FaultScore

2005 Chevrolet Corvette airbag problems

44 of the 718 complaints about the 2005 Chevrolet Corvette are about the airbag system — 6% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 35,512 miles.

B

44

Complaints

2

Crashes

0

Fires

2

Injuries

Exactly what failed

AIR Bags 44 100.0%

Airbags across every Chevrolet Corvette year

1990 18 9.7%
2005 44 23.8%
2006 14 7.6%
2007 26 14.1%
2008 24 13.0%
2009 15 8.1%
2010 14 7.6%
2011 10 5.4%
2012 10 5.4%
2013 10 5.4%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Coweta, OK Crash 2 injured

AIR BAGS

This lead to an injury accident which totaled the car. I have documentation stating that the recall was fixed, but after I moved to Germany with the Army, the recall regularly activated the active handling when not needed (e.g parking) but then when we started slipping, the active handling did not engage and we crashed, totaling the car. The airbags did not engage even though the car played pinball on both sides of the autobahn. If we were going any faster, we would have died.

NHTSA complaint #11629385 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 41,000 miles Columbia, SC

AIR BAGS

THE AIRBAG LIGHT KEEPS ILLUMINATING FOR NO REASON. FROM WHAT I READ, THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WILL NOT OPERATE WHEN THE RED INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD LITE

NHTSA complaint #11383937 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rockford, IL

AIR BAGS

DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF,BOTH WHEN STATIONARY AND WHEN IN MOTION

NHTSA complaint #11360502 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 35,000 miles Orange, VA

AIR BAGS

AIRBAG ERROR LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF. EVEN AFTER HAVING THE FRONT SENSOR REPLACED. HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. APPEARS RELATED TO CONNECTOR UNDER SEATS. DON'T KNOW IF AIRBAG WILL ACTIVATE IF NEEDED.

NHTSA complaint #11149836 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 15,670 miles Sebastian, FL

AIR BAGS

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON. CONNECTOR UNDER SEAT LOOSES CONTACT. VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH CORVETTES.

NHTSA complaint #11067198 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 26,000 miles Jamestown, NY

AIR BAGS

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF EACH TIME THE CAR IS RUNNING. SOMETIMES IT STAYS ON FOR MINUTES, OTHER TIMES IT MAY STAY ON THE ENTIRE TIME THE CAR IS RUNNING. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS 26000 MILES. THE LIGHT IS ON BOTH WHEN THE CAR IS SITTING STILL IN PARK AND WHEN IT IS BEING DRIVEN. DO I HAVE AIRBAG PROTECTION WHEN THIS OCCURS ? THE OWNERS MANUAL STATES THAT IF THE LIGHT IS ON THE AIRBAGS MAY DEPLOY FOR NO REASON. VERY UNSAFE IF CAR IS BEING DRIVEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. CORVETTE OWNERS NEED TO BE MADE AWARE OF THE RISKS INVOLVED IN DRIVING THIS CAR.

NHTSA complaint #10968505 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 47,000 miles Hunting Beach, CA

AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND BLINKED ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000.

NHTSA complaint #10887823 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 100,000 miles Chadds Ford, PA

AIR BAGS

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT GOES ON, RENDERING AIRBAG INOPERATIVE. POOR CONNECTORS BELOW SEAT, A DESIGN FLAW, LEAD TO THIS. RECURS NO MATTER HOW OFTEN YOU RETURN TO DEALER. THIS IS SO COMMON IN 2005 CORVETTES, AND SO POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS, THAT ALL 2005 CORVETTES SHOULD BE RECALLED TO HAVE THIS DEFECT REPAIRED...

NHTSA complaint #10806645 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 35,200 miles Bolivar, OH

AIR BAGS

AIR BAG LIGHT ON BECAUSE OF FAULTY CONNECTOR DISABLING VEHICLE AIR BAGS. NOT SAFE.

NHTSA complaint #10764347 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 106,000 miles Chadds Ford, PA

AIR BAGS

AIR BAG LIGHT GOES ON -- DEALER TRIES TO FIX (AT CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE) AND SAID FIX LASTS FOR MAYBE A MONTH OR TWO. I HAVE GIVEN UP SPENDING FOR THIS TEMPORARY FIX -- I USE MY 3 POINT SEAT BELT EVERY TIME AND HOPE IT IS GOOD ENOUGH.... THIS PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN IN THE CORVETTE COMMUNITY AND TO GM, AND HAS BEEN FOR A LONG TIME. GM SIMPLY REFUSES TO COME UP WITH AN APPROPRIATE FIX FOR THIS AND IT IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION.

NHTSA complaint #10714181 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 39,000 miles Saint Paul, MN

AIR BAGS

AIR BAG LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF. INTERMITTENTLY. FAULTY CONNECTOR UNDER DRIVERS SEAT. CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH C6 CORVETTES.

NHTSA complaint #10712475 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 118,000 miles Marianna, FL

AIR BAGS

ABOUT EVERY DAY WHILE DRIVING MY CORVETTE. THE SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING LIGHT WILL COME. AND MY BRAKES WILL START JERKING. ALSO THE AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND GOING OFF THE WHOLE TIME I DRIVE IT. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THERE 05 CORVETTES. SOMETHING NEEDS DONE ABOUT THIS. GM NEEDS TO STEP UP AND RECALL FOR THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE SOMEONE REALLY GETS HURT.. PLEASE HELP.

NHTSA complaint #10705947 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 88,000 miles LA Quinta, CA

AIR BAGS

RED AIR BAG LIGHT STARTED COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY AND HAS CONTINUED DOING IT FOR THE PAST 6 YEARS. THE PAST 4 MONTHS OR SO IT NOW STAYS ON CONSTANTLY.

NHTSA complaint #10683858 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 60,000 miles Centreville, VA

AIR BAGS

AIR BAG LIGHT GOES ON IF I MOVE THE DRIVERS SEAT FORWARD PAST A CERTAIN POINT. DEALER REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS 2 YEARS AGO BUT THE PROBLEM DID NOT GO AWAY.

NHTSA complaint #10654977 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 70,000 miles Oakland, CA

AIR BAGS

SEVERAL YEARS AGO AIRBAG RED LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING AIRBAGS INOPERATIVE. G M MECHANIC FIXED BY REFASTENING SOMETHING UNDER DRIVER'S SEAT. RECENTLY RED LIGHT FOR AIR BAGS BEING INOPERATIVE HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY COMING ON AGAIN. I WILL HAVE G M MECHANIC REFIX. HOWEVER, THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM BY A LOT OF CORVETTE OWNERS.. ANOTHER CORVETTE PROBLEM IS THE RECENT HEADLIGHTS TURNING OFF RECALL. RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, BUT THERE ARE NO PARTS AVAILABLE FOR G M TO BE ABLE TO FIX THIS. BOTH OF THE ABOVE ARE CERTAINLY LIFE AND SAFETY ISSUES THAT SHOULD RECEIVE BETTER ATTENTION THANK YOU

NHTSA complaint #10652289 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 2,000 miles Saint Clement, CA

AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH, THE CHECK AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC BUT IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.

NHTSA complaint #10638557 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 12,500 miles Washington, DC

AIR BAGS

MY AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT COMES "INTERMITTENTLY". THIS HAPPENS AT LEGAL OPERATING SPEEDS AND NORMAL CONDITIONS. IT WILL EVEN HAPPEN WHILE STANDING STILL. GM RECALLED A NUMBER OF BUICKS AND GMCS THAT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT STAYING ON (SOME 2008-2009 AND ALL 2010-2013 BUICK ENCLAVE AND GMC ACADIA, SOME 2009 AND ALL 2010-2013 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, AND SOME 2008-2009 AND ALL 2010 SATURN OUTLOOK TO REPAIR THE WIRING HARNESS OF SEAT MOUNTED SIDE AIR BAGS). THE FIX WAS TO SPLICE THE HARNESSES AND SOLDER THE WIRES TOGETHER! COULD THIS BE A FIX FOR THE CORVETTE TOO? SHOULD THE CORVETTE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS RECALL?

NHTSA complaint #10628067 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 7,500 miles Mansfield, TX

AIR BAGS

RED AIR BAG LIGHT STARTED COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY AND HAS CONTINUED DOING IT FOR THE PAST 6 YEARS. THE PAST 6 MONTHS OR SO IT NOW STAYS ON CONSTANTLY.

NHTSA complaint #10627805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 36,100 miles SAN Clemente, CA

AIR BAGS

CHECK AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AGAIN. IT GOES OFF AND ON RANDOMLY. WHEN IS THIS GOING TO BE CORRECTED? MY CORVETTE HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE. THEY JUST MOVE THE WIRES UNDER THE SEAT AND THE LIGHT GOES OUT FOR AWHILE. AT ONE POINT THEY SAID THE PRE-TENSIONER WAS DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED IT. I HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AT THE TIME AND PAID MY $200 DEDUCTIBLE. A FEW MONTHS LATER THE LIGHT WAS BACK AND MY DEALER WAS SHUT DOWN BY GM. IT WENT OUT BECAUSE THEY MOVED THE WIRES NOT BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE TENSIONER. THEIR TECH 11 SAW AN OPEN CIRCUIT, NOT A DEFECTIVE TENSIONER. THEY OWE ME $200. THAT'S A LAUGH. I ZIP TIED THE CONNECTOR'S UNDER THE SEAT. THAT LAST FOR AWHILE AND THE LIGHT COMES BACK. THIS PROBLEM IS THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT THE BUICK WAS RECALLED FOR. THE SAME FIX IS REQUIRED FOR THE CORVETTE. A CONNECTOR UNDER THE SEAT NEEDS TO BE REMOVED AND THE WIRES SOLDERED TOGETHER ARE WE WAITING FOR A DEATH? IT WILL HAPPEN SOONER OR LATER. THE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON. I HAVE FILED MANY COMPLAINT'S WITH THE NHTSA AND SO HAVE MANY MEMBERS OF THE C6 CORVETTE FORUM WITH NO LUCK OR RESPONSE TO LET US KNOW THAT YOU EVEN READ THEM. I CONTINUE TO HOPE TO GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO YOU. PLEASE CALL OF EMAIL ME.

NHTSA complaint #10625744 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 110,000 miles Poplar Bluff, MO Crash 2 injured

AIR BAGS

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY SERVICE HANDLING TRACTION SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON AND CAR WENT TO RIGHT AND L RAN IN A DITCH 11000 DOLLARS IN DAMAGE AND NOT ONE AIR OPEN.

NHTSA complaint #10616252 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 35,500 miles SAN Clemente, CA

AIR BAGS

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? THE C6 (2005-2013) CORVETTE HAS A SERIOUS CHECK AIR BAG LIGHT PROBLEM. THERE WERE 215,000 PRODUCED AND MOST ALL OF THEM HAVE THE PROBLEM AND THE DEALERS WILL NOT DO ANYTHING. MANY OWNERS DRIVE EVERY DAY WITH THE CHECK AIR BAG LIGHT ON 100% OF THE TIME MEANING THE SYSTEM WILL NOT WORK WHEN NEEDED. I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS MANY TIMES AND OTHER OWNERS ON THE CORVETTE FORUM HAVE ALSO. THERE ARE AROUND 20,000 MEMBERS AND WE FEEL WE ARE BEING IGNORED BY THE NHTSA AND GENERAL MOTORS. THE BUICK RECALL IS FOR THE EXACT SAME THING AND THE EXACT SAME THING IS CAUSING IT. THE WIRING UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT. ARE WE WAITING FOR A SERIOUS ACCIDENT? PLEASE CALL ME FOR MORE INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #10609446 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 44,000 miles Houston, TX

AIR BAGS

MY AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CONTINUES TO STAY ON WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA complaint #10607187 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 5,000 miles SAN Clemente, CA

AIR BAGS

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? THE C6 CORVETTE (2005-2013) HAS BEEN REPORTED HUNDREDS OF TIMES FOR THE CHECK AIR BAG LIGHT BEING RANDOMLY ON AND OFF. THE PROBLEM IS THE SAME AS THE BUICK THAT WAS RECALLED. ARE WE WAITING FOR A DEATH? I HOPE NOT. I AM ONLY ONE THAT HAS REPORTED THIS MANY TIMES IN THE LAST NINE YEARS. CHECK MY PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL THE DETAILS EVEN A LETTER FROM GM ADMITTING THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM FOR YEARS. IS IT BECAUSE ONLY 215,000 C6 CORVETTES WERE PRODUCED? IF ANYONE READS THIS AND WANTS TO TALK TO ME, EMAIL ME AT LESANDVITA@SBCGLOBAL.NET OR CALL ME AT THE NUMBER BELOW.

NHTSA complaint #10604327 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 2,200 miles Elmwood Park, NJ

AIR BAGS

THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS LIT SOLID WHEN THE CAR IS ON AND WILL NOT SHUT OFF. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH EARLY MODEL YEAR C6 CORVETTES (2005 - 2007) AND GM HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL ON IT. THERE ARE MANY MEMBERS ON THE CORVETTE FORUM WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.CORVETTEFORUM.COM/ WHO HAVE THE SAME EXACT ISSUES. GM HAS ISSUED MANY RECALLS IN THE PAST MONTH REGARDING LIT AIR BAG LIGHTS ON OTHER CARS. WHY HAS THE CORVETTE BEEN EXCLUDED? IT IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE IF THE AIR BAG DOES NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. I WENT TO CRANE CHEVROLET IN NJ WITH THE AFTERMARKET WARRANTY THAT I BOUGHT WITH MY CAR FOR $2200 AND THEY REFUSED TO HONOR IT. AND THE DEALERSHIP WANTS $100 JUST TO RUN A SCAN TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. THEN IT CAN BE ANYWHERE FROM A FEW HUNDRED TO ALMOST A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FIX DEPENDING ON WHAT PART OF THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IT IS.

NHTSA complaint #10595670 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 39,656 miles Herndon, VA

AIR BAGS

AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT ON DASH STAYS ON, FOUND CONNECTOR UNDER DRIVERS SEAT WORKS ITSELF LOOSE AFTER REPEATED SEAT MOVEMENT.

NHTSA complaint #10588986 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 62,000 miles Laurel, MS

AIR BAGS

THE AIRBAG SAFETY LIGHT CONTINUES TO GO OFF BETWEEN 2000 AND 2500 RPMS. GM KNOWS ABOUT THE ISSUE, BUT HAS NOT ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL. THE FIX IS TO REGROUND A WIRE UNDER THE SEAT, BUT NO DIAGRAM HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY GM DETAILING HOW TO DO THIS.

NHTSA complaint #10588608 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 35,600 miles SAN Clemente, CA

AIR BAGS

CHECK AIR BAG LIGHT. WHAT IS TAKING SO LONG. THIS HAS BEEN AN ON GOING ISSUE WITH THE 2005 THRU 2013 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. WE HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE NHTSA BY THE HUNDREDS IF NOT MORE. THE DEALERS DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. GM ENGINEERING SENT ME A LETTER (I SENT IT TO YOU) ADMITTING THEY KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT HAVE NO PLANS ON A RECALL. ARE WE WAITING FOR A DEATH? GM RECALLED THE BUICK FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS THE CORVETTE. THEY ARE REMOVING A DEFECTIVE CONNECTOR UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT AND SOLDERING THE WIRES. WE CORVETTE OWNERS CAME UP WITH THAT PLAN MANY MONTHS AGO. I AM RELUCTANT TO DO IT MYSELF FOR LEGAL REASONS. I'M A MEMBER OF THE CORVETTE FORUM WITH OVER 26,200 POST AND THIS ISSUE IS DISCUSSED EVERY DAY. HELP.

NHTSA complaint #10585960 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 55,000 miles Washington, DC

AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING SYSTEM WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. ALSO, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN PERFORMED THE REPAIRS FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V172000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA complaint #10584505 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 35,600 miles SAN Clemente, CA

AIR BAGS

THIS IS A LETTER SENT TO ME ABOUT THE CHECK AIR BAG LIGHT AND THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT IT AND HAVE NO PLANS ON DOING ANY THING ABOUT IT. I HOPE THINGS HAVE CHANGED. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. I HAVE NUMEROUS EMAILS FROM GM ON THE SUBJECT. [XXX] I AM SORRY THAT IT HAS TAKEN ME SOMETIME TO GET BACK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR AIR BAG LIGHT, I HAD TO SPEAK WITH INTERNAL RESOURCES. THE AIR BAG LIGHT CONCERN IS CAUSED BY THE SEAT BELT CONNECTOR UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT COMING LOOSE. THERE WAS A CHANGE MADE IN 2008 THAT MOVED THE CONNECTOR THAT HELPS SOME BUT DID NOT COMPLETELY REMEDY IT. IT CAN ALSO BE SEEN IN FEWER NUMBERS IN 2008 ? 2010. IT WAS DRIVEN BY THE CONNECTOR BEING PLACED DIRECTLY UNDER THE SEAT CUSHION. WHEN A CUSTOMER USES EASY EXIT OR MEMORY SO THE SEAT MOVES AT EACH DOOR OPENING IT WILL WORK THE CONNECTOR LOOSE OVER TIME. THE FIX WAS TO ATTACH IT TO THE SEAT FRAME SO IT DID NOT GET DRUG ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF THE CARPET. IN 2008 THEY MADE THE WIRE A LITTLE LONGER TO MOVE THE CONNECTOR OUT OF THE WAY. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY DISCUSSION FOR A RECALL OR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ACTION BECAUSE IT WAS SELF-DECLARING. I AM SORRY THIS IS NOT THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU WISHED FOR ON THIS MATTER. I DID LOOK INTO THE CONCERN AND I DID SPEAK WITH THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS. I AM SORRY TO BE THE ONE TO BRING YOU THIS NEWS. I DO THANK YOU FOR BEING DILIGENT IN REACHING OUT TO ME. I DO HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD HOLIDAY, [XXX] CHEVROLET CUSTOMER CARE INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA complaint #10569464 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 62,000 miles Laurel, MS

AIR BAGS

AIRBAG LIGHTS WILL FLASH AT RANDOM OR STAY LIT. THIS INDICATED THAT THE SYSTEM WILL NOT FUNCTIION. GM IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, A FRAIL GROUND SIGNAL, AND WILL NOT FIX THE ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #10557566 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2005 Chevrolet Corvette problems

← Full 2005 Chevrolet Corvette report