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2021 Chevrolet Corvette

Gas

Two Seaters
1 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

87 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints1 crash · 1 injured reported 13

Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 19 mpg

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2021 Chevrolet Corvette is sold in the U.S. as a gas coupe. The most efficient version, the Corvette, is EPA-rated at 19 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 13 complaints, most often about the power train.

Chevrolet Corvette — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Chevrolet Corvette · Photo: Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Corvette	Gas	RWD	6.2L 8-cyl	15	27	19	$4,350

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 43425.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Corvette	3 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Coupe
Doors	2
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	8
Displacement	6.2 L

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	1
Seating capacity	2 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	RWD/Rear-Wheel Drive
Transmission	Automatic
Transmission speeds	8

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Parking assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking, Rear cross-traffic alert

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Preferred 2LT, Premium 3LT, Standard 1LT). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	182.3 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	76.0 in
Height	48.4 in
Wheelbase	107.1 in
Track, front	65.0 in
Track, rear	62.2 in
Curb weight	3,373–3,474 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	40/60

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: Stingray Convertible, Stingray Coupe. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Power Train

N212351320

22 vehicles 91% reported repaired

Problem General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. The rear half-shaft assemblies may be missing one or more ball bearings, which can result in a loss of drive power. Risk An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash. Fix 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.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF

NHTSA campaign 22V091000 reported Feb 17, 2022 General Motors, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

●moderate

Electrical System

N212338110

285,622 vehicles 99% reported repaired

Problem General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Buick Envision, Cadillac CT4, CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Corvette, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles. The communications gateway module incorrectly processes a loss of communication with the sensing diagnostic module (SDM), causing the air bag malfunction indicator light to inconsistently illuminate. 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. Fix 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, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212338110.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF

NHTSA campaign 21V421000 reported Jun 10, 2021 General Motors, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Corvette

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2021 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Chevrolet publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Chevrolet’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

13complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

5.5 per 10,000 built · Chevrolet reported 23,577 Corvette built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2021: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 2

Most-cited components

Power Train 7

Electrical System 4

Air Bags 1

Wheels 1

Service Brakes 1

Unspecified 1

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

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

Power Train Dec 2, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11702491

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

Electrical System Sep 6, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11685442

"Both front headlamp assemblies have internal moisture condensation and permanent residue/streaking on the interior lens surfaces. This is a known manufacturing defect documented across 2020-2024 C8 Corvette model years. GM issued TSB 01-08-42-001P acknowledging this defect.

Exterior Lighting Sep 30, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11768051

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.

Air Bags at 35,000 miles Apr 26, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11519046

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the transmission warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission filter. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred.

Power Train at 12,500 miles Feb 28, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11574448

I cannot believe the Corvette does not show that the alternator does not show that the car is not charging. I have a thirty year old corvette that will show you when the alternator does not show the car has an under performing alternator. If you do not have it showing on the display it will not show you that the alternator is defective.

Electrical System May 3, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11658701

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Chevrolet itself: 5 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 5 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 21 per 100,000 built. Every Corvette model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Extended coverage on file 1 filing by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

Term not in NHTSA’s summary · GM warranty extension 22-NA-244This warranty administration service bulletin provides information about GM Accessories - Dealer-Installed, Repaired or Replaced During Warranty Coverage Period.

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every GM warranty extension (33) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 770

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-26

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 762 service bulletins, 6 service campaigns, 1 warranty extension

Most often about: Equipment, Electrical System, Engine, Unknown Or Other, Power Train.

PIT5698F Service bulletin
2026-09-26 · Unknown Or Other
This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
PIP4902W Service bulletin
2026-09-04 · Unknown Or Other
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
N252541251-02 Service campaign
2026-09-01 · Unknown Or Other
Certain vehicles listed above may have a condition in which drivers may not be notified of a rear turn-signal lamp failure. GM will update software calibrations in the vehicle’s exterior lighting control module. For vehicles that are capable of receiving software changes using wireless over-the-air (OTA) technology, owners who have accepted applicable terms and conditions will have the opportunit
PIC6551C Service bulletin
2026-08-20 · Unknown Or Other
This Preliminary information communicates to dealer to perform a MEC reset for wireless projection issues
N252541251-01 Service campaign
2026-08-05 · Unknown Or Other
Certain vehicles listed above may have a condition in which drivers may not be notified of a rear turn-signal lamp failure. GM will update software calibrations in the vehicle’s exterior lighting control module. For vehicles that are capable of receiving software changes using wireless over-the-air (OTA) technology, owners who have accepted applicable terms and conditions will have the opportunit
PIT5099J Service bulletin
2026-07-21 · Unknown Or Other
PI to help diagnose A/C concern
PIT5966F Service bulletin
2026-06-23 · Unknown Or Other
This Preliminary information communicates an issue with an OTA pending message still displayed after an OTA event and how to reset/clear the message.
PIT6215C Service bulletin
2026-05-21 · Unknown Or Other
This Preliminary information communicates to dealership technicians that if they encounter a customer vehicle with this concern, to perform the steps listed and should be able to reprogram the module and correct this.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
C103C	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Suspension · Struts and shocks →	8 bulletins
C103E	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Suspension · Struts and shocks →	8 bulletins
P0607 P0607 on Chevrolet →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	5 bulletins
B19E4 B19E4 on Chevrolet →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Structure	4 bulletins
B1038 B1038 on Chevrolet →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	3 bulletins
P0442 P0442 on Chevrolet →	A small leak in the evaporative emissions system.	Electrical System · Gas cap →	3 bulletins
P0455 P0455 on Chevrolet →	A large leak in the evaporative emissions system — often a fuel cap left off.	Electrical System · Gas cap →	3 bulletins
P0606 P0606 on Chevrolet →	An internal processor fault in the engine control module.	Electrical System · Battery →	3 bulletins
P0867 P0867 on Chevrolet →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	3 bulletins
P1789	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	3 bulletins
P1955 P1955 on Chevrolet →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	3 bulletins
B19E1	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	2 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 10.5%

failed emissions

603 initial inspections of 573 vehicles.

Measure	The 2021 Corvette	Every 2021 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	10.5%	1.9%	601
Failed the safety inspection	0.33%	1.5%	603
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.17%	0.19%	603
Miles driven a year	2,491	10,343	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	13,386	54,681	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2021 vehicle” is every 2021 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Corvette by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A 0 1 18 mpg 2026 B 3 3 19 mpg 2025 B 3 11 19 mpg 2024 B 2 21 19 mpg 2023 A 1 27 19 mpg 2022 A 1 21 19 mpg 2021 this page B 2 13 19 mpg 2020 C 4 34 19 mpg 2019 A 1 148 19 mpg 2018 A 1 51 19 mpg 2017 C 4 257 19 mpg 2016 B 2 104 21 mpg

Common questions about the 2021 Corvette

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette. The most serious on file is 22V091000, covering Power Train. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it B (87/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette?

For the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette, the best EPA combined figure is 19 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette?

Transport Canada measured it at 182.3 in long, 76.0 in wide (body, without mirrors), 48.4 in tall, on a 107.1 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,373–3,474 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette?

Owners have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette, most often about power train, electrical system, air bags. Of those, 1 involved a crash, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette?

The EPA smog rating for the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette is 3 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette?

The manufacturer has filed 770 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette, most often covering equipment, electrical system, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-09-26. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette failed the emissions check on 10.5% of first inspections — higher than the 1.9% for every 2021 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.33% (every 2021 vehicle: 1.5%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	1 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	1 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	13	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	none	NHTSA NCAP	NHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe.
Service bulletins	770	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	11 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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