Do C8's with the 3LT option have a dash delaminating problem like the C7's had??

 

Some certainly have had the issue. Lots of threads on here about the problem. I've never had issues with my 3LT in that regard. As long as the car is under warranty the delaminating issue would be covered if you do have an issue.

 

There have been reports of the delamination happening on the C8 3LT cars.

 

I'm getting ready to order one and I can't decide between 2LT & 3LT. Some options are only available with the 3LT.

 

Personally I would take a 3LT over 2LT. It comes with the GT2 seats, which are an option on the 2LT and with more interior color options. And the suede trim is very nice.

 

On C6, the 3LT and 4LT come with leather dash pads, and that is what leads to dash delaminating in C6. Vinyl dash pads don't have that problem. Is the dash pad in C8 3LT leather or vinyl?

 

The C8 definitely has the delamination issue. Rick Conti did a video on it. and there are several other YT video's documenting owner's stories and as well as several threads on the forum. I unintentionally stumbled upon an interesting "sample" of real world experiences. A few months ago I started my search for a really nice a pre-owned C8 with specific colors/options so I setup a custom search on AutoTrader. Each morning I get an email with with new cars that match the criteria. So each morning I would click on the new cars that popped up and review them. So over the course of about a month I looked at the photos of 3-5 new listings per day. I am not kidding when I say that I ran across at least five LT3's for sale with delamination issues, some dash, some doors, some both. And these were cars being offered by dealers, including Chevy dealers, with delamination clearly visible in the sale photos. Really!! One of them was even being advertised as "certified pre-owned" with clear delamination in the photos. How a dealer would try to sell the car that way and have it sitting on the lot in that condition is beyond sad!!! My wife and I decided we didn't want to worry about this issue so we specifically avoided getting at 3LT. Other than the extra interior leather and suede the 2LT has all the same features/options available anyway. We ended up with a beautiful Rapid Blue 2LT HTC with a 2-tone black and silver interior. There is no question there are thousands of happy 3LT owners with zero issues. But for us it just wasn't worth the worry.

The photo below is a pre-owned C8 that was being offered for sale in this condition on a Chevrolet dealer's website:

 

The 3LT C8 does have leather on the doors and so the doors definitely do have the risk of delamination. There are threads on the door leather repairs and I have personally seen doors with the issue. I know the Z06 has a stitch pattern on the doors and might solve the problem for those where the Stingray just has a large piece of leather that is glued on.

 

I have not. I did on my C6 427 Vert

 

Yikes!!!!!

 

Has it ever been determined as to why it happens. Is it only in hotter areas of the country?

 

It hasn't been determined why it happens. Most 3LT cars have no problems. Some pictures of new cars sitting on the showroom floor with delaminated dashes have been posted suggesting it is a manufacturing quality control problem. And some people have had the same parts replaced multiple times suggesting it is an environmental problem.

There is a thread on the other forum where an owner decided to repair the dash himself. It has been suggested the problem is caused by insufficient adhesive during assembly but that owner discovered that the adhesive was there but had came loose from the "leather". The leather isn't real leather, it is a man made product that contains leather. And he had problems getting new adhesive to stick to one piece. The surface of the leather was smooth. This suggests a processing problem leather or a contamination problem. Or perhaps an environmental problem changing the characteristics of the leather or perhaps something owners do to the leather.

I do wonder if humidity has something to do with it. I suspect the adhesive is water based. I wonder if there is a correlation with high humidity conditions. Sometimes cars have continuous leaks or AC drains soaking the carpet. There was one owner that kept having a problem with hi steering wheel being wet.

I had a 2015 C7 3LT and now a 2020 3LT. Neither cars have had any problems with the dash delaminating.

 

Sounding to me that it's a crap shoot. Do I order the 3LT and have that delamination on my mind all the time? Or settle for less by getting the 2LT and not have to worry about it. I probably won't decide until right up to the time I order the car, which by the way is Tuesday.

 

I'm interested to see if the new Ultra Suede interiors will suffer the same issue. I would think the adhesive will be the same as the leather interiors.

 

Same decision most Corvette owners have had to make.

 

It's a crap shoot with the leather dash. I've had 3 no issues my buddy had one with the issue. 2LT/LZ is the better option with GT2 seats imo. I wish they would just do the door panels leather and NOT the dash for the 3s. Then the problem would be about solved.

 

My wife and I were dealing with the same dilemma as you when were deciding which car to purchase (pre-owned). One thing settled the decision for us to go 2LT. A single statement my wife made determined my decision, as follows: "I would be checking the dash for any bubbling every time I got into your Corvette". That was all I needed to hear. No thank you!

 

Yes there are delamination issues. A search on the forum will show you some threads. Most are legit, some are just copies of the same thing and others are just to stir the pot. My advice is dont over think it. There are also DCT transmission issues. How do you plan around that? If you keep digging, you find other stuff as well. The reliability is really good on the cars, I wouldn't deprive yourself of a 3LT if you want it. Just get it and move on. If you have an issue with it. The warranty will take care of it as well as your DCT, front lift, etc. should you have an issue.

Enjoy your new car.

 

Unlike mechanical issues that people buy extended warranties for the interior is not covered.

 

"Mulan" leather. AKA bonded leather, AKA bits of leftover leather chopped up into tiny pieces, mixed with a binder, and extruded. But whether one considers this real leather or not, there have been issues with it delaminating.