2004 Chevrolet CORVETTE: complaints, problems and recalls

I HAVE A BRAND NEW 2004 CORVETTE 1 1/2 MONTHS OLD WITH ONLY 1341 MILES ON IT. WHILE DRIVING HOME IN RUSH HOUR DALLAS TRAFFIC ON A VERY BUSY FAST MOVING ROAD, MY ENGINE DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I COULD NOT RESTART THE CAR & WAS IN A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION RISKING THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING REAR ENDED. LUCKILY A POLICEMAN CAME BY AND PARKED BEHIND ME TO SHIELD ME FROM THE TRAFFIC. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE FREEWAY, I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE GM DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR (RAY HUFFINES CHEVROLET OF PLANO) IS ACTING LIKE IT IS NO BIG D…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,341 miles reported. Look up ODI 10078403 at NHTSA ↗

THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN NHTSA RECALL# 04V060000 WHICH STATES THAT ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRONIC COLUMN LOCK SYSTEMS (ECL), WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS TURNED TO ?LOCK,? THE ECL 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 TH…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10080250 at NHTSA ↗

SMELL GAS ODOR OUTSIDE THE CAR, MOSTLY ON THE DRIVER SIDE. GAS LEAKS FOUND BY THE DEALERSHIP ON THE DRIVERSIDE FUEL TANK, SEAL ON THE FUEL PUMP, AND THE INTERCONNCTING HOSES FOR BOTH TANK. ALL PARTS REPLACED.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 7,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10080367 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE GAS TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10087817 at NHTSA ↗

THE PRESENT SAFETY RECALL OF LATE MODEL CORVETTES TO RECTIFIY A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC STEERING LOCK WHILE TRAVELLING DOES NOT ELIMINATE THE SAFETY RISK IN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS. GM'S SOLUTION FOR MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES IS TO SHUT OFF GAS TO THE ENGINE INSTEAD OF REMOVING THE COLUMN LOCK PLATE (AS IN THE RECALL FOR THE AUTOMATICS). THE STEERING ON CARS EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS CAN STILL LOCK UP WHILE TRAVELLING AT HIGH SPEED - EVEN AFTER THE GM RECALL FIX. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS ISSUE - THIS IS STILL A PO…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10088646 at NHTSA ↗

GAS TANK LEAK .. BRAND NEW CAR 2004 CORVETTE... GAS WAS LEAKING FROM THE CROSSOVER PIPE ( WHAT DEALER SAID ) NEEDED TO REPLACE THIS AND THE LEFT SIDE GAS TANK. TOOK 25 DAYS TO FIX NO PARTS. BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT THIS IS FAIRLY COMMON. THIS LEAKED ABOUT A GALLON OR MORE ON MY GARAGE FLOOR COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS I HAVE A GAS HOT WATER HEATER AND THERE IS A PILOT LIGHT. FUMES WERE CONSIDERABLE WHEN DISCOVERED. ALSO LEAKED GAS WHILE DRIVING WITH DRIPPING AND NOTICEABLE GAS. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10098343 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 ZO6 CORVETTE IN NOVEMBER OF 2003. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS 1510 MILES ON IT AND I AM AFRAID OF THE SAFETY OF THE CAR TO DRIVE IT SINCE THE 2 EPISODES OF A SAFETY DEFECT AS DESCRIBED BELOW.*AK WAS NOTIFIED BY GENERAL MOTORS OF A RECALL NOTICE, 04006 ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK SYSTEM, ONCE IN APRIL AND ONCE IN SEPTEMBER. CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE RECALL FIXED BOTH TIME AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TOOL TO INSTALL THE PART THAT FIXES THE PROBLEM IS ON BACK ORDER UNTIL JANUARY 2005. TWICE WHILE DRIVNG THE CAR THE …

Owner-reported narrative. 1,510 miles reported. Look up ODI 10100841 at NHTSA ↗

1) I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM CHEVROLET RECALL INFORMATION PROCESSING CENTER ON MAY 13, 2004. THE RECALL IS # 04006 - ELECTRONIC COLUMN LOCK SYSTEM. THIS RECALL WAS STARTED ON FEB. 9, 2004 ACCORDING TO YOUR SITE. 2) I PURCHASE THE 2004 CHEVROLET CORVETTE COUP ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2004. I QUESTION CHEVROLET'S COMMITMENT TO SAFETY. ISSUEING A RECALL IN FEB. OF 2004 AND NOT BOTHERING TO REPAIR THE DEFECT WELL THE CAR WAS IN THEIR TOTAL CONTROL FOR 8 MONTHS, THEN SELLING ME THE CAR KNOWING FULL WELL THE DEFECT HAD NOT BE FIX, THEN WAITING AN…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10120983 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.

Reported: 2004-06-09 (June 9, 2004)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THIS CAMPAIGN, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL STUD NUT/WASHER ASSEMBLIES WITH WASHERS WERE MADE OF THE WRONG MATERIAL. THE WASHERS MAY FRACTURE AND BECOME LOOSE OR FALL AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE, REDUCING CLAMP LOAD. SEPARATION OF THE CONTROL ARM BALL STUD AND STEERING KNUCKLE, DUE TO DISENGAGEMENT OF THE TAPERED ATTACHMENT AND RETAINING NUT, IS POSSIBLE.

Consequence: IF THE CONTROL ARM SEPARATES FROM THE KNUCKLE, THE AFFECTED CORNER OF THE VEHICLE WILL DROP AND THE CONTROL ARM WOULD BE FORCED DOWNWARD, CONTACTING THE WHEEL. THE AFFECTED WHEEL COULD TILT OUTWARD AND CREATE A DRAGGING ACTION THAT WOULD TEND TO SLOW THE VEHICLE AND CREATE A TENDENCY FOR THE VEHICLE TO TURN IN THE DIRECTION OF THE AFFECTED WHEEL. IN EXTREME SITUATIONS, THE AFFECTED WHEEL ASSEMBLY COULD SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE. SEPARATION OF THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY WOULD ALSO SEVER THAT WHEEL;S HYDRAULIC BRAKE HOSE AND RESULT IN DIMINISHED BRAKING PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BALL STUD JOINTS AND MEASURE THE TORQUE OF THE NUT FOR ALL FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS IN ALL MODELS AFFECTED AS WELL AS THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARMS ON THE XLR AND CORVETTE. IF THE TORQUE IS NOT AT SPECIFICATION, THE DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BALL STUD, THE KNUCKLE, AND THE NUT. IF THE TORQUE IS AT SPECIFICATION, THE DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE NUT/WASHER ASSEMBLY ONLY. THE RECALL WILL BEGIN ON AUGUST 25, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339 OR CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438.