2000 Chevrolet CORVETTE: complaints, problems and recalls

FUEL GAUGE INACCURACY. WHEN FUEL GAUGE GETS TO ABOUT 1/4 TANK, IT WILL DROP TO EMPTY SETTING OFF LOW FUEL ALARMS. GAUGE WAS REPAIRED 9/24/02. AGAIN ON 11/29/02 IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THE SAME COMPONENTS (SENDING UNITS) WERE REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME. I AM A MEMBER OF CORVETTEFORUM.COM AND SEE THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ON GOING SINCE 1997 WHEN THE C-5 CORVETTE WAS INTRODUCED. IT IS STILL HAPPENING ON THE 2003 MODELS WITH ONE OWNER HAVING IT OCCUR AT 800 MILES ON A 2003 MODEL. CAN'T GET CHEVROLET TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM SO IT WON'T COME BACK. CH…

Owner-reported narrative. 12,695 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000154 at NHTSA ↗

2000 CORVETTE STEERING LOCK PROBLEM. I RECEIVED A NOTE FROM GM SAYING THAT THEY WOULD DISCONNECT THE LOCK AND IF I DID NOT HAVE IT DONE IN A TIMELY MANNER THEY WOULD WASH THEIR HANDS OF THE PROBLEM. I PAID $45M FOR THE CAR AND THE SOLUTION WAS TO DISARM A SAFETY FEATURE. I COMPLIED BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID THE LOCK WOULD ENGAGE WHILE DRIVING. I FELT I HAD NO CHOICE. TS REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000301 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002505 at NHTSA ↗

THE VEHICLE'S STEERING COLUMN HAD LOCKED WHILE STARTING AND WOULD ALSO LOCK UP WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. TS SCC REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

Owner-reported narrative. 19,650 miles reported. Look up ODI 10004396 at NHTSA ↗

THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKUP OCCURRED ON START UP. GM'S FIX FOR THIS CONDITION WAS PERFORMED BY THE DEALER AND THERE HAS BEEN NO FURTHER OCCURRENCE. HOWEVER, TWO OF MY FRIENDS HAVE HAD THE "DEALER FIX" PERFORMED, ONLY TO HAVE THE FAILURE HAPPEN A SECOND TIME. I AM WORRIED THAT THIS LOCKUP WILL HAPPEN AT SPEED. REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10007583 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE HAD THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS; REMOVABLE TOP SQUEAKED, DRIVER'S SIDE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE WAS LOOSE, RIGHT FRONT TURN SIGNAL FAILED, EXCESS OIL, AND STEERING/IGNITION INTERLOCK RECALL. ALSO DELCO BATTERY CABLE LEAKED ACID, CONTROL LIGHT MALFUNCTIONED.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10011366 at NHTSA ↗

THE CONVERTIBLE TOP SQUEALED,THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE HAD COME LOOSE, THE RIGHT FRONT TURN SIGNAL HAD GONE OUT, THE VEHICLE EXCESSIVELY USED OIL, THE VEHICLE HAD A RECALL ON THE STEERING IGNITION LOCK, ULTIMATELY THE STEERING LOCKED AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHILE BEING BACKED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE GAS GUAGE MALFUNCTIONED, THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT HAD COME ON, THE VEHICLE STALLED, AND THE BATTERY LEAKED ACID. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO BE COMPENSATED FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. SCC REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10011597 at NHTSA ↗

THE VEHICLE STALLED ON THE FREEWAY. THERE WAS NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL AND THE CABLE SHORTED. THE ENGINE OVER HEATED WHILE DRIVING DUE TO THE COOLING HOSE HAD BLOWN. ON ANOTHER OCCASION THE ENGINE LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING DUE TO FUEL INJECTORS, BLOWN EXHAUST VALVES, AND THE PUSH ROD WAS BENT. MR SCC *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 14,576 miles reported. Look up ODI 10015756 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.