Long-term tests are a great way for automotive journalists to find out what can go wrong with a vehicle and usually these tests uncover interesting facts.
However, Car & Driver’s experience with their long-term Corvette Stingray Z51 tester has proved to be quite an adventure, as the car had a major failure at just 6,000 miles (9,656 kilometers). More specifically, the C7’s LT1 small-block V8 engine “lunched itself” at 6,000 miles and needed to be completely replaced under warranty.
C&D says that an investigation by GM found that a piece of metal debris (likely from a bad oil filter) was to blame. The piece purportedly reached the oiling system and wrecked a connecting-rod bearing, creating more debris that damaged the engine’s bottom-end.
The folks from Car&Driver say that they’ve heard of a few similar stories throughout the Stingray community. GM has acknowledged the issue and is currently analyzing its manufacturing process to track the cause.
After the engine replacement, the magazine’s Corvette returned quickly and “healthy as new.” As for other issue, C&D complained of the Stingray’s Competition seats which offer insufficient lumbar support and of the occasional slowness of the MyLink infotainment’s operation.
Also, the magazine said the seven-speed manual’s gates should be better defined. Significant road noise and hot footwells complete their list of complaints.
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