EMJAY747

Just joined the forum. I'm looking for the cliff notes on what are the typical issues to look for when buying a used C6. Specifically Base or z51 coupes w/ 6 speed. I'm not looking at z06/zr1s. Please forgive me if there is already a thread regarding this topic.

Thanks in advance.

449er

C6 Corvettes are typically a reliable vehicle, that being said, there are issues that are known to exist on these cars, a few would be fuel smell/fuel leaks at the fuel tanks, wiring connectors pulling loose under the drivers seat, head/valve problems on the 7 liter engines, auto tranny shift cable malfunctions, battery issues, & harmonic balancer issues would be a few of them...see the "stickies" at the top of the C6 page for a better list

windyC6

Man....is it me....or does that seem like a lot of issues to be calling the C-6 "Typically reliable"....

449er

Because they are, you only read the bad stuff here on the forum, not the majority of cars that are trouble free ( me being one of the trouble free owners )

cmonkey713

Look for things like you would on any used car first. Go to your local Chevrolet dealer and ask for the service history, then get a car fax. Lots of nice cars for sale here on the Forum. Our Forum cars are usually well taken care of and come with a known history.

LMB-Z

Easiest way to put it is look at it like you would look at any other car...Cadillac, Toyota, Lexus, Honda...its just a Chevrolet. Good luck.

ScottMA64

My typical issue since getting my 2012 is looking at the word on the right side of this picture while I'm driving and getting a big ole grin on my face.

windyC6

I think this probably falls under each persons definition of "trouble free". While they may not strand you on the side of the road anymore than average, trouble free is a strecth as there are just way too many universal (if you will) problems that these vehicles have. By that I mean just way too many things that just shouldn't happen that are happening to a high percentage of these cars.....H/B problems......auto shift problems......power top problems in verts.....just to name a few......

dryadsdad

You've been given some good tips already including and most importantly, looking the stickies.

My greatest fear if I were to buy another C6 is getting a lemon. Every once in a while, we get a report here of a car that simply cannot remain fixed and on the road. The issues are usually mysterious, intermittent and difficult to diagnose.

I would therefore tend to buy from a place such as CarMax where I'd have a 30 day window to return or whatever.

jaki30

Two major issues are the gas tank cracking problem and the clutch master cyl failure problem. Both are recognized by GM and are warrantied for 10 years. If you are buying used, the 2008 may be out of warranty and the 2009 would only have a year or less depending on in service date. 2010 or newer would be my recommendation.

RobJoy

Damn. He's about talked me into selling mine...

windyC6

Well I wouldn't sell it !!! But anyone that buys a C-6 on the assumption that they are very reliable due to bias C-6 owners in any forum that suggest that they are should be aware of the facts and try to ignore the bias and in denial opinions. The fact is that it's along the same lines as a Harley, albeit not as bad....but if you plan on owning a C-6 and keeping it in pristine condition as many of us do....you better know how to work on them, or have a thick wallet, or both ......

PCMusicGuy

Most of the the other guys covered the common issues. The only other one I see is the cooling fan connector melting. It normally happens more frequently with cars that have been tuned to run the fans more often than stock, but it is not unheard of for a 100% stock vehicle to also melt the connector if the typical environment is hot enough and the mileage is high enough.

dr_gallup

Mostly it's facial cramps from smiling so much and loose women throwing themselves at you. Other than that, pretty trouble free.

S.C. vette

Read the pinned sticky notes...

88redconvert

I've had a 2012 for 2 1/2 years and hadn't had any problems at all. Runs perfect.

kevinkar

Not everyone gets all these issues all at once of course! We all seem to get mixtures of several at different times thought the ownership period. My '05 was purchased in very good shape in '13 and I've had enough issues to make the car annoying and part of the reason I traded it in this past weekend.

But as I've said before, EVERY make and model has it's good and bad cars.

For a C6, I'd suggest starting with 2013 and working backwards to a car the OP can afford or is willing to pay for. Always buy the newest one you can. And if you can get a GMPP or equivalent extended warranty for a good price, it might be worth it on a C6.

And don't listen to those who say "I've had my car a million years and never had one problem" because they are the lucky ones. Everyone else has some sort of issue. I have never owned a perfect car. They are rare.

But definitely check the sticky posts as this is a common question and all the ailments of the C6 are well documented.

windyC6

Yes...absolutely true that every make & model has their good and bad models. But what makes the Corvettes problems so annoying (and expensive) is that the Corvette has always been the flag-ship of the GM line, at least in sports cars, and it is expensive. Way too expensive for all of the "Common" problems that seem to effect a very good percentage of them. GM should be ashamed to have released these C-6's probably knowing that there are "areas" that will be very problematic, at least ... ..

RMJ11949

I love my 08 convertible, glad I didn't get the coup. No problems. LS3 better than LS2. Buy one with as low mileage as you can find and the options and color you want, don't settle, get the one you want. You'll love it. I like the C6 better than my friends C7.

dryadsdad

Yeah, this is one way of looking at it and it's legit too. Then you can turn it around and say we're getting Porsche 911 performance for much less money than the 911 so you'd have to expect some shortcuts in materials and workmanship.

Then again, the Porsche 911/996 had defective IMS carrier bolts which, when they let go, would grenade the engine. No recall by Porsche and by gosh, one of those 6's cost a good deal more to replace than an LS anything.

Now, talking out the other side of my mouth, GM is a garbage manufacturer. It instituted an MBO program in the early 70's or late 60's which guaranteed products which would fall apart after warranty. That culture, of cheapening the product relentlessly to the point of not having a decent product after the warranty is over is still the culture of much of GM.

My upshot is that we got a great deal for the performance we love, but it IS a GM product and thus, it's mostly sizzle with little steak.