2016 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

My vehicle is covered by GM Special Warranty 17469 which relates to cracks and fuel leaks at the primary fuel pump module flange. It caught fire while driving at a high performance driver’s education event at Barber Motorsports Park and was denied coverage due to it having modifications. GM case number 9-15085163081. There were no warning messages displayed at any time during the incident. GM had the vehicle inspected by a “neutral” third party which turned out to be a retired GM service center instructor. None of the modifications on the vehicle affect the fuel pump module flange. This is in violation of the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act. The basic facts regarding the incident are as follows: the fire was a fuel fire, the vehicle had normal fuel pressure until I shut the engine off 2 minutes into the incident, the fuel line fittings are melted in the normal seated position, the fuel tank flange is cracked and fire damaged, the most significant fire damage is at the top of the driver’s side fuel tank (the location of the warrantied and currently cracked flange), the fire was not from any of the pressurized fuel lines. I have video from the vehicle of the incident prior to engine shutdown, pictures during and after the incident of all affected areas and components, and data logs of all vehicle parameters up to engine shutdown. These facts point strongly to the initial source of the fuel fire coming from the affected flange at the top of the driver’s side fuel tank. It is completely unacceptable that GM issued an extended warranty (and then denies coverage) for this known fire hazard vs issuing a recall. This is extremely unsafe and will lead to a loss of life if not corrected.

ENGINE

I left my car at Vandergriff Chevrolet in Arlington, TX for diagnosis and repair of a transmission sensor failure. They took nearly 6 weeks to fix the issue. When I went to pick up the car, there was a new noise in the engine so I left the vehicle for diagnosis. Now, they are telling me it's a known issue that is considered 'crucial' to repair but is not a recall and they are so far unwilling to cover the repair since it seems to have happened while they had the vehicle. I've attached their service bulletin indicating the known issue and repair.

WHEELS

Overview - November 2022, my 2016 Covette Stingray vibrated badly at highway speeds, that I took it into the Sunrise Chevrolet Buick GMC dealership in Collierville, TN to investigate the cause. They made videos showing 3 of the 4 wheels (not tires) were warped. This is my second car (rarely driven), so I was quite surprised. Chevy was out of stock and the vehicle was out of warranty, so I had to replace all 4 wheels using after-market parts that had to be shipped to the dealership at total cost of $3,400.58. A few weeks after the wheels were replaced, I noticed the vibration was still occurring at highway speeds, so I returned it to the same dealership on Jan 3rd, 2023. The dealership said that the transmission fluid had to be replaced with a "new design" to prevent the shaking at my expense for a total of $1,066.10. The problem is so well-known, that it's called the "Chevy Shake" on the Corvette forum. I feel that Chevrolet has put my safety at risk twice in 2022 with a faulty mirror (I files a separate complaint for that), the faulty tires, and the faulty transmission fluid.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Overview: Beginning sometime in 2020, the coating of the rearview inside mirror began to degrade and lose its reflective capability. By [XXX] visibility through the mirror was so bad that I had to have it replaced by the local Chevy dealership. Because it was out of warranty, I had to pay $453.93 out of pocket. The vehicle was unsafe to drive due to the mirror's degraded condition. 1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Rearview interior mirror 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I could not see clearly in the rearview mirror. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Many other drivers have reported the same issue with this model on the Corvette forum (see [XXX] ) Also, Sunrise Chevrolet in Collierville, TN confirmed the mirror was defective and replaced it at my expense. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)