2020 Chevy Corvette’s Front Trunk May Open Unexpectedly
The 2020 North American Car of the Year has many great attributes, but also a few issues. And one of them seriously compromises the safety of occupants on the road.
As reported by several owners of the brand new, eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette, the front trunk may open suddenly and unexpectedly while driving, thus blocking the driver’s view.
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On the Corvette Forum, some 40 pages are dedicated to this problem alone, with the first cases seemingly dating back to April.
But is it really a technical problem? According to some users, human error is to blame. You see, the new Corvette has three different front hood positions: fully closed, half-open and fully open. The hood can be opened by the key fob or pressing a button on the driver’s door. It’s the latter that seems to be the cause here. No warning signs or audible alerts are activated before the hood opens.
In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received eight separate complaints so far. The most recent one was filed on August 2. The owner added that a GM spokesperson blamed it on user error.
Another contacted their Chevy dealership, which said the GM warranty will not cover the problem or fix the damages. The car’s insurance company needs to assume the costs.
While the exact cause remains to be confirmed, it appears that only a certain number of 2020 Corvettes are affected as some owners have been unable to replicate the issue. Many have installed an extra latch just to be sure the hood won’t pop open suddenly, though.
UPDATE (08/27/2020): GM Canada has just announced a recall regarding this specific issue.
