Chevy Stopped Sales On Two Of Its Best Corvette Models - Here's Why

Update 8/29/2025: General Motors has reached out to SlashGear with the following statement: "General Motors is voluntarily recalling model year 2023-2026 Chevrolet Corvette Z06s and 2025-2026 Corvette ZR1s in North America to resolve an excess fuel spillage issue during refueling. 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." Additionally, we've updated this article to clarify language surrounding both the recall and why the Stingray models aren't included in it.

It's not exactly breaking news to say that both the Z06 and ZR1 versions of the Chevy Corvette are the best 'Vettes on the market right now. The Z06 is powered by a 5.5-liter V8 that generates 670 horsepower, and it has a 0-60 time of 2.6 seconds according to GM. That means it can reach highway speed by the time it takes you to read this sentence. The Corvette ZR1 cranks that up with a 5.5-liter V8 that generates 1,064 horsepower, giving it a top speed of 233 miles per hour. General Motors says it's equipped with the most powerful V8 from any American automaker ever. 

Here's the kicker: You can't buy them right now. The exorbitant price tag ($112,100 for the Z06 and $173,300 for the ZR1) keeps most people away, but for people who want to own the best mid-engine Corvettes for sale, you're out of luck. And it wasn't for any exciting reason, like both cars were too much fun or the government banned the Corvettes due to performance-related safety concerns. It's because GM is recalling 2023-2026 Corvette Z06s and 2025-2026 ZR1s due to a fuel filling issue, and has temporarily stopped sales of both models while it fixes the problem.

That's right. Sales have been stopped for both Corvette models because fuel might splash out of the car when filling. However, despite the mundane reasoning, it's never a good idea to have a laissez-faire attitude towards anything involving gasoline. You don't want your car to catch on fire.

Kelley Blue Book goes into further detail, saying that due to the ZR1's and Z06's unique radiator placement, excess fuel could heat up and potentially catch fire. According to Chevy, the base model Corvette Stingray and the E-Ray aren't included in the recall because they lack the left-side radiator/fan combination used in Z06 and ZR1, which is at the center of this recall.

General Motors, and by extension Chevy, haven't announced a solution yet. In a message to dealers that appeared online, Chevy suggests that the blame can be partially attributed to faulty gas station pumps that aren't compatible with the Corvette's fuel filling apparatus. Additionally, until a fix has been announced, Chevy recommends being extra cautious while getting gas and avoiding gas cans entirely. While this might sound like a strange recommendation, cars like the Z06 and ZR1 are often used in races on the track where gas cans are plentiful and commonly used.

Until GM gets a fix out, expect to see fewer ZR1s and Z06s out on the road (or, at least, fewer than you already see). While it's a bit of a bummer for Chevy performance fans, you can never go wrong being extra safe.