Total Complaints
13 filings
CHEVROLET CORVETTE · model year
1979 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
13 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1979CHEVROLETCORVETTE carries 13 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1979 CORVETTE is structure:body:roof and pillars with 3 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (2) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe (2). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 1979 CORVETTE, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
13
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 2 |
| EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. | 2 |
| TIRES | 2 |
| WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20080930FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
DRIVER OF 1979 CHEVY CORVETTE HEARD A BANG UNDER THE HOOD AND PULLED OFF THE ROAD ONTO THE SHOULDER. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT A FIRE AND BURNED. THE FIRE STARTED AFTER AN OIL HOSE BROKE AND SPRAYED OIL ONTO THE HOT ENGINE. THE CONCLUSION WAS MADE AFTER SEEING APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET OF OIL RESIDUE ON THE ROADWAY LEADING FROM THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE CENTER LANE. OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0361-89. *JB
20020514STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
THE T-TOP LEAKS WATER WHENEVER IT RAINS OR WHEN THE CAR IS WASHED. NLM
20011016ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING VERY ROUGH AT LOW SPEEDS AND WOULD FREQUENTLY STALL WHEN AT IDLE, THE ENGINE LEAKS OIL DUE TO FAULTY HEAD GASKET. NLM
20011016ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
THE MUFFLER WAS MAKING A LOUD RATTLING NOISE. NLM
20011016WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
THE LEFT REAR TIRE CAME OFF WHILE DRIVING CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL WELL, FENDER AND UNDERCARRIAGE, DEALER FAILED TO PROPERLY TIGHTEN THE LUG NUTS. NLM
20011016TIRES
THE RIGHT REAR TIRE HAS A LEAK, TIRE INFO NOT GIVEN. NLM
20011016EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
THE POWER ANTENNA IS INOPERTIVE. NLM
20011016STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
THE T-TOP LEAKS WATER WHENEVER IT RAINS OR WHEN THE CAR IS WASHED. NLM
20010912ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
CONSUMER BELIEVES HE WAS A VICTIM OF FRAUD, HE WAS TOLD BY THE SALESMAN THAT THE PARTS ON VEHICLE WERE ORIGNAL, HOWEVER VEHICLE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AT LOW SPEEDS AND WOULD FREQUENTLY STALL WHEN AT IDLE, THERE WAS ALSO AN ENGINE OIL LEAK AS WELL AS A LEAKY HEAD GASKET.*JB
20010912ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
MUFFLER WAS MAKING A LOUD RATTLING NOISE.*JB
20010912EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
THE POWER ANTENNA IS INOPERATIVE.*JB
20010912TIRES
RIGHT REAR TIRE HAS A LEAK, AND THE LEFT REAR TIRE FLEW OFF AND CAUSED SIGNIFICGANT DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL WELL, FENDER AND UNDERCARRIAGE.*JB
20010912STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
CONVERTIBLE TOP LEAKS WATER WHENEVER IT RAINS OR IF THE VEHICLE IS WASHED.*JB
Compare 1979CHEVROLETCORVETTE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
EA25007Engineering AnalysisOpen
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
PE23022Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
PE20016Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
EA20002Engineering AnalysisClosed
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
PE20011Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Fuel Line Leak
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1979 CHEVROLET CORVETTE have?▼
The 1979 CHEVROLET CORVETTE has 13 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1979 CHEVROLET CORVETTE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1979 CHEVROLET CORVETTE is STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE.
Is the 1979 CHEVROLET CORVETTE safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1979 CHEVROLET CORVETTE; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.