1997 Chevrolet CORVETTE: complaints, problems and recalls

BATTERY LEAKED ACID ON TO PCM UNDER BATTERY TRAY AND ON TO A/C VACCUM HOSE.

Owner-reported narrative. 66,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000254 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVE THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE WHEEL TO TURN. ALL I COULD DO IS PULL STRAIGHT FORWARD INTO MY GARAGE AND TURN OFF THE CAR. REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

Owner-reported narrative. 24,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000970 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 5MPH ON FLAT SURFACE AND WITHOUT WARNING THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10001648 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING TRACTION CONTROL COMES ON AT ANY SPEED, AND THEN VEHICLE'S SPEED DROPS TO 40 MPH OR BELOW.*JB ...*AK ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR WAS REPLACED. HOWEVER PROBLEM REOCCURRED. *TT

Owner-reported narrative. 41,853 miles reported. Look up ODI 10002502 at NHTSA ↗

LAST SUMMER,WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, MY COLUMN LOCK FAILED TO RELEASE AND NEARLY CAUSED A COLLISION W/2 OTHER CARS. I CALLED THE LOCAL CHEV. DEALER AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY CORVETTE DIDN'T FALL WITHIN CERTAIN VIN NUMBERS FOR THAT RECALL FOR THAT VERY SAME PROBLEM AND THAT IT SHOULDN'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM. WELL, IT DOES HAVE THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM, BUT GM WONT FIX THEIR FAULTY DESIGN/PARTS AND WANT TO CHARGE ME $500 MINIMUM TO FIX! SO I HAD THE CAR TOWED HOME, ATE THE $100 FLAT BED TOW BILL, AND CALLED OTHER GM DEALERS…

Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10005306 at NHTSA ↗

THE FUEL TANK IS LEAKING GASOLINE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10006782 at NHTSA ↗

IN AUGUST 2002,UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT MOVE. A MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED INDICATING STEERING COLUMN LOCK. I WAS FORCED TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE ME TO THE DEALER. BECAUSE OF THE PARKED POSITION OF THE VEHICLE AND THE INABILITY TO MOVE THE WHEEL IN ANY DIRECTION, THE ONLY OPTION AVAILABLE FOR US TO LOAD THE VEHICLE WAS TO BACK IT INTO AN ACTIVE ROADWAY. I HAD THE PART REPLACED BY MAIL. CHEVROLET DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THEY HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE, BUT IT HAD NOT BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL. A …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10008564 at NHTSA ↗

THE ENGINE LIGHT AND THE SERVICE TRACTION LIGHT HAD COME ON WHILE TRAVELING. THE REPAIR WORK WAS MADE ON THE PULLEY, AND THE BALANCER. THE TOP PULLEY LOOKED AS IF SOMEONE BEGAN TO WORK ON IT BUT DIDN'T FINISH BECAUSE THE BOLTS WERE LOOSE. THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A PROGRAM ERROR. THE PRIMARY BELT/TENSIONER BELT HAD COME OFF-THE TENSIONER BELT WAS REPLACED. THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP, THE POWER STEERING BELT WAS TAKEN OFF. THE LOW TRACTION LIGHT HAD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY WHILE ACCEL…

Owner-reported narrative. 23,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10009877 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2000-04-17 (April 17, 2000)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE LAP BELT WEBBING CAN TWIST ALLOWING THE WEBBING TO BECOME JAMMED IN THE RETRACTOR.

Consequence: WHEN THE BELT WEBBING BECOMES JAMMED IN THE RETRACTOR, THE SEAT BELT MAY BE UNUSABLE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL INSERTS TO THE BELT WEB GUIDE OF EACH LAP BELT RETRACTOR.

Reported: 2004-02-09 (February 9, 2004)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRONIC COLUMN LOCK SYSTEMS (ECL), WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS TURNED TO "LOCK," THE ECL SYSTEM PREVENTS TURNING OF THE STEERING SYSTEM. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, THE ECL UNLOCKS THE STEERING SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE IS DESIGNED SO THAT IF THE COLUMN FAILS TO UNLOCK WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED AND THE CUSTOMER TRIES TO DRIVE, THE FUEL SUPPLY WILL BE SHUT OFF SO THAT THE VEHICLE CANNOT MOVE WHEN THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE STEERED. IF VOLTAGE AT THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE IS LOW OR INTERRUPTED, HOWEVER, THE FUEL SHUT OFF MAY NOT OCCUR AND THE VEHICLE CAN BE ACCELERATED WHILE THE STEERING SYSTEM IS LOCKED. ALSO WHEN THE CONTROL SYSTEM SHOWS THAT THE ECL IS UNLOCKED AND THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, THE LOCK PIN LOCATION CAN VARY. DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION OF THE LOCK PLATE RELATIVE TO THE SWITCH TRANSITION POINT, THERE COULD THEN BE CONTACT BETWEEN THE LOCK PLATE AND PIN CAUSING THE STEERING TO LOCK WHILE DRIVING .

Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS, A CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy: ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER WILL DISABLE THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK BY REMOVING THE COLUMN LOCK PLATE. WHEN THE IGNITION KEY IS REMOVED, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WILL LOCK BUT THE STEERING COLUMN WILL NOT LOCK. ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER WILL REPROGRAM THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE, PERFORM A DIMENSIONAL CHECK OF THE COLUMN LOCK AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE LOCK PLATE. THE STEERING COLUMN ON THESE VEHICLES WILL CONTINUE TO LOCK WHEN THE KEY IS REMOVED. OWNER NOTIFICATION TO OWNERS OF 1997 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS BEGAN ON APRIL 26, 2004. OWNERS OF 1998 THROUGH 2004 VEHICLES (EXCEPT 1997-1998 MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES) WILL BE NOTIFIED BEGINNING ON AUGUST 2, 2004. THE REMAINING OWNERS (1997-1998 MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES) WILL BE NOTIFIED LATER IN 2004, WHEN PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438.

Reported: 1997-03-20 (March 20, 1997)

THE REAR SUSPENSION TIE ROD ASSEMBLY CAN FRACTURE.

Consequence: IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL CAN RESULT INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT AND RIGHT-HAND REAR SUSPENSION TIE ROD LINKS.

Reported: 1997-06-28 (June 28, 1997)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE SEAT BELTS IN THESE VEHICLES INCORPORATE AN ENERGY MANAGEMENT LOOP. THIS LOOP IS INADEQUATE TO ABSORB THE NECESSARY FORCES THAT CAN BE EXERTED ON IT. THEREFORE, THE VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION."

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE ENERGY MANAGEMENT LOOP WILL NOT ABSORB ENOUGH ENERGY, AND INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT CAN OCCUR.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR ASSEMBLIES.

Reported: 1997-06-23 (June 23, 1997)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES HAVE A TORN FUEL TANK SENDING UNIT/PUMP SEAL. THIS CAN CAUSE FUEL ODOR AND/OR LEAKAGE AT THE ATTACHMENT LOCATION.

Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE FROM A TORN SEAL CAN RESULT IN A FIRE IF AN IGNITION SOURCE IS PRESENT.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT AND RIGHT HAND FUEL TANK ASSEMBLIES (INCLUDING FUEL SENDING UNIT AND PUMP).