2023 Chevrolet Corvette Problems: 9 Known Issues

On the 2023-2024 Chevrolet Corvette 5.5L LT6 V8 (flat-plane crank), a cluster of 2023 Corvette Z06 cars suffered catastrophic LT6 engine failures at extraordinarily low mileage — documented cases at 52 miles and at 621 miles, both during or immediately after the factory break-in period and both on cars driven gently (one showed a 18.7 mph lifetime average speed). Symptoms were sudden rattling or knocking from the mid-mounted 5.5L V8, in one case accompanied by thick white smoke and an OnStar alert flagging the engine and transmission system. Owners and dealers pointed to a spun rod bearing and bent rod; the white-smoke case also raised a cracked head or block. Notably, during LT6 development GM's own engine team identified hot spots in the main bearings attributed to oil cavitation near redline once oil thinned at high temperature, which is consistent with a bearing-lubrication failure mode. GM replaced the failed engines under warranty but blocked dealers from tearing them down, sending the cores back to Detroit for internal analysis instead. There is no recall and no public root-cause statement, so this remains an owner-borne risk rather than a fixed defect.

On the 2023-2024 Chevrolet Corvette 5.5L LT6 V8 (flat-plane crank), 2023 Corvette Z06 models with the 5.5L LT6 flat-plane-crank V8 developed a loud, irregular ticking, tapping, or snapping noise from the top of the engine. The LT6 uses a solid mechanical valvetrain with no hydraulic lash adjusters, so a light, periodic mechanical tick is normal — but affected cars produce an excessive, non-periodic tick most audible at idle with the rear hatch open in Tour mode as the engine reaches operating temperature. GM traced the condition to misalignment of the camshaft caps, effectively an assembly-line camshaft cap bolt torque/seating error. GM issued Technical Service Bulletin 23-NA-115 in June 2023 with no VIN breakpoints, meaning any 2023-built LT6 can be affected. This is distinct from the LT2 lifter/DFM tick on the Stingray — the LT6 has neither hydraulic lifters nor cylinder deactivation, so no Stingray fix applies here.

On the 2020-2025 Chevrolet Corvette LT2, the C8 Corvette uses the LT2 6.2L V8 with Dynamic Fuel Management (DFM) which can deactivate any combination of cylinders. While the LT2 is generally reliable, some owners report lifter tick similar to the AFM issues on truck engines. The DFM system uses the same collapsible lifter technology. GM bulletin #19-NA-218 (Ticking Noise from the Engine) covers the 2020-2021 LT2 and attributes cold-start tick to a lifter that has not pumped up with oil. The tick is most noticeable on cold starts and usually disappears when warm. Severe cases may require lifter replacement.

On the 2020-2024 Chevrolet Corvette, the Tremec TR-9080 eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle (RPO M1L) fitted to every C8 has generated a sustained pattern of failures serious enough that GM formally notified NHTSA in November 2021 that it was investigating. The signature complaint is a 'Service Transmission' message that will not clear and that prevents the car from powering off — GM attributed this to debris on the park position sensor magnet feeding an incorrect position reading to the transmission control module. Beyond that, owners report DCT fluid leaks, DCT filters found heavily contaminated well before the 7,500-mile initial service, low-speed shudder during parking-lot maneuvers and 1-2 shifts on early 2020 cars, limp-mode entry, unexpected shifts into neutral while driving, and outright transmission replacement — one NHTSA complaint documents total transmission failure at 1,400 miles, another documents the rear transaxle case cracking and dumping fluid onto the exhaust. GM went so far as to bulletin dealers in November 2021 to collect and return every DCT filter removed at the 7,500-mile service for engineering analysis. The debris findings suggest internal wear material circulating in the unit, not merely a software calibration problem.

On the 2023-2026 Chevrolet Corvette, gM recalled 2023-2026 Corvettes built with a left-side radiator/fan combination because excess fuel can spill into the fuel-filler pocket during refueling and drain onto an ignition source. On affected cars the filler pocket sits above the left-side radiator and its cooling fan, so fuel that leaks from the pocket onto the radiator while the fan runs can be drawn through it and vaporized into the engine compartment, where it can reach an ignition source. NHTSA received a complaint from a 2023 owner describing exactly this outcome: as the fuel nozzle was pulled from the vehicle a violent explosion occurred and the owner was immediately engulfed in a fireball. Owner notification letters for recall 25V536000 went out November 14, 2025. Because the recall is keyed to a specific radiator/fan configuration rather than a build date range, VIN lookup is the only reliable way to know whether a given car is included.

On the 2022-2024 Chevrolet Corvette, c8 owners across several model years report that the car's control modules do not enter sleep after shutdown, leaving the radio, infotainment screen and instrument cluster powered up with the vehicle off. The battery is drained overnight and the car will not restart. NHTSA complaints document both halves of this: a 2024 owner reported the radio, infotainment screen and instrument cluster had failed to turn off and the vehicle subsequently failed to restart, and a 2022 owner reported battery drain causing a no-start that required disconnecting the negative battery terminal to reset the modules and clear stored codes. On the C8 this is more than an inconvenience — the battery sits under the front windshield cowl, reached through the front compartment, and a fully dead battery can leave the doors, which are electrically released, difficult to open, and it can force manual release procedures. Cars that sit between drives, which describes most Corvettes, are disproportionately affected.

On the 2020-2025 Chevrolet Corvette, the mid-engine C8 Corvette has reported issues with the front trunk (frunk) latch mechanism. The electronic latch can fail to release or fail to secure properly. GM issued two 2020-model-year recalls for the front trunk: 20V489, because the car could be driven with the front trunk lid unlatched and the lid could then open at speed, and 20V461, because the interior front-trunk release button could stop working ten minutes after shutdown. Additionally, some C8 owners report various electrical gremlins including infotainment freezes, wireless charging pad failures, and key fob range issues. These are software and build-quality issues typical of a first-generation mid-engine design.

On the 2020-2024 Chevrolet Corvette, gM opened a service inspection program covering 2020-2021 C8 Corvettes fitted with the Open Spoke and Trident wheel designs after finding that exposed porosity in the aluminum wheel castings exceeded internal GM limits. The porosity presents as hairline cracking and allows air to weep through the casting, so the first thing an owner notices is a recurring low tire pressure warning on a wheel that holds no visible puncture. Roughly 13,049 U.S. cars were called in for inspection, with GM estimating about 10 percent actually carried the defect. The problem did not stop with the inspection program: NHTSA complaints on later cars describe a right rear wheel cracked at 23,000 miles with the owner noting it is a widely reported condition, and a 2024 owner reporting all four factory wheels found bent or deformed and recommended for replacement with no collision, pothole strike, or curb impact. The C8 runs low-profile rubber on wide cast rims with very little sidewall to absorb impact, which makes the inner barrel — where the casting is least supported — the usual failure point.

On the 2020-2023 Chevrolet Corvette, the C8 convertible uses a fully electric retractable hardtop driven by six electric motors and a set of latches, with no hydraulics. Owners report the top jamming partway through its cycle, failing to latch (most often at the right front), throwing a 'Service Convertible Top' or 'Top Not Secure' message, and the interior release button failing to actuate the roof at all. NHTSA complaint data reflects this: 2022 C8 complaints show a cluster filed under the structure/convertible-top component, and a 2023 owner reported that the electric button to open the hard top convertible does not activate along with the driver's door release. Because the roof is a motor-and-latch system rather than a hydraulic one, a single failed motor, a mis-set latch, or a module that has lost its position learn will stall the whole sequence and leave the car undriveable at speed with the top unsecured. The system also refuses to operate below its temperature thresholds by design, which owners frequently mistake for a failure.