What Chevrolet has been able to achieve with the C8 Corvette platform goes well beyond any expectations for an American car. The Z06, ZR1, and ZR1X are all capable of mind boggling performance for a fraction of the price of virtually any other car that comes close to their performance capabilities, and Chevrolet isn't even done yet. These specialized versions of the Corvette are meant to be driven hard and used on racetracks, but General Motors announced yesterday that it is recalling model year 2023-2026 Corvette Z06s and 2025-2026 Corvette ZR1s and issuing a stop-sale on them in North America because of a fire risk at the gas pump.
The issue stems from the left side-mounted radiator and cooling fans on Z06s and ZR1s, which can potentially waft highly flammable gasoline and gasoline vapors toward hot engine components, potentially causing a fire. The Drive broke the story, and said "the remedy is that Chevy dealers will be installing 'an insert/shield to divert spilled fuel,' which is not yet available."
Read more: This Is Every Car Brand Killed By GM
Do Not Overfill Your Tank
The recall is not officially complete just yet, so it currently requires a VIN lookup to see it on either General Motors' recall site or the NHTSA website. It is manufacturer recall number N252514930 and NHTSA recall number 25V536, and they say that C8 Z06 and ZR1 owners should always follow the following fueling instructions in their owner's manual: "ALWAYS CONFIRM THAT THE FUEL NOZZLE IS COMPLETELY INSERTED INTO THE VEHICLE'S FUEL PIPE BEFORE FUELING. NEVER OVERFILL THE TANK OR ATTEMPT TO FILL AFTER THE FUEL PUMP'S AUTOMATIC SHUT OFF CLICKS ONCE. ALWAYS TURN OFF THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE DURING REFUELING."
Gasoline is one of the most flammable materials we commonly use, and it can ignite when it encounters temperatures at or above 475 degrees Fahrenheit depending on its composition. On C8 Corvettes, the fuel filler is located on the left rear quarter panel above the air intake which is needed to cool the Corvette's mid-mounted engine, but that location apparently also makes it susceptible to exposure to gasoline. The issue should not be a threat to other C8 Corvettes because only the Z06 and ZR1 have the additional radiator and fan combination that causes the problem. We reached out to Chevrolet for comment on the matter and are awaiting a response.
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