1999 Chevrolet Corvette Problems, Recalls & Reliability
389 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1999 Chevrolet Corvette, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 5 defect investigations. It scores 60/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 42,220 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 1999 Chevrolet Corvette sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1990, 1994–1996, 2010–2016, 2018–2020.
Avoid
Where 1999 sits among all Corvette years
What owners report
“Steering column lock warning light on vehicle which was recalled in 2004 and GM says my vehicle was not involved with recall and will not repair vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Corvette
“Something is wrong where it will stall out when you start driving. Soon as I put the car in gear and start rolling forward it dies. And I’ve looked online and it’s quite common.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Corvette
“"takata recall" my traction control comes on all the time and i sometimes have a pull on the right rear tire. The car is in motion. Street.this happens continuously. This started around early part of 2013.i have no idea what type of photo you want.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Corvette
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 155 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 45,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 30,000 and 63,401 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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…
Fix: 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.
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…
Fix: 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.
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…
Fix: 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…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE LAP BELT WEBBING CAN TWIST ALLOWING THE WEBBING TO BECOME JAMMED IN THE RETRACTOR.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL INSERTS TO THE BELT WEB GUIDE OF EACH LAP BELT RETRACTOR.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 04V060000.
Led to recall campaign 00V111000.
Technical service bulletins
151 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and engine — are on file for the 1999 Chevrolet Corvette. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1999 Corvette TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1999 Chevrolet Corvette reliable?
The 1999 Chevrolet Corvette drew 389 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 60/100, scored against the model's worst year (2005).
What are the most common 1999 Chevrolet Corvette problems?
The top reported problems for the 1999 Chevrolet Corvette are steering (207 complaints), electrical (40), and brakes & stability (25).
At what mileage do 1999 Chevrolet Corvette problems show up?
Owners most often report 1999 Chevrolet Corvette problems around 45,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 30,000 and 63,401 miles.
Does the 1999 Chevrolet Corvette have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 1999 Chevrolet Corvette. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.