A potential for spillage during refueling could inadvertently create a fire risk, GM told safety regulators.
Late last week, General Motors put out a voluntary safety recall for all 2023-2026 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 models and 2025-2026 Corvette ZR1s, due to a potential fire hazard. In addition to recalling customer vehicles, it also issued a stop-sale to dealers on new inventory until it can work out a remedy.
The issue first came to light through Corvette Blogger, who first posted of the issue and a General Motors spokesperson later confirmed the document sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). At time of writing, this issue is fresh enough that the agency hasn’t posted the recall to their own database, which usually lags a week or so behind an automaker sending them the initial recall notice.
Per a shot of the NHTSA report now confirmed by the manufacturer: “General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety may exist in certain 2023 – 2026 model year Chevrolet Corvette vehicles equipped with a left-side radiator/fan combination [i.e. Z06 and ZR1].” The document goes on to lay out that excess fuel spilled into the fuel-filler pocket during refueling may leak onto an ignition source, with obviously hazardous results.
While addressing the recall, a GM spokesperson told Road & Track that, “This is a rare occurrence, and malfunctioning filling station pumps appear to be a contributing factor. The safety of our customers is the highest priority for the entire GM team, and we’re working to remedy this matter as quickly as possible.”
In the short-term, the company advises owners to check that the fuel nozzle is properly seated in the fuel pipe before filling up, and to avoid overfilling the tank by going past the click-off warning. To actually remedy the problem even if fuel overspills, dealers will be instructed to install an insert or plastic shield to divert spilled fuel away from potential ignition sources.
The NHTSA document itself does not state the size of the recall population, but it does include all C8-generation Z06 and ZR1 models built to-date. Between GM’s official Z06 production figures and those from Corvette Blogger for more recent (yet not officially published) figures, we’re looking at around 25,000 units, leaning more heavily toward the Z06 versus the ZR1. Notably, this recall does not include the Stingray or the E-Ray, as those have a different radiator assembly than the left-side setup mentioned here.
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