Early C5's

[mgdim]

I am finally gonna get the chance to own a C5 now that the prices are starting to fall. I have seen some low mileage 97 and 98 models but am fearful of buying into the early years. I have spent most of my time in CAC in the C6 forum and keep hearing about the problems associated with the 97 C5's. Can anyone give me the lowdown on what I might run into with a '97 or '98 5-speed?

 

[Tripleblack51]

Welcome!! You'll like this place!

Congrats on your decision!

If the car is well cared for, I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on either of those years. I would definitely try to buy the newest you can afford.
The C5 is a well built car and I've met quite a few people with early, high mileage cars that are still running very strong and have been very reliable.

The inherent problems are the dreaded steering column lock, rear end leak (fixed by replacing seal), and the fuel gauge sensor going bonkers from the sulphur in gasoline.

I had a '99 that I bought brand new and kept for almost two years. The only issue I had with it was the steering column lock.

I'm sure that someone else will chime in.

There will always be some cars that are more trouble free than others.
Try to buy directly from the owner if you can. (original owner would be great)

The best part is the hunt, but don't fall in love with the first one you look at.

Best of luck!!

Pedro

I am finally gonna get the chance to own a C5 now that the prices are starting to fall. I have seen some low mileage 97 and 98 models but am fearful of buying into the early years. I have spent most of my time in CAC in the C6 forum and keep hearing about the problems associated with the 97 C5's. Can anyone give me the lowdown on what I might run into with a '97 or '98 5-speed?

 

[DRTH VTR]

Also the battery- The early C5's had a problem with leaking battery acid onto the wiring harness and the control module just below it. I would strongly suggest that you pull the battery on any early C5 that you look at, just to inspect for damage. Do a search on this site.

 

[atmmac]

Alright ill tell you the problems ive had with my 1997. I got the car with 6 k miles. Ive put 10K on it and for these 10k miles the things ive had go wrong are
-Steering Column Lock (2 times stranded)
-My Gas Guage Has Been Acting up lately
-My heating and A/C had a vacuum leak in the passenger fron fender (700 Bucks!)
-Had the Parking Brake Adjusted (200 Bucks)
-2 new rear tires installed mounted and balanced 910 Dollars.
-My seats rock a bit when braking heavy.
-My speakers rattle a little (Theres a TSB but no recall of course)
-Fuel Pump Whine (No Big Deal)

Thats it.
The two killers were the A/C heating and the steering column lock.

Good Luck with your car!
-Andy

 

[mgdim]

I thought the steering wheel lock problem was for '99 only. Is it a recall?

$910 for two tires seems ridiculous, are the gold plated?

 

[Tom]

A friend of mine just sold his 98 Coupe. It had 67,000 miles on it, the car was never in the shop for any repairs. I wish I could have said that about my 99 with only 19,000 miles on it. My son in laws 98 convertible had to have a headlight switch and headlight motor replaced, another good car. Maybe 1998 is the year mode to get. I hope you get a winner!!

 

[atmmac]

The tires are very expensive because they are the runflats. I love the car i just wish i didnt have so many issues.

 

[cruzer99]

Go to "THE TIRE RACK", a full set of run flats are around $850.

 

[Mike Todd]

I purchased a 97 coupe for around $18K and am very pleased with it. The car has 80K miles on the odometer. My car has been trouble free and very dependable. However, there are a few things that are inherent on the earlier models.

1) The steering wheel lock (My car never had a problem, The latest recal repaired mine at no charge last month)
2) Slack in the seats due to wear. (At this point I can only live with it due to the high repair costs)
3) Gas gauge failure problem (This due to the sulfer in the gas. When the tank is full the gauge will sometimes go to empty. There are stations that carry low sulfer gas that helps prevent this problem. This problem can also be fixed at fairly resonable cost.)
4) Tire pressure sensors seem to last about 7 years and would likely need replacing shortly.

Besides this, my car has been trouble free. I do not believe I could of bought any other car for this price that turns the heads this car does.

Mike

 

[atmmac]

it sounds like you have the same car as me. Black on Grey interior. Do you have the M6?

 

[Mike Todd]

it sounds like you have the same car as me. Black on Grey interior. Do you have the M6?

I wish...However, still love it

 

[rsimoes]

In 1999 there were numerous changes. Read about it here:

http://www.corvettecavalry.com/99hiddenhp.html

 

[atmmac]

I wish...However, still love it

Its all good. I dont think they made many m6's in 1997.

 

[Lil' Red]

I bought a 98 Coupe in 01 with 55+ it was a GM Execs car from Oregon right now I have 84+ on it and it's my daily driver. The only problem I have at this point is the vinyl
on the drivers seat at the edged is starting to split which is common in C5's. I've had to replace a few bulbs and have my passenger seat re-wired because something spilled down there and shorted the power for the lumbar adjuster. Other than that it has been the American Dream nothing like the attention a CORVETTE draws!

 

[b_pappy]

GMPP may add peace of mind to the transaction. Shop around for the best price on this warranty. I bought mine (2000 convertible with warranty) used almost a year ago and am really glad I did. Every time I take it out it is a blast.

Bruce

 

[JBHAMC40]

I had a 99 With 45,000 on it when I bought it. Didnt have any problems with it except the pass window motor going out. If it was me I would go with a 99