Did I just get a lemon or are all C4 corvettes poor quality?

I have a 94 that I've owned for 7 years. Living in Wisconsin, I get to drive it about seven months out of the year and put on about 4000 miles a year. It's pampered and never driven hard. Every year something breaks on it. I'm getting real disgusted with the poor quality. Here's the list:
Optispark
Bloze CD player
Weather stripping
Various interior plastic trim pieces
Clutch
Clutch slave cylinder
Clutch hose
Mirror
Counsel
Leaking intake manifold gasket
Scratched side windows
Dried and cracked rubber bushings

The latest was the clutch slave cylinder. I got the replacement at Advanced Auto Parts for $86. I was happy to see that it was identical to the original, probably the same supplier. When I got the old one out, I discovered that the hose was cross-threaded at the factory and the threads on the hose were shot. A new hose is only $122. I'll get it in two days. So the car is doing what it does the best, sitting in my garage ,taking up space.

Oh well I feel better all ready. :rant:

 

WOW--YOU GOT A GOOD ONE!!! :D

Seriously, you gotta love 'em to own 'em. Kinda like the wifey--high maintenance now and then. :D

 

Yours is the standard list of stuff that falls apart. Fortunately there aren't any big-dollar powertrain components on that list like some GTs.

The clutch cylinder stuff typically only happens to cars that sit long enough for the bores to get cruddy (I'm in Mpls but I take mine out whenever the roads aren't sloppy, no problems so far).

Add to the list anything that has AC-Delco printed on it.

Lemon? no. Poor quality? Not really if you consider it a plastic-body racecar with plates and lights. The running gear is rock solid, the ergonomic stuff is an afterthought and therefore crap.


[Modified by rocketfinger, 4:26 PM 8/25/2003]

 

What are you comparing it to? 7 years and thats all there is for a list. Somethings last longer with care and some things don't. Was the fun of driving your vette worth the price. I would say yes,and if your answer is no than maybe a honda is in order. :D

 

:lol:
:leaving:

 

Hmmmm...your doing good compared to my list... wait until the rear wheel bearings and u-joints start going out.....:lol:


[Modified by Bruthish, 10:13 PM 8/25/2003]

 

Lets predict what goes out next... I say the starter! :D

No, really... In seven years and 30Kmiles, that doesnt seem too bad.

And Im serious about the starter... its next! :p:

 

mik,

drive the damned thing.

that is the biggest problem. I have 116,500 miles and yes, my 92 has had all of those problems, but gee, I have 116,500 miles... not 28k miles... and atrophy is such a bitch.

 

If the repairs concern you and you can't drive it more than 4k per year, get rid of it.

Time kills part as well as miles. I've always figured after 3 years its $200 a month for repairs. Some months its nothing and some its $900. If you spend less, you're getting over.

 

The thing to do is to spend some of the money you would be using to make payments on a new car and replace some item before they go out. If you feel caught up on repairs put the money away for the unexpected repairs. You'll be spending a
lot less than you would making payments on a new car. And in the end you have a top notch classic car.

 

drive the bejeezus out of it.you gots to excercise them demons!
do a good smokin burnout for every hundy you have to toss at it!
what i say :)

 

I've never thought twice as to why Consumer Reports gives the Vette their "worst than average" reliability rating. For my '89, I had the following problems during the warranty period: interior (seats & carpet) fell apart. I went through three or 4 alternators and the intake manifold leaked as did the evaporator and high pressure line to it. The first time I floored it, the compressor connector fell off the a/c clutch. The blower wire eventually melted at the connector because the terminals were only crimped and without solder, dropped voltage heating up the wires. I lost the water pump; burned up 2 ECMS and 1 MAF, and cold starts were always a long crank. The antenna quit twice and the precats fell apart as did the hatch weatherstripping. Most of the upper windshield weatherstripping came off with the roof panel the first time I removed it. The glass roof panel separated from its frame and the parking brake handle fell apart (a recall). Since then, and with 56,000 miles, I've had to replace both heads as the head gasket material was incompatible with the coolant eventually causing the gasket to leak which ruined the heads and plugged up the heater core and radiator with galvanic corrosion (After a number of complaints were recorded by the NHTSA, GM issued a Bulletin during early production of the '90 announcing new gaskets, but for some reason they didn't make it into production until '91). Replacing the injectors solved the long cold crank. Two or three Bose speakers quit and even though I've replaced them, the Bose still "hums". I quit counting alternators at a dozen and keep a spare on my bench (along with spares for the most common electrical connectors as they seem to break just by looking at them). The replacement water pump lasted 30,000 miles. I repainted (though the original still looked "pretty good" when it was 10 years old). I've pulled the tranny pan twice replacing a leaking pan gasket (and the owner's manual says the service interval is 100,000 miles!). I'm on my 3rd set of Gatorbacks (but I kinda expected that), 3rd set of mufflers (the second was a "performance" set that rusted out after 18 months so I can't blame GM) and a 2nd rear Y pipe. I bought a new console release button spring after the original broke, but while I was waiting for it to arrive, I was able to make it work with only half the spring, so I haven't put it in yet. The Low Tire Pressure Warning System will light up intermittently, but I read that the first design wasn't well shielded and that it will react to electrical noise from any source - especially if there's a Beater idling next to you at a stop light. I don't drive it very much and the rear seal will weep a teaspoon of oil if it sits for a month (though if I start it everyday it doesn't leak). I've only been through one set of brake pads but the rotors are fine. The tranny - save for the pan gasket - is solid as are the rearend, shocks and all suspension components. Taking a look at the C-5 complaints: water leaks; piston rings that don't seal and the steering issues (and for the latter, I thought I read that the NHTSA was pushing for a recall of the entire production run). So for me, it's hard to believe that GM has made any real improvements in the quality of the Vette and of course when Car & Driver got stranded with their test C5 after the alternator quit; well, I guess some things may never change.

 

"I've never thought twice as to why Consumer Reports gives the Vette their "worst than average" reliability rating. For my '89, I had the following problems during the warranty period: interior (seats & carpet) fell apart. I went through three or 4 alternators and the intake manifold leaked as did the evaporator and high pressure line to it. The first time I floored it, the compressor connector fell off the a/c clutch. The blower wire eventually melted at the connector because the terminals were only crimped and without solder, dropped voltage heating up the wires. I lost the water pump; burned up 2 ECMS and 1 MAF, and cold starts were always a long crank. The antenna quit twice and the precats fell apart as did the hatch weatherstripping. Most of the upper windshield weatherstripping came off with the roof panel the first time I removed it. The glass roof panel separated from its frame and the parking brake handle fell apart (a recall). Since then, and with 56,000 miles, I've had to replace both heads as the head gasket material was incompatible with the coolant eventually causing the gasket to leak which ruined the heads and plugged up the heater core and radiator with galvanic corrosion (After a number of complaints were recorded by the NHTSA, GM issued a Bulletin during early production of the '90 announcing new gaskets, but for some reason they didn't make it into production until '91). Replacing the injectors solved the long cold crank. Two or three Bose speakers quit and even though I've replaced them, the Bose still "hums". I quit counting alternators at a dozen and keep a spare on my bench (along with spares for the most common electrical connectors as they seem to break just by looking at them). The replacement water pump lasted 30,000 miles. I repainted (though the original still looked "pretty good" when it was 10 years old). I've pulled the tranny pan twice replacing a leaking pan gasket (and the owner's manual says the service interval is 100,000 miles!). I'm on my 3rd set of Gatorbac
ks (but I kinda expected that), 3rd set of mufflers (the second was a "performance" set that rusted out after 18 months so I can't blame GM) and a 2nd rear Y pipe. I bought a new console release button spring after the original broke, but while I was waiting for it to arrive, I was able to make it work with only half the spring, so I haven't put it in yet. The Low Tire Pressure Warning System will light up intermittently, but I read that the first design wasn't well shielded and that it will react to electrical noise from any source - especially if there's a Beater idling next to you at a stop light. I don't drive it very much and the rear seal will weep a teaspoon of oil if it sits for a month (though if I start it everyday it doesn't leak). I've only been through one set of brake pads but the rotors are fine. The tranny - save for the pan gasket - is solid as are the rearend, shocks and all suspension components. Taking a look at the C-5 complaints: water leaks; piston rings that don't seal and the steering issues (and for the latter, I thought I read that the NHTSA was pushing for a recall of the entire production run). So for me, it's hard to believe that GM has made any real improvements in the quality of the Vette and of course when Car & Driver got stranded with their test C5 after the alternator quit; well, I guess some things may never change. "

now there is an honest e-bay condition report!
:lolg:
really,way to hang in there. may you have a happy next 50k! :cheers:

 

Hmmm a 10 year old car. I don't think the factory quality is really the issue here.

 

This is practically the same philosophy as mine. Your list is mostly standard maintenance/replacement. Nothing sticks out as out of line. Methinks you let your vette sit too much. Drive on! :steering: :thumbs: :seeya

 

:lol:

 

As someone said, its a plastic sportscar with plates. I also have a '94 and the previous owners weren't the best for taking care of it, so I have some work ahead of me. My list includes, seat covers, seat power tracks, all the weather stripping, upper window stops, front main seak, tailshaft seal, door panels, plugs, wires, optispark, ect. for a 10 year old high performance car, that list seems about right to me. Like a Ferrari, these are sports cars that are meant to be driven and not sit in a garage looking pretty. Like a Ferrari again, these cars are going to cost money to maintain over the long run. The people that want performance without the headache of maintance, buy new and sell every few years. For the rest of us, repairs are part of keeping our dreams alive and on the road. Wear and tear is a fact of life on Corvettes, dating as far back as the first C1's. Be thankful that there are people out there that design new parts for our 8-20 year old cars cars. Because of these people we have electric water pumps to replace mechanical, coil over spring conversions to replace leaf springs, and the best of all (I think), a new Dynaspark to relieve some of the headaches of the optispark.

Just my $.02 worth

 

Is that all you have to complaint about replacing? Jeese. I wish I had so little to replace. I am worried everytime I drive my vette that I am risking around repair. In fact, even if it sits too long, sometime finds a way of breaking. That's why I will never sell it. In the end, I will probably have 20k put into a car that I spend only 6k to buy. hehe -

 

I got my 85 12 months ago with 107,837 on the clock. It just ticked over 118,000 today!

Ive put 9 alternators on
Replaced Front Pads
New Tires
(2) new Door lock switches
MODS
AIR pump Replacement
A GOOD WAXXING
Keep oil changed every 2700-3000 miles

Only complaint is creaking, and hard starting duee to leaky oil seals, and injectors that think they can prime up when I hit the key.

:banghead: I love my car, I knew going in it wasnt gonna be cheap or easy to maintain. But it gets looks, and its fast....

 

[QUOTE]I got my 85 12 months ago with 107,837 on the clock. It just ticked over 118,000 today!

Ive put 9 alternators on[Quote]

What kind of stereo requires 9 alternators :crazy: :smash: :D