Hey guys,

After some extensive searching on the forums, the unreliability of the A8 is pushing me away from buying my first Corvette. It seems there's no actual fix yet and most of the current options are band aids. I was planning on trying to find a '15-16 used Vette which means I may or may not have warranty to deal with transmission issues. Driving the M7 is not an option; I am not a fan of stickshift and I also would like my wife to be able to drive the car. I could get an A6 but I also feel like maybe it's a bit outdated. I plan on using this car as a daily driver for at least the next 6 years or so. Any thoughts or opinions?

 

Get an extended warranty.
Get the triple flush done as covered by the TSB.
Get a 16 2LT for the front cameras,

I have a 19 picked up in March of 18 and over 15K miles on it with no A8 issues.

 

Don't let the paranoia surrounding the A8 keep you from getting a C7. Most estimates state only about 5% have issues (meaning 95% don't). Beside, by many accounts the new fluid/flush has fixed the issues.

 

As the owner of a 2014 A6, I can't ever remember a single driving moment when I wished I had two more gears. On the other hand, there have been plenty of times when I've been glad I don't, all of which involve reading this forum. However, I suspect that the frequency of problems with the A8 is a bit exaggerated by the typical Internet effect.

 

Also keep in mind you tend to read more about problems from a very small minority on this forum as in most forums. Get the Vette you want and enjoy it.

 

A8's were an issue a few years back but the double or triple fluid flushes seem to have fixed that problem. as others have said, get an extended warranty if you are concerned. Other than that get out and drive!

 

If it scares you then get a 19 with an extended warranty. Or maybe buy something that doesn’t scare you.

 

I agree with all the above. Reports seem to indicate the triple flush is working. And like problems in past generation Corvettes, you hear more about the problem cars than you do about the cars that have no problems.

Find a car you like, get a warranty, and enjoy time behind the wheel.

And nothing wrong with getting an A6 if the A8 really worries you - the drawback is some of the features of the newer models will not be there (front cameras, etc.).

 

the OP concerns is why I went with a 14 z51, the A6 had little to no issues in the C6s

 

I have had three Corvette Stingray Z51's. A 2015 and two 2016'sm No issues with either 2016. The 2015 Chevrolet eventually replaced the torque converter (under warranty). No issues after that. If you really want a Corvette and if its in your budget, I highly recommend it. After I pulled the trigger on my first one in 2010, I am currently on Corvette #7. It gets in your blood. Just get one still under warranty, get the extended warranty, or get Certified Pre Owned. Good luck.

 

It's not paranoia when it's happened to you. I've had TWO triple flushes in 1 month, both covered by dealer under warranty and only now, a week after the second flush is the shudder mostly gone.....

You visit a dealer and there are 20 Corvettes side by side and all with A8's. 1 of them will fail and you don't know which one............to quote Keaneu Reeves....."what do you do?"

That being said, I would not let it stop me from buying one

 

Sorry you are having issues with your A8. Do you or have you ever used a Range Devise?

 

Thanks guys. I feel better now haha. I'll just get an extended warranty and deal with it!

 

I do have the range device installed but it still shuddered. That indicates it has nothing to do with the AFM because it also happens in manual mode. I read on here that a certain amount of "glazing" can occur inside the TC so maybe the twp triple flushes finally solved it. I still keep the range device installed though.

 

Buy a low mileage 2014 with an A6. Get an extended warranty through Ally. Then you don't need to think about it.

 

As a newbie to corvettes, and a previous toyota owner, your transition will be eased greatly by purchasing a NEW Corvette Stingray. You have enjoyed high expectations for reliability on a Toyota whose parts are not designed for maximum performance. So they last a long time. Every piece of a vette was designed for maximum performance, a totally different approach from Toyotas. Problems can present themselves when you task 100% performance from each part of the car 100% of the time, year after year after year. A new base c7 with an A8 is still a very luxurious car, perfect for daily driving because a. the maintenance costs are less than a Z51 or GS, (cheaper narrower-width tires and less oil cost on the oil changes), b. the standard shocks don't leak at all, ever, and provide the smoothest ride of all the vettes, c. the standard brake pads don't dust your wheels, and d. the narrower-width rims are less prone to bending or cracking than the wide track-sized rims of the track performance optioned Z51 or GS. There are also less performance parts like plumbing for extra coolers and sophisticated parts like electronic limited slip differentials to possibly cause problems. Best of all, with the current clearance discounts, a base Stingray coupe with A8 can be had for as little as $45k! Try McMulkin for the view of current maximum vette discounts. I don't think Kerbeck accepts trade-ins. if you local dealer can match a McMulkin or Kerbeck price, you are gettting a good deal, especially if they fairly value your trade-in.

The NEW c7 will have a 2 year free maintenance plan, just like your toyota had. Better to delay your costs for a few years for those 7 quart oil changes at $12/quart dealer charges! So for two years, no out of pocket costs for the car's maintenance.

Used: If you went Toyota shopping and were looking used, its a great way to save money. few if any Toyotas are subjected to street racing, trips to the drag strip or race track, or generally showing off their performance capabilities at cars and coffee like Vettes can find themselves doing. I just watched a movie called Trading Paint where a man had to sell his beloved '70 mustang boss 302 to a collector. On the drive over to the collector, the seller did plenty of burnout donuts, and even took it to a mud race track for laps before he threw the keys to the new owner. That is all too frequent the life of a previously owned sports car. So caveat emptor on buying used sports cars with a buying a used Toyota mindset. An extended warranty on a used vette will reduce the repair costs, but NOT the waiting time with loss of use of your dream vette, when you coulda been driving new. And with new even a lemon law ejection seat may exist in your state if your new ride becomes a garage queen.

Good hunting!

 

It goes like this, if you are lucky and get a good one you are OK. If you get a dud then you are totally screwed big time.. to me not worth the gamble. A bad A8 is equivalent to dumping the car.

 

I researched the pros and cons. Did the same as a few have mentioned, found a 14 vert with 2000 miles. I didn't want Z51 as my C6 was a Z51, really didn't like the road trip, rock hard drive. Love the C7, not a big fan of the C8, (maybe it will grow on me). Hope you find what you like!

 

As I've said before, one CANNOT take the number and proportion of complaints online as an indication of how many vehicles have any give problem, overall... for any vehicle. The odds are that you would get an example without issue. But, check any Vette's history before buying. Then, buy what you find that you and your wife like. Just have a second vehicle as a back-up, as you might even if you drove an Army tank. And, ENJOY!

 

My buddy's 2015 A8 Stingray just experienced this issue quite badly. I was driving it back from Indy and could not believe how bad the shuddering was. GM would not cover changing the fluid to the new spec fluid and he had to pay out of pocket. Changing the fluid did fix the issue.

Now it's a paranoia game. How long until it comes back and what is going to happen when it does.

I've heard mentioned in a couple places here the the torque converted gets "glazed over". Is that for real? Understanding the fluid dynamics within a torque converter there are no friction surfaces to glaze. Can someone help me understand this better?

I heard said that the A8's torque converter is integral to the transmission itself and GM does not replace the torque converter separately from the transmission. Is that true?
I heard said that the root cause of the shudder is the torque converter lockup control solenoid failing to maintain the lock, causing a feeling of shaking as the converter locks and unlocks rapidly. Does the new spec fluid somehow remedy this situation? How?

I'd need to understand all this much better before I'm comfortable upgrading my C6. Or maybe I'm limited to M7 cars.