cjh

While looking at a new C6 in the showroom yesterday I got trapped inside. I closed the door and locked it, the salesman sat in the other seat telling me about the car. When I tried to get out, the door wouldn't open. The locks didn't do anything. The salesman had to use the cord in the back to open the door, which set off the alarm.

Later, when showing me the key fob we could not get it to lock the doors (it opened the trunk and made the lights flash, but the door wouldn't lock).

I was/am close to buying this car. I want them to come down a little more. But this concerns me. I had an '84 vette that was a lot of trouble. I've heard the '97 had a lot of problems too. Is this going to be another first year lemon? There are a lot of new features in this car that have not been used by Chevy before.

Has anyone else experienced any problems?

Chris

Scissors

First year or three of any car is going to have issues.

Vette_DD

When you tried to get out, you tried the fob, you tried the door-unlock button on the door, and you tried both interior buttons to open the door, one on the door and one on the floor?

Up 'til now, the C6 seems to have several problems, but most of them are not as serious as what you described above. Several, in fact, were caused by "pilot error".

However, some who have posted in this forum have talked about waiting until next MY to buy one. Depends on how anxious you are. Maybe waiting a couple of more months would suffice if someone wanted one badly.

VA-Vette

For what its worth, even cars that have been produced for many years can have problems. I bought a new metallic blue Z28 HO and within a year the paint started to peal off the car. Almost every Camaro I saw with that color was pealing ...no recall!

If you do want to wait a while for some bugs to be worked out, you can go crazy waiting with me for a convertible! Which could have it own problems!

Buster1

Sounds like some goofy salesman didn't know all his stuff about the car. I have had ZERO problems with the car so far and that includes the door locks. You just have to understand how to personalize your entry/exit options and how the car locks up.

Hoonose

Simple...pop the T-Top and just climb out! But please, don't leave any footprints on the hood!

M_C7

agreed

there is an option for the doors to auto lock and unlock depending on what fob is being used maybe it had something to do with that

Electron2002

I have to suspect a certain level of user error in this story. It is obvious that the salesman didn't know enough about the car in the firstplace, otherwise he would have directed you to pull the door release on the floor, rather than using the trunk release.

Wolfbane

I too have had ZERO Problems with mine. I would suspect that the salesman just didn't know what he was doing.

Jay_Davis

Don't know about this problem, but I've had my 97 for over 7 years now and it has not had a lot of problems at all. The only problems it has had are ones that you'll find in every year the C5 was produced. The only 97 specific problem it had was the whining fuel pump, which was fixed a few months later.

DudeWheresMyVette

thats what warranty is for, anything can be fixed

WWK888

Except the column lock on the C5.

cjh

When I was trapped inside, we did not have the key fob. But the door would not open. I don't think that one was user error. We tried different combinations of putting the car in reverse, pushing the button on the dash, locking/unlocking etc, and it did not open. If this was user error, that wouldn't make me feel any better, because it should never be that hard to open a car door from the inside. The salesman apparently did not know about the door release on the floor, only about the one in the trunk.

The problem with the key fob probably was user error. I (and apparently the salesman) didn't know there was a mode that would automatically unlock the door when the fob was near. So it probably locked the door, then unlocked it because we were standing right next to it. (?) Although if that is the case, it's a dangerous mode because I would never be comfortable that my car was really locked.

This is just another example of car salesmen who don't know their own cars. Don't get me started on that rant. I've never bought a car that I didn't know more about when I walked into the showroom than the saleman who was supposed to tell me about it. And this was their "Corvette manager". If your job is to sell cars (or refridgerators, or widgets for that matter), you should spend some time learning about your product. It's not that hard.

Chris

curvesman

mikeyc6

[snip]

That right there is problem number 1. It sounds to me like nothing at all was wrong with the car, and this is a simple case of (a) the salesman not knowing how to operate the car and (b) user settings for the fob not set for how you would prefer to use it.

Mike

StanNH

The car can be programmed to have the key fobs work in a traditional manner or "passive' mode. In the traditional manner, you use the key fob just as you would in any other car...you manually lock or unlock the car with the fob. In "passive" mode, the car will unlock if the fob is within 3 feet of the car (either driver's door only, or both doors); and will lock after 8 seconds if the fob is not near the car. In passive mode, if you are in the car without a fob (I don't know how you would do this unless a door was left wide open ), the doors will automatically be locked, however there is a manual release bar at the bottom of each door to provide easy exit. All of these functions are programmed through the computer by the user.

This definitely was a case of an uninformed salesman not being familiar with the features of the car. As far as early build problems, there have been very few reported on this forum. Two cases of possible defective Fuel Sending Units, a couple of Homelink sun visors left off the cars, and some isolated minor issues. I don't know of any significant or widespread issues that are common to this car...yet. Mine will be built this week and I'm not really too concerned over the early build. If there are problems, my dealer is 15 minutes away and has a good service department with an excellent Corvette technician.

It seems to be a fantastic car and worth a second look.

Stan