Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1981 Chevrolet Corvette, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Fuel system, gasoline4
- Power train3
- Wheels1
- Engine and engine cooling1
- Steering1
- Suspension1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 3 1981 Corvette vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 2 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1981 Chevrolet Corvette failed the safety check 0.26% of the time — 65% less often than the average 1981 passenger car (0.73%). Median odometer at inspection: 58,769 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
126 first registered in 1981 are on Dutch roads; 98% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen27
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm19
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld17
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde11
- Remvloeistoflekkage reminrichting8
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse7
- Remslang ernstig misvormd6
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht6
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
1 cars built in 1981 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 1 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In Finland
35 of these cars first registered in 1981 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 55,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
106 1981 cars are on the New Zealand register; 91% arrived as used imports, 1% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 1981 Chevrolet Corvette.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words