Three problems related to engine exhaust system have been reported for the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette based on all problems reported for the 2009 Corvette.
Valve guides worn - all- out of specification at 30k miles, heads removed and valve guides and exhaust valves replaced.
Although my car is a 2009 it only has 300 miles on it. The zo6 model which has the "ls7 engine has a known valve issue with both intake and exhaust being out of spec and wearing rapidly. I had a "wiggle test" done on all my valves. More than half of the 16 valves were out of spec. If the issue is not correct a valve will drop and a new engine will be required.
Regarding the cylinder heads, I am one of hundreds that experienced intake and exhaust valves that were out of specification due to inadequate cylinder head design and valve guides. As a result, I needed to have my heads replaced with rebuilt heads and new valve guides. The uploaded document highlights the measurements on the valves as being out of specification after they were tested upon removal from my vehicle. On an engine with only 11,000 miles at the time, this is alarming. Hundreds others have experienced the same defect. This is a safety issue as when a valve drops, it falls into the engine having the effect of potentially immediately seizing it up which would then cause the car to lock the rear wheels and lose control.