If you’ve been eyeing a new Corvette Z06 or ZR1, or have one on order, you woke up to disappointing news this morning as reports of a voluntary recall and nationwide stop sale began emerging late yesterday. To say there was an instant shockwave across social media would be an understatement, as community reactions began pouring into my Facebook feed. Today’s feature, along with the majority of CorvSport’s digital content, is FREE and not behind a paywall. When any pop-ups appear, please click to dismiss them and continue enjoying the article.
On June 12 of this year, CorvSport.com was one of the first digital publications to cover this seemingly prevalent occurrence. We have included our initial reporting below, along with everything you need to know concerning this troubling recall and stop sale. Let’s get right to it!
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What’s Inside Today’s Coverage
- CorvSport’s Original Reporting With Photos of Multiple Burnt Z06s
- GM’s Voluntary Recall & Stop Order And Other Supporting Documents
- GM’s Call To Corvette Forum Editor Michael S. Palmer To Clarify Confusion
- Community Reaction From Top Social Media Sites And Additional Resources
1) CorvSport’s Original Reporting With Photos of Multiple Burnt Z06s
C8 Z06 Erupts Into Flames While Fueling: Should Corvette Owners Be Worried?
After the ashes settled, this C8 Z06 owner shared pictures and the explosive video of the fireball that burned his dream to a crisp
[Published on 6/12/2025 By Douglas Barton]
Earlier in the week, photos began emerging on the internet showing a C8 Corvette Z06 burned to a crisp, and the early sentiment was, “What the heck happened, and is this some type of defect I should be concerned about?!?” Well, thankfully, the Z06’s owner stepped onto Facebook to share the details of the fireball that left his dream in a pile of ashes. [Author’s Note: This article is FREE and not behind a paywall. Yes, FREE! If/when any pop-ups appear, please click to dismiss them and continue enjoying the article. One may require two steps–first, the arrow on the left, then the x on the top right.]
The Z06’s owner, Shawn C., is one of the 47,000+ members of Facebook’s Corvette C8 Z06, ZR1 & E-Ray group, and opened his post by lamenting, “Gonna miss her!” He then went on to ask, “Anybody have any experience, or ever heard of anything like this before? Car exploded while pumping gas…” The most interesting comment was how he ended his opening post, when he remarked, “I have an idea, but would love to hear what everyone else thinks.”
What was his idea? What did the Corvette community think? CorvSport dove in, combed the 180+ posts, and has some answers. Continue Reading Our Initial Reporting or Save For Later
The Aftermath
Just moments before…
Then boom!
From a Masterpiece to a Mess of Ashes & Shattered Dreams in Seconds
♦ Other photos that were shared in Shawn C.’s Facebook post.
2) GM’s Voluntary Recall & Stop Order And Other Supporting Documents
If you viewed our initial reporting, you’ll note that one of the speculations for the Z06s erupting into flames was the large fan below the fuel filler door. This fan and radiator setup is specific to the Z06 and ZR1 models, and reportedly will cycle (or stay) on after the vehicle is shut off (until a set temperature is reached).
The specific wording from GM’s document:
“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. In these vehicles, excess fuel spilled into the vehicle fuel-filler pocket during refueling may leak onto an ignition source.”
♦ As enthusiasts around social media were trying to wrap their collective heads around the legitimacy of early reports, they began sharing similar GM communications. This one is from the Corvette Forum’s DebRedZR1.
♦ And this document from Corvette Forum BigVette427 continued to confirm the worst.
♦ Perhaps the most telling indicator of the stop sale was when Corvette Forum user KemahGT caught Z06s disappearing from Chevrolet’s nationwide inventory page. He managed to catch just one that was still listed, and if you search now, you will find zero.
3) GM’s Call To Corvette Forum Editor Michael S. Palmer To Clarify Confusion
As some confusion was brewing around social media, a representative from GM reached out directly to Editor Michael S. Palmer of the Corvette Forum. Here is Palmer’s summary post at the Corvette Forum from that conversation:
“Hey, folks, Michael from the front-page team here. GM just called me because they saw this thread, and wanted to hopefully alleviate some concerns and questions people may be having.
Here is a broad strokes summary of my conversation with GM, but please note that I do not speak for or represent GM in any way —
- Safety for customers is GM’s highest priority
- Stingrays and E-Rays are currently NOT affected by this issue
- 23-26 Z06s and 25-26 ZR1s are on the recall
- Per the notice sent to dealerships, please be careful when refueling (follow all instructions per the owner’s manual, make sure the fuel filler is inserted fully into your Corvette’s fuel pipe, be on the lookout for damaged fuel pumps, and don’t try to overfill after you’ve heard a click)
- The specific REMEDY has NOT yet officially been announced, but will be forthcoming”
4) Community Reaction From Top Social Media Sites And Additional Resources
♦ Facebook’s Corvette C8 Z06, ZR1 & E-Ray is a vibrant and public page, where you can join other enthusiasts in heated topics just like this one (all that is needed is a Facebook profile). Click here to join 54,000 plus other enthusiasts in this viral topic.
- 921 Reactions
- 540 Comments
- 162 Shares
♦ Things are also hopping over at the Corvette Forum. Click here to join other ‘Vette nuts at the largest and oldest Corvette Forum in the country.
♦ And let’s not forget about Reddit and the r/Corvette community. You can view the discussion by clicking here.
♦ Lastly, if you own a C8 Z06 or ZR1, you can view your VIN-specific recall information here.
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