Chevrolet
Chevrolet Corvette years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2016, 2017 and 2019. Best years: 2021.
The 2016, 2017 and 2019 Chevrolet Corvette draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2016 has 104 complaints (9 for each year on the road), 2017 has 256 complaints (26 for each year on the road) and 2019 has 148 complaints (18 for each year on the road), against a median of 6 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2017 is wheels (225 reports).
- 508complaints
- 5recall campaigns
- 3model years with a page
Newest report Sep 23, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
Best years
2021
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2017 has the most complaints of any Chevrolet Corvette year here: 256 of 508 (50%).
- Problem across the years
- Wheels is the top problem in every model year with a page, 409 reports in all. Pooled across the years, half of the 330 owners who gave a mileage for wheels were under about 14,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 1% of Chevrolet Corvette complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2016, 2 of its 104 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- None of the 3 model years where owners report wheels has a recall on the same system.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2019 at 162 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 25. So far in 2026, 9 more have come in.
Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2014 (51), 2015 (64), 2018 (51), 2020 (34), 2021 (12), 2022 (21), 2023 (25), 2024 (21), 2025 (10).
Year by year
2019 Chevrolet Corvette avoid
148 owner complaints, 18 for each year on the road (3.3 times the model median). Most reported: wheels (125 reports, median 9,300 miles). 1 recall: 18V-360 on the airbags.
2017 Chevrolet Corvette avoid
256 owner complaints, 26 for each year on the road (4.5 times the model median). Most reported: wheels (225 reports, median 15,000 miles). 3 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 25V-175 on the steering system and 19V-086 on the steering system.
2016 Chevrolet Corvette avoid
104 owner complaints, 9 for each year on the road (1.7 times the model median). Most reported: wheels (59 reports, median 18,299 miles), transmission shudder (10 reports, median 12,000 miles) and fuel tank problems (10 reports). 1 report involved a crash and 1 person was hurt. 2 recalls, including 17V-437 on the airbags and 16V-651 on the airbags.
Recalls that cover several model years
While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition.
In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test.
Questions
What Chevrolet Corvette years should you avoid?
The 2016, 2017 and 2019 Chevrolet Corvette draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2016 has 104 complaints (9 for each year on the road), 2017 has 256 complaints (26 for each year on the road) and 2019 has 148 complaints (18 for each year on the road), against a median of 6 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2017 is wheels (225 reports).
What are the best years for the Chevrolet Corvette?
The 2021 draws the fewest complaints for its age: 12, or 2 for each year on the road. Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Chevrolet Corvette?
Wheels, with 409 reports across the 3 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2016, 2017 and 2019.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Corvette have?
5 recall campaigns cover the Chevrolet Corvette model years 2016 to 2019 on this site. The widest, 16V-651 on the airbags, covers 2 model years.
How many Chevrolet Corvette complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
1% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2016 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for wheels on the Chevrolet Corvette?
No. None of the 3 model years where owners report it has one on the same system.