Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the body and structure, engine, and brakes. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2020Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2020 Chevrolet Corvette: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Engine off, key in hand0/2
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/3
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2020's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 6.2L 8-cyl | RWD | 19 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The front hood, which covers the front trunk, unlatches and flies open while driving, usually at city speeds of 20 to 40 mph. Once up, it blocks the driver's view entirely, a clear crash risk. Many reports describe little or no warning before it opens. The force bends the hinges and latches and damages paint on the hood, fenders, and quarter panels. Complaints point to a single latch point with no secondary safety catch. Some owners tie or tape the lid down while waiting for a fix. Warranty coverage for the damage varies from report to report.
Problems here are scattered rather than one repeating fault. One car would not run shortly after starting, showing no-oil-pressure and service engine warnings, and the dealer found broken valve springs at 115 miles. That repair stalled while parts were missing. Other reports describe a strong gasoline smell in the trunk that gets worse with a full tank, and a smog test failure because the oxygen sensor reads not ready. In another case, keys moving in a pocket locked the car and triggered remote start, which left the engine running in a closed garage.
Every complaint here is about the September 2020 recall for a possibly contaminated brake booster module, not about a brake failure the owner had. Owners are frustrated that the remedy was listed as incomplete and replacement parts were unavailable for months while new cars kept rolling off the line. A GM representative told one owner the brakes still work if the module fails but need more pedal pressure. Owners call the loss of boost an accident risk, and some avoid driving the car until the repair is done.
The backup camera cuts out or freezes at random, which makes reversing unsafe. Dealers can reproduce the fault, but owners report repeat visits without a lasting repair. A more serious failure involves the main wiring harness. Oil temperature and check engine lights come on while driving, and afterward the car will not start. In that case, at 40,000 miles, the car went back to the dealer on a tow truck, and the replacement harness was on national backorder, so the car sat unrepaired.
The transmission can fail outright. One failure traced to the transmission control module at 19,000 miles stranded the car far from home, and the owner's VIN was not included in the module recall GM later announced. Another report describes jerking and rumbling when pulling away from a stop. The engine shuts off, the transmission will not shift properly, and service transmission warnings light up. Losing drive in traffic is a crash risk. Separately, a defective CV boot sprayed grease over the rear axle area at 660 miles, and the axle was replaced.
The front strut mounts and shock tower housings rust. Owners find the corrosion under the plastic cover in the front trunk, sometimes years into ownership, and one side can be much worse than the other. In one case the left mount, next to an AC line, was the worst. A dealer called it a design defect, but GM repeatedly turned down warranty claims, even with an extended warranty that listed corrosion coverage. Both reports concern corrosion, not a failure while driving.
Excerpts from complaints Corvette owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Backup camera is intermittent. I have ain’t it to the dealership 3 times and they can replicate the issue consistently. They have scan the car for codes and seen the issue in person
Filed with NHTSA, January 2026
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2020 ranks third for owner complaints among 6 Corvette years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2020 is the first model year of the Corvette's eighth generation (2020–2023). First years of a redesign often carry teething problems that Chevrolet fixes in later years, so the checks above matter more than usual.
Chevrolet updated the Corvette for 2023, so a 2020 does not have those changes.
What changed for 2023 (not on a 2020)
Should you avoid the first year of a redesign? See the 45-car study.
Recall repairs are free at any Chevrolet dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac CT4, CT5 and XT4, 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer, and 2020-2021 Buick Encore GX vehicles. Sensor connection contamination in the electronic brake boost system may cause an interruption of communication between the sensor and the brake boost system.
Risk: If communication with the sensor is interrupted, the electronic brake boost assist could be lost. Extra pedal force will be required to slow and stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electronic brake boost module, free of charge. The recall began December 9, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is A202307260.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. The driver's seat belt retractor may not lock as intended during a crash.
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the driver's seat belt fails to lock, there is an increased risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side seat-belt retractor, free of charge. The recall began October 15, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559. GM's number for this recall is N202307690.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. Despite visual and audible warnings, the vehicle can be driven with the front trunk lid unlatched.
Risk: An unlatched hood can open when driving above a certain speed, obstructing the driver's forward view and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software in the vehicle's Body Control Module to limit the vehicle speed to 26 mph when the hood is not completely closed and latched, free of charge. In addition, the operation of the hood release on the key fob will be modified to reduce the likelihood of inadvertent hood release actuations. Owners also may allow the vehicle to be remedied via an Over-The-Air (OTA) software update. The recall began September 24, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559. GM's number for this recall is N202311160.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. The release button located inside the front trunk compartment may not function after the vehicle has been shut off for ten minutes. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release.".
Risk: If a person climbs inside the front trunk compartment and closes the lid, they may be trapped inside, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software in the vehicle's Body Control Module (BCM) to allow the release switch to always work, free of charge. Owners also may allow the vehicle to be remedied via an Over-The-Air (OTA) software update. The recall began September 3, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559. GM's number for this recall is N202309350.
Cars shoppers compare with the Chevrolet Corvette, with their own 2020 checklists.
2020 owner complaints, side by side
