NHTSA Complaints · Active Recalls · California Lemon Law Data
The NHTSA tracks consumer complaints, manufacturer recalls, and safety investigations for every vehicle sold in the United States. These publicly available records are a critical resource for California lemon law cases because they establish patterns of recurring defects.
As of June 2026, the NHTSA has logged 11 complaints against the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette. Each complaint is filed by a vehicle owner or lessee through the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline or online portal at SaferCar.gov. You can review all 2021 Chevrolet Corvette complaints directly on the NHTSA complaint database.
The 2021 Chevrolet Corvette has generated 22 NHTSA complaints and has 2 active recalls. If your 2021 Chevrolet Corvette has experienced a defect that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple visits, you may qualify for a full repurchase or replacement under California lemon law. Chevrolet pays all attorney fees when we prevail. You pay nothing.
Powertrain and transmission defects directly impair the vehicle’s core function and are generally considered substantial defects under California lemon law. Owners of the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette have reported harsh shifting, shuddering, slipping, and transmission warning lights. 12 NHTSA complaints have been submitted for this defect category. Owner reports include: “Noise from the rear of the vehicle. Took vehicle in to dealership. The determined that it was a left side loose axle nut. This is clearly a safety issue. It may not have been torqued properly at the factory. The vehicle is a 2021 with only 5500 miles. They did the repair/tightened the axle nut and the noise is gone.” (NHTSA Complaint #11702491)
Electrical system failures are notoriously difficult to diagnose and repair, which often results in multiple unsuccessful repair attempts — a key element of a lemon law claim. Reported issues for the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette include infotainment malfunctions, battery drain, warning lights, power window failures, and intermittent starting problems. 6 NHTSA complaints have been filed for this category. Owner reports include: “intermittent black screen from the Rear Vision Camera (RVC) on the infotainment screen with red icons when put in reverse the backup camera may fail with a black screen there is no full mirror coverage to the rear of the car while backing up.” (NHTSA Complaint #11685442)
Electrical system failures are notoriously difficult to diagnose and repair, which often results in multiple unsuccessful repair attempts — a key element of a lemon law claim. Reported issues for the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette include infotainment malfunctions, battery drain, warning lights, power window failures, and intermittent starting problems. 2 NHTSA complaints have been filed for this category. Owner reports include: “One week ago received a manufacturer OTA update to install in vehicle which I always download. A few days later I drove vehicle to store and turned vehicle off in parking lot for 5 minutes. Upon returning to vehicle, unable to start vehicle. Vehicle display provided message “Battery Low Start Vehicle” but vehicle would not start. Tow company attempted to jump vehicle multiple times but not successful. Vehicle had to be towed for service. My vehicle is always stored in garage and plugged into battery charger when not in use and should not be dead. Vehicle Information System displays message “Service Brake System” and “Service Transmission Unable to Shift Soon”. Vehicle unable to operate and awaiting scheduled service at dealership.” (NHTSA Complaint #11524419)
Airbag defects are safety-critical and may trigger California’s two-repair threshold under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22. The 2021 Chevrolet Corvette has 2 NHTSA complaints on record related to airbag warning lights, unexpected deployment, and sensor failures. Owner reports include: “The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that the warning message that the front tires were low displayed. The contact added air into the tires but the warning message that the tires were low continued to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer replaced the tires but the failure reoccurred several times and the tires were replaced several times. On another occasion, while the contact was driving 65 MPH the vehicle started shaking and the vehicle collapsed on the front driver’s side, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle and the vehicle struck the wall. The air bags did not deploy. The contact was seriously injured and was taken to the hospital. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed, and the vehicle was diagnosed by the manufacturer, and the diagnosis was that the front driver-side rim fractured. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer diagnosed the vehicle but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was 35,000.” (NHTSA Complaint #11519046)
The following 2 recalls have been issued for the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette by the NHTSA or Chevrolet. If your vehicle is affected, the manufacturer is required to provide a free remedy. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls.
Component: AIR BAGS:SRS MALFUNCTION WARNING LAMP/LIGHT
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: The air bag malfunction indicator light may fail to warn the driver of a problem with the air bag, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: The communications gateway module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 1, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrol
Component: POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left or right rear half-shaft assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 4, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM’s number for this recall is N212351320.
California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1790–1795.8) is one of the strongest lemon laws in the United States. It protects buyers and lessees of new and certified pre-owned vehicles that develop substantial defects the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, a lemon law presumption is triggered when any of the following apply to your 2021 Chevrolet Corvette:
Once the presumption is triggered, the burden shifts to Chevrolet to prove the vehicle is not a lemon. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Chevrolet must pay your attorney’s fees if you prevail — meaning qualified representation costs you nothing out of pocket.
If your 2021 Chevrolet Corvette qualifies as a lemon under California law, Chevrolet may be legally required to:
Step 1: Document every repair visit. Keep all repair orders, work orders, and dealer invoices. Each visit counts as a repair attempt, even if the dealer says nothing is wrong.
Step 2: Keep returning for repairs. You must give Chevrolet a reasonable opportunity to fix the defect. Visit different authorized Chevrolet dealers if needed and ask for written documentation of each visit.
Step 3: Contact a California lemon law attorney. Once you believe the threshold has been met — 4 attempts for non-safety defects, 2 for safety defects, or 30 days out of service — contact an attorney for a free case evaluation. Under § 1794(d), Chevrolet pays your fees if you win.
Step 4: Send a demand letter. Your attorney will send Chevrolet a formal demand letter. Most California lemon law cases resolve through negotiation without going to trial.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, four or more repair attempts for the same non-safety defect, or two attempts for a safety-related defect, triggers the lemon law presumption. Additionally, 30 or more cumulative days out of service qualifies regardless of the number of repair attempts.
Yes. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Chevrolet is required to pay your reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs if you prevail in a lemon law claim. This means qualified lemon law representation is free to you if your case succeeds.
Yes. A recall is not required to file a lemon law claim. The Song-Beverly Act covers any substantial defect that impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle that the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts. NHTSA complaints support the claim by establishing a pattern, but are not a prerequisite.
California lemon law claims are generally subject to a four-year statute of limitations from the date you discovered or should have discovered the defect. However, you must still be within the manufacturer’s original warranty period when the defect first appears. Contact an attorney promptly to preserve your rights.
If your 2021 Chevrolet Corvette has a recurring defect, California’s Lemon Law may entitle you to a full refund, replacement vehicle, or cash settlement — at no cost to you.
Our attorneys answer the questions we hear most from California vehicle owners — fully updated for 2026.
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