2003 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Complaints

EXPENSIVE RUN FLAT GOODYEAR TIRE ON CORVETTE FAILED WHEN A NAIL PIERCED IT. TOLD IT COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. HAD TO REPLACE WITH TWO NEW TIRES , GOODYEAR EAGLE, EACH OVER $300. WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO WARRANTY ON THE NEW TIRES BECAUSE THEY WERE RUN FLATS , AND THAT I COULD NOT SUBSTITUTE ANOTHER TYPE OF TIRE BECAUSE OF THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM. HOW SAFE ARE THESE TIRES IF THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO GIVE WARRANTY. NOW I AM TOLD THAT I COULD NOT HAVE JUST ANY GARAGE CHANGE THE TIRES IF I RECEIVE ANOTHER FLAT BECAUSE SPECIAL EQUIPMENT HAS TO BE USED TO PROTECT THE AIR PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM.*AK

THE SEAT RECLINER OF MY 2003 CHEVROLET CORVETTE ALLOWS THE SEAT BACK TO DROP BACK UNEXPECTEDLY, WHEN PRESSURE IS APPLIED. THIS CAN OCCUR WHEN LEANING ON THE SEAT, WHEN ACCELERATING OR TURNING AND WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAPPENS ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND THE PASSENGER SEAT. YOU CAN FEEL THE RECLINER RATCHET SKIP A TOOTH OR MULTIPLE TEETH, AND THIS USUALLY ONLY HAPPENS ON ONE SIDE OF THE SEAT(THE SIDE OPPOSITE THE RECLINER HANDLE), RESULTING IN THE BACK OF THE SEAT BEING SKEWED SIDEWAYS. THIS IS MOST CONCERNING WHEN ACCELERATING OR CORNERING. TO HAVE THE SEAT "TWIST" BEHIND YOU, RESULTING IN A PULL ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND UNINTENTIONAL CHANGE IN DIRECTION. SINCE MAY OF 2005, THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED THE MECHANISM, AND ATTEMPTED TO ADJUST THE MECHANISM ON FOUR OR FIVE OCCASION SINCE THE REPLACEMENT, INCLUDING ALTERATIONS PERFORMED BASED ON A GM TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN. NONE OF THESE EFFORTS HAVE HAD ANY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE PROBLEM.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS DARKENED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SIX TIMES, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER.

MY 2003 Z06 CORVETTE BATTERY KEEPS DRAINING. I'M ON MY 3RD BATTERY AND THE SERVICE DEPT DOES NOT KNOW WHAT'S DRAINING THE BATTERY. THE PROBLEM IS FIXED WHEN I RECEIVE A NEW BATTERY, BUT IN 6 MONTHS THAT BATTERY BEGINS TO FAIL. IF THE CAR IS NOT STARTED WITHIN 3 DAYS THE BATTERY TENDS TO DIE. THE DEALERSHIP TELLS ME TO START THE CAR EVERY DAY, BUT I HAVE 2 OTHER CARS (GMC'S) THAT DON'T NEED TO BE STARTED EVERY DAY. THIS CAR IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD AND I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE STARTED EVERY DAY. I BELIEVE SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR AND THE SERVICE DEPT, CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT. *JB

AFTER RECALL WAS DONE ON 2003 CHEVROLET CORVETTE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WHILE IN MOTION. *TS THE RECALL THAT WAS PERFORMED ON 8/18/2004 WAS INTENDED TO PREVENT THE STEERING WHEEL FROM LOCKING UP. THERE WAS NO RESULTING ACCIDENT OR INJURY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER ON 12/21/2004. THE REPAIR ORDER SHOWED THAT THE PROGRAMMING DID NOT TAKE ON RECALL REPAIR.(RECALL NUMBER 04V060000, RECALL 04006). *NM

FRONT END OF CAR FALLS DOWN DUE TO BROKEN LEAF SPRING WHEN TAKEN THROUGH A CAR WASH. SECOND OCCURRENCE. PART WAS JUST REPLACED A MONTH AGO AND BROKE AGAIN. *JB

DT: THE STEERING LOCKED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2005 WHILE GOING 30 MPH, THERE WAS RECALL, AND HAD THE RECALL REPAIRS PERFORMED ON JUNE 10, 2005. CONTACTED GM, AND LEFT A MESSAGE WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER. THIS HAPPENED BEFORE WHILE BACKING THE VEHICLE OUT. CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND THAT WAS WHEN THE CONSUMER FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL. *AK

THE CAR WAS FILLED WITH CHEVRON SUPREME GASOLINE ON THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2005 ON MY WAY TO PICK UP MY WIFE AT THE PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. WHEN I COMPLETED THE TASK AND STARTED THE AUTOMOBILE THE FUEL GAUGE AND THE HUD DID NOT AGREE. THE FUEL GAUGE WAS ON EMPTY AND THE HUD AT ONE-HALF FULL. I DROVE TO THE AIRPORT AND PICKED UP MY WIFE. I RETURNED HOME AND PULLED INTO THE GARAGE FOR THE NIGHT AND THE FUEL GAUGE AND HUD DID NOT CHANGE. ONCE INSIDE MY HOME, I WROTE AN EMAIL TO MITCH CONGDON, WHO IS THE SERVICE DIRECTOR AT VAN CHEVROLET IN SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, DESCRIBING MY DILEMA. IN ADDITION, I LET MR. CONGDON KNOW THAT MY WIFE WOULD BE BRINGING MY CAR IN ON FRIDAY SO THAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE INVESTIGATED. I ALSO TOOK DIGITAL PICTURES OF THE FUEL GAUGE AND HUD AFTER PULLING THE CAR INTO THE GARAGE FOR THE NIGHT. WHEN MY WIFE STARTED THE CAR IN THE MORNING THE FUEL GAUGE AND HUD READINGS MATCHED AT FULL. VAN CHEVROLET REPLACED THE LEFT FUEL TANK SENDING UNIT. PERHPAS IT WAS AN ERROR, BUT THE MILEAGE ON MY INVOICE #600182 WAS ~3,000 MILES MORE THAN THE ACTUAL READING. THE RIGHT ONE HAD BEEN REPLACED IN AUGUST 2004 AFTER THE IDENTICAL SYMPTOMS OCCURRED. IN ADDITION, I USED ONLY CHEVRON SUPREME GASOLINE AND ADDED A BOTTLE OF TECHRON TO THE TANK EVERY 3,000 MILES. ON SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2005 I TOOK PICTURES OF THE FUEL GAUGE AND HUD TO FURTHER RECORD THE READINGS. THE PICTURES ARE TIME AND DATE STAMPED. IT IS DISCONCERTING TO ME THAT I OWN A WORLD CLASS SPORTS CAR THAT I HAVE TO USE THE TRIP ODOMETER TO GAUGE THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN MY GAS TANKS. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT GM HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND THAT THERE HAS BEEN A RECENT FIX INVOLVING NEW COMPUTER BOARS THAT ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY. THIS EVENING I AM GOING TO SEND AN EMAIL TO MITCH CONGDON OF VAN CHEVROLET TO INFORM HIM OF MY CONTINUING PROBLEM.

THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN HIT OR ANY TYPE OF PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE CORVETTE HAS VERY LOUD RATTLES COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. IT CAN BE HEARD 45 FEET AWAY FROM THE CAR. CHEVY IS STATING IT'S NORMAL ADN ARE IGNORING ALL COMPLAINTS BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH IT. THE DEALER HAS GIVEN ME A NOTE FROM GM JUSTIFING THE EXCESSIVE NOISE. WEBSITE (SERVICE.GM.COM/SERVLETS/BLOBSHTM1?SHM1FILE=1297757&PUBID=319) I HAVE A $57,000 RATTLE BOX... WHAT CAN I DO? *AK

NHTSA CAMPAIGN 04V060000.*MR THE CONSUMER FEEL THAT THE SOLUTION FOR THE RECALL REPAIR OF THE LOCK PLATE MAY NOT BE ADEQUATE FOR MANUAL TRANSMISSION. *NM