388 of the
6,324 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Corvette
are about the transmission —
6% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2005.
388
Complaints
6%
Share of all complaints
13
Crashes
7
Fires
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints by model year
While driving normally, I was in the middle of a busy highway/intersection when the vehicle suddenly lost power and came to a complete stop. The vehicle shut itself off without warning, leaving the Corvette disabled in the roadway and causing a complete blockage of the road/intersection. Traffic was actively traveling around me, creating a serious safety hazard and putting both myself and other motorists at risk of a collision. After the vehicle stopped, it would not restart. The instrument cluster displayed a theft-deterrent/immobilizer warning and a lock/security symbol, along with a message stating that there could be a problem with the theft-deterrent system and referring to Immobilizer Operation. The vehicle has full electrical power, but when attempting to start it, it only clicks and the engine does not crank or start. I placed the key fob in the designated backup location as instructed in the owner’s manual, but the vehicle still would not start. The exact failed component has not yet been diagnosed or confirmed. The vehicle is available for inspection. The sudden and unexpected loss of power while I was in the middle of a busy highway/intersection caused an immediate and serious safety concern because the vehicle became completely disabled and blocked the roadway.
NHTSA complaint #11755590 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I bought this car from a dealer .that buys buy back cars from Gm .when i bought the car the dealer stated all service have been done . well i took to get oil changed and chevy told me they had no record of this service.the 2024 corvette gets a free oil and trans service from chevy.it has got to be done before 7500 miles .well the dealer have they car at there shop and i called and asked them why they did not do that service they told me it was not a free service but it clearly states it on there web sight,(2) Chevy told me my warranty will not be good because this was not done in the time frame but chevy had the car at there dealer ship just bought it back from the customer.also chevy gave ne a 12 month 12.000 mile warranty on they car plus still has factory warranty as well it has 14.000 now chevy will no honor what they said they would do please help
NHTSA complaint #11745996 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My left rear axel/rear differential/ control arm snapped with normal driving and breaking. It is available for inspection. This mechanical failure made me loose control of my vehicle on the busy freeway and threw me across a lane into the freeway center divider. Nearly caused a pile up accident and killed me.. The dealership service department checked it in today. I filed a claim today with the manufacture but nobody looked at it yet. There were no warning lamps and i believe there is still no warning lamps
NHTSA complaint #11742799 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving the vehicle in a NYC highway at approximately 45 mph the transmission shifted into neutral causing the vehicle to decelerate gradually resulting in near rear end collision. The vehicle transmission will not engaged into gear while moving nor after stopping.
NHTSA complaint #11738528 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The dual clutch transmission on my 2020 C8 Corvette has a diagnostic code of p1955. This was determined after the service light on the vehicle illuminated and it was taken to service at the dealership. Other codes that stored included p0868 and p0869 which indicate low hydraulic pressure and high hydraulic pressure respectively. The p1955 code is an internal fault that requires complete replacement of the transmission according to GM service bulletins. This bulletin also advises that no repair attempts are to be made except for complete replacement. The vehicle has not shown any symptoms currently. Gears shift normally, there are no vibrations, etc. However, the dealership advised the transmission can go into limp mode, fail completely, or damage other components of the power train at any point. This issue is known to GM. They have investigated the matter since 2021 or earlier. There have been no recalls on the transmission despite the safety risks of sudden loss of power, being stranded, or catastrophic destructive failure without warning. These pose risks to occupants inside the vehicle and other vehicles or people on the road. My repeated questioning of this matter to the dealership and GM customer service have been ignored. They only advise the cost to replace is with the owner of the vehicle despite the root cause being at the level of engineering of the part. They are unwilling to admit this failure is at the level of a manufacturing/engineering defect as a financial cost mitigation strategy. The Issue with sudden failure of the transmission in these vehicles are widely known, investigated, and occurring at a high rate, especially in early model C8 Corvettes.
NHTSA complaint #11737257 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Intermittent drivability issue involving the transmission during takeoff from a complete stop, most noticeable in heavy traffic and stop and go conditions. Vehicle shudders and lurches when accelerating from a dead stop, with a sensation similar to being hit from behind followed by abrupt engagement. This creates unpredictable launch behavior and raises concern for safe acceleration in traffic, including potential risk when entering intersections or merging. In addition, vehicle has a recurring squeaking noise on cold start that sounds like a belt or pulley related issue. Also experiencing an HVAC airflow malfunction where the center dash vents initially blow air, but within about 30 seconds the center vents stop and airflow shifts to lower vents and or upper dash vents only, affecting normal climate control and potentially defogging or visibility depending on conditions. Issue has been reported to authorized service centers, but the transmission concern has been difficult to duplicate and remains unresolved.
NHTSA complaint #11715879 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Noise from the rear of the vehicle. Took vehicle in to dealership. The determined that it was a left side loose axle nut. This is clearly a safety issue. It may not have been torqued properly at the factory. The vehicle is a 2021 with only 5500 miles. They did the repair/tightened the axle nut and the noise is gone.
NHTSA complaint #11702491 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On 10/13 after refuling my 2023 Chevy Corvette. I was cruising on a freeway when the car started showing signs of staying in 5th gear. The rev limiter was going from 500 to 2500 rpm rhythmically at a cruising speed of 65mph. At this time, I noticed the loss of response from the gas pedal. The car was then placed in manual shifting mode so that i can attempt to regain population control and maintain the flow of traffic as this was a high crash area. Unfortunately, this attempt did not work and the dash cluster illuminated with the following alerts "rear axil system offline" "idle creep disabled," "service transmission" at this time. The gear indicator on the dash that shows the mode and gear, for example: D3 (drive 3rd gear), completely disappeared and the gas pedal completely went unresponsive. At this point i used the momentum of the car in motion to exit off of the freeway into a parking center. The vehicle proceeded to not respond in regards to going into park, reverse, or drive. The only thing that worked was the electronic parking brake. This was a very scary situation that, without my federal law enforcement driving training I may not have coasted safely out of traffic.
NHTSA complaint #11693052 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated while shifting from second gear to third gear. The transmission was skipping a gear. The contact believed that the vehicle was not working properly. The vehicle was not responding as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with torque converter failure. The dealer contacted the surveyor for the protection plan approval. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact called the attorney general and was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 33,025.
NHTSA complaint #11689471 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle shook and shuddered abnormally. The contact stated that the failure had been constant since purchasing the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact believed that the shudder was due to the high-performance engine. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact stated that during an alignment at a dealer, the service technician informed the contact that the shudder was a known failure caused by the transmission fluid, causing the torque converter to shudder whenever the accelerator pedal was depressed. The technician provided the contact information on TSB: 19-NA-018. The contact stated that the vehicle had not been diagnosed by the service technician using a diagnostic machine. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
NHTSA complaint #11680931 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
A 2019 Corvette with 3,400 miles began to demonstrate a transmission torque converter shutter. This became rapidly and progressively worse causing driving to resemble being on a washboard road surface. The servicing dealer was familiar with the problem with this transmission and did resolve the issue with an expensive transmission fluid flush and exchange.
NHTSA complaint #11680089 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On 8/3/2025 I was at a stop light. It turned green. I went to go and my car would not go past first gear. Had to pull over. Waited turned the car off. Turned it back on and started driving, then I got an alert 545. Then my entire screen went blank only showing the alert. I called my dealership to explain. They said there were recalls on the 2023 and 2024 transmissions. That’s why I got the alert 545. But they said there was nothing they could do. I could bring it in for a test drive with a technician and if it pops up alert 545 then they would submit a ticket to GM. But the earliest to fix my corvette would be October. But also saying I would have to pay full price for everything. I bought my 2023 Corvette 1LT C8 stingray in 2022 and have only put 19,000 miles on it. I do not miss maintenance or anything. I’m not sure how to get GM to pay for my transmission and labor. It also would not let me acknowledge and click the button on the steering wheel. My display went off and I could not get it back on even turning the knob. This is incredibly dangerous for my safety. Transmission failure. Can’t see the speed I’m going.
NHTSA complaint #11679444 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced severe shuddering and vibration while accelerating from a stationary position and while driving at slower speeds. The cause of the failure has not yet been determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was provided with information of a TSB related to the failure. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 13,000.
NHTSA complaint #11655435 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Torque converter shudder and noise (definitely and issue related transmission). Around 1,500 RPM the vehicle starts to experience the shudder, shaking, and noise. Additionally there is a feeling of a surge in power, like if the vehicle shifts to an upper gear un intentionally, the vehicle launches forward occasionally (lurching forward). There is absolutely no issue while the vehicle idles, not at low or high RPM. The issue only occurs while the vehicle is in motion and at around 1,500 RPM. Using a V4 to V8 delete (Range Technology RA003B AFM/DFM Disabler) helps the issue significantly but it's still an issue. If that disabler is removed the issue is extremely pronounced. I purchased this vehicle as a used vehicle. I wouldn't have purchased the vehicle if I had the slightest idea of such a major issue with the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11654385 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
After an oil change at a Chevrolet dealer I drove to get gas. After refueling I got in and was preparing to drive away when I noticed the clutch pedal was on the floor and would not pop back up ready to be used. I had the car towed to the Chevrolet dealer where I learned the hydraulic clutch master cylinder had failed. I was lucky this didn’t happen while o was driving the car on the highway. I am not sure how that would have affected the drivability of the vehicle but it could have been very dangerous. I had received a letter from Chevrolet years earlier that described the problem and said if it happened within 10 years or 100,000 miles they would repair it. Mine failed after the 10 years but at only 8,500 miles. This system of not actually recalling the car for repair but instead issuing the owner a “notice”, doesn't seem fair for someone who doesn’t drive their vehicle many miles but is still costly and potentially dangerous when it occurs while the vehicle is being driven.
NHTSA complaint #11651898 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
GM has a well known issue with the transmission fluid used in assembly on a range of cars and dates which include my 2019 Corvette. The fluid used fails/ is defective. The process to fix the issue is to flush the fluid out and put in a different fluid. In the case of my Corvette, it actually requires a very expensive triple flush to ensure all of the original Dexron fluid has been removed and is replaced my Mobil fluid. The process is explained in an 18 page service bulletin 18-NA-355. This bulletin states that if a customer comes in complaining of shake/shudder during acceleration between 25 to 80mph or when the trans is not actively shaking, then there is no need to further diagnose. Just follow the procedure in the service bulletin. In other words, there is no need to investigate further because we already know what the problem is which is the defective Dexron fluid. This was my exact experience with the shake/shudder and the triple flush completely fixed the issue. My vehicle has 17k miles on it so this was no a normal maintenance issue nor would you expect a full flush of transmission fluid at 17k or really at any point. Perhaps adding some fluid at some point would be reasonable. Having to completely remove all traces of the assembly line fluid with a completely different fluid clearly indicates a defect in the original Dexron. The service bulletin clearly indicates GM knows that the Dexron is defective. A final note, a quick web search of this issue will bring up pages of threads of people who have experienced this exact issue. Please hold GM responsible for their error. Thanks
NHTSA complaint #11651394 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
my car is constantly having issues with hard shift in the transmission. also the wheels on this car is not structure properly. if you drive the car hire a speed there's a chance will could crack
NHTSA complaint #11649018 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I replaced the battery in my C8 Corvette after three years of ownership. Upon removing the plastic cover from the frunk to access the battery, I discovered the two front strut mounts. To my dismay, I noticed excessive corrosion on both strut mounts, with the left side near an AC compressor line being considerably worse. I immediately took the car to the dealership, where they took pictures and agreed it was a design defect. They submitted a warranty claim to GM, which was denied multiple times. Despite having purchased an extended warranty when I bought the car, which still shows corrosion coverage until 2026 and over 100,000 miles, both the dealership and GM refused to repair my car. I explained that if my garage-kept car, which was never driven in the rain, had such severe corrosion at only 13,703 miles, one could only imagine the condition of a daily driver with the same defect. I then began noticing videos on YouTube exposing the problem and selling aftermarket strut covers (not OEM or from a dealership). This issue poses a significant safety hazard, as a strut could eventually fail due to corrosion. At high speeds of 70 mph on the interstate, this failure could potentially endanger the driver, passengers, and other motorists. However, the dealership and GM Customer Service continue to insist that it is a maintenance issue, despite it clearly being a design flaw. I voiced my concerns about the safety implications, but they offered no explanation or comment other than reiterating that it's a maintenance issue. I warned them that when someone dies as a result of this problem, they will eventually have to pay for the strut mounts and face additional lawsuits. They informed me that the conversation was being recorded, and I hope someone with authority will listen to it. It's not a matter of if, but when these strut mounts fail, endangering the safety and lives of others on the road. respectfully [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11643898 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the began to jerk and hesitate. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,000.
NHTSA complaint #11624974 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.