patentcad

So the 2018 Consumer Reports (CR) annual auto issue just landed in my mailbox, and least reliable late model used cars in the sports car category goes to...... wait for it..... the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette.

First off, please understand that I own a 2017 Stingray Coupe (Z-51) stick, and I've had only one repair under warranty over 14 months and 9500 miles: a windshield washer fluid pump (the one that pumps the spray onto your windscreen when you push or pull the wiper lever). Before that my first Corvette was a 2007 C6 that really didn't have any problems over 12,000 miles/18 months. I subscribe to 3 car magazines in addition to Consumer Reports. I take what CR says with a grain of salt, when it comes to cars they're kind of white coat dorks.

On the other hand, Consumer Reports is generally accurate, not in anybody's pocket (they buy every car they test @ full retail, they have never accepted advertising from anybody) and provide revealing data and analysis on cars not available anywhere else. And that's how CR gets auto data reliability: surveys of their large reader base. Their observations on the Corvette are generally accurate in my view: they complain about the reliability issues and the 'omnipresent tire noise' (that latter comment is 100% true, what a face palm in my C7, I purchased sound deadening mats from a Corvette Forum vendor that largely remedied that). On the other hand they whine about the car requiring 'acrobatic skills to get in and out of' (it's a high performance car similar to a Ferrari, what do you idiots want and AARP wheelchair hoist?) and the 'vague manual shifter' (my M7 feels great).

All that said, and as we all know, Corvette owners LOVE their cars. Which is ALSO reflected in CR data, it's consistently one of the top cars when they ask 'would you buy another one?' But of course. Where else can you get a car that offers all this @ that price, new or used? You can't. Moreover, even though my car is a daily driver from say April through November, it's hard own a 2-seater car with limited winter driving capabilities like a C7 unless it's an extra car. So I don't RELY on the car, if it needs repairs, it's far less inconvenient than if it's one of our cars that do the heavy lifting (2017 Toyota Prius Prime, 2018 Subaru Crosstrek 2.0 Ltd).

What really bothers me about C7 reliability are the issues with the A8 trans and the Z06 cooling issues. I feel bad for those owners and it hurts the whole brand to have those issues. And it's a shame because if you own a C7 that's reliable, you see how great the car can be. I'm 60 years old now and I've owned an awful lot of cars (30+) since I got my first car @ age 19. When I was a kid I used to do my own oil changes and tune-ups, then I worked as car salesman from 1983-1991 (Mercedes, Jaguar), I've always loved and read about cars, that's why I've owned so many different ones, and I've watched them evolve over 4 decades. In 2018 the least reliable car is still VERY reliable. So with all these C7 issues, my guess is that it impacts <5% of owners. I hope it's that few. But if GM has sold around 125,000 C7 units (that's pretty close I think), 5% is like 6,000 pissed off Corvette owners driving late model cars.

GM can get it right, and they mostly do. I just hope they can do better going forward.

ChuckerC7

Wait! I have a 2017 C7 Z51 2LT Watkins Glen Grey and it has wipers and a washer pump??????, hum never knew that. Now it has been in to the shop 2 times: 1 screw in tire, 1 oil change
Think those rags your reading, sometimes list stuff only whiners and snowflakes complain about. So far my Vette is good and reliable

Phanni

Realize Corvette owners are a picky lot and they like to talk about their cars, both the bad side and the good side. The real test, is that little area where they ask the owners if they would buy a Corvette again.

dvilin

2008 Coupe, 2015 Convertible, 2019 Z06 Convertible, all a joy to own no issues could not care less what Consumer Reports magazine has to say. Maybe if I was looking for a washing machine but certainly not a Corvette.

Motors5

I agree and I could also add that the A8 gets bad publicity but it is actually the TC between the engine and transmission that is the issue.

The trans itself is rock solid and I dont recall reading of transmission breakdowns on the A8, only TC issues and it Is a shame that it took from 2014 to late 2016 before admitting it is an oil issue (triple flush), at least what we know although there are other theoories as well.

//Motors 5

silberma

Just got a new 2019 Vette. Can someone please explain what is the transmission issue? What is the cause? Is it only on C7's? What are the symptoms? What is the fix? How long to fix?

sTz

So... the Chevy commercials are lying when the say that their cars are the most reliable on the planet, albeit, I didn’t see the Vette pictured... Funny spoof version nonetheless:

Atomic6

Consumer Reports?? Are you serious. The liberal publication that despises all things V8?? I doubt they have changed their anti-American V8 stance over the past 15 years but I banished it from my house after they constantly gave US cars horrible grades across the board in the 1990's and early 2000's. Didn't matter if it was a GM or Ford, black marks and 'cars to avoid'. All
Having owned V8 Firebirds and Mustangs from 1996 models on up I can honestly say they are the best cars I have ever owned and basically trouble free. I've had my Trans Am since new and the Mustang as well. No intention of selling.

dmaxx3500

more lib crap

hisvett

For the most part it comes down to Torque Converter issues in the early A8's built before Nov 2016. Things like hard shift, garage shift (when the car has a few seconds delay before moving), shutter, tack fluctuation at freeway speeds in V4 mode, etc.

I just had my TC changed out at 60K under the 36K warranty and all the above issues went away.

patentcad

The knee jerk reactions here are so predictable. Anybody who puts CR down for whatever leftward bias they may have doesn't get it. I don't think that contaminates their product analysis for the most part. You have to take their stuff with a grain of salt. Were it not for CR, there would be no place to turn to for unfiltered data on stuff like car reliability or objective comparisons of consumer products. They get it wrong sometimes, but mostly they're pretty accurate.

But if you're happy with the steady flow of corporate propaganda and bullshit with no information to counter that, by all means, keep your mind closed and continue to wear your Make America Great Again cap. Just try not to shoot yourself with that gun you purchased to keep you and the family safer. As for me, I'm just sick of all this endless winning.

DebRedZR1

Not really concerned about the 2014 1st run issues or what CR has to say. All car models have issues. With as many C7s on the road if they were so unreliable why are people still buying? Let's not all freak out here.

Woodson

A8 skews the reliability data for sure. As for the liberal and anti V8 bias, they love the car so there goes that theory.

Kracka

Meh. 2014 with 38k miles here and after 4 years of ownership the car is still going strong. The issues that I have had are all minor and covered under warranty. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Corvette, or any other GM product (in fact, since purchasing my Corvette which was my first GM product, I've purchased 4 other GM's)!

NSC5

I could care less about CR's political bias HOWEVER I don't buy into their research methodology. The self-report reliability data from CR subscribers is a sample but not a good representative sample of anything except CR subscribers who are a tribe unto themselves.

And their initial review approach is far from that taken by any typical enthusiast regardless of the product category. As an example ask a serious photographer where they would go for information about choosing their next DSLR and CR isn't going to make the list but it might elicit a laugh if you mention it. The same is true of any enthusiast group. If I were thinking about buying a new can opener CR might be a reasonable source for info.

1SG_Ret

Not a fan of CR. While their survey results do provide some useful reliability information, I dismiss their (CR test results) as extremely biased.

Woodson

Ok I’ll look for a dishwasher enthusiast group when I’m next in the market for one.

Woodson

Based on what?

Ernest_T

Does it really matter what the issue is? Lots of people have had issues with the drive train regardless of the root cause. It's not easier to take the car to the dealer because the torque converter is messed up instead of the transmission.

z edge