DETROIT, Oct. 15 (UPI) — Several owners of Chevrolet Corvettes have filed a proposed class action lawsuit against General Motors over what they say is a defect that has led to early engine troubles.
The suit was filed Wednesday by several owners of 7-liter V-8 engine Corvettes made over a period of nine years. It cites what the owners say is excessive valve guide wear, which has caused some engine failures — sometimes when the cars still have low mileage.
The court document alleges that General Motors has been aware of the problem but has done nothing to solve it.
So far, 19 owners are named in the lawsuit and have reportedly filed 70 claims in the matter.
According to the lawsuit, GM did initially perform rudimentary tests on some of the vehicles and found that the valve guides are out of spec.
The suit claims the excessive valve wear affected Chevrolet’s previous generation 427 and Z06 Corvette models between 2006 and 2014.
Industry experts said the lawsuit may also inspire owners of the current generation Corvette generation to seek legal action. In July, a Corvette Z06 being test-driven by a Fox News reporter sustained an engine failure even though the car had less than 1,000 miles on the odometer.
