2004 Chevrolet Corvette Problems, Recalls & Reliability
257 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Chevrolet Corvette, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 35/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Fuel system leads the reports, typically around 34,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2004 sits among all Corvette years
What owners report
“There is a known leak in the left fuel tank. My vehicle has symptoms but was never fixed. Vehicle is 15 years old but only 76,000 miles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Corvette
“When I start my vehicle, the steering wheel locking system does not disengage and the steering wheel stays locked.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Corvette
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 212 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 35,400 miles. Half of those reports fall between 20,000 and 58,000 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 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.…
Fix: 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…
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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 04V060000.
Technical service bulletins
480 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2004 Chevrolet Corvette. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2004 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 2004 Chevrolet Corvette reliable?
The 2004 Chevrolet Corvette drew 257 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 35/100, scored against the model's worst year (2005).
What are the most common 2004 Chevrolet Corvette problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Chevrolet Corvette are fuel system (149 complaints), steering (37), and other (18).
At what mileage do 2004 Chevrolet Corvette problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Chevrolet Corvette problems around 35,400 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 20,000 and 58,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Chevrolet Corvette have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 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.