Last week we brought you the story of owners of the new 2020 Corvette Stingray having their frunk’s hood opening during driving and with two incident reports now filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Chevrolet appears to be taking the issue seriously. Today, we have an update with an official statement to share from a Chevrolet spokesperson.
As we discussed in our initial post which has since been featured on the top automotive websites, owners reported driving when without warning, their front hood would suddenly unlatch and open, blocking the view of the road ahead. One of these incidents was even captured by an owner’s Performance Data Recorder. With the driver going just 30 mph, the hood suddenly flies open and if you turn up the volume during video playback, it sounds like you can hear the sound of the latch opening:
Even at low speeds, some owners are reporting damage after the incident with frunk’s rear hinges being sprung backward and damaging the surrounding paint.
Here is the first statement on the issue from a Chevrolet spokesperson:
“After isolated reports of 2020 Chevrolet Corvette hoods being inadvertently left open while being driven, the engineering team is investigating the potential issue and will be working to prevent them moving forward. We have not been able to identify any mechanical issues related this situation. We’re looking at ways we can improve warnings of the hood being open by increasing the volume of warning chimes and changing the messaging that appears in the DIC. Vehicles already in the field would receive these changes through over-the-air updates.”
We do note that Chevrolet still believes the problem to be user error with the “hoods being inadvertently left open” while being driven. However, our testing of the system on a 2020 Corvette showed the large red warning on the DIC when the car was in Park, and an audible warning is heard when the car in is Drive. While in Drive, neither the fob or the hatch release button on the door panel could be activated to open the frunk’s lid.
In the statement, Chevrolet says they haven’t been able to identify any mechanical issues related to the situation. We’d like to see engineers and service personnel reach out of any of the owners reporting the issue on the Forums to perform a diagnostic test on their frunck’s latching and warning system as a way to rule out driver error.
We also note that some owners are resorting to pulling the fuse (#18) that activates the frunck’s latching system while others are going a step further to attach bungee cords to keep the lid from opening fully. Until Chevrolet is able to determine what exactly is causing this issue, we know for many owners they will be thinking about this happening to them every time they get behind the wheel.
Related:
[VIDEO] The NHTSA Has Complaints of the 2020 Corvette’s Frunk Opening While Driving
[VIDEO] 2020 Corvette Stingray Walk Around
2020 Corvette Stingary is Capable of Receiving Over-the-Air Updates
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This is what happens when you put the hinges on the back of a Corvette hood. Corvette hinges go in front.
Mine rattled when fully closed. I brought it in today and all they did was screw out the bump stops. I thought they were screwed out quite far but they said it’s good.
I asked if the striker should be moved an eighth inch +/- so the bumpers wouldn’t be so extended and I was told it wasn’t necessary.
Seems a little over the top that Chevy is operating from a point based on solely driver error. In reality if the frunk isn’t closed properly regardless of why, the car should go into limp mode at best. They do that with my 2500 diesel with the DEF if it runs out of it or gets too low. So they know how to do it. And that situation quite frankly isn’t as an acute risk as this frunk problem is. Step up Chevy, own this, this car has too much on the line for you.
As the old Corvette adage goes….never purchase the first year of a new Generation.
8TY4SPD&MNL13GS
The weight of the hood is enough to engage the secondary safety latch on all other cars. This prevents the hood from ever being fully unlatched while driving. Does this hood NOT have a mechanical secondary safety latch? If not, how can GM get away with that? Were they afraid people would scratch up their fenders with luggage if the hood opened up the other way? There is a safety piece of the puzzle missing here.
It HAS a secondary safety latch. To properly close it you gave to PRESS DOWN to secure the final latching stage. Simply “slamming” the lid will not close it all the way. And when it’s closed there is a small amount of play designed in to make closing easier for those too lazy to actually do it correctly.
I understand how the final latch works. I just don’t understand how the secondary safety latch is failing and allowing the wind to lift the hood. I am open to what it is that I am missing.
I have to agree with Dave , why isn’t the secondary latch not stopping it…
Finally, a reason to be glad my Convertible hasn’t been built yet.
Hope they find a fix soon.
Using bungee cords on your new $80,000 Corvette?
How many years have they had to get this car right. Amazing! Too much glitz not enough common sense. The actually pops up unsafe at any speed
I want to see the dash of the car when its hood few up and see if the warning was on. Every low end “You Tuber” is looking for a way to get people to go to their channel. I think in the future C8’s will get a software update that won’t allow you to put into drive if the front is opened.
Zora is pissed off right now.
WOW just like 1968 Vettes there are kinks….many so in 69 they were tighter hopefully 201 will have all kinks worked out
It’s 2-3 people out of HOW many?…. Notice I said “people”, not cars.
I don’t understand why Chevy didn’t design a better system. My Porsche Cayman has a frunk with a simple mechanical latch which prevents this problem from occurring. The 911 model has the identical system.
All cars with front opening hoods for the last 50 years have had a mechanical secondary safety latch for the sole purpose of preventing the hood from flying up just in case the hood is not fully latched. Most of us here do not have access to examine a C8. Would someone who does, kindly explain to the rest of us just what the hell is actually going on here? Someone from GM please explain why the required mechanical secondary safety latch is not working.
The entire car is one big computer. Why not automatically disable the hood lock when the car is driving. Easy peasy.
Everyone is saying the for won’t unlatch the hood in drive. What about in neutral or reverse. Don’t you back in or out of every parking spot? Maybe it is latched in drive and then unlatches when you are doing your three point turn to burn back down a stretch of road.
Regardless, as said already, the secondary latch should not just be for show. And, other than weight, why not have a motor that pulls the frunk to the correct resting spot like many exotic trunks and doors?
There is going to be bugs in a newly designed car. Hopefully nothing major. That is a big reason some wait a model year or two. Beautiful car’s though.
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