1987 Chevrolet Corvette Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1987 Chevrolet Corvette, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Seat belts1356.5%
- Electrical313.0%
- Steering28.7%
- Suspension28.7%
- Interior & seats14.3%
- Driver assistance14.3%
- Brakes14.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1987 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WAS INOPERABLE AND WOULD NOT PULL OUT OF THE RETRACTOR. SEAVIEW BUICK GMC (17909 HWY 99, LYNNWOOD, WA 98037, (425) 742-1920) WAS CONTACTED, BUT COULD NOT CHECK FOR RECALLS BECAUSE THE VIN COULD NOT BE LOOKED UP IN THEIR SYSTEM. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 91V143000 (SEAT BELTS). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED THE SAME INFORMATION AS THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 175,000.
BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SEATBELTS ARE JAMMED AN UNUSEABLE. REAR SUSPENSION, BEARING MAKING NOISES. SEAT CONTROLS DRIVERS SIDE INOPERABLE
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE HAD BEEN TURNED OFF FOR A 1/2 AN HOUR. CONSUMER WAS NOTIFIED THAT SMOKE WAS COMING FORM FRONT HOOD. PARTS WERE TAKEN TO BE INVESTIGATED. DEALER WILL BE CONTACTED. *AK
INTERMITTENT NO-START PROBLEM. DEFECTIVE IGNITION PARTS INSTALLED AT FACTORY PER CHEVROLET BULLETIN 88-292-8A. CHEVROLET CONTACTED AND REFUSED TO COVER REPLACEMENT OF PARTS PER BULLETIN. FEE PAID TO GM FOR WARRATY TRANSFER AND EXTENSION TO 60,000 MILES. 25,000 MILES NOW ON VEHICLE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
FRONT STEERING LOCKS UP . AFTER CAR WARMS UP IT'S FINE ..I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON LATER MODLE YEAR CORVETTE . SAME PROBLEM FOR ALL 1987'S I HAVE LOOK AT . THEY GM NEEDS TO RECALL ALL 1987 CORVETTE AND FIX THIS STEERING PROBLEM .
THE STEERING RACK AND PINION HAS FAILED IN MY 1987 CORVETTE. THE CONDITION IS PREVALENT IN ALL 1984 TO 1991 CORVETTES. THE PROBLEM IS REFERRED TO AS GM "MORNING SICKNESS". THE PROBLEM CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL IN THE VEHICAL. GM CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE STEERING RACK (REPLACED HARD SEALS) FOR MODEL YEAR 1992 DUE TO NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SEATBELTS ARE JAMMED AN UNUSEABLE. REAR SUSPENSION, BEARING MAKING NOISES. SEAT CONTROLS DRIVERS SIDE INOPERABLE
THE FRONT FIBERGLASS LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY CRACKED DUE TO DETERIORATION. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SEATBELTS ARE JAMMED AN UNUSEABLE. REAR SUSPENSION, BEARING MAKING NOISES. SEAT CONTROLS DRIVERS SIDE INOPERABLE
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE BEGAN TO RAPIDLY ACCELERATE WHEN WAS LOW MOTION, CONSUMER IMMEDIATELY HAD TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION SWITCH TO STOP THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP INDICATED TO THE CONSUMER WE NEVER HEARD A PROBLEM LIKE THIS ONE, CALL NHTSA.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
ABS BRAKE FAILURE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .