GM’s Bean Counters Killed Another Function on C8 Corvettes Halfway Through the 2026 Model Year

May 12, 2026

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GM's Bean Counters Killed Another Function on C8 Corvettes Halfway Through the 2026 Model Year

Photo Credits: Keith Cornett

GM’s notorious bean counters are back at it again, and you will not believe what they just got rid of on all C8 Corvettes midway through the 2026 model year.

Previously, we mocked the accountants back in 2025 for deleting the printed owner’s manuals from our cars. We recently heard that this injustice may have just been reversed.

We were also disappointed when they removed the C8 Corvette’s key cylinder that was located behind the license plate and allowed access to your Coupe’s engine bay if the power had failed in your car. The official technical update stated that the work around for this was to simply drill a 3-inch hole through the rear hatch and into the rear compartment.

We can acknowledge that the number of times that an owner has actually needed to get into their engine bays with the power out was probably pretty low, but we’re also sure that it wasn’t zero.

Meanwhile, this new change pretty much affects everyone who purchased any C8 model midway through this model year as it seems that GM has quietly killed the locking fuel door on C8s.

Go ahead and smack your forehead in disbelief…we did!

All C8s carried over the locking gas door from the C6 and C7 generations. Pressing the door locks on either your door or your key fob also locked or unlocked your Corvette’s fuel door. If you have your car set up for Passive Locking, your fuel door would automatically lock as well. It’s a nice feature to have when parked where anyone could have access to your car. And while not indestructible, a locking fuel door “does keep the kids out,” as one member of MECF said.

The early version of the 2026 Corvette Owner’s Guide contained passages about the fuel door locking and those with early 2026s say their fuel door does indeed lock. But in the most recent ’26 Owner’s Manual which we downloaded today from Chevrolet’s website, those references to the locking fuel door have been removed. I didn’t have the early 2026 Owner’s Manual downloaded, but here is how the Passive Locking section read in the 2025 manual, while the revised entry on Passive Locking deletes the relevent sentence:

The owner of a 2026 Corvette E-Ray started this thread over on the Corvette Forum regarding his E-Ray’s fuel door not locking and he actually took it to the dealership to have it looked at. The dealer tech investigated and found that his 2026 was: “Not equipped with electronic fuel filler door lock actuator system. Fuel door designed as manual push to open type and does not lock with power door lock system. Verified customer concern that fuel door can be opened while vehicle is locked. Checked vehicle RPO codes and confirmed vehicle is not equipped with RPO N08 which is required for electronic fuel filler door lock actuator operation. Inspected vehicle configuration and verified fuel door is not controlled by BCM or power lock system. Vehicle equipped with standard push to open non-locking fuel door. Vehicle operating as designed. No repairs required at this time.”

We are not exactly sure when GM instituted this change to the locking fuel door, but those new owners on the MidEngineCorvetteForum are chiming in on whether their fuel doors lock. While the sample size is small, we are seeing cars that were built in March no longer have the locking fuel door. The E-Ray owner from the Corvette Forum had his car built in mid-March. If your 2026 was built earlier than that and the fuel door doesn’t lock, please let us know!

So what does the Corvette Nation think about this ridiculous cost savings plan from General Motors? Let us (and them) know in the comments below!

Source:
Corvette Forum and MidEngineCorvetteForum.com

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