Looking at a 2012 GS
05-22-2018, 10:27 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Looking at a 2012 GS
I'm going to look at a 2012 Grand Sport at a GM dealership with 16,500 miles, it was traded in on a new one. I have a 59 and just sold a 68 so my comfort level is more with classic Corvettes as opposed to newer ones. So, are there any issues that pertain to this year/model of Corvette that I should be aware of or look out for? any info would be greatly appreciated before I put down my cash! cheers
05-22-2018, 10:50 PM
#2
Le Mans Master
Welcome to the forum!!! Which Vancouver are you from?
If you go to the FAQ page on this forum, you can find a lot of info on known issues, though there are not a lot of problems
The '12 and newer have nicer seats. You did not specify which trans, but neither has any real problems.
Some people will tell you, "if the harmonic balancer wobbles, you have to replace it", which is not true. Few owners even know where or what it is, and never experience a problem. It will likely wobble at some point...if you are concerned, the dealer will be thrilled to repair it.
Sometimes, you will have a car that needs a battery replacement every 3 years. More often, you will get 5 or 6 out of the battery. When it starts to get weak, you will likely get a lot of DIC messages that seem weird/unlikely. Installing a new battery often corrects the faux messages. Ditto for the fob battery....Always carry a fresh one in the glove box.
Earlier C6's had some squeak/rattle issues, but those seem to have been addressed.
Some go through tires very quickly, as low at 15K per set. More often, you will get 20K to 25K.
There are other things people will chime in on, but all, or most, of them will be fairly rare occurrences. The entire drive train is incredibly stout, very rarely having any failures in the LS3.
Good luck, and remember after you buy it, if you don't post pics, it didn't happen....
If you go to the FAQ page on this forum, you can find a lot of info on known issues, though there are not a lot of problems
The '12 and newer have nicer seats. You did not specify which trans, but neither has any real problems.
Some people will tell you, "if the harmonic balancer wobbles, you have to replace it", which is not true. Few owners even know where or what it is, and never experience a problem. It will likely wobble at some point...if you are concerned, the dealer will be thrilled to repair it.
Sometimes, you will have a car that needs a battery replacement every 3 years. More often, you will get 5 or 6 out of the battery. When it starts to get weak, you will likely get a lot of DIC messages that seem weird/unlikely. Installing a new battery often corrects the faux messages. Ditto for the fob battery....Always carry a fresh one in the glove box.
Earlier C6's had some squeak/rattle issues, but those seem to have been addressed.
Some go through tires very quickly, as low at 15K per set. More often, you will get 20K to 25K.
There are other things people will chime in on, but all, or most, of them will be fairly rare occurrences. The entire drive train is incredibly stout, very rarely having any failures in the LS3.
Good luck, and remember after you buy it, if you don't post pics, it didn't happen....
Last edited by buckmeister2; 05-22-2018 at 10:53 PM.
05-22-2018, 10:59 PM
#3
Racer
Thread Starter
Welcome to the forum!!! Which Vancouver are you from?
If you go to the FAQ page on this forum, you can find a lot of info on known issues, though there are not a lot of problems
The '12 and newer have nicer seats. You did not specify which trans, but neither has any real problems.
Some people will tell you, "if the harmonic balancer wobbles, you have to replace it", which is not true. Few owners even know where or what it is, and never experience a problem. It will likely wobble at some point...if you are concerned, the dealer will be thrilled to repair it.
Sometimes, you will have a car that needs a battery replacement every 3 years. More often, you will get 5 or 6 out of the battery. When it starts to get weak, you will likely get a lot of DIC messages that seem weird/unlikely. Installing a new battery often corrects the faux messages. Ditto for the fob battery....Always carry a fresh one in the glove box.
Earlier C6's had some squeak/rattle issues, but those seem to have been addressed.
Some go through tires very quickly, as low at 15K per set. More often, you will get 20K to 25K.
There are other things people will chime in on, but all, or most, of them will be fairly rare occurrences. The entire drive train is incredibly stout, very rarely having any failures in the LS3.
Good luck, and remember after you buy it, if you don't post pics, it didn't happen....
If you go to the FAQ page on this forum, you can find a lot of info on known issues, though there are not a lot of problems
The '12 and newer have nicer seats. You did not specify which trans, but neither has any real problems.
Some people will tell you, "if the harmonic balancer wobbles, you have to replace it", which is not true. Few owners even know where or what it is, and never experience a problem. It will likely wobble at some point...if you are concerned, the dealer will be thrilled to repair it.
Sometimes, you will have a car that needs a battery replacement every 3 years. More often, you will get 5 or 6 out of the battery. When it starts to get weak, you will likely get a lot of DIC messages that seem weird/unlikely. Installing a new battery often corrects the faux messages. Ditto for the fob battery....Always carry a fresh one in the glove box.
Earlier C6's had some squeak/rattle issues, but those seem to have been addressed.
Some go through tires very quickly, as low at 15K per set. More often, you will get 20K to 25K.
There are other things people will chime in on, but all, or most, of them will be fairly rare occurrences. The entire drive train is incredibly stout, very rarely having any failures in the LS3.
Good luck, and remember after you buy it, if you don't post pics, it didn't happen....
05-22-2018, 11:13 PM
#4
Team Owner
Member Since: Dec 2012
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Check the tires, many (myself included) replaced the original Goodyear RFTs with something else. Tire choices for the GS are very limited, AFAIK there is only one AS tire available in both the front and rear sizes.
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hummiscorvettetaken (05-22-2018)
05-22-2018, 11:20 PM
#5
Racer
Thread Starter
[QUOTE=buckmeister2;1597256292]Welcome to the forum!!! Which Vancouver are you from?
B.C.
B.C.
05-22-2018, 11:46 PM
#6
Le Mans Master
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2018 C6 of Year Finalist
"Cheers" gave it away.
05-23-2018, 09:12 AM
#7
Safety Car
Member Since: Feb 2001
Location: yardley, pa 19067
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The GS is a great car. I bought my 13 new and had zero issues with it. If it still has the factory Goodyear run flat tires you will need to change them since they’re garbage. if you prefer runf lats go with Michelin, Bridgestone or Firestone. I ended up going with non run flats since I prefer a smoother quieter ride.
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hummiscorvettetaken (05-23-2018)
05-23-2018, 10:40 AM
#8
Racer
Thread Starter
Thanks for all the input! I was up most of the night reading all the info on this forum and came across the concerns with the width of these cars. I have a friend that has a 2011 GS and will have him come over to do a " fit test" in the garage - my garage is fine once inside but has two single doors for entry - just want to ensure no surprises 
05-23-2018, 12:39 PM
#9
Pro
Beautiful car! Hope all goes well and you bring it home. 
As for the "wide body" that people refer to the GS with, it is not much wider than the standard C6. They are talking about the flaired fenders (see image). The wheelbase is the same between both models and the mirrors actually stick out wider than the fenders, as you can see, and this is the same on both variants. Should not have any issues with the extra width of the fenders.
As for the "wide body" that people refer to the GS with, it is not much wider than the standard C6. They are talking about the flaired fenders (see image). The wheelbase is the same between both models and the mirrors actually stick out wider than the fenders, as you can see, and this is the same on both variants. Should not have any issues with the extra width of the fenders.
Last edited by DezVette; 05-23-2018 at 01:36 PM.
05-23-2018, 12:50 PM
#11
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Mar 2018
Location: The GREAT STATE of IOWA!
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Don't forget to check out Youtube videos of the C6 GS, a tremendous amount of info there.
I have a 2011, Arctic white as that is, and it's a wonderful car. I goes thru an 8 foot opening into my "shop" with ease.
I have a 2011, Arctic white as that is, and it's a wonderful car. I goes thru an 8 foot opening into my "shop" with ease.
05-23-2018, 09:28 PM
#14
Burning Brakes
Ask dealership to put it on a lift. Look for any oil, slime, indications of a leak at all points front and rear.
love my 2010 GS . Only issues i keep having is a bad steering rack.
love my 2010 GS . Only issues i keep having is a bad steering rack.
05-23-2018, 11:14 PM
#15
Drifting
You will LOVE the Grand Sport. I have owned 3 of them. Only “complaint” is the seats - wish they were higher quality. Oh well, worth the compromise for what you get in everything else.
Zero mechanical issues by the way.
Zero mechanical issues by the way.
05-24-2018, 11:29 AM
#16
Race Director
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St. Jude Donor '15-'16-'17-‘18-'19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
Have had my '11 GS for over 7 touble free years. Just make sure to get a more neutral front end alignment. My first set of tires were scrubbed bald @ 12,000 miles.
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astaggs (05-24-2018)