Build quality
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 642
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Build quality
I rejected an Eray in February after waiting 8 months because of body misalignments and drivers door being sunken in too far that the dealer wouldn't fix.
The Grand Sport appears to have issues too.
Chevy is pushing out C8s of worse build than Teslas. For $135k+ the factory needs to do better.
The Grand Sport appears to have issues too.
Chevy is pushing out C8s of worse build than Teslas. For $135k+ the factory needs to do better.
Popular Reply
Apr 25, 2026, 04:34 PM
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,209
Likes: 1,140
From: Maricopa, AZ
2026 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2025 C6 of the Year Winner - Modified
2025 C8 Stingray of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
This is quite hilarious.
This is a mass produced GM/Chevrolet that runs down a assembly line.
If you're looking for hand built quality, add another 100 to 200k and look elsewhere.
This is a mass produced GM/Chevrolet that runs down a assembly line.
If you're looking for hand built quality, add another 100 to 200k and look elsewhere.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2026
Posts: 270
Likes: 234
From: PNW
I rejected an Eray in February after waiting 8 months because of body misalignments and drivers door being sunken in too far that the dealer wouldn't fix.
The Grand Sport appears to have issues too.
Chevy is pushing out C8s of worse build than Teslas. For $135k+ the factory needs to do better.
The Grand Sport appears to have issues too.
Chevy is pushing out C8s of worse build than Teslas. For $135k+ the factory needs to do better.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2024
Posts: 125
Likes: 84
From: California
Honestly, I think C8 owners are way more picky than your luxury buyers of the European brands. The funny thing is the vette is way easier to fix those alignment issues yourself vs the Euro cars, especially the german cars...
Just my 2c from working on a lot of cars. I fixed up my C8 myself and my friends were like "OMG Chevy has quality good as the Porsches now??" I laughed it off.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,209
Likes: 1,140
From: Maricopa, AZ
2026 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2025 C6 of the Year Winner - Modified
2025 C8 Stingray of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
This is quite hilarious.
This is a mass produced GM/Chevrolet that runs down a assembly line.
If you're looking for hand built quality, add another 100 to 200k and look elsewhere.
This is a mass produced GM/Chevrolet that runs down a assembly line.
If you're looking for hand built quality, add another 100 to 200k and look elsewhere.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 2,618
Likes: 435
I think you raise an important point. If we are looking for perfect, get your wallet out. A vehicle that now has a base price around $70 k won’t be perfect. It will be good but not perfect. I have a 2023 and was pleasantly surprised at the lack of issues and solidity of the whole package. Just my humble opinion.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 311
Likes: 116
From: FL
My C5 Z06 had panel alignment issues, orange peel, carpet issues etc., same with my C6 ZR1. Fiberglass and carbon fiber panels aren’t made with exacting precision, and when they are, prepare yourself for the price that accompanies that level of detail. Compare Bowling Green assembly to Porsche in Germany, then make whatever inference you want from that observation.
I’ve never expected laser precision from Chevy production, imagine if we had the quality of a Porsche with the performance of a Vette, the thing would cost $300k. If it makes you feel better, look closely at new Hondas, Mercedes, BMW, and you’ll find similar issues with panel fitment. It’s the result of pressing every ounce of profitability out of manufacture until there’s nothing left to cut. It’s also why water bottles practically collapse in your hands when you’re drinking from them.
Don’t let any of that keep you from an amazing machine, if there’s a gap that bothers me that much, I’ll adjust it myself. My GTS Viper was an alignment nightmare, the thing was literally slapped together with glorified carpentry shims (the later generations were similarly put together).
I’ve never expected laser precision from Chevy production, imagine if we had the quality of a Porsche with the performance of a Vette, the thing would cost $300k. If it makes you feel better, look closely at new Hondas, Mercedes, BMW, and you’ll find similar issues with panel fitment. It’s the result of pressing every ounce of profitability out of manufacture until there’s nothing left to cut. It’s also why water bottles practically collapse in your hands when you’re drinking from them.
Don’t let any of that keep you from an amazing machine, if there’s a gap that bothers me that much, I’ll adjust it myself. My GTS Viper was an alignment nightmare, the thing was literally slapped together with glorified carpentry shims (the later generations were similarly put together).
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 16,607
Likes: 7,692
From: NJ
OP no offense. But I feel bad for you being that ****. Life sucks when you are delving that deep into something that should bring joy. Took me a long time in my life to figure that out. But in my 50s I started to "get it". I hope you do too.
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Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2013
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Lol it is not **** to expect a $135000 car to have body panels that align.
After buying 25 new cars this century, none have had this type of issue. BMW, Cadillac, GMC, Hummer, Ford, Chevrolet, Audi, Mercedes.
Excusing ongoing C8 factory mistakes is bizarre.
After buying 25 new cars this century, none have had this type of issue. BMW, Cadillac, GMC, Hummer, Ford, Chevrolet, Audi, Mercedes.
Excusing ongoing C8 factory mistakes is bizarre.
Last edited by davelv; Apr 25, 2026 at 08:41 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 16,607
Likes: 7,692
From: NJ
Did you inspect every inch of those other cars the same way?
Racer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 311
Likes: 116
From: FL
Probably hasn’t; my family has had multiple BMWs over the years and my neighbor has new Mercedes as well as Cadillacs and the later cars definitely have panel fitment issues (I’ve seen them on their brand new cars, though arguably not as frequent as the corvette).
Just look up BMW/Mercedes/Cadillac panel fitment issues and you’ll find threads that complain about panel gaps and QC issues on brand new cars. General QC has absolutely slid over the years across all makes and models. Honda and Toyota used to be the standard for quality, budget friendly production cars. My brand new Type R has panel fitment issues all over the place and there are plenty of complaints about it in the Honda forums.
Just look up BMW/Mercedes/Cadillac panel fitment issues and you’ll find threads that complain about panel gaps and QC issues on brand new cars. General QC has absolutely slid over the years across all makes and models. Honda and Toyota used to be the standard for quality, budget friendly production cars. My brand new Type R has panel fitment issues all over the place and there are plenty of complaints about it in the Honda forums.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 2,594
Likes: 2,649
From: Texas
I rejected an Eray in February after waiting 8 months because of body misalignments and drivers door being sunken in too far that the dealer wouldn't fix.
The Grand Sport appears to have issues too.
Chevy is pushing out C8s of worse build than Teslas. For $135k+ the factory needs to do better.
The Grand Sport appears to have issues too.
Chevy is pushing out C8s of worse build than Teslas. For $135k+ the factory needs to do better.
We all know the Vette isnt the greatest build-quality. Some of it is due to the material used for the bodel panels, or so I've read. It's seemingly harder to maintain tolerances to spec on molded compounds like the C8's SMC panels vs the sheet metal of traditional makes. I dunno if that is true or if I misunderstood.
The interior has come a LONG way. Tiny misalignments in body panels dont bother me much. It'd be nice if it could be closer to flawless than they are, but the value proposition makes it tough to beat even with the issues.
TBH I'd prefer for GM to fix the DCT flaws that lead to failures and the headlight rubbing the paint off issue long before worrying anout 1mm misalignment in a panel.
Last edited by Korbek; Apr 26, 2026 at 02:29 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 6,476
Likes: 711
From: Sausalito CA
The front hood edge alignment is pretty bad quality control.
FWIW before rejecting, I would have asked the seller to attempt to align.
Hopefully the bad alignments are assembly and not undeclared damage.
Ya, other brands can be just as bad.
Yet, OP's decision to cancel and try another
FWIW before rejecting, I would have asked the seller to attempt to align.
Hopefully the bad alignments are assembly and not undeclared damage.
Ya, other brands can be just as bad.
Yet, OP's decision to cancel and try another
Pro
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 611
Likes: 653
As someone who has OCD (about certain things, not everything) I am torn by this post because I generally agree with the comments that perfection is not a realistic expectation with a mass produced GM vehicle, however, the OP can do whatever he wants. I spent $4000 on an aftermarket exhaust system for my Z06 because the interior exhaust did not align perfectly with the fake exterior exhaust tips (I consider them fake since they aren't connected directly to the exhaust, but that's just me). It was a small thing, something nobody would notice unless they bent down and stared at it, but it bothered me enough to put a new exhaust in (AWE Switchpath). Rational? No, of course not, but like I said I have OCD so I did it. Funny enough, it took a bit of playing with the AWE tips to get them perfectly aligned with the exterior rear panel. To each their own.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2013
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Originally Posted by mtraylor2001
Maybe you should try and find the perfect tesla, or just have a detailer re-align what is not perfect.
And I just remembered my 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee had its rear hatch realigned. No issue at all.
Pro
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 611
Likes: 415
From: Texas
Most dealers in my area bend over backwards to make the sale one way or another.