Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 010601002A | 12/01/2002 | 010601002 | 10000782 | Revised piston pin removal / installation procedure. *tt | 03/31/2003 |
| 776001 | 07/01/1997 | 52935 | Information concerning engine knock/rattle or tap noise before engine has reached operating temperature or under light load conditions at operating temperature (replace piston and/or rod assemblies). ak | 11/13/1997 | |
| 776001 | 03/01/1997 | 51302 | Knock, rattle or tap noise from the engine before the engine has reached operating temperature or under light load conditions at operating temperature knock, rattle or tap noise from the engine before the engine has reached operating | 06/27/1997 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 020601014 | 04/01/2002 | 634708 | Subject regarding revised lower intake manifold installation. *tt | 10/07/2002 | |
| 010601010A | 06/01/2001 | 0106010101 | 620810 | Subject regarding polymer service pistons. *tt | 08/30/2001 |
| 990604005A | 04/01/2001 | 990604005 | 619360 | Some owners may comment on driveability symptons of long or hard starts, chuggle, rough idle and light or intermittent misfire due to clogged fuel injectors. *tt | 05/24/2001 |
| 876002A | 07/01/1998 | 876002 | 615073 | Some v6 engines may, on a very infrequent basis, have an oil odor condition that is generally encountered after the engine's oil has been changed.typically the odor lasts approximately 1000 miles after the change of oil and then does not re | 12/26/2000 |
| 990604005 | 02/01/1999 | 776304A | 604343 | Some owners may experience a driveability symptom of long or hard starts, chuggle, rough idle and light or intermittent misfire. *tt | 04/26/1999 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| 1996 chevrolet corsica lower intake manifold defect. consumers vehicle experienced the gasket failure on the intake manifold. when his failed it caused engine coolant to get into the oil pan. *kb | |||
| 06/15/2002 | 0 | ||
| My main concern is the paint and the airconditioning. the paint began to peel right after i bought it and i was not aware of a recall and couldn't afford to have it repainted. it looks like it has a disease. the air conditioning quit last summer and i have a heart condition. i had to have a bag of ice with me all the time to stay cool, because, again i did not have the finances to get it fixed. the power locks and my horn just quit working and the fuse is impossible to find, so i'm really just hoping someone can tell me how to change that. i can't find it and i have a corsica auto book from auto zone. i appreciate any help you can give. i would really like to get my car repainted. i think i should be entitled to the recall. | |||
| 12/15/1999 | 0 | ||
| We have had several problems with this car, including the heating and electical systems(alternator, radio, etc.)and the transmission. the main one at this point is the peeling paint. the car is a very nice medium blue, but it looks terrible due to the spots of gray where the paint just bubbled up and flaked off, very much like it got a sunburn. i took the car to the dealer in october 2000 for some work on the alignment and asked to have researched whether there was a policy on fixing the paint, which had already begun peeling off. he told me he would look into it and took the vin number. about a week later, the transmission broke and i became absorbed in fixing that problem, so the paint problem became secondary. since i never heard back from that dealer, i contacted another one and was told right off that there was no policy concerning my car, and suggested the paint was damaged by rain or bird droppings. the problem has continued to get worse. i have another blue chevy, a 1990 cavalier, which has been subjected to the same sun and rain as the corsica, and it has yet to flake its' paint. now i hear that gm had a 6/5 year policy, but now that i have found out about it, my car is too old. i am very frustrated and am looking for help. | |||
| 08/01/2003 | 95000 | 09/29/1997 | |
| The head gasket cracked/broke. i smelt the anitfreeze and open the hood to see it dribble from the head gasket. the car dealer is fixing it for ~$800. the car is still young at 95k miles. previously i have taken the car 3-4 time to check the temperature gauge, which never moves aboe the 1/8th mark. so i never got any indication that the engine heated up to lead to the gasket failure. this is unacceptable for such a low mileage. they had a recall for 1995 chevy/pontiac sister cars for the same issue, is what the dealer told me. sounds like they are all related. | |||
| 6 | 07/25/1997 | ||
| While going up a hill in traffic, the engine suddenly died. there was no warning. consumer had taken the vehicle to the dealer, they replaced battery/alternator and the timing belt. *ak the light had come on for coolant, but the thermometer never gave warning, the mechanic bled the lines to the coolant and the light still remained on. consumer felt that something was electrically wrong with the vehicle and wanted chevy to offer a buy back in which they refused. *scc | |||
| 10/06/1998 | 1 | ||
| Temperature gauge jumps from quarter to half for no reason, dealer stated the gauge is picking up thermostat opening and closing as normal, dealer could find no problems. *slc | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 07/13/2003 | 1 | 06/23/2003 | |
| The vehicle was purchased at a used car dealership with 46,000 miles on it. while traveling fluid had to be replaced every 800 miles. on 7/13/2003 the head gasket blew. *ak | |||
| 07/11/2001 | |||
| Antifreeze leaks came through a/c heat vent. anytime air or heat was blowing a odor got inside vehicle. 7 times consumer has been told something different. heater core/ intake manifold, and radiator has been acknowledged as the problem. this time water pump was the cause. unles vehicle duplicatef the problem, dealer would not be able to find the remedy.*ak | |||
| 11/01/2000 | 1 | 10/01/1997 | |
| I've owned this car for 3 1/2 years. in past year, encountered many expensive problems. head gasket blew and water pump replaced at approx 56,000 miles. control arm bushings need replacement at 60,000 miles? i drive this car to and from work each day, no long trips, avg mileage per day = 10 miles possibly. cannot understand why 5 year old car is having major problems w/low mileage. maintain it regularly.*ak | |||
| 10/01/1997 | 5 | 02/01/1996 | |
| Every time you turn the temperature button on to hot or turn the heat on you can smell antifreeze. i have taken the car back many times and to be looked at and i keep being told that dealer can not smell anything. finally they supposedly replaced heater core, water pump and intake manifold gaskets (twice).*ak | |||
| 07/14/2000 | 3 | 04/01/1997 | |
| My husband and i have taken our car back to the dealership back and forth since 06/19/00. every time we take it back then here is a new problem with our vehicle . after the vehicle was fixed it still was leaking coolant and not retaining it. they said when i picked my vehicle up they said it needs a water pump. not only have we spent 1129.86 in the matter of 4 weeks but they wanted an additional 275 -300 more for the water pump. i feel as though that the true problem was the water pump to begin with but they decided that i'm not smart about what is going on with cars. i'd greatly appreciate it if someone could investigate this company out and if their is a way for them to correctly fix my problems or reimburse for my same problem. my vehicle is still making funny noises and still leaking coolant after a 585.88 bill . we took the vehicle back to the dealer on 07/17/00 but its still doing the same thing . thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE | |||
| 07/01/1998 | 3 | 01/01/1996 | |
| The coolant (glycol+water) started spraying from a hole in the rubber hose (~1/4 dia) which returns the coolant to the top of the coolant tank. the glycol then partly dissolved the outside of the hose. i had been smelling glycol for many months. then a low coolant light came up. i had the hose replaced at a mobil service station 2 times, third time at a firestone station. again, yesterday i found almost all the coolant gone, and hose damaged again. i replenished the coolant, and will take the car to the dealer soon. i think that i know the cause: defective hood and hose location: the space is too tight. some metal part of the hood compresses the hose, and the hot glycol softens the hose. then a hole developes. it presents 3 hazards: 1) a fire/explosion can occur because fine spray of glycol can burn. also, the leaking glycol has saturated the insulation under the hood, and can burn, 2) exposure to car occupants of a carcinogen, glycol, 3) the engine can get too hot, and can be damaged. i do not know the exact solution, but think that the hose/trunk space has to be adjusted, and a more compatible hose material has to be used. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | |||
| 07/11/2001 | |||
| Antifreeze leaks came through a/c heat vent. anytime air or heat was blowing a odor got inside vehicle. 7 times consumer has been told something different. heater core/ intake manifold, and radiator has been acknowledged as the problem. this time water pump was the cause. unles vehicle duplicatef the problem, dealer would not be able to find the remedy.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 07/10/1999 | 50000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1996 chevrolet corsica. the contact stated that the head gasket has been replaced twice to no avail. the vehicle would not start and was taken to serwe chevrolet. they replaced the head gasket at the cost of $500. less than two years later, the failure recurred. the head gasket was replaced again at the cost of $577. during routine maintenance, it was discovered that the head gasket was separating yet again. the dealer recommended having it replaced as soon as possible. the failure mileage was 50,000 and current mileage was 140,000. | |||
| 02/01/2008 | 170000 | 1 | |
| Our 96 corsica began to lose power off and on for several months. sometimes it would stall. we had the car looked at and found an coolant leak. coolant was leaking on the ground as well as into the head gasket. the mechanic said that this seems to be a common problem with this car and engine. *tr | |||
| 12/05/2003 | 123000 | 1 | |
| Check engine light illuminated while driving at any speed. dealer replaced differential sensor , but problem still recurring. *ak | |||
| 07/13/2003 | 1 | 06/23/2003 | |
| The vehicle was purchased at a used car dealership with 46,000 miles on it. while traveling fluid had to be replaced every 800 miles. on 7/13/2003 the head gasket blew. *ak | |||
| 2 | |||
| Vehicle started overheating and driver smelled coolant. this was due to a leaking head gasket. head gasket was replaced twice.*ak | |||
| 04/27/2000 | 1 | ||
| The head gasket was leaking antifreeze. nlm | |||
| Engine head gaskets blewout, causing coolant to leak onto engine. a recall was issued on various models with same engine, however ,this vehicle was not included due to vin.*ak | |||
| 11/01/2000 | 1 | 10/01/1997 | |
| I've owned this car for 3 1/2 years. in past year, encountered many expensive problems. head gasket blew and water pump replaced at approx 56,000 miles. control arm bushings need replacement at 60,000 miles? i drive this car to and from work each day, no long trips, avg mileage per day = 10 miles possibly. cannot understand why 5 year old car is having major problems w/low mileage. maintain it regularly.*ak | |||
| 01/20/2001 | 1 | 10/01/1997 | |
| Intake gasket set/has to be replaced to stop leaks on many corsicas of that year. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Head gasket leaking. *slc | |||
| 11/01/1999 | |||
| Engine noise at startup..last 3-5 minutes..sounds like piston or rod. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1999 | 4 | 06/25/1999 | |
| Vehicle would stall without any prior warning while driving. would need to wait approximately 1 hour before it would restart. vehicle towed to dealer & mechanic put a new crankshaft sensor. problem reappeared again & this time 2 hours were needed to restart. been at dealership 2 months & problem not resolved. it is an intermittent problem. *ak | |||
| 01/03/2000 | 01/03/2000 | ||
| While driving engine stalled without prior warning. noticed a puddle under vehicle. water was coming out of exhaust pipe & the muffler. vehicle would fail to pick up speed. also, fluid was leaking out of engine. took vehicle to dealership & was informed head gaskets were gone. consumer wants refund for purchase of parts. *ak *ml | |||
| When i bought the car there was a small leak of pink fluid thinking it was transmission fluid i took it to a garage and he put a new trasmission gasket on but didnot stop the leak come to find out this was all coming from the head gasget which should be good for alot longer then 45,000 miles and i think chevrolet should pay to replace it which will cost $450.00 | |||
| 11/28/1998 | |||
| Engine head gasket blew out at 52,000 mile of normal wear. consumer believed this condition was due to a defective part. dealer notified and informed consumer to call the mfr. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 02/13/2002 | 2 | ||
| When driving vehicle will stall out without warning. cause of problem is unknown. dealer contacted. *ak there was one injury. *yh | |||
| 04/15/2001 | 1 | 03/01/1997 | |
| No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Vehicle has had continual problems with rough idle, as if pistons are not firing in order. *jb | |||
| 12/18/1998 | 21 | ||
| The vehicle cranks but will not start, it takes several attempts (2-20) to start the vehicle, the vehicle also stalls out while driving, the dealer has replaced the module, air filter and ignition but he vehicle continues to stall. nlm | |||
| 10/01/1999 | 4 | 06/25/1999 | |
| Vehicle would stall without any prior warning while driving. would need to wait approximately 1 hour before it would restart. vehicle towed to dealer & mechanic put a new crankshaft sensor. problem reappeared again & this time 2 hours were needed to restart. been at dealership 2 months & problem not resolved. it is an intermittent problem. *ak | |||
| 12/27/1999 | 2 | 01/01/1997 | |
| I have had my vehicle for 2 years the first time this failed it was approximately at 32000 mi. it was under warranty and it now has 58000 mi on and has failed again which i know it should not be doing this for that few miles on a vehicle. i am also aware that gm has cheapend this model. i had a 1990 corisca and had none of these types of problems. the dealer will not service it and wants $650.00 in repair costs whose to say that will resolve it since it has failed 2 times now. no safety defect (s) mentioned insummary. *ak | |||
| 10/10/1999 | 4 | 05/01/1999 | |
| Car will shut down suddenly when driving, will not restart, happened on 3 different occasions. have taken car to mechanics 5 times and they do not know what to do. they have replaced the whole computer, the egr valve, and replaced a ground wire to try and remedy my cars problem. also did not start up once, tried for 45 minutes to get to start and then it finally started like nothing was wrong. also has day time running lights and when light knob is not turned on, lights will just come on by themselves and then shut off again by themselves usually about 4 or 5 times when you are driving along. *ak | |||
| 11/01/1998 | |||
| My car intermitently does not start or quits while driving. dealer service cannot find the problem and i am sent on my way for it to happen again. it first started in december of 1998, a computer module was changed in january of 1999, but the problem is back and as i said, the service department can't find anything wrong. i feel very unsafe while driving this car, afraid that it will quit and i will be either stranded or involved in a potentially serious accident. | |||
| 08/23/1998 | 3 | ||
| First time in parking lot vehicle shut down while driving. happens when on the road also. took vehicle to dealer & shut down on the way. mechanic could not duplicate problem & nothing was found wrong. *ak | |||
| 08/01/1996 | 1 | 03/01/1996 | |
| Engine has trouble starting, stalling and rough idle. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 12/15/1999 | 0 | ||
| We have had several problems with this car, including the heating and electical systems(alternator, radio, etc.)and the transmission. the main one at this point is the peeling paint. the car is a very nice medium blue, but it looks terrible due to the spots of gray where the paint just bubbled up and flaked off, very much like it got a sunburn. i took the car to the dealer in october 2000 for some work on the alignment and asked to have researched whether there was a policy on fixing the paint, which had already begun peeling off. he told me he would look into it and took the vin number. about a week later, the transmission broke and i became absorbed in fixing that problem, so the paint problem became secondary. since i never heard back from that dealer, i contacted another one and was told right off that there was no policy concerning my car, and suggested the paint was damaged by rain or bird droppings. the problem has continued to get worse. i have another blue chevy, a 1990 cavalier, which has been subjected to the same sun and rain as the corsica, and it has yet to flake its' paint. now i hear that gm had a 6/5 year policy, but now that i have found out about it, my car is too old. i am very frustrated and am looking for help. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) | |||
| 10/10/1999 | 4 | 05/01/1999 | |
| Car will shut down suddenly when driving, will not restart, happened on 3 different occasions. have taken car to mechanics 5 times and they do not know what to do. they have replaced the whole computer, the egr valve, and replaced a ground wire to try and remedy my cars problem. also did not start up once, tried for 45 minutes to get to start and then it finally started like nothing was wrong. also has day time running lights and when light knob is not turned on, lights will just come on by themselves and then shut off again by themselves usually about 4 or 5 times when you are driving along. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 10/01/1997 | 5 | 02/01/1996 | |
| Every time you turn the temperature button on to hot or turn the heat on you can smell antifreeze. i have taken the car back many times and to be looked at and i keep being told that dealer can not smell anything. finally they supposedly replaced heater core, water pump and intake manifold gaskets (twice).*ak | |||