2001 Chevrolet CORVETTE: complaints, problems and recalls

THE RIGHT REAR UPPER CONTROL ARM BRACKET BROKE OFF THE FRAME BECAUSE THE BOTTOM 2 (OF 4 TOTAL) WELDS WERE NOT MAKING CONTACT WITH THE FRAME. THE WHEEL MOVES FREELY IN AND OUT. I'M TOLD THAT MINE WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THE WELD PROBLEM, BUT THE FIRST ONE LOCALLY THAT HAS ACTUALLY BROKEN OFF. TS

Owner-reported narrative. 7,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000323 at NHTSA ↗

STEERING WHEEL HAS LOCKED UP ABOUT 10 OR 15 TIMES. USUALLY IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING THE CAR. IT HAS HAD ME STRANDED FOR ANYWHERE FROM 5-60 MINUTES. TWO DEALERS HAVE LOOKED AT THE CAR AT LEAST 5 OR 6 TIMES. I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED UNTIL I WAS DRIVING TO WORK A FEW WEEKS AGO ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AT A RATE OF SPEED OF ABOUT 65MPH WHEN THE DIGITAL DISPLAY ON THE COMPUTER SAID TO "SERVICE STEERING COLUMN LOCK". THIS IS THE USUAL NOTIFICATION I GET ON MY CAR WHEN THE WHEEL HAS LOCKED UP IN THE PAST. FORTUNATELY THE STEERING DIDN'T LO…

Owner-reported narrative. 27,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000663 at NHTSA ↗

BAD SET OF TIRES. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW AND HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT MAKING A NOISE. I AM A WOMAN SO I THOUGHT IT WAS COMING FROM THE REAREND OF THE CAR. I KEPT TAKING IT IN ANDHAVING IT CHECKED AND THE DEALERS SAID IT WASN'T THE REAR END OF THE CAR. FINALLY THEY FOUND WHAT WAS MAKING THE NOISE, THE TIRES HAVE BUMPS AND LUMPS ON THEM, THE TIRES AREN'T EVEN ROUND.I HAVE TRIED SINCE NOVEMBER TO GET GM TO HONOR THE WARRENTY ON THE CAR AND REPLACE THE TIRES AND HAVE RECIEVED NOTHING BUT A RUN AROUND. THEY WERE SUPPOSE TO LET ME KNOW SOMETH…

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000743 at NHTSA ↗

JUST AFTER STARTING MY 2001 CORVETTE, I WAS PULLING OUT OF THE GARAGE AND THE STEERING LOCKED UP. I THINK THIS IS BECAUSE THE STEERING PIN SOLENOID DOESN'T PULL THE PIN WHEN THE VOLTAGE DROPS. MY BATTERY WAS APPARENTLY WEAK BECAUSE WHEN THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER BEAT THE STEERING COLUMN UNTIL THE PIN DROPPED, THE CAR WOULDN'T START WITHOUT A JUMP. REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

Owner-reported narrative. 8,757 miles reported. Look up ODI 10002931 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVE WAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP. CAUSING HIM TO CRASH INTO THE NEIGHBOR NEXT DOOR HOUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10004162 at NHTSA ↗

MESSAGE "SERVICE STEERING COLUMN LOCK". DEALER SAID RECALL DOES NOT INCLUDE THE '01 CORVETTE, JUST PREVIOUS YEARS. APPARENTLY THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CURED, JUST DROPPED THE RECALL. REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

Owner-reported narrative. 37,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10005255 at NHTSA ↗

A DEEP AND LONG CRACK WAS ON THE REAR LEFT WHEEL, WHICH CAUSED AIR TO LEAK FROM THE TIRE. *AK *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10012381 at NHTSA ↗

THE ENGINE BURNS EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF ENGINE OIL. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10014104 at NHTSA ↗

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.