Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2007 Chevrolet Corvette submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 28 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 28, in the owner's own words
The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated the engine of the vehicle was replaced because he wanted to update the engine. The contact stated that once the engine was replaced the vehicle would not start. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and stated that 5 cylinder fractured causing the engine to lock up. The manufacturer was contacted and provided no further assistance. The failure mileage was 0.
On 2/24/18 while driving the vehicle in first gear taking off from a stoplight averaging a speed no higher than 30mph and not yet entering 2nd gear the vehicle made a loud screeching noise from the motor area and then abruptly stopped and shut off the engine. A dashboard warning of reduced motor speed appeared and the vehicle stayed in accessory mode only allowing the interior electrical systems to operate. The roadway that I was on being 3 lanes wide and at time of engine failure I was in the middle lane, I was forced to attempt to take vehicle off main roadway onto a side street. Being that the engine abruptly stopped, speed was lost rather quickly putting me in a dangerous situation where the vehicles behind me and next to me could potentially hit me endangering my safety. Additionally I had to cross over in front of oncoming traffic as the only available safe stop was a side street was on the opposite side of road. At that point I was able to stop the vehicle off the roadway onto a side street where the vehicle was then towed back to our residence. The vehicle was then later towed to our mechanic where bore scope inspection revealed a thrown piston and rod. At that time we authorized a tear down to be completed by the mechanic that revealed a thrown piston and rod in the 1st cylinder, which we have since found out is a known and common cylinder to fail. The rod was thrown through the block and piston shattering which made this catastrophic motor failure not allowing repair to be completed and the only option being a full motor replacement. The mechanic advised this was due to a faulty valve in the cylinder head. Symptoms I feel may have been related and ultimately contributed to this failure date back as far as the date I purchased the vehicle on 4/2/16 where vehicle engine made irregular noises. Vehicle was seen 4/18/16 by Chevy stating noises normal and characteristic to alternator, as well as 11/14/17 when a cylinder 3 injector malfunction was detected.
The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in his garage with the engine off, the contact turned on the accessory switch which caused the engine to start. Once the engine started, the vehicle began to roll backward with the driver-side door open which caused the contact to be knocked over. The contact was dragged with the vehicle out of his garage as the driver's side door was caught by a part of the house garage door jamb which folded the door. The driver door detached the vehicle as the driver-side window burst and damaged the interior door panel. The contact was able to roll free from the vehicle once it left the garage; the vehicle rolled into his neighbor's landscaping which caused the vehicle to stop. The contact suffered cuts and scrapes to the right side of his back, buttocks, arm, ankle, as well as, his left and right legs. The contact did not seek medical attention. A police report was not filed. The contact drove the vehicle back into the garage and later had it towed to an independent body shop. The contact called a dealer where they informed him that there were no recalls on his vehicle. The contact attempted to reach the manufacturer but was kept on indefinite hold. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 7,800.
After starting the vehicle I am unable to shift out of park. This endangers both myself and a passenger if I need to move the car quickly in case of fire or another vehicle or object coming toward me. It also endangers other passengers in vehicles I may be blocking because they are unable to move. There are many other C6 Corvettes with this same problem documented per the Corvette Forum and YouTube.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT INITIALLY SMELLED AN ABNORMAL FUEL ODOR EMITTING FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED SPOTS AROUND HIS LEFT REAR TIRE IN HIS DRIVEWAY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE WITH A DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP, AND THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. SINCE THE REPAIR, THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS FUEL GAUGE HAD BECOME DEFECTIVE AND WOULD GIVE FALSE READINGS. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH BURNS CHEVROLET OF GAFFNEY (101 PEACHOID RD, GAFFNEY, SC 29341) WHERE HE ATTEMPTED TO PURCHASE A FUEL PUMP BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE MANUFACTURER HAD YET TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FUEL GAUGE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,100.
I WAS PARTICIPATING IN A HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVING EDUCATION (HPDE) EVENT AND WAS DRIVING MY CAR GOING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH ON THE VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY (VIR) ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE 27, 2017, WHEN IT SEEMED TO LOOSE ACCELERATION. I DROVE FURTHER ON THE TRACK AND STILL DID NOT HAVE NORMAL ACCELERATION AND I SAW BLUE SMOKE COMING OUT THE EXHAUST SO I EXITED THE TRACK AND WHEN I GOT IN THE ENGINE STOPPED. SEVERAL MECHANIC TYPE PEOPLE FAMILIAR WITH CORVETTES LOOKED AT MY CAR ENGINE AND INSTRUCTED ME TO TRY TO START IT, WHICH I WAS ABLE TO DO AND AGAIN BLUE EXHAUST SMOKE CAME OUT. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND HAD IT TOWED TO MY CAR DEALER, HOLIDAY CHEVROLET IN WILLIAMSBURG, VA. THEIR MECHANICS DETERMINED THAT THE EXHAUST VALVE IN CYLINDER #1 DROPPED FROM THE HEAD INTO THE CYLINDER AND EVENTUALLY EXITED THE ENGINE THROUGH THE EXHAUST PORT AND INTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE BLOCK WAS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR AND AN ENTIRE ENGINE REPLACEMENT WAS REQUIRED, WHICH IS WHAT I DID. *TR
I PURCHASED MY CORVETTE IN 2013. IT HAD 11050 MILES ON IT. I DROVE IT FOR 3 MONTHS. I WAS DRIVING ONE DAY AND IT DROPPED THE NUMBER #1 CYLINDER VALVE AND THREW A PISTON OUT THE MOTOR. IT HAD 12600 MILES ON IT WHEN THIS HAPPEN. THEIR HAS BEEN SEVERAL CORVETTE OWNERS WITH THIS SAME ISSUE. I FEEL GMC IS RELIABLE FOR THIS IS ISSUE AND NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL POPPING SOUND COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE EXHAUST VALVE AND NUMBER ONE CYLINDER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.
2007 CHEVROLET CORVETTE ZOS WITH LS7 ENGINE - EXCESSIVE ENGINE VALVE GUIDE WEAR - PER THE GM VALVE WIGGLE TEST MY CAR WAS FOUND TO HAVE UP TO 3 TIMES THE ACCEPTABLE ENGINE VALVE TO GUIDE CLEARANCE AT 24,139 MILES. SOME LS7 ENGINES HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE, BREAKING A VALVE DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE CLEARANCE CAUSING THE ENGINE BLOCK TO BREAK OPEN, SPILLING OIL ONTO THE REAR TIRES WHILE LN FORWARD MOTION CAUSING A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. DUE TO THE SAFETY CONCERN THE ENGINE WAS DISASSEMBLED AND REPAIRED. GM HAS KNOWN OF THIS ISSUE AND REPLACED MANY LS7 ENGINES WHICH DID EXPLODE DUE TO THE VALVE GUIDE WEAR ISSUE.
CAR GOES INTO DEFERRED ENGINE POWER. REPLACED THROTTLE BODY 3 TIMES. THE CAR STARTS TO VIBRATE AND THEN SHUTS DOWN. THIS IS DANGEROUS FOR THE DRIVER AND COULD GET KILLED. WE HAVE CHECKED ENGINE LEAKS, SENSORS, ETC. THE CAR WILL DRIVE OKEY FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND THEN ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON AND THEN STARTS TO VIBRATE AND SHUTS DOWN AND STOPS. I HAVE TO WAIT A LITTLE WHILE, SOMETIMES IT WILL START UP AND SOMETIMES WILL NOT. I CANNOT DRIVE LONG DISTANCES OR AT NIGHT FOR FEAR THE CAR WILL JUST STOP. THIS IS DANGEROUS. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. BROUGHT TO THE DEALER AND THEY JUST SAY, GET A NEW VETTE, THEY DO NOT TAKE THIS PROBLEM SERIOUSLY. NOR DO THEIR TECHNICIANS KNOW HOW TO WORK ON A VETTE. THEY HAVE HAD THE DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM IN A NOTEBOOK. ONE TECH LEFT HIS NOTES IN MY CAR. IF A DOCTOR HAD TO TAKE OUT HIS NOTES TO SEE HOW TO DO A SURGERY, I WOULDN'T GO TO HIM. WOULD YOU? '
HARMONIC BALANCE BAD ON CAR WITH ONLY 50K
ENGINE DESTROYED ITSELF. WITH 56K MILES ON THE ENGINE A VALVE BROKE WHILE RUNNING, FALLING INTO THE CYLINDER WHERE IT WAS HIT BY THE PISTON CAUSING THE PISTON TO GO INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK WALL. THERE WAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH VALVES / VALVE GUIDES IN THESE ENGINES. CHEVY PRODUCED A SERVICE BULLETIN (#13-06-01-001) YET DID NOTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM AT THE TIME. THEY'VE ALSO REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING TO REMEDY MY SITUATION.
ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON AND GOES INTO DEFERRED ENGINE POWER. HAVE REPLACED THROTTLE BODY TWICE. CAR RUN GREAT AND THEN THE ENGINE LIGHT WILL GO ON AND WHEN I START THE CAR IT STARTS TO VIOLENTLY VIBRATE. I TURN OFF. SIT FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND THEN TRY TO START AGAIN. SOMETIMES IT WORKS AND SOMETIMES NOT. DEFERRED ENGINE POWER IS DANGEROUS. SENSORS HAVE BEEN RESET. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM BEEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY ARE PRICE GOUGING. PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. AS SOON AS THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE TRACTION CONTROL, ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM, AND SERVICE ENGINE SOON WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000. ..UPDATED 09/11/17 *BF *TR
NEEDLE BEARINGS WERE FOUND IN OIL PAN. THIS IS VERY COMMON PROBLEMS IN GM VEHICLES AS DEFECTIVE UNCAGED ROCKER ARM DESIGN WHICH CAUSES ROCKER ARMS TO EASILY BREAK OFF BEARINGS. GM EVEN ISSUES A BULLETIN, BUT OWNERS HAVE TO BEAR THE COST OF DEFECTIVE FACTORY-PARTS. BROKEN NEEDLE BEARINGS COULD END UP IN ENGINE AND DESTROY ENGINE. EVEN OWNERS REPLACE BROKEN ROCKER ARMS, THEY WILL FAIL BECAUSE THEY'RE UNCAGED. TO REPAIR PERMANENTLY, OWNERS HAVE TO INSTALL CAGED ROCKER ARMS FROM NON-FACTORY PART, WHICH WILL NULLIFY WARRANTY. OWNERS ARE TRAPPED IN KEEP REPLACING ROCKER ARMS, OR INSTALL NON-DEFECTIVE NON-FACTORY CAGED ROCKER ARMS AND LOSE WARRANTY. GM SHOULD RECALL THIS PROBLEM.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN AT THE DEALER FIVE OTHER TIMES FOR THE SAME WARNING INDICATOR. VARIOUS COMPONENTS WERE REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AWAITING AN APPOINTMENT DATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000. ..UPDATED 07/31/17 *BF
WHILE PASSING A LARGE TRUCK ON A RURAL HIGHWAY (FM 2004) THE ENGINE DROPPED A VALVE WHICH AS I HAVE BEEN INFORMED IS A KNOWN ISSUE ON THESE CARS WITH THE Z06 LS7 ENGINE HAVING PREMATURE VALVE GUIDE WEAR. THE MOTOR LOCKED UP AFTER THE PISTON HIT THE VALVE RESULTING IN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE CAUSING THE REAR TIRES TO LOCK UP AS A RESULT OF THE ENGINE LOCKING. I WAS ABLE TO APPLY THE CLUTCH AND REGAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR AND THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OTHER THAN A CLOSE CALL WITH THE 18 WHEELER I WAS TRYING TO PASS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF THE SAME ISSUES I HAVE SEEN WHILE RESEARCHING WITH THIS CAR FROM 2007 TO 2013 7.0 LITER ENGINE FROM GM.
2007 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 WITH LS7 ENGINE - EXCESSIVE ENGINE VALVE GUIDE WEAR - PER THE GM VALVE WIGGLE TEST MY CAR WAS FOUND TO HAVE UP TO 3 TIMES THE ACCEPTABLE ENGINE VALVE TO GUIDE CLEARANCE AT 24,139 MILES. SOME LS7 ENGINES HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE, BREAKING A VALVE DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE CLEARANCE CAUSING THE ENGINE BLOCK TO BREAK OPEN, SPILLING OIL ONTO THE REAR TIRES WHILE IN FORWARD MOTION CAUSING A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. DUE TO THE SAFETY CONCERN THE ENGINE WAS DISASSEMBLED AND REPAIRED. GM HAS KNOWN OF THIS ISSUE AND REPLACED MANY LS7 ENGINES WHICH DID EXPLODE DUE TO THE VALVE GUIDE WEAR ISSUE.
MAKING A LEFT TURN IN A STOPLIGHT INTER-SECTION THE MOTOR FAILED SHUTTING OFF ALL POWER TO THE VEHICLE...MOTOR FAILED DUE TO EXCESSIVE VALVE GUIDE WEAR...VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET
I HAVE A 2007 CORVETTE Z06 WITH 43 K MILES ON IT. I DECIDED TO HAVE SOMEONE CHECK MY CAR BECAUSE OF THE ARTICLE I HAD READ ABOUT THE LS7 ENGINES HAVING VALVE GUIDE ISSUES. I WAS SURE THAT THEY WOULD BE OK BECAUSE THE CORVETTE SITES SAY IT IS ONLY A MINOR AMOUNT OF HEADS THAT WERE MACHINED IN CORRECTLY. I WAS HAVING OTHER WORK DONE TO MY CORVETTE SO LOOKED FOR A PLACE THAT DOES MOSTLY CORVETTE SERVICE, I TOLD THE MECHANIC TO CHECK MY VALVE GUIDES WHILE HE WAS DOING THE OTHER WORK I WAS SURE THEY WOULD OF BEEN OK. UPON MY SURPRISE HE SENT ME VIDEOS SHOWING ME THAT THEY WERE NOT OK AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. IT COST ME $1,950.00 TO HAVE MY HEADS CNC AND NEW VALVE GUIDES AND SPRINGS INSTALLED THE OLD ONES WERE VERY BAD I HAVE VIDEOS SHOWING THIS, THE CAR WAS RUNNING WITH LITTLE VALVE NOISE AT THE TIME BUT WERE STILL BAD MECHANIC WOULD NOT EVEN DYNO THE CAR AFTER SEEING HOW BAD THEY WERE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE ROOF PANEL. IN ADDITION, AFTER A ROUTINE INSPECTION, THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD AN OIL LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V491000 (STRUCTURE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 27,000.
VALVES OF SPECIFICATIONS. I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO GET THIS FIXED. IF I WOULD HAVE DROPPED A VALVE WHILE DRIVING I COULD HAVE LOSS CONTROL OF MY CAR. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT CHEVROLET REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE 2007 Z06 23884 MILES 1 INT .008" #1 EXH .006" #3 INT .0085" #3 EXH .005" #5 INT .0085" #5 EXH .010" #7 INT .009" #7 EXH .005" #2 INT .010" #2 EXH .011" #4 INT .010" #4 EXH .012" #6 INT .008" #6 EXH .017" #8 INT .007" #8 EXH .006" MAX GM SPEC IS .0037" WHICH WOULD ROUGHLY BE .0075" ON THE WIGGLE TEST. SO BASICLLY IF THE WIGGLE TEST IS OVER .0075" THE GUIDES ARE OUT OF SPEC.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE CLUTCH TO SHIFT FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR. WHEN THE CLUTCH WAS RELEASED, THE VEHICLE JERKED AS IF THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CONTACT ENGAGED THE CLUTCH AND MANEUVERED TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A VALVE HAD FALLEN INTO CYLINDER ONE. AS A RESULT, THE PISTON AND CYLINDER WALL WERE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,500.
WHILE DRIVING THE CORVETTE, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WITH NO NOTICE. THE DASH INDICATED THE VEHICLE HAD ENTERED ACCESSORY MODE. POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES AND ENGINE POWER WERE COMPLETELY GONE. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, THE DIC WENT FROM 'ACCESSORY MODE' TO 'SHIFT INTO PARK'. IN ORDER TO DO SO, I HAD TO COAST TO A SAFE PLACE. ONCE I GOT TO A SPOT WHERE I COULD MOVE OFF THE ROAD, I SHIFTED TO PARK AND RESTARTED THE CAR. IT THEN DROVE ON AS USUAL, BUT THERE WAS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR OTHER INDICATOR. THIS HAPPENED ONLY ONCE THIS DAY, HOWEVER OCCURRED THREE ADDITIONAL TIMES WITHIN 10 MILES ON THE 23RD OF JULY. I CONTACTED A GM SERVICE TECHNICIAN WHO WORKS AT A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND HE CHECKED FOR ANY SERVICE BULLETINS OR RECALLS. THERE WERE NONE FOR THE CORVETTE. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET, AND CORVETTE FORUM (I AM A 10 YEAR FORUM MEMBER). I FOUND NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF THE IGNITION SWITCH IN 2005-2007 CORVETTES FAILING IN THIS MANNER. I LOCATED AN IGNITION SWITCH AND REPLACED IT. THIS FIXED THE PROBLEM IN 15 MINUTES AND FOR LESS THAN $50 AT DEALER RETAIL. I KNOW FROM OTHER NHSTC RECALLS ON VEHICLES THAT IGNITION SWITCH FAILURES ARE CONSIDERED A CRITICAL AND DANGEROUS FAILURE. THE FAILURES IN THE CORVETTES SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THESE RECALLS. IF SUCH A FAILURE OCCURRED DURING CROSSING TRAFFIC OR WHILE DRIVING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY INTERSTATE TRAFFIC, THE RESULTS COULD EASILY BE (AND MAY ALREADY HAVE BEEN) DEADLY. PLEASE CONSIDER INITIATING A RECALL, OR INCLUDING THE AFFECTED YEARS OF CORVETTE IN AN EXISTING RECALL. MY CAR IS NOW FIXED DUE TO MY ABILITY TO SEARCH FORUMS AND OTHER WEB BASED INFORMATION, HOWEVER MOST CORVETTE OWNERS ARE NOT AS INVOLVED OR AS WEB SAVVY AND COULD BE INVOLVED IN A LONG DRAWN OUT PROBLEM/DIAGNOSIS PROCESS WHICH WOULD PUT THEIR LIVES AT RISK. THANK YOU.
THIS CAR INTERMITTENTLY LOCKS THE STEERING COLUMN. NO REASON. THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF AT SPEED. *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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