Chevrolet Corvette Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 1,843 NHTSA complaints, the Chevrolet Corvette years to avoid are 2008, 2009, 2017 and 2019 — the worst logged up to 8.1× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by fuel failures. Updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 587 | 490 | 0 | AVOID |
| 2009 | 152 | 114 | 0 | AVOID |
| 2010 | 84 | 59 | 0 | SOLID |
| 2011 | 84 | 66 | 1 | CAUTION |
| 2012 | 56 | 35 | 1 | SOLID |
| 2013 | 82 | 61 | 0 | SOLID |
| 2014 | 61 | 36 | 5 | SOLID |
| 2015 | 64 | 35 | 5 | CAUTION |
| 2016 | 103 | 37 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2017 | 255 | 27 | 4 | AVOID |
| 2018 | 51 | 4 | 1 | BEST |
| 2019 | 147 | 21 | 1 | AVOID |
| 2020 | 34 | 14 | 4 | SOLID |
| 2021 | 11 | 8 | 2 | N/A |
| 2022 | 20 | 8 | 1 | BEST |
| 2023 | 22 | 12 | 1 | SOLID |
| 2024 | 20 | 11 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2025 | 10 | 6 | 3 | N/A |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Chevrolet Corvette. Full methodology.
Common Chevrolet Corvette problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Chevrolet Corvette are fuel, transmission, steering. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Fuel pump housing cracking / fuel and vapor leaks
· Chevrolet Corvette 2008–2017Corroborated by 81 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 682 fuel complaints across 2008–2017, typically 8,500–100,037 miles.
Transmission torque converter shudder
· Chevrolet Corvette 2015–2019Corroborated by 6 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 40 transmission complaints across 2015–2019, typically 1,500–33,025 miles.
Power steering assist loss
· Chevrolet Corvette 2014–2017Corroborated by 6 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 28 steering complaints across 2014–2017, typically 3,800–74,000 miles.
Why these years stand out
2008 Chevrolet Corvette: 587 owner complaints on federal record, 490 of them severe — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Chevrolet Corvette.
2009 Chevrolet Corvette: 152 owner complaints on federal record, 114 of them severe — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Chevrolet Corvette.
2017 Chevrolet Corvette: 255 owner complaints on federal record, 27 of them severe, plus 4 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Chevrolet Corvette.
2019 Chevrolet Corvette: 147 owner complaints on federal record, 21 of them severe, plus 1 recall campaign — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Chevrolet Corvette.
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FAQ
What years of the Chevrolet Corvette should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the Chevrolet Corvette years to avoid are 2008, 2009, 2017 and 2019 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by fuel issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Chevrolet Corvette?
The 2018 and 2022 Chevrolet Corvette show the cleanest federal records among years with enough time on the road to judge — the lowest severity-weighted complaint rates for the model.
How is the Chevrolet Corvette verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Chevrolet Corvette's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Chevrolet Corvette before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Chevrolet Corvette reliable?
The Chevrolet Corvette's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 1,843 NHTSA owner complaints, 2008, 2009, 2017 and 2019 rate "avoid", while 2018 and 2022 show the cleanest federal records — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Chevrolet Corvette?
The most-reported problem area for the Chevrolet Corvette is fuel, followed by transmission and steering. Confirmed failures include fuel pump housing cracking / fuel and vapor leaks, transmission torque converter shudder, power steering assist loss. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Chevrolet Corvette across every model year on record. Retrieved August 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Chevrolet Corvette, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verify the flagged years in NHTSA's public database:
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.