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3.6

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
35,479 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2005 Chevrolet Corvette engine problems

engine problem

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2005 Chevrolet Corvette Owner Comments

problem #13

May 012021

Corvette

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My car has been broken for over a year now. It has been to the dealership for the main engine wiring harness part number 19115750 which is unique to the 2005 and 2006 corvette. The failure causes several different problem. It keeps the TCM from which is the traction control module which adjust speed and traction to the wheels which is design to help drivers keep their cars under control. Without this system the car will loose traction and can cause it to go off the road. The second issue with the harness is it can put the car limp mode which restricts the speed to under 40mph which if you are driving and trying to excel into traffic this system will come in without notice and put you into a situation where if you are trying to merge or just go when the light changes it will only go like 5 mph causes the cars behind you to run into the rear of your vehicle and when if fail and you are pulling into traffic it causes your car to be in a direct line of impact with oncoming vehicle. The engine harness also provides power to the transmission via the ECM which keeps it from providing enough power to run the transmission control computer. This will make your car not go into gear or make it go completely out so without a transmission your car won-€™t move at all. This happens without notice. Now GM doesn-€™t make a replacement harness anymore making your vehicle unusable. GM also wants between 7k and 10k to make a harness for the vehicle. This doesn-€™t include installation. This makes the owners like myself have to seek other means to repair the vehicle. Like having a custom harness made for vehicle. Since GM only made this harness for 2 years it has been impossible for me to get my vehicle repaired at any cost. Making owner to make decisions that are unfair to owners. Like sell the car for scrap Paid the expensive repair which is like half the value of the car. Trade the car and lose thousands of dollars if you can find a dealership willing to take

- Columbia, SC, USA

problem #12

Sep 062021

Corvette

  • miles
I left my driveway and got two miles up the road and with no warning lights or anything dashboard went dark and suddenly car put itself into assesory mode and car just stopped while driving. I was probably going 15 mph and luckily no one was behind me. The dash said to "shift into park" so I did then I started by pushing start button and it started right up with no problem. I can't get anyone to service vehicle because they said it is not reading any code from check engine light ect. So all I can do is hope it doesn't do this again. Scary.

- Acworth, GA, USA

problem #11

Jan 012016

Corvette

  • 6,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. While driving at any speed and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate over 5 mph. In addition, the check engine warning indicator illuminated and the messages "loss of power" and "traction control system" were displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined that the throttle body needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 6,000.

- Hawthorne, NY, USA

problem #10

May 112019

Corvette

  • 52,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, the steering wheel seized and could not be turned in either direction and the engine could not be immediately restarted. After the vehicle was finally restarted, the message 'steering locked' had displayed. The vehicle was towed the local dealer grabiak Chevrolet (8282 rt. 22 new alexandria, pa.) the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 52,000.

- Apollo, PA, USA

problem #9

Jun 252018

Corvette

  • 36,000 miles
While driving 70+mph on an interstate, "reduced power mode" and "service active handling" warnings illuminated on the dic aong with the check engine light. The vehicle then completely shut off making it extremely dangerous to get safely out of the paths of other vehicles. This has happened to the vehicle about 8 times now in varying circumstances, mostly while in motion. Error codes taken from handheld programmer include: P1516, P2101, P2135

- Auburn, AL, USA

problem #8

May 142018

Corvette

  • 27,000 miles
Took the car in for a chatter noise at idle and when stationary. I'm told that the torque tube needs to be replaced, the car only has 27,000 miles and it seems that this is a very dangerous thing to have happen if it fails why you are driving it and it causes major damage to the rest of the drive train. It is a major part of the drive train and an obvious defect with the Corvettes as noted in the forums. A recall is in order and chevorlet needs to step up to the plate and repair these to make this car safer before some one is seriously injured. The repair is very expensive at around 3,000. A repair that should never need to be done on a low mileage car.

- Saugus, CA, USA

problem #7

Mar 132017

Corvette

  • 100,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. While driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.

- Griffin, GA, USA

problem #6

Jun 052015

Corvette

  • 14,000 miles
This incident happened 4 or more times. However, this last time, I was traveling at 75 miles per hour on the I95. The traction control system light came on and then the car engine died on me as has happened on a number of other occasions. I was in the left lane on the highway. Lucky for me there were no vehicles behind or to the right of me so I was able to coast to a dead stop on the safe side of the road shoulder (right). The car normally would start again after this system failure. This time it did not and I had to have it towed to the nearest garage which was a Ford dealership. This could have been very serious had it not been for light traffic. I have had the vehicle service a number of times at GM dealerships for the engine light being on. The issue is still unresolved. I no longer have confidence in the vehicle as to its drivability and safety.

- Presque Isle, ME, USA

problem #5

Nov 102014

Corvette 8-cyl

  • 71,580 miles
Accelerated quickly to 35 mph and when I reached the end of the block I attempted to slow and make a right hand turn. At that time I got a warning to check the charging system and noticed I had no power steering. Managed to muscle the wheel to complete the turn (had it been my wife there is no way she would have been able to turn the wheel) and continue slowly down the street to my driveway where I again muscled the car into the driveway. Discovered that the motor was running but the serpentine belt was not moving. Thus no alternator, power steering etc. I had my independent mechanic check it out, discovered that the bolt that holds the harmonic balancer pulley on the crank shaft stripped and the crank shaft was turning and not moving the pulley. He called the dealership to inquire about the parts and they said they have plenty in stock. He thought this was surprising and that it was not a special order part. The service manager told him that they have had a number of similar incidents. Both my mechanic and I think this should qualify for some type of recall if it is happening with frequency. Obviously some kind of design flaw and/or material flaw, plus they didn't key the pulley so if the bolt strips you would not loose the power steering, etc. If this had happened at high speed or during the action of turning I believe a serious accident and/or injury could have occurred. Cost of the parts and repair were $2300.

- Northridge, CA, USA

problem #4

Oct 172013

Corvette 8-cyl

  • 47,150 miles
On four separate occasions over the last two weeks the vehicle has failed to start after being turned off for a brief period of time (while refueling the vehicle, etc.). on 2 of those 4 occasions the vehicle has required towing to a dealership's repair facility. On the first occasion, the vehicle would turn over but failed to start. It then mysteriously started again after sitting at the gas pumps of the gas station for approximately 45 minutes while waiting for a tow truck. On the second occasion, the vehicle failed to start but was able to be restarted after pulling and reinserting the fuel pump relay located in the under hood ubec. On the third occasion, pulling and reinserting the fuel pump relay had no affect, the vehicle would not start and the vehicle required towing to the dealership. The dealership noted loose connections on the ubec and also replaced the fuel pump relay. One day later, the vehicle again failed to start and required towing to the dealership, where the vehicle is currently. Upon writing-up the service ticket, the dealer stated that the circuits within the ubec on this vintage Corvette have been problematic and that the ubec would most likely require replacement. On visual inspection, the ubec appears to be located very close to the exhaust manifold on the vehicle which would make it very susceptible to intermittent failures of various ubec components caused by heat (headlights, fuel pump, etc.). GM should issue a voluntary recall to include a heat shield or some improvement in component design of the ubec on this vehicle.

- Thousand Oaks, CA, USA

problem #3

Jun 042013

Corvette

  • 10,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was restarted, but after driving two miles the service traction system and reduce power warning messages illuminated. The vehicle lost all power and stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle would restart after ten minutes. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was not inspected. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage and current mileage was 10,500.

- Kent, WA, USA

problem #2

Sep 012012

Corvette 8-cyl

  • 36,000 miles
Upon taking my car in for an oil change it was discovered by the technician that the bolt holding the harmonic balancer in place had backed itself out. This allowed the harmonic balancer to do excessive damage to several engine components including the oil pan. According to technician fire could have ensued or car could've suffered a severe loss of traction from the substantial oil leak. General Motors has issued a "technical service bulletin" outlining repair procedures to be performed at a local dealership at no cost to customers with cars in a specific VIN series. After looking up the tsb my car is not in said VIN series even though problem is exactly as described in tsb.

- Lemon Grove, CA, USA

problem #1

Jun 022012

Corvette 8-cyl

  • 61,000 miles
While turning in a corner on the highway, I lost power steering and I had smoke and debris flying out of the back of the car. Luckily there was nobody near me, and I managed to steer off the road safely. Looked in the engine and the accessory belt was shredded, which also destroyed the heat shield material on the inside of the hood. Got a friend to pick me up and we installed a new belt. Drove 0.5 miles and the belt flew completely off this time. Power steering completely died, and I could barely turn the wheel while being tailgated by cars. Cooling system failed, coolant flying all over the engine bay, under the car, and on the highway. I'm glad I wasn't killed. Checked all the pulleys and found that the crankshaft pulley bolt had backed out, which I later found out caused wobble on the belt and led the engine/car to fail. Got a tow to the nearest GM dealer. There are many complaints about this on internet Corvette forums, and GM is aware of the issue (tsb #05-06-01-001A). It seems like crashing and causing accidents would warrant a recall.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

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