Buyer Research

2017 Chevrolet Corvette — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $36,000–$58,000. There are 3 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.

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Kestrel Take

This is the most lopsided record we have seen on a sports car: 224 of 256 complaints — 88% — are wheels. Cracked rear rims, bent fronts, tires that go soft in the garage overnight, and a manufacturer that mostly called it road-hazard damage. Everything else here is small except the electric power steering, which GM has now recalled twice. So the inspection is short and specific: get it on a lift and read all four rims, then check the VIN for both steering campaigns. A car with replacement wheels on it and the steering gear already done is a fine buy at these prices; one with original rims is a set of wheels you have not budgeted for.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 256 owner complaints for the 2017 Chevrolet Corvette, and 4 recall campaigns.

A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 88% of them are about one thing — wheels and bearings. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.

4 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2017 Chevrolet Corvette

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

Original rear wheels crack, front wheels bend — 88% of this year's complaint recordHigh — wallet impact

224 owners filed on this, which is the entire story of the 2017. The pattern repeats almost word for word: a slow leak that looks like a nail, a tire shop instead finding cracks in the rear rims, and often bends in the fronts at the same time. Some cars were under 10,000 miles. Dealers frequently know exactly where to look, which tells you how common it is, and GM has generally refused warranty coverage. Put the car on a lift, run a finger around the inner lip of each rim, and ask when each tire last needed air.

Repair cost (estimate): $600–$1,800 per wheel, more on the Grand Sport's wider rears

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under wheels and bearings (224).

Electric power steering assist can quit mid-drive — recalled twiceHigh — wallet impact

Eighteen steering complaints, and the ones that matter describe the same event: a warning message on the dash, then the assist gone at 30 to 45 mph, with one owner nearly hitting another car mid-turn. GM recalled the power steering gear assembly in 2019 under 19V086000 and again in 2025 under 25V175000, replacing the gear free of charge both times. A car repaired in 2019 may still be owed the 2025 fix. Run the VIN on NHTSA's lookup and confirm both show closed before you buy.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under steering (18); 4 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Infotainment screen goes black, taking the radio and the reverse camera with itMedium

Four owners report the eight-inch centre screen dying outright — no audio, no menus, and no backup camera, which matters more than usual in a car you cannot see out of the back of. One case also had the convertible top switch triggering the heater at random. Dealers replace the unit; refurbished head units are the cheaper route. Start the car, put it in reverse, and confirm the camera image appears within a couple of seconds.

Repair cost (estimate): $400–$1,300 for a replacement head unit

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (4).

Airbag control module software can stop the front bags deploying (recall)High — wallet impact

Campaigns 16V651000 and 17V437000 both list this car among dozens of GM models: the sensing and diagnostic module software can fail to fire the front airbags and the seat belt pretensioners in a crash that calls for them. The remedy is a free software reflash, and a module replacement on any car that has already had a deployment. Two of this year's airbag complaints came from crashes. There is nothing to look at here — this is purely a VIN lookup before you hand over money.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under airbags (2); 4 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗A tire that has needed topping up more than once this year
✗Visible cracks or weld repairs on the inner lip of a rim
✗Steering that feels heavy at parking speed, or any past power-steering warning message
✗A centre screen that stays black or slow after start-up
✗Seller says the wheels are original and has never had them off

Good Signs

✓Both power steering campaigns, 19V086000 and 25V175000, shown closed on the VIN lookup
✓Aftermarket or replacement wheels fitted, with the purchase receipts
✓A lift inspection you watched, with all four rims read
✓Backup camera live within two seconds of selecting reverse
✓Tire pressures equal across all four after the car has sat overnight