C6 issues/problems vs. C5 issues/problems.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 19,980
Likes: 74
C6 issues/problems vs. C5 issues/problems.
So we all know and probably agree that overall, the C5 is a well built sports car (and obviously the best bargain sports car out there 
).
With that said, it has a few known problems/issues/quirks...some are an easy fix (for example--broken plastic headlight gears replaced with brass headlight gears or replacing acid batteries which can leak with AGM batteries, LMC5 installs, etc.) and others are a PITA (for example--broken oil pressure sender units or broken/failing harmonic balancers). But the one thing that is likely with a broken C5 is that the issue effecting the car is probably one of the "nasty 15" (or so) issues every C5 owner experiences rather than some odd, random part breaking.
So, what's this topic about? 3 things...
1.) C5 issues/problems that effected C6s
2.) C5 issues/problems that weren't issues with C6s
3.) C6 issues/problems that were never a problem with C5s
Anything and everything you can think of. Discuss specific years (if applicable) and the resolutions to the problem/issues. This should be an interesting topic.
).With that said, it has a few known problems/issues/quirks...some are an easy fix (for example--broken plastic headlight gears replaced with brass headlight gears or replacing acid batteries which can leak with AGM batteries, LMC5 installs, etc.) and others are a PITA (for example--broken oil pressure sender units or broken/failing harmonic balancers). But the one thing that is likely with a broken C5 is that the issue effecting the car is probably one of the "nasty 15" (or so) issues every C5 owner experiences rather than some odd, random part breaking.
So, what's this topic about? 3 things...
1.) C5 issues/problems that effected C6s
2.) C5 issues/problems that weren't issues with C6s
3.) C6 issues/problems that were never a problem with C5s
Anything and everything you can think of. Discuss specific years (if applicable) and the resolutions to the problem/issues. This should be an interesting topic.
Last edited by Slo Yelo C5; Jun 1, 2017 at 09:14 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,496
Likes: 353
From: Little Rock Arkansas
This has actually be discussed quite a bit, but some standouts I can think of are:
- 2005 C6s specifically have a lot of issues similar to C5s because the first year for the C6 carried a lot of parts over from the 2004 model. The most glaring of which is that the 2005 model C6 is susceptible to column lock issues because it uses the C5 steering column (four spoke wheel, which was changed to the actual C6 hardware three spoke wheel for 2006 onwards). If you want to look at the more glaring issues look to 2005 models. Of course just like any car any introductory year will have it's issues and many 2005 owners have driven their cars for a long time without issues, but in the C6 section there are many threads documenting the unique issues. Another glaring weird issue with 2005 models that stands out is there was an issue early on where leaving the car in reverse, if you have a manual transmission, would drain the battery. The transmission being in reverse would leave a switch "hot" which would quickly deplete the battery. I believe there was a TSB for this.
- C6s received electronic door locks. There's some rather silly - and a few serious cases that resulted in death - instances of individuals "trapping" themselves in because they're not aware of the auxiliary door releases.
- C6 owners suffer from issues with the exposed head lamps and it often gets extremely pricey. Since the buckets are body color any replacements require having to paint that area and often replace the lens, which is where the major $$$$ factor comes in.
- The market crash of 2008/09 REALLY hurt C6 sales. 2008 saw the run of the mill numbers, but 2009-2013 if you look at production numbers they sometimes drop below 10,000 units per year. This is why very late higher trim cars like Grand Sports and Z06s tend to retain a very high resale value, especially if it's a unit carrying some hard to find options. As much as anyone back in '13/'14 ragged on the C7, the 2014 C7 really helped to reinvigorate Corvette sales. A "sweet spot" in the market if you're wanting to get into a C6 tends to be 2008 models. 2008 saw the introduction of the LS3, and there's enough that were produced that they don't bring the premium '09-'13 models do.
- C6s are not much different from C5s structurally and a lot of hobby and enthusiast C5 race cars were upgraded to C6 body work. You can find a lot of examples through Google searches. There have also been full body conversions.
- 2005 C6s specifically have a lot of issues similar to C5s because the first year for the C6 carried a lot of parts over from the 2004 model. The most glaring of which is that the 2005 model C6 is susceptible to column lock issues because it uses the C5 steering column (four spoke wheel, which was changed to the actual C6 hardware three spoke wheel for 2006 onwards). If you want to look at the more glaring issues look to 2005 models. Of course just like any car any introductory year will have it's issues and many 2005 owners have driven their cars for a long time without issues, but in the C6 section there are many threads documenting the unique issues. Another glaring weird issue with 2005 models that stands out is there was an issue early on where leaving the car in reverse, if you have a manual transmission, would drain the battery. The transmission being in reverse would leave a switch "hot" which would quickly deplete the battery. I believe there was a TSB for this.
- C6s received electronic door locks. There's some rather silly - and a few serious cases that resulted in death - instances of individuals "trapping" themselves in because they're not aware of the auxiliary door releases.
- C6 owners suffer from issues with the exposed head lamps and it often gets extremely pricey. Since the buckets are body color any replacements require having to paint that area and often replace the lens, which is where the major $$$$ factor comes in.
- The market crash of 2008/09 REALLY hurt C6 sales. 2008 saw the run of the mill numbers, but 2009-2013 if you look at production numbers they sometimes drop below 10,000 units per year. This is why very late higher trim cars like Grand Sports and Z06s tend to retain a very high resale value, especially if it's a unit carrying some hard to find options. As much as anyone back in '13/'14 ragged on the C7, the 2014 C7 really helped to reinvigorate Corvette sales. A "sweet spot" in the market if you're wanting to get into a C6 tends to be 2008 models. 2008 saw the introduction of the LS3, and there's enough that were produced that they don't bring the premium '09-'13 models do.
- C6s are not much different from C5s structurally and a lot of hobby and enthusiast C5 race cars were upgraded to C6 body work. You can find a lot of examples through Google searches. There have also been full body conversions.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,473
Likes: 691
From: West Virginia
"Of course just like any car any introductory year will have it's issues"
Yep. My day 4 build 1998 was in the dealer regularly during the warranty period. 100% of the problems were electrical/electronics. Thankfully, post warranty things calmed down in a big way and it has been very reliable since, but it was bad enough at the time that I researched my state's lemon laws. My problem meeting the criteria was that every problem was just a bit different.
In the end, the dealership sort of "gave up" trouble shooting individual issues and replaced the body computer, which seemed to fix everything - had to replace the oil pressure sensor and the fuel filter (and early cars thankfully did not have the filter in the tank), but that's about it. I was never sure whether it really was a bad BCM or whether when they installed the new one, they ended up fixing contact and/or grounding problems.
Yep. My day 4 build 1998 was in the dealer regularly during the warranty period. 100% of the problems were electrical/electronics. Thankfully, post warranty things calmed down in a big way and it has been very reliable since, but it was bad enough at the time that I researched my state's lemon laws. My problem meeting the criteria was that every problem was just a bit different.
In the end, the dealership sort of "gave up" trouble shooting individual issues and replaced the body computer, which seemed to fix everything - had to replace the oil pressure sensor and the fuel filter (and early cars thankfully did not have the filter in the tank), but that's about it. I was never sure whether it really was a bad BCM or whether when they installed the new one, they ended up fixing contact and/or grounding problems.
Last edited by jackthelad; Jun 2, 2017 at 10:54 AM.
