2003 Chevrolet Corvette problems
Owners have filed 127 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Chevrolet Corvette. Steering is the most reported problem area, at 27% of complaints. Next are electrical system (12%) and fuel system (9%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 127 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Steering 27% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 23 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 1 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 34,000 miles 100 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 32 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 29 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 24 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 4 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 2 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 3 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 2 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 3 |
What the data shows
Of the 100 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 34,000 miles. For steering specifically, the median reported mileage is about 34,000 miles (26 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 23 complaints mention a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire; 1 injury reported; 1 death reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2003 ranks 21st most-complained-about out of 32 model years of the Chevrolet Corvette with enough data (41 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet corvette. The contact stated that while driving 80 MPH, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a road sign. The fuel tank hit the curb and began leaking which caused the vehicle to burst into flames. The seatbelt locked and the driver could not get out and he died as a result. The fire department and private investigator discovered that the pin in the seatbelt jammed which caused the seatbelt failure. The manufacturer had not been notified.
On march 28, 2014, I was driving our 2003 chevrolet corvette when I failed to see the vehicle in front of me and crashed into the back of the vehicle. For me this amounted to a front end collision. The front of the corvette was damaged, but that was all. The pier and roof were not damaged. I had the seat belt properly fastened and on impact the shoulder strap did not hold. I was thrown over the air bag and into the windshield actually breaking the windshield with my head, which caused me head and neck injuries.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet corvette. The contact stated that after opening the driver's side seat belt, the seat caught on fire. The driver side seat and the carpet were severely damaged. He extinguished the fire. There were no injuries. The insurance company was contacted and will repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there were no recalls. They offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 58,000.
There really wasn't any events leading up to our accident that I was aware of. I have not contacted general motors as of yet,my internet has been down and was only fixed this evening around 4:00. But back to my accident,my steering locked up on me and all lost all control of my car. Sorry I don't have more information. I just know my wife and I are lucky to be alive. Thank you!
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet corvette. While driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was abe to restart, but the failure recurred. In addition, the service column lock warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contac's residence. The vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 04v060000 (steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 15,000.