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C6 Corvette: Common Corvette Complaints and Problems

Dancing ash tray covers, gas pedals that hit the floor, and flying roof panels are a few of the biggest issues you'll find with your C6.

By Scott Kaufman - March 13, 2015

This article applies to the C6 Chevrolet Corvette (2005-2013).

The C6 Corvette had very few common issues, save for an over-enthusiastic, dancing ash tray cover. One Corvette owner stated that his biggest problem with the C6 was when I press the gas pedal to the floor, all hell breaks loose!

Eventually, one very serious issue did arise on the 2005-2007 C6...

With the birth of any new model year there is undoubtedly going to be quirks and glitches to work out. Corvette's C6 introduced in 2005 was no exception. The Corvette has not always been immune to new model year blues. Most of these issues are minor and can be remedied very easily and by 2006, the second year of the production run, the issues were for the most part addressed and forgotten. HOWEVER, there was one MAJOR issue with the C6 model that proved to be more than annoying.

Figure 1. Roof panel on the C6 Corvette.

Several owners were reporting roof panels that separated from the frame causing the skin to fly off the car. As you can expect this became much more than just an annoying interior squeak or rattle or something else minor and fixable. A roof coming off while you travel down the road can turn into a dangerous situation very quickly as other motorists would have to dodge the flying projectile that just launched from your roof. Comments on the forum indicate that if the roof panel is shifting or making noise, document it and show it to your local dealership.

Figure 2. Roof panel movement caused this scuffing.

During the spring of 2006 GM reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it would be recalling 30,793 early model year C6s (2005-2006) over concerns that vehicles "primarily in hot and humid conditions" may have an issue where the adhesive between the roof panel and the frame would separate. There were reports of at least 11 roof separations due to, according to GM, inadequate bonding strength. Instead of completing replacing the roof panels, GM decided to repair the affected parts by inserting adhesive foam. After this "fix," GM reported another 108 claims of roof separation. Obviously this "repair" did not fix the issue.

In late 2009 (yes, more than three years after the original recall) GM issued a second recall for the same problem. This time they were going to recall 22,000 C6s between the years 2005-2007 to address the issue. The solution this time, however, would be that GM would install a redesigned roof panel. According to the company, "If there is a partial separation, the driver may notice one or more of the symptoms, such as a snapping noise when driving over bumps, wind noise, poor roof panel fit, roof panel movement/bounce when a door or hatch is closed, or a water leak."

For Corvette owners that have already have already paid out of their own pocket to have this issue repaired, GM vowed to reimburse them. Please see the discussions below and contribute to the existing forum information.

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