NHTSA Complaint #11196516 — 2006 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

LS7 ENGINE MAKES LOUD "TICKING" SOUND AT IDLE TO ~ 2,000 RPM CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE CYLINDER HEADS WHICH WERE IMPROPERLY MACHINED BY GM'S SUBCONTRACTOR. LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERS SAID THE NOISE IS "NORMAL"... BUT WHEN HEADS OPENED AND VALVE AND VALVE GUIDES MEASURED, EXCESSIVE VALVE AND VALVE GUIDE WEAR DOCUMENTED. LOCAL GM DEALER & $4,350 GM PROTECTION PLAN (EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I HAD TO BUY TO COVER THIS $5,000 REPAIR) REFUSED TO REPAIR SO I HAD TO DRIVE IT 5 HOURS TO ANOTHER GM DEALER TO GET IT REPAIRED UNDER MY GMPP EXTENDED WARRANTY. MANY OTHER 2006 TO 2015 CORVETTE OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME EXCESSIVE VALVE WEAR INCLUDING SOME OWNERS VALVES BREAKING AND DESTROYING THEIR $16,000 LS7 MOTORS WHILE SPEWING OIL AND METAL EVERYWHERE. THIS ALSO RESULTED IN A FEAR OF DRIVING THIS CAR, A SIGNIFICANT "DIMINISHMENT OF VALUE" OF THIS VEHICLE, AND COMPLICATED ITS RESALE (BUYERS HAD HEARD ABOUT THESE CATASTROPHIC LS7 MOTOR FAILURES.