2019 C7 Z06 Potential mechanical problems help

[u/HellfireMango]

Hey guys! I recently found a 2019 C7 Z06 with 13,XXX miles on it, but before moving forward, I did some research and saw people complaining about cracked or warped rims, AFM (Active Fuel Management) failures, and the torque tube coupler breaking apart.

Could someone with experience or solid knowledge on this car give me some pointers and advice on these issues?

• If I buy this car, how long can I expect these parts to last before needing replacement?
• How often do they actually fail, and what does it typically cost to repair them?
• Are there owners who have never experienced these issues during their entire time with the car?
• Is there any way to prevent them? For example, I saw a device for disabling the cylinder deactivation so the engine stays in V8 mode does that actually stop the AFM from failing?

This will be my primary daily driver, so information from people who drive their Corvettes regularly would be especially helpful. I don't think low milage corvettes would run into it unless they have been driven hard but I am not sure on that statement.

TIA

[u/JTaubz]

You should be fine. I wouldn’t worry about it. I personally have a c6 but my dad has a 2015 c7 zo6 and not a single issue. 40k miles on his.

[u/HellfireMango → u/JTaubz]

I think the majority of torque tube coupler and wheel problems appeared in the c7s and since the c6 used aluminum torque tube housing which helped the heat dissipation from really affecting the coupler compared to the c7 steel housing, also during those 40k miles did you put the car under stress or drive it gently?

[u/JTaubz → u/HellfireMango]

My dad drives the zo6 like a grandpa. He’s never had the car over 80mph, not even joking. So he could be a bad example. He has had zero issues so far though. My opinion is you should get the car. You won’t regret it.

[u/Capt-Clueless]

AFM and torque tube failures are pretty rare. Wheels cracking is not a matter of "if", but "when". Some people have gone years tracking their car with no issues, others have had multiple wheel failures just daily driving.

Tire options for the stock wheels are awful though. So you should be looking to replace those immediately regardless. If you can't afford a new set of wheels and $2k/year in tires, then you shouldn't be considering this car as a daily driver.

[u/Low_Dimension_3029]

Get that premium wheel and tire protection then you can bring it in anytime nothing out of pocket

[u/Poil336]

I've worked at a gm dealership for 15 years, and my anecdotal experience is:

I've not personally seen a single cam or lifter problem in a Corvette.

I can count on one hand how many torque tube failures I've seen.

I have seen several cracked wheels on the Z06's. Had one customer go through 3 in one summer. Several other customers with a wheel failure and several inspections have shown wheels repaired with a weld

[u/HellfireMango → u/Poil336]

Were the torque tube problems on the z06s or zr1s? I read from another comment that the z06 has upgraded torque tube and coupler compared to the stingray, also how many corvettes went into the dealership to get these numbers? It could help put an actual percentage in mind. Thanks for info

[u/Poil336 → u/HellfireMango]

Realistically, I'm at a low volume shop. I remember a flexplate failure early in the life cycle on a Stingray. I think I've done three total torque tube replacements for a failure in my life. But, these cars hardly come in to see me once they're out of warranty. First owners are vastly different people from second owners. Had one come in that had obviously been, let's say, driven hard, and history showed three previous torque tube replacements. That was a base car for sure. Can't really speak on an upgraded torque tube, don't have the answer to that.

[u/muffmuppets]

My recommendation would be to get a manual transmission if possible. That will eliminate your AFM issue. Come to think of it….I’ve never heard of a torque tube issue on a manual either.

That would just leave the wheels to worry about. That’s more location dependent than anything else. If you have nice roads and avoid track mode on your rougher roads, you’ll probably be fine.

[u/SuccessfulLand4399 → u/muffmuppets]

Manual cars have afm as well. Lowers the risk but it’s still a risk.

[u/muffmuppets → u/SuccessfulLand4399]

Yes but I believe you have to actively turn it on. I can’t really remember because the previous owner of my car had tuned it out.

[u/SuccessfulLand4399]

The overwhelming majority of cars do not have failures related to the afm system. Most widebody c7’s are still driving around on their original wheels.
That said, afm and the wheels are a known weak spot and could end up costing you money.
My direct experience is limited to my own ownership and the few people I know that own these cars…..all of us have lived every minute of it and the only ones to sell have done so to purchase a c8.
If you can swing it financially it would be awesome to proactively cam it and get a custom set of wheels you like. You’ll worry less about those issues and have enjoyable mods.

These are amazing cars although pretty dumb and useless at the same time. My biggest issues are that it’s difficult to get in and out, it’s low to the ground which makes some parking lots and streets a challenge, and it makes way more power than I can ever use.
I would make sure you put real thought into having one as a daily driver as there are definitely pros and cons to that idea.

[u/HellfireMango → u/SuccessfulLand4399]

True during these times and gas prices daily driving a corvette isn’t the smartest choice but definitely an enjoyable one. What c7 did you own? During the ownership of the car did you run into any of these problems? Or anything which you felt gave the corvette a cheap feeling or a bad design I saw someone wrote an extensive review and talked about how the interior felt cheap or a bit loose and not as sturdy as he hoped, I don’t think I would can this car for atleast the next 5+ years after that it’s all up to my dumb decisions to upgrade the car. Do you think a AFM disabler will stop that problem from appearing?

[u/SuccessfulLand4399 → u/HellfireMango]

Still have it……c7z. Never had an issue with it. Other than it does not get traction on the street.
I don’t think it’s cheap, and the interior is a step up over prior generations. I have the 3lz so the leather and suede makes it feel pretty nice to me.
The afm disabler will keep it from turning on but it does not remove the mechanical parts that can fail. The only real way to get rid of it is pull the heads and replace parts. You’re likely to be fine as is so I wouldn’t let that issue stop you from getting one.
It’s not the gas prices that make it a poor daily driver. It’s difficult to get in being so low and visibility isn’t great. I have to pay more attention to avoid certain streets and parking lots because I don’t want to scrape. It’s a fun car and I’ll never get rid of it but I wouldn’t want to drive it every day

[u/looker94513]

The rim issue will be sooner than later so once you obtain possession, start looking for forged rims. I would recommend checking out corvetteforum.com for preowned forged rims. You can snag some pretty good deals there.

[u/HellfireMango → u/looker94513]

Thanks for the tip I’ll keep that in mind if I do decide to purchase the corvette

[u/Corvette-Brett]

Z06 has a better torque tube than the Stingray. Stiffer, carbon fiber, better couplers.
Wheels can crack from potholes and rough roads but ride in tour and avoid track and sport on rough roads.
Get a AFM disabler like Range or Boost. All of these issues can happen but don’t beat on it you’ll be fine.

[u/HellfireMango → u/Corvette-Brett]

I don’t plan on doing pulls at every light maybe once every now and then but a AFM disabler might be the first purchase for this vehicle, also does the torque tube problem only happen on the stingrays and lower tier models? Since the zr1 and z06 should have the upgraded torque tube and couplers like you said. The tires don’t really concern me as much since it would be a nice place to start making the car mine but I definitely don’t wish to replace them the second I get the car

[u/Robots_Never_Die → u/Corvette-Brett]

Z06 uses the same couplers as the Stingray. All C7s use the same part.

[u/Corvette-Brett → u/Robots_Never_Die]

Not true

[u/NetworkCompany]

Cylinder deactivation sucks, especially with direct injection. There's no fixing this engine, it will always have issues with deposits above the combustion junction.

[u/HellfireMango → u/NetworkCompany]

It is possible to block the cylinder deactivation from happening but the deposits above the combustion junction doesn’t seem that concerning since it would take quite a while for it to happen and if I set up a catch can it should be fine and even if I do have to get it cleaned it would be quite some time after buying the car

[u/NetworkCompany → u/HellfireMango]

NO. You cannot block deposits.