bsterling9

As a prospective buyer of a new GS with the A8 transmission, I sent an email outlining my concerns to Chevrolet about all of the negative comments I have read about this transmission and wanted to hear their response. I also asked of the possibility of the A10 transmission being available on Corvettes and they addressed that as well. Here was their response below. Interesting comment about the issues being "VIN SPECIFIC". Maybe they will have a running change on the valve bodies and torque converters. Enjoy.

Dear Mr. Sterling,

Thank you for contacting Chevrolet and for showing an interest in the 2018 Corvette Grand Sport! We appreciate the time you have taken to write us as well as giving us the opportunity to assist you today. We apologize for the delay in responding to your email and regret any inconvenience this has caused.

Your business is very important to us, and we would like your shopping experience to be positive. We understand that of all the factors involved in customer satisfaction, quality and reliability are primary concerns. The stories on a public forum detailing current owners issues with the 8-speed automatic transmission are VIN specific and would be addressed by our Customer Care Department. Past model, experience plays a major role in our commitment to the continuous improvement of our products and services. When and if you purchase your 2018 Corvette Grand Sport we will do everything possible to provide you with a quality vehicle that you deserve.

At this time, Chevrolet does not have any announced plans to offer a 10-speed automatic transmission for the Corvette Grand Sport in future models. When announcements concerning new products are made, information will appear on the Chevrolet website at http://www.chevrolet.com/. You may also check back with us at any time and we would be happy to assist you with the information we have available.

We can have a Chevrolet dealer contact you regarding your interest. Simply reply to this message with the information below. We look forward to assisting you further.

• Mailing Address
• What is your preferred method of contact (email/phone)?
• What time do you prefer to be contacted?
• How soon are you looking to get into a new vehicle?
• Are you looking to purchase or lease?
• Do you have a preferred dealership? If yes, please include the name of the dealership.

At Chevrolet, we strive to provide exceptional customer service. If we can be of any further assistance please email us or call 1-800-950-2438 Monday through Friday between the hours of 8am to 9pm Eastern Time, and Saturday 9am to 6pm. Thank you for contacting Chevrolet.

Sincerely,

The Chevrolet Marketing Team
http://www.chevrolet.com/

DAFFYDRUNK

Basically that says almost nothing. Looks canned. Impressive that someone could come up with several paragraphs of nothing though. I had a terrible time doing that in school. Got a little better at it in college.

bsterling9

Agreed. It sounded like a standard draft letter that they copied into an email.

Red C8 of Jax

It's nice that you got a reply. I wish that they had explained "VIN SPECIFIC" a little more. Do they know the VIN numbers of the cars that will have the TC failures? Wouldn't a recall be nice and give everyone with an A8 piece of mind.

dvilin

I am impressed by the fact you received a reply.

Rsaodom

Most people with the A8 trans have zero issues with it. Unfortunately, there are those that do have problems, and it is not an easy issue to have the dealer repair at times. If I understand correctly, the C7 cannot physically accommodate the size of a 10 speed trans, and it will be kept with the A8 or M7 for the foreseeable future. Best of luck in your decision, I think the C7 is a tremendous car and a lot of fun to drive.

OnPoint

VIN specific, huh?

As in specific to your car and its VIN when it happens to you.

DAFFYDRUNK

Probably affecting A8 VINs 0-through 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999.

drs

Ha. Exactly. You have a problem? Well you only have one VIN right? So... VIN specific.

Heidemarie

Answer is from Marketing Team; that type answer is all one can expect. Would have been more interesting to get a response from Engineering Team; maybe they could have addressed the "VIN Specific" issue better. However, at least the inquiry was not totally ignored; it's a start to better communication.
Sure would like to know what alloy change they will make for the new valve body.
Heidi
Save the Wave

Heidemarie

direct007

I'll have to add "VIN specific" to my list of corporate communication buzzwords. Amazing how they can sum up, "we have no information for you regarding the A8 transmission issues nor the A10 transmission in future models" in so many sentences and paragraphs. The author of this letter has a bright future in politics.

TEXHAWK0

They are professionals!!

L8ter

It is Vin Specific. If you own a C7 with a A8 transmission then you have one of those Specific Vins.

davepl

Actually it is VIN SPECIFIC in a way. Look at digit 5 of the VIN.

05. Provides more info about the car:

.. B=A8 Might Fail
.. D=A8 Might Fail
.. F=A8 Might Fail
.. H=A8 Might Fail
.. K=A8 Might Fail
.. M=A8 Might Fail
.. P=A8 Rock Solid
.. S=A8 Rock Solid
.. U=A8 Rock Solid

-HAIRBALL-

My Z/3LZ failed...

mschuyler

What do you expect? You wrote to an organization much bigger than many countries a letter that amounts to "Have you stopped beating your wife, yes or no?" They get thousands of letters a day. That they even try to respond to you individually is a miracle. At least they got in the ballpark and addressed your issue, however vaguely. And what do you expect them to say? "We don't know what's wrong with the A8, so we fix them if they're under warranty and that's about it." Or did you want a specific detailed technical response from an engineer who likely has better things to do with his time? The problem here is not GM's response, it's your expectations.

bsterling9

I didn't have any expectations. I have been in the automotive business now for 39 years, so I know how this works. I work for a company that produces clutches, flywheels, hydraulics, engine mounts, fuel pumps, etc., and if we have a product that has a high failure rate, we are honest about it and don't try to blow it off with marketing spin. I was HOPING for a response from the GM technical side. Something that would give me some assurance that my 70K purchase wasn't going to be in the shop more than my driveway. Asking too much??

obxchartercaptain

Heidemarie

Can you please explain this further? Our 2015 Z51 A8 had a K in digit 5 and it failed. I am interested how the "A8 Might Fail" in your post was deducted. VIN digit 5 to my knowledge only indicates Corvette specific model info. in which "K" stands for Z51 2LT A8. Am I missing something here in your interpretation? I understand that P S and U codes are used for Z06 Auto Trans. but there have been failures reported for Z06 also. Just trying to understand the logic behind "might fail" versus "rock solid".
Heidi Save the Wave