Engine Exhaust System Problems of Chevrolet Corvette

While driving on highway in 5th gear #5 exhaust valve dropped into the cylinder going through the piston and causing connecting rod to go through side of the block. Engine seized and caused the car to go into a 65 mph spin. Luckily this occurred late at night on a open 4 lane highway with little traffic. I nearly clipped an oncoming pickup truck but squeaked by him. The car had 32,000 miles on it but out of warranty because of the years. Total cost for this ls7 replacement cost me 18,000 out of pocket. I hardly even drive the car because I'm afraid of it happening again. I'm reluctant to sell it because of the valve issue happening to potential buyer and them coming after me for the failure. Gm needs to correct this problem before someone gets killed like I could have been that night.

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Valve guides worn - all- out of specification at 30k miles, heads removed and valve guides and exhaust valves replaced.

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Dangerous conditions. Exhaust valve design causes ear that eventually breaks exhaust valve and destroys engine. Exhaust valve loose enough to break and cause engine damage, possible fire and/or flammable fluid leakage. . Read more...

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My 10,000 mile 2007 heads are at ahp for rebuilding. They reported back that 1 exhaust and 3 intake guides were worn past the service limit. Several others were close or at the limit.

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.

I was participating in a high performance driving education (hpde) event and was driving my car going approximately 50 mph on the virginia International raceway (vir) on Tuesday afternoon, June 27, 2017, when it seemed to loose acceleration. I drove further on the track and still did not have normal acceleration and I saw blue smoke coming out the the exhaust so I exited the track and when I got in the engine stopped. Several mechanic type people familiar with Corvettes looked at my car engine and instructed me to try to start it, which I was able to do and again blue exhaust smoke came out. I turned off the engine and had it towed to my car dealer, holiday Chevrolet in williamsburg, va. Their mechanics determined that the exhaust valve in cylinder #1 dropped from the head into the cylinder and eventually exited the engine through the exhaust port and into the catalytic converter. The mechanic determined that the engine block was damaged beyond repair and an entire engine replacement was required, which is what I did.

Manufacturing defected in the ls7 motor. Upon further investigation I had my 2006 Corvette z06 inspected for a loud audible tick in the motor. The source of this noise was from the in-balance from the #3 and #4 intake valves on the engines heads. There is premature wear on both valve guides causing internal failure to the motor. Under power demand the in-balance will cause the titanium rod to strike the sides of the valve seat causing the head of the valve to crack and fall into the cylinder. Once this occurs instant catastrophic failure of the motor happens resulting in white bellowing smoke from the exhaust, oil spillage, and engine lock resulting in the vehicle skidding off the road or loosing control. Fortunately for me I caught this in time before having a catastrophic failure. Both ls7 heads are being repaired and machined to meet industry standards. This problem must be addressed to all ls7 z06 owners as it could and has caused several crashes and possible deaths. Once repairs to the ls7 heads are made the vehicle can be returned to service.

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Had to have the heads reworked because of bad guides at 13,500 miles. Car out of warranty gm does nothing and claims there isn't a problem. Stock 2008 z06 with 13,500 miles all (8) exhaust out of spec, (3) intake out of spec (5) intake only in spec by . 0001-. 0004 measurement done by katech/wcch can provide data if needed.

This model Corvette can suddenly drop an engine valve (exhaust or intake) and unexpectedly develop a hole in the block accompanied with oil spilled on the roadway, smoke billowing with risk for vehicles behind and in front, and the risk for total loss of power steering, braking and control of the vehicle. The outcome if this happened on a freeway with cars travelling at a high rate of speed is potentially fatal. All of this is due to machining errors and supplier defects for the associated parts (valves, guides, etc. ) on all 2006-2013 Corvette c6 z06's made by gm.

After months of reading about the exhaust valve issue with Corvette z06’s I took my car and had the heads checked. The shop found the valve guide clearance to be outside the specified acceptable range. The defect puts undue stress on the sodium filled valves and if the valve fails it can cause catastrophic engine damage and potentially deadly situation if this occurs at speed on the roadway as the driver will lose ability to control the vehicle potentially causing a deadly accident. I paid several thousand dollars out of pocket to fix this issue despite gm acknowledging there is an issue with these vehicles.

Hello, I am reporting on my 2006 c6z06 Corvette that recently had the valve-to-guide clearances checked on my engine and my measurements are beyond the serviceable specifications on 8 out of 16 valves, both intake and exhaust. I consider this a safety hazard due to the fact that if the vehicle is driven and engine seizes, loss of control may occur. I also have what appears to be a leak on the fuel module/sending unit, specifically on the top plastic elbow connector. I have strong gasoline odor in the cabin of the car and visible gasoline from the underside of the car near the fuel tank.

I had to replace the exhaust valves in my 2008 z06 in order to prevent catastrophic failure. Replaced 2-piece soda filled valves with 1 piece stainless steel valves. Upon inspection valve guides on #3 had excess slop. Sent heads out for machining and new guides. Stock engine had less than 20k miles. Manufacturer of engine has issued service bulletins acknowledging these errors exist.

My cylinder head intake and exhaust valves were severely out of gm's . 0037" maximum wiggle tolerance. The valves were tested by yuma auto and trans as well as american heritage performance (harbor city, CA). Not addressing the issue may have caused a dropped cylinder valve and blown engine.

I bought this Corvette z06 used from a private party. The engine had a catastrophic failure due to a known issue with the valve guides and valves in the ls7 motor from the factory. I was driving home from work when the motor failed. I was lucky to be only a mile from home when it failed and I was able to coast into my garage. The exhaust valve dropped and destroyed the #1 piston along with that cylinder, and the engine block. Nothing in the motor is salvageable as it bent or sent metal shards into every part of the motor. I have tried several times to get chevy to help me with this motor, but they will not help at all. They know about the problem, but will not lift a finger to help anyone.

The exhaust valve broke off, and engine blew up. I was driving on highway.

At only 21,179 miles, my dealer inspected both cylinder head banks and found valve guide clearance to be well out of maximum allowed specification. This defect puts undue stress on the hollow, sodium-filled exhaust valves. If an exhaust valve breaks, the exhaust valve will drop into the combustion chamber, and cause a complete, catastrophic failure of the engine. This causes hazardous conditions for the driver, passenger, and surrounding traffic: the drive wheels may become locked as the engine seizes and the engine block may become windowed by a rod, causing a large spill of oil and coolant immediately under the vehicle on the roadway. These conditions could lead to a severe accident from a sudden spin and/or a fire. I have little confidence that the cylinder heads replaced on my car are free from the valve guide clearance defect. As more owners have become aware of the problem, replacement cylinder heads have been measured before installation on the engine and have been found to have defects in valve guide clearance and valve guide to seat concentricity, such as what could lead to a dropped exhaust valve and an accident. The vehicles should be recalled and fixed before any more serious accidents occur. Although my vehicle did not fail despite having the defect, I have seen a video of a spin caused by the failure, I have seen pictures of a vehicle after a fire caused by the failure, and I have seen reports of approximately 35 failures; all from Corvetteforum. Com. Therefore I am concerned about my safety when driving the vehicle and I believe the NHTSA should investigate the matter.

Exhaust valve guides are excessively worn beyond service limit. Approximately 4 times service limit. This is a definite safety hazard to me and to those around me. The worn valve guide causes the exhaust valve to stretch, and eventually break. When the valve head breaks, it beats its way out of the engine, causing potentially: engine lockup, oil spill on highway, large smoke cloud and debris out the rear of the vehicle. Loss of control of the vehicle imminent danger to those around me due to loss of vision and slippery roadway. This issue affects all 2006 to 2013 Chevrolet Corvette z06.

It is stock and no tune verified by ( reliable Chevrolet in springfield mo. And show-me speed in nixa mo. ) at 49562 mile it drop the #6 exhaust valve which in turn destroyed the motor I have had this car to 3 different shops and they are all saying the same thing excessive wear on all the exhaust valve guides 2 of the shops determined this wear caused the exhaust valve to break other shop couldn't say.

Noticed a loud ticking from valve train. Had heads removed and found exhaust valve guides were out of specification after 11,000 miles by 50%. Had to do valve job on heads because chevy denied claim. Now a recall out for 08 and newer but no coverage for 2006 and 2007!.

Date of heads pulled: 7/5/12 head type: gm ls7 year: 2006 miles: 16,000 track time: none tune: stock I had my cylinder heads removed because I was paranoid after reading online about many other owners having issues with their valve guides being out of spec. My cylinder heads had valve guides that were way out of spec and the car only had 16,000 miles on it and was never tracked or abused. These were on the verge of having the valve break off and seize the motor which could have resulted in serious injury to myself and others around me while driving. I paid out of my own pocket to have these heads redone. Max allowable clearance is 0. 0037 for both intake and exhaust. Valve guide clearances intake #1 top . 0027 mid . 0021 bot . 0024 intake #2 top . 0030 mid . 0022 bot . 0028 intake #3 top . 0025 mid . 0022 bot . 0023 intake #4 top . 0030 mid . 0023 bot . 0025 intake #5 top . 0033 mid . 0022 bot . 0027 intake #6 top . 0028 mid . 0022 bot . 0025 intake #7 top . 0029 mid . 0023 bot . 0027 intake #8 top . 0030 mid . 0023 bot . 0028 ========================= exhaust #1 top . 0022 mid . 0026 bot . 0069 exhaust #2 top . 0022 mid . 0024 bot . 0048 exhaust #3 top . 0020 mid . 0028 bot . 0064 exhaust #4 top . 0022 mid . 0024 bot . 0039 exhaust #5 top . 0021 mid . 0029 bot . 0085 exhaust #6 top . 0021 mid . 0023 bot . 0046 exhaust #7 top . 0021 mid . 0024 bot . 0054 exhaust #8 top . 0022 mid . 0025 bot . 0033.

Massive engine failure due to a failed exhaust valve after inspection, car lost all power and was immobile after rolling to a stop. The 7 and 8 cylinder on the block were completely ventilated. This is a very common problem with 2006-2011 Corvettes and many others have had the same issue. What happens is the head of the exhaust valve falls off and then it makes contact with the piston and takes out the block and piston and rods. Please investigate this as there is several hundred or more z06 equipped with the ls7 motor that has had the same issue. It is a safety concern and imho there should be some kind of recall on these motors.

The vehicle dropped a cylinder head valve and was fixed under original factory warranty in 2012. It was fixed by the dealer using factory parts. It was on the freeway and the motor lost almost all power. I had to get towed. It happened again in 2016 after 20,000 miles and religious oil changes. This car was maintained meticulously. They cylinders were found to be at fault of destroying an exhaust valve both times. Additionally, the number 8 cylinder was found to be consuming oil, which destroyed my catalytic converter. This is all with a vehicle which had under 40,000 miles (within powertrain mileage warranty, but expired duration warranty).

Engine dropped exhaust valve while the engine was turning 6800 rpm in third gear at 118 mph. The engine stopped right at the time I went to shift to 4th gear and the tach dropped to zero. I pulled the car into a run off area and got out of the car because I thought it might be on fire due to all of the smoke.

Exhaust valve broke due to valve guides being out of spec. Engine seized. Immediate loss of power steering and brakes due to seized engine.

The exhaust valve broke and destroyed the motor.

The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Corvette. While starting the vehicle, the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an emissions stations and the contact was informed that the secondary air duct ion system was the cause of failure. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the dealer confirmed that the air duct system was the cause. The contact paid for the repairs but the check engine light illuminated again. It had not been repaired again at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was 18,550. The current mileage was 18,600. Updated 08/17/10. The consumer stated he experienced emissions failure for the second time. Updated 08/23/jb.

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Failure of exaust system at welds on flanges.

See all problems of the 1998 Chevrolet Corvette 🔎.

Engine is using excessive amounts of oil - 2 quarts in 5,600 miles. Engine oil is being blown into exhaust system contaminating the catalytic converters and posing a risk of catalytic converter fire when car is parked. Manufacturer has been contacted and is doing oil consumption test. Dealer states that use of up to 1 quart of oil per 1,000 miles is normal. Car has less than 6,000 miles.

See all problems of the 2001 Chevrolet Corvette 🔎.

The left side of the exhaust at the flange is also ready to break. When the exhaust breaks, the exhaust pipe strikes the rear axle and the muffler drops down and could fly out the back of the vehicle at a freeway speed.

While driving in hot weather and at 3000+ rpms, there are smelly fumes coming into the vehicle which cause watery eyes and dizziness, may cause loss of vehicle control. Been to dealer several times, but dealer cannot determine the problem. Please provide further information.

See all problems of the 1999 Chevrolet Corvette 🔎.

Consumer states he has driven the vehicle 5,600 miles with a loss of 2 quarts of engine oil, consumer was informed that the oil consumption is normal, consumer states that the oil is being blown into the exhaust system due to a faulty engine design.

Excessive oil consumption reported to dealership. Presently under "oil consumption" test under dealership supervision. Black build up noticed on exhaust tips. Catalytic converter possibly saturated with burnt synthetic oil.

Vehicle exhibits excessive oil consumption, over 1 quart per 1000 miles, and has done so since new. Exhaust pipes contain black oily residue. Complaints have been filed with the Chevrolet customer assistance center. They have told me that a repair for the vehicle will not be available until fall 2001, which is unacceptable to me. I requested a buy-back which they denied. I requested that Chevrolet write me a letter explaining their position and they refused.