1998 Chevrolet Corvette

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET CORVETTE. WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED INDEPENDENTLY AND THE TRACTION CONTROL INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, ALL THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT WAS INJURED AND RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR TORN MUSCLES IN HIS NECK, ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HEAD THREE INCHES ABOVE THE EAR, ONE RIB ON THE LEFT SIDE WAS FRACTURED, AND TORN MUSCLES IN THE LOWER BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED HOME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000.

I OWN A 98 M/T CORVETTE & I AM AN AUTOMOBILE EXPERT. THE C5 CORVETTE HAS AN ENGINEERING SAFETY DEFECT WITH THE ELECTO-MECHANICAL STEERING COLUMN LOCK SYSTEM. THERE HAD BEEN MANY INSTANCES OF THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK ENGAGING WHILE DRIVING ON THESE C5 & HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES ON MY C5 BEFORE THE ACCIDENT ON 12/25/05. NO FAIL SAFE SYSTEM FOR THE COLUMN LOCK EXISTS AND THE BCM OR BODY CONTROL MODULE HAS TOTAL CONTROL OVER THIS COLUMN LOCK. MANY VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONS WILL CAUSE THIS STEERING LOCK TO ENGAGE WHILE DRIVING. GMS RECALL FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN A/T THE COLUMN LOCK WAS ELIMINATED. GMS SUPPOSED FIX FOR THE M/T VEHICLES WAS TO REPROGRAM THE PCM'S WITH NEW SOFTWARE & THIS SOFTWARE CHANGE DID NOT PREVENT THE COLUMN LOCK FROM ENGAGING; IT JUST MADE SURE THAT THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF SHOULD THE STEERING LOCK ENGAGE. ABOUT 07/05 THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK HAD ENGAGED WHILE DRIVING & HAD LEFT THE CAR STUCK IN TRAFFIC. THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED AT HIS TIME. I WAS TOLD THE STEERING LOCKING PROBLEM HAD BEEN RESOLVED. ON 12/25/05 WHILE DRIVING ON A WET ROAD, WITHOUT WARNING, MY C5 SKIDDED WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED & I WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE SKID BECAUSE THE STEERING LOCK HAD ENGAGED & THE CAR WENT A CROSSED A DIVIDED ROADWAY INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, STOPPED & THEN GOT HIT. THE OTHER VEHICLES THAT HIT MY C5 WERE DESTROYED & THE OCCUPANTS WERE INJURED. THIS ACCIDENT WILL HAPPEN EVENTUALLY WITH ALL C5 S. IF THE STEERING LOCK HAD JUST ENGAGED THIS WOULD HAVE OF NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. IF IT HAD JUST LOCKED, & THE ENGINE HAD NOT SHUT OFF, THE CAR COULD STILL BE STOPPED SAFELY JUST BLOCKING TRAFFIC. HOWEVER, IF THE ROAD IS WET WHEN THE ENGINE STOPS & THE VEHICLE IS REAR WHEEL DRIVE WITH A M/T THE REAR WHEELS WILL SKID. IF A SKID OCCURS IT CAN BE EASILY CORRECTED BY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN A STRAIGHT PATH UNLESS THE STEERING IS LOCKED. IF THE RECALL HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED THIS ACCIDENT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED.*JB

PARKING BRAKE WAS FULLY ENGAGED, GOT OUT OF CAR, BRAKE LET GO, CAR ROLLED BACKWARDS INTO NEIGHBORS CHAIN LINK FENCE. I WAS INJURED AS THE CAR HIT ME, ALMOST RUNNING OVER ME.*AK

REQUEST FOR CRASH TEST RESULTS ON CHEVROLET CORVETTE CABRIOLET CONVERTIBLE 1998. (NAR TRANSFERRED TO RULEMAKING) *PH THE EXPERTS APPOINTED FOR THE FILE CANNOT REACH A CONCLUSION ON WHETHER THE AIR BAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED DURING THE ACCIDENT. *NM

WHILE DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT ROAD AT APPROX. 55 MPH THE ACTIVE HANDLING CAME ON AND JERKED THE CAR HARD TO THE RIGHT. IT WENT IN THE DITCH BUT HIT NOTHING. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE COMPUTER DISPLAY IT SAID "SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING".*AK

CONSUMER STATED ACTIVE HANDLING SYSTEM ENGAGED PREMATURELY WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH. WHEN THIS OCCURRED VEHICLE MADE A SEVERE RIGHT TURN AND WENT INTO A DITCH. *AK

CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING. ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING WAS INVOLVED INTO A COLLISION WHICH HE THINKS IT WAS CAUSED DO TO STEERING PROBLEMS. DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THE TIME OF THIS CALLED. TS *TT

CAR ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY CASUING LOSS OF CONTROL AND CRASH. ALSO HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH A 1999 CADILLAC. DT

STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP WHEN GOING INTO DRIVE. ONCE IN DRIVE WHILE MOVING THE ENGINE STOPPED AND I HIT THE CURB TAKING OFF SOME PAINT. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ON A HIGHWAY I WOULD HAVE DIE. I CALLED GMC, BUT THEY SAID THAT MY CAR DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM SO THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AT THIS TIME. ON THE WEB AND ON YOUR SITE I SEE THAT MY MODEL YEAR DOES HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I SAID TO GM I SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS WILL ONLY BE A PROBLEM FOR YOU WHEN I AM KILL IN THIS CAR AND MY FAMILY WILL SUE YOU FOR MILLION OF DOLLARS WHICH YOU WILL PAY ONLY TO KEEP IT OUT OF COURT AND THE NEWS PAPERS. I FEEL THAT YOU AT THE NHTSA SHOULD DO WHAT YOU SAY PEOPLE SAVING PEOPLE. IF I WAS THE ONLY PERSON THAT YOU SAVE MAYBE YOU WILL HAVE DONE WHAT YOU SAY. I THINK THE ONLY WAY THAT GM WILL DO ANYTHING IS IF YOU GET INVOLED.*AK REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS

I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE LISTED VEHICLE AND LOOSE HARDWARE, ESPECIALLY NUTS OR FASTENERS IN STEERING OR CONTROL AREAS THAT COME LOOSE OR OFF DURING NORMAL DRIVING CREATING CRASH HAZARDS. I AM CONCERNED. NEED HELP. *AK

HEADLAMPS DO NOT ROLL UP AT TIMES

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK

SITTING IDLE, ALL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATE ON DASH BOARD, IN DASH DISPLAY SHOWS"SERVICE ENGINE SOON". MADE IT HOME WHEN SMOKE BELLOWED FROM UNDER HOOD. ABS MODULE SHORTED OUT AND STARTED FIRE AT MODULE AND WIRING HARNESS. THANKFULLY, I AM A BODY MAN AND KNEW WHAT TO DO BY DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY. IF MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A FULL BLOWN FIRE. MY RESEARCH SHOWS, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 1997 TO 2000 CORVETTE WITH J 04 ACTIVE BRAKE CONTROL OPTION. NOT ONLY IS THERE A FIRE POSSIBILITY, THE PART MANUFACTURE HAS GONE OUT OF BUSINESS IN 2007, THE MODULE OR HARNESS AND NO LONGER AVAILABLE. DUE TO THE FIRE HISTORY OF THIS PART, NO AFTERMARKET COMPANY'S WILL REBUILD THIS UNIT. ZERO AVAILABLE NEW, VERY LIMITED USED (YARDS WILL ONLY SELL A TOTALED CORVETTE AS A ROLLING CHASIS). THIS LEAVES US CORVETTE OWNERS PURCHASED FOR $50,000 NEW WITH A UNDRIVABLE VEHICLE! LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERS WILL NOT ACCEPT VEHICLE IN THE SERVICE DEPT. ("WE ARE SORRY, BUT WE CANNOT REPAIR THIS VEHICLE. NO PARTS ARE AVAILABLE"). *TR

The contact owns a 1998 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the steering column lock failed to unlock, preventing the vehicle from being driven. After turning the key, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The service steering column lock warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V060000 (Steering); the VIN was included, but the vehicle had already been repaired under the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 1998 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that while the vehicle was with a local transmission mechanic for service, the technician was reversing out of the service bay when the Service Column warning light illuminated. No other warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to another local mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 59,565.

The contact owns a 1998 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the steering column remained in the locked position and the steering wheel could not be turned in either direction. The contact stated that occasionally the message "Remove Key - Wait 10 Seconds" was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V060000 (Steering). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced that failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 78,000.

I own a 1998 Chevrolet Corvette. The EBCM can have an issue. Complains of traction control, ABS braking and AH active handling. This can cause issues when driving with no ABS active. I have seen numerous complaints about this issue here and on various forums. Unfortunately the part needed to correct the issue is no longer available and for some reason cannot be repaired. Used parts are costly (2K or more) and no guarantee they work. GM should provide replacement part or work around. If not available they should offer total car buy backs for a fare price depending on condition or offer an exchange for a corvette that can be repaired.

The contact owns a 1998 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on slick road surfaces, the contact lost control of the vehicle with the service traction control and check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact had called several dealers in the Miami area and was informed that the parts to repair the vehicle were no longer being manufactured. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. Consumer stated no aftermarket replacements available or made or remanufactured.

On July 27, 2021, I was cruising in my 1998 Convertible Chevy maunal Corvette with under 50k miles. I had it inspected around the end of June. I just driving pulled ahead of traffic and the clutch pedal went all the way down to floor as I approached a stop light!!! I lost all power. I didn't know what to do, but a light bulb in my head went off. But thankfully there was no traffic and I was able to run a light and coast into a gas station and get towed. Upon research the 1998 manual clutch design is used in newer vehicles that and its a system design flaw. Car at shop and we are waiting for parts that are back ordered. Since transmission has to come out I'm getting all clutch stuff fixed. But clutch wasn't bad just the Fly wheel and Master Salve. I will send you bill when I get it. I could have died, caused an accident, been rear ended, it was crazy.

THE CAR CONSTANTLY AND REGULARLY SMELLS LIKE GAS ON THE INSIDE.