CHEVROLET CORVETTE · model year

2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

66 NHTSA complaints, 5 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2012CHEVROLETCORVETTE carries 66 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 5 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2012 CORVETTE is fuel/propulsion system with 26 filings, followed by air bags (10) and electronic stability control (esc) (5). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2012 CORVETTE, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

66
Complaints
5
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

66 filings

Crashes Reported

5 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: Not Rated/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM26
AIR BAGS10
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM5
SEAT BELTS3
SERVICE BRAKES3
EXTERIOR LIGHTING3
POWER TRAIN2
TIRES1
STRUCTURE:BODY1
SUSPENSION1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
STEERING1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1
ENGINE1

Recalls (1)

11V49100003/10/2011

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE COUPE VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 24, 2011, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 1, 2011, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NUMBER 206, "DOOR LOCKS AND DOOR RETENTION COMPONENTS".

Recent Complaints

20260129FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I purchased a 2012 Corvette from Coast Chevrolet on 1-24-26. This car was supposed to have been inspected for safety issues prior to being listed for sale. Being that this is a reputable General Motors dealership I assumed all safety issues and recalls would have been up to date. I drove the car home about 90 miles and immediately put it in my garage. After about 30 minutes of it being in there I noticed an overwhelming smell of gasoline. I began looking around the car both in the engine bay, underneath etc. I finally found the issue and cause for the smell. It was a leaking gas tank caused by the fuel pump. I did my research on it and found that this was a known widespread, common issue and that a service bulletin was put in place because of it. This is something the dealership should have made sure it was fixed prior to selling the car. I want this issue repaired by the dealership free of charge.

20241124FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Recently purchase used car. Very strong a gas smell/fumes in garage whenever fuel is pumped more than 1/2 tank. Concerned over fire or explosion hazard.

20240430FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Smelling gas fumes when parked. There were no other indicators of an issue. I took car to dealership, turns out there is a flaw with the fuel system, causing a leak at the top of the tank. Fuel was leaking through a valve and into the inside of the car frame. This issue should be a recall. The dealer would not let me leave with the vehicle due to the severity of the leak/fumes and fear of combustion! This was addressed as TSB Special Coverage Adjustment 15682 Primary Tank Module Flange Fuel and Vapor Leaks. However, my car was out of warranty/out of the range of the TSB, and I had to pay full price for the repair ($3,000 USD). This is a well documented issue on multiple corvette forums including this one: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20240113FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Fuel smell coming from gas cap area replaced the gas cap twice. Continue to have strong fuel smells in garage where car is kept. Started about one month ago.

20231117FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Strong gas smell after filling gas tank. This is a known issue on these cars and although it can develop at any time they only warranty the problem for 10 years. This creates a fire hazard. The attached service bulletin was just released by GM today: Special Coverage Adjustment 15682 Primary Tank Module Flange Fuel and Vapor Leaks Reference Number: N150682 Release Date: July 2016 Condition Some 2007 to 2009 model year Cadillac XLR and 2007 to 2013 model year Chevrolet Corvette vehicles may have a condition where a fuel odor is detected, fuel droplets appear below the left-hand fuel tank with fuel gauge level above 1/2, or a malfunction indicator lamp illuminates due to a leak path in the left-hand fuel pump module flange. Special Coverage Adjustment This special coverage covers the condition described above for a period of 10 years or 120,000 miles (193,000 km), whichever occurs first, from the date the vehicle was originally placed in service, regardless of ownership. For vehicle

20230608FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Purchased my 2012 Corvette Grand Sport used on 06/08/2023 and the first night parked in my garage noticed a seriously strong fuel smell. Have run down to half tank and parked it again and still have the strong smell. Dropped off at my local Chevrolet dealer for inspection. Research shows this is a common issue with this model year. Chevrolet has issued service bulletin15682 for this apparent issue. Mileage is only 66k but the bulletin has a year cap of 10 years from in service date. I am searching for information as to if this has been revised and if my vehicle is still covered.

20230315FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked inside the garage there was an abnormally strong gasoline odor coming from the vehicle. Upon inspection, there was no fuel leak visible inside the garage. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed of a Manufacturer’s Service Campaign that addressed the failed primary fuel tank flange leak, but the Extended Warranty coverage had expired. The failure mileage was 36,000.

Mileage: 36,000

20221128FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

We smelled gasoline from time to time since June of 2022 & could not see any leaks. Approximately October 22 2022 we contacted Premier Chevy Buick GMC in Beatrice Nebraska because the smell was really bad. After they inspected our car they said it had a defective fuel pump that had cracked & it was a known common problem with the Corvettes. They advised that General Motors would repair them at no cost because of a 10 year extended coverage. They then called us the next day to tell us that it would not be covered because it missed the coverage date by 2 months. We contacted Chevrolet and we were told that it could possibly be covered under good will. They sent the dealer paperwork & have been in contact a few times. Today we received a call from Chevrolet advising we would not be paid for the repair. This should have been a safety recall because of the danger! We were never told about the possibility of the fuel pumps cracking. When we picked up the car the dealer advised it would also

20221010FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The car has a strong smell of gas inside the garage and in the compartment of the vehicle after driving

20220618AIR BAGS

Airbag light intermittently comes on and goes off whilst driving. Per GM, they will not say whether the airbag will or will NOT deploy while the light is on. There is a TSB for the issue, but it only last 10 years past the in-service date. When safety is affected, there should be no limit on time to have remedied.

20220324ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that after taking the vehicle out of storage and starting the vehicle, he noticed that the active handling and traction control error messages were displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 15,800.

Mileage: 15,800

20211004AIR BAGS

Get a intermittent red air bag light on the dash when driving. Not sure if air bag system is working properly. Would affect safety if the air bag malfunctions. Not inspected by anyone, car is for sale.

20210812ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Failure of Active Handling System with onboard computer message to have the system serviced. Other drivers (owner forums) have reported significant safety hazards related to this system failure. Reported issues include system-driven steering and braking actions that lead to mishandling of the car that could put the driver, passengers, other drivers, and property at risk. At this point in time, the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. At this time, the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There have been no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the prior to the failure, which occurred on 8/12/21. Currently, the car is shifting gears hard and the engine is running in a very rough manner.

20210812ENGINE

Failure of Active Handling System with onboard computer message to have the system serviced. Other drivers (owner forums) have reported significant safety hazards related to this system failure. Reported issues include system-driven steering and braking actions that lead to mishandling of the car that could put the driver, passengers, other drivers, and property at risk. At this point in time, the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. At this time, the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There have been no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the prior to the failure, which occurred on 8/12/21. Currently, the car is shifting gears hard and the engine is running in a very rough manner.

20210812POWER TRAIN

Failure of Active Handling System with onboard computer message to have the system serviced. Other drivers (owner forums) have reported significant safety hazards related to this system failure. Reported issues include system-driven steering and braking actions that lead to mishandling of the car that could put the driver, passengers, other drivers, and property at risk. At this point in time, the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. At this time, the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There have been no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the prior to the failure, which occurred on 8/12/21. Currently, the car is shifting gears hard and the engine is running in a very rough manner.

20210603EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Low beam headlights stop working while driving.

20210526AIR BAGS

The air bag warning light comes on and off at various times. Sometimes it stays on and other times it goes out after a while. If i shut the car off and wait a few then when restarted it goes out Sometimes it stays off other times it comes back on. This appears to be a common problem on this generation Corvette from what I have been reading

20210215FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I HAVE A VERY STRONG GASOLINE SMELL COMING FROM, INSIDE AND OUT SIDE MY CAR WHEN IT IS STATIONIONARY. IT SEEMS TO BE WORST, WHEN I HAVE MORE THAN A HALF TANK OF GAS. THE SMELL OF GAS IS IN MY GARAGE AND INSIDE MY HOME WHEN PARKED INSIDE MY GARAGE. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE FREMONT CHEVROLET DEALER AND DROPPED OFF MY CAR TWO WEEKS AGO AT THE DEALER. MY SERVICE ADVISER EDGER SAT IN MY CAR AND SAID TO ME HE NOTICED A STRONG GASOLINE SMELL IN SIDE MY CAR. EDGER TOLD ME THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO A TEST TO MAKE SURE THE GAS FUEL MODULE WAS THE PROBLEM. THEY DID A TEST AND EDGER TOLD ME THE FUEL MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE AND THEY WOULD FIT IT BECAUSE THERE WAS A SAFETY BULLETIN CONCERNING THIS ISSUE AND MY VEHICLE FELL UNDER THE GUIDELINES TO BE REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. TWO WEEKS LATER, MY CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP UNPREPAIRED. THEY TOLD ME THEY ARE STILL WAITING FOR THE PART TO COME IN.

Mileage: 103,000

20201106FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I HAVE BEGUN TO SMELL FUEL COMING FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL WELL. IT HAS FILLED THE GARAGE WHILE PARKED AND I CAN SMELL IT COMING INTO THE CAR'S INTERIOR WHILE DRIVING. I ONLY HAVE 24,000 MILES ON THE CAR.

Mileage: 24,000

20200907ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING SYSTEM ON DISPLAY. WHILE DRIVING THE DAY BEFORE, THE CAR MADE A VERY QUICK MOTION TO THE LEFT WHILE DRIVING AT 65MPH. INVESTIGATION FOUND THE STEERING WHEEL SENSOR PUSHED OUT OF IT'S HOUSING AND DANGLING ON THE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT UNDER THE DASH. THE POWERED TELESCOPING STEERING WHEEL PUSHED THE ASSEMBLY OUT OF PLACE CAUSING THE FAULT. I DISCONNECTED THE STEERING WHEEL SENSOR TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER ACTIVATION OF THE ACTIVE HANDLING.

Mileage: 44,000

Compare 2012CHEVROLETCORVETTE to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE have?
The 2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE has 66 NHTSA complaints, 5 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE?
The 2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE?
Yes, the 2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE?
The most-complained component for the 2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE is FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM with 26 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC).
Is the 2012 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. The 2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. 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 as of 2025. 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.