The Lemon Index

All cars · Chevrolet Corvette · 2004

2004 Chevrolet Corvette. Advanced data.

The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.

Lemon Index70100 = average car
Complaints21NHTSA, first 3 years
Sold35,276U.S. model year
Per 100K sold60complaints
Complaint rank#3 of 16among the 16 scored Chevrolet Corvette model years (2000–2022); #1 = fewest complaints per car sold, not the YouTube rank

Failure mileage by system

Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 1,341 and 25,000 miles. Median 19,772, from 14 complaints with a mileage.

Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.

Complaints by system

SystemShare of complaints
Fuel system, gasoline33%
Steering33%
Transmission & drivetrain10%
Electrical5%
Seats5%

One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.

Severity, all complaints

TotalCrashesFiresInjuriesDeathsTows
2110000

As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.

Recall campaigns 4

  • 09E025000 May 2009 Exterior Lighting / Headlights

    Defect. DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

    Risk. DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

    Remedy. DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.

  • 09E012000 Apr 2009 Exterior Lighting

    Defect. SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

    Risk. DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

    Remedy. SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.

  • 04V273000 Jun 2004 Steering / Linkages

    Defect. ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THIS CAMPAIGN, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL STUD NUT/WASHER ASSEMBLIES WITH WASHERS WERE MADE OF THE WRONG MATERIAL. THE WASHERS MAY FRACTURE AND BECOME LOOSE OR FALL AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE, REDUCING CLAMP LOAD. SEPARATION OF THE CONTROL ARM BALL STUD AND STEERING KNUCKLE, DUE TO DISENGAGEMENT OF THE TAPERED ATTACHMENT AND RETAINING NUT, IS POSSIBLE.

    Risk. IF THE CONTROL ARM SEPARATES FROM THE KNUCKLE, THE AFFECTED CORNER OF THE VEHICLE WILL DROP AND THE CONTROL ARM WOULD BE FORCED DOWNWARD, CONTACTING THE WHEEL. THE AFFECTED WHEEL COULD TILT OUTWARD AND CREATE A DRAGGING ACTION THAT WOULD TEND TO SLOW THE VEHICLE AND CREATE A TENDENCY FOR THE VEHICLE TO TURN IN THE DIRECTION OF THE AFFECTED WHEEL. IN EXTREME SITUATIONS, THE AFFECTED WHEEL ASSE

    Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BALL STUD JOINTS AND MEASURE THE TORQUE OF THE NUT FOR ALL FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS IN ALL MODELS AFFECTED AS WELL AS THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARMS ON THE XLR AND CORVETTE. IF THE TORQUE IS NOT AT SPECIFICATION, THE DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BALL STUD, THE KNUCKLE, AND THE NUT. IF THE TORQUE IS AT SPECIFICATION, THE DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE NUT/WASHER ASSEMBLY ONLY. THE RE

  • 04V060000 Feb 2004 Steering / Column Locking / Anti-Theft Device

    Defect. ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRONIC COLUMN LOCK SYSTEMS (ECL), WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS TURNED TO "LOCK," THE ECL SYSTEM PREVENTS TURNING OF THE STEERING SYSTEM. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, THE ECL UNLOCKS THE STEERING SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE IS DESIGNED SO THAT IF THE COLUMN FAILS TO UNLOCK WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED AND THE CUSTOMER TRIES TO DRIVE, THE FUEL SUPPLY WILL BE SHUT OFF SO THAT THE VEHICLE CANNOT MOVE WHEN THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE STEERED. IF VOLTAGE AT THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE IS LOW OR INTERRUPTED, HOWEVER, THE FUEL SHUT OFF MAY NOT OCCUR AND THE VEHI

    Risk. IF THIS OCCURS, A CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING.

    Remedy. ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER WILL DISABLE THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK BY REMOVING THE COLUMN LOCK PLATE. WHEN THE IGNITION KEY IS REMOVED, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WILL LOCK BUT THE STEERING COLUMN WILL NOT LOCK. ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER WILL REPROGRAM THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE, PERFORM A DIMENSIONAL CHECK OF THE COLUMN L

NHTSA investigations

StatusSubjectOpenedClosed
ClosedFuel tank leak20102010
ClosedSteering column lockup20022004

Manufacturer communications 480

Chevy filed 480 service communications for this car with NHTSA.

  • Fluid leak from the rear axle side left hand side
  • Using the correct lock tight product when servicing a rear axle fluid leak from the…
  • Rear axle side cover oil leak

Safety equipment

Electronic stabilityForward collision warningLane departure warning
StandardNoNo

Engines and drivetrains 2

EngineTransmissionDriveCity / hwy / combinedFuelFuel cost/yr
5.7L 8-cylManual 6-spdRWD17 / 26 / 20Premium$3,850
5.7L 8-cylAuto 4-spdRWD16 / 23 / 19Premium$4,050

EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.

YouTube repair topics

195 videos about the 1997–2004 Chevrolet Corvette, 28.7M views.

TopicVideosViews
Oil changes & service3383K
Transmission & shifter2330K
Heat, A/C & blend door2134K
Gauges, lights & wiring267K
Timing chain & engine150K
No-start: theft light, key & ignition145K
Intake, EGR & engine sensors137K
Brakes & ABS134K

Nearby model years

YearLemon IndexComplaintsSoldTop system
20012508933,655Steering
20021244132,555Steering
20031012327,974Transmission & drivetrain
2004702135,276Fuel system, gasoline
20052856432,489Body structure
20063698536,518Body structure
20071073233,685Steering

Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.

Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data

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