The Lemon Index
Chevrolet's 7.0 L naturally aspirated V8, pushrod in the Corvette Z06 (C6) and Camaro Z/28, model years 2006–2015. YouTube likes the 2011 best.
Middle of the pack: YouTube owner tone 48/100, #89 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the middle third); no engine-related recall on record.
Everyday cars with this engine Tap a year for that car's full report.
Model years from EPA version lists. Only years we have a car page for.
Reliability by year
YouTube videos are most positive about the 2011 (52) and least about the 2008 (46); neighboring years share many of the same videos, so small gaps mean little.
How we count: owner complaints only where the car's name and year leave no doubt; YouTube tone from videos that name this engine or its cars. How we count
Owner complaints (NHTSA) are filed by model and year, not engine. We count one for this engine only when the model name and year had no other engine (e.g. "488 GTB", "GT-R"), or when the owner's own words name a version that had only this engine that year (Z06, ZR1, Hellcat, GT500 ...). They cover the whole car (wheels, air bags, electrics ...), not only the engine, and none of them is a failure rate. We chart them only for engines with 30 or more, over 3 or more years. YouTube tone = how positive the videos are, 0–100, from titles and transcripts (praise vs trouble words, the title counts 3 times), weighted by views; a year needs at least 3 videos' worth. A video counts for this engine when its title names the engine or a car that only had this engine in the years it names; a video whose title names no model year counts toward every year of that car, so neighboring years share most of their videos.
All the numbers, year by year
| Year | Cars | Owner complaints | YouTube says | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Corvette Z06 (C6) | 26 | 47 (97 videos) | 0 |
| 2007 | Corvette Z06 (C6) | 17 | 50 (99 videos) | 0 |
| 2008 | Corvette Z06 (C6) | 18 | 46 (98 videos) | 0 |
| 2009 | Corvette Z06 (C6) | 8 | 46 (98 videos) | 0 |
| 2010 | Corvette Z06 (C6) | 1 | 47 (97 videos) | 0 |
| 2011 | Corvette Z06 (C6) | 0 | 52 (99 videos) | 0 |
| 2012 | Corvette Z06 (C6) | 0 | 47 (97 videos) | 0 |
| 2013 | Corvette Z06 (C6) | 0 | 47 (98 videos) | 0 |
| 2014 | Camaro Z/28 | 0 | 51 (69 videos) | 0 |
| 2015 | Camaro Z/28 | 0 | 46 (67 videos) | 0 |
Recalls on cars with this engine
No NHTSA recalls we can tie to this engine's cars.
Every US version with this engine
| Car and versions | Years |
|---|---|
| Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C6) Corvette · Chevrolet Corvette, every year | 2006–13 |
| Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Camaro · Chevrolet Camaro, every year | 2014–15 |
Engine code: LS7. Hand-built at GM's Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan. Power: 505 hp, factory figures. Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Sources: LS based GM small-block engine.
Quick answers
What cars have the GM LS7 7.0 engine?
In the US: the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C6), Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, model years 2006–2015. See the version table for each one.
Is the GM LS7 7.0 reliable?
Mostly. YouTube owner tone 48/100, #89 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the middle third); no engine-related recall on record. Owners filed 70 complaints we can tie to it, about any part of the car. Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the GM LS7 7.0 make?
505 hp in factory figures, depending on the car.