILES. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, THE CAR COULD EXPLODE IF A PERSON WALKS BY IT IN A PARKING LOT, IN AN ACCIDENT OR PARKED IN A PARKING STRUCTURE. THIS CAR IS NOW A TICKING BOMB DUE TO THE FAILURE OF GM TO NOTIFY OWNERS OR THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM. ALL CORVETTES ARE NOT DAILY DRIVERS THAT IS WHY THE MILEAGE IS LOW. THERE ARE MANY CARS OUT THERE WITH THIS PROBLEM. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT GM SHOULD HAVE TO NOTIFY ALL OWNERS OF THIS VINTAGE OF CAR OF THIS ISSUE AND FIX THEM BEFORE PEOPLE GET HURT OR KILLED. NOT ONLY THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES ARE AT RISK, SO IS THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRONIC COLUMN LOCKING SYSTEM WAS HAVING INTERMITTENT SEVERE FAILURE. WHEN TRYING TO STEER THE CAR AFTER IGNITION AND MOVING DOWN THE ROAD THE WHEEL WOULD LOCK IN CERTAIN POSITIONS AND TO PREVENT A CRASH I WOULD HAVE TO STOP THE CAR AND HOPE THE LOCKING SYSTEM RELEASED. I FOUND THAT THIS ISSUE WAS COVERED BY #04006C PRODUCT SAFETY RECALL. WHEN I CONTACTED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT NUCAR CHEVROLET; THEY INDICATED THAT THE RECALL WAS NOT STILL OPEN. THUS I WAS FORCED TO HAVE MY MECHANIC REPAIR THIS BEFORE A SERIOUS CRASH OCCURRED. I ALSO CALLED THE CHEVROLET PRODUCT RECALL LINE AND WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT ONE OF THE AFFECTED VIN'S. THAT IS NOT THE CASE IF YOU REVIEW DOCUMENT ID#1761087 OR THE ATTACHED DOCUMENTATION I HAVE FOUND. ON 8/24/16 I PAID $215.46 PLUS MY TIME AND TALENT TO RESEARCH AND BRING THIS FORWARD. I BELIEVE GM NEEDS TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THIS ISSUE. PLEASE ADVISE HOW BEST TO PROCEED. THANK YOU *JS *JS

I NOTICED A FUEL SMELL IN MY GARAGE FROM MY CAR. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND HE FOUND THAT THE TANK WAS LEAKING AS DESCRIBED IN GM SERVICE BULLETIN 10150 IN THE CONNECTION OF THE CROSSOVER BETWEEN THE TANKS. THE CAR HAS 56000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT CAUSED BY THE USE OF IMPROPERLY MIXED ADHESIVE IN THE CONNECTOR. I CALLED THE NUMBER ON THE SERVICE BULLETIN AND GM SAID THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE FIX ON THIS KNOWN DEFECT BECAUSE THE ARBITRARY TIME THEY CREATED FOR REPAIR ON THIS HAD LAPSED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. WITHIN TWO MILES OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, WHILE IN REVERSE, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SEIZE WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

THIS REQUEST INVOLVES A SAFETY BULLETIN [#0400C6], DATED 2/8/2006 RELATING TO THE ELECTRONIC COLUMN LOCK (ECL) FOR APPROXIMATELY 96% OF ALL 220,000+ C-5 GENERATION CORVETTES. 2004 WAS THE LAST YEAR OF PRODUCTION FOR THE C-5 GENERATION. TOTAL PRODUCTION IN 2004 IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN ABOUT 35,000: OUT OF THIS, 20,861 VEHICLES WERE COVERED BY THE ABOVE SERVICE BULLETIN, BUT AS MINE WAS ASSEMBLED AFTER VIN #45120862 UNTIL ASSEMBLY BEGAN FOR THE 2005 MODEL YEAR (C-6 GENERATION), MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED ON PAGE 2 OF THE BULLETIN. PRIOR TO THE STEERING COLUMN ON MY CAR LOCKING ON 6/28/2016 I HAD NOT BEEN MADE AWARE THAT THIS PERILOUS CONDITION EXISTED. GM HAS INDICATED THAT IT WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY FUNDS TO OFFSET THE COST OF REPAIRING THIS FAULT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT INCLUDED ON ANY SERVICE BULLETIN. I BELIEVE THAT SERVICE BULLETIN #04006C WAS INTENDED FOR (OR SHOULD APPLY TO) THE ENTIRE C-5 PRODUCTION -- UNLESS THERE IS SOME REASONABLE EXPLANATION AS TO WHY MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXCLUDED (SUCH AS A DIFFERENT ECL CONFIGURATION WAS USED, ETC.) IN EITHER EVENT, I FEEL THE COMPANY SHOULD HONOR MY REQUEST FOR A FULL REIMBURSEMENT FOR FUNDS EXPENDED TO REPLACE THE FAULTY ECL. I HAVE WRITTEN A LETTER TO GM EXPLAINING THE FACTS SURROUNDING THIS REQUEST AND HAVE ATTACHED A COPY OF THAT LETTER FOR YOUR REVIEW.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE REFUELING THE VEHICLE, FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL ODOR OR LEAKAGE WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FILLER NECK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WAS MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,000.

THE TOP OF THE LEFT FUEL TANK IS CRACKED AND LEAKING FUEL. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR 2004 MODEL CORVETTE'S AND CADILLAC XLR'S. GM REFUSED TO DO A "RECALL" ON THIS PROBLEM ALTHOUGH IT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND COULD RESULT IN FIRE OR DEATH OF THE OCCUPANTS.

2004 CORVETTE - FUEL LEAK AT CROSSOVER TUBE. CRACKED FUEL TANK. TANK LEAKS WHEN FUELED. STRONG ODOR OF FUEL IN DRIVER COMPARTMENT. FUEL LEAK ON GROUND AT SERVICE STATION. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT AND GM SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT. HAS NHTSA MADE ANY EFFORT TO REQUIRE GM TO REPAIR OR RECALL THESE CARS? IF NOT, WHY?

SUMMARY: IN ITS JUNE 30, 2010 RESPONSE TO ODI'S INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER, GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IDENTIFIED THE LEAK SOURCE AS CRACKS IN EITHER THE FUEL TANK CROSS-OVER TUBE QUICK CONNECTOR (CONNECTOR) AND/OR THE "HOT-PLATE" WELD JOINT OF THE CONNECTOR TO THE TANK.THE ROOT CAUSES ARE ATTRIBUTED TO ERRORS IN CONNECTOR MATERIAL PROCESSING, VARIATIONS IN THE WELDING PROCESS, AND HIGH STRESSES PLACED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE CONNECTOR DURING VEHICLE USE.GM ALSO IDENTIFIED THE SCOPE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES INVOLVED TO BE THOSE PRODUCED FROM APPROXIMATELY OCTOBER 22, 2003 THROUGH MARCH 19, 2004.GM DOES NOT BELIEVE THE CRACKS REPRESENT AN UNREASONABLE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY BASED ON FACTORS THAT INCLUDE; LOW RATE OF FUEL LEAKING TO THE GROUND, DETECTABLE FUEL ODOR, THE CRACKS ARE AT THE TOP OF THE TANK, LEAKS ARE DETECTABLE DURING REFUELING, SMALL QUANTITIES OF FUEL THAT LEAKS OUT, AND NO ASSOCIATED PROPERTY DAMAGE OR PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS.ON AUGUST 13, 2010, GM ISSUED A "SPECIAL COVERAGE ADJUSTMENT" TO REMEDY FUEL TANK QUICK CONNECTOR LEAKS AND EXTEND THE WARRANTY FOR THIS ISSUE TO 10 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES IN CERTAIN 2004 CHEVROLET CORVETTE AND CADILLAC XLR VEHICLES.VEHICLE OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY MAIL OF THE ADJUSTMENT AND WILL ALSO BE ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT FOR PREVIOUSLY PAID REPAIRS COVERED UNDER THE ADJUSTMENT.(SEE FILE FOR, SERVICE BULLETIN 10150: SPECIAL COVERAGE ADJUSTMENT-FUEL TANK QUICK CONNECTOR LEAK).THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. HTTP://WWW-ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/CARS/PROBLEMS/DEFECT/RESULTS.CFM?ACTION_NUMBER=PE10015&SEARCHTYPE=QUICKSEARCH&SUMMARY=TRUE

SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE USED IN 2005, I ALWAYS SMELLED GASOLINE FUMES AFTER A FILL UP. I ALWAYS ATTRIBUTED IT TO SPILLAGE AND THE FACT THAT THE FILLER TUBE WAS ABOUT A FOOT FROM MY HEAD. THIS YEAR THE FUMES BEGAN TO PERSIST, REGARDLESS OF THE QUANTITY OF GAS IN THE TANK. AFTER RETURNING FROM A 3 WEEK VACATION IN JULY, WE WERE GREETED BY OVERPOWERING GASOLINE FUMES WHEN WE OPENED OUR GARAGE. I AM CERTAIN THAT THE FUMES WERE CONCENTRATED ENOUGH TO START A FIRE, HAD THERE BEEN A SPARK FROM A LIGHT SWITCH OR SOME OTHER IGNITER. AFTER VENTILATING THE GARAGE I SEARCHED FOR THE SOURCE AND FOR THE FIRST TIME SAW A SMALL GASOLINE LEAK ON THE FLOOR OF THE GARAGE UNDER MY 2004 CORVETTE. I IMMEDIATELY SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FOR A SIMILAR PROBLEM HAD BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE NHTSA AND CHEVROLET, SO I TOOK IT TO MY DEALER, WHO VERIFIED I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND THEY REPLACED THE LEFT FUEL TANK AND CROSSOVER PIPE. THE COST FOR PARTS, LABOR AND TAX WAS $3,676 AND THE DEALER SAYS THAT THE REPAIR FOR THIS KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT IS OUTSIDE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT CHEVROLET AGREED TO, AS NOTED IN NHTSA ACTION #: PE10015. I NEVER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM IN 2010 OR I WOULD HAVE HAD CHEVROLET SERVICE CHECK THE VEHICLE FOR THE PROBLEM AT THAT TIME. I AM CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF CONTACTING CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE, SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT OF ALL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS REPAIR.