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When you go and drop nearly $79,000 on a car like the 2015 Corvette Z06, you’re bound to have certain expectations. Certainly you want your Z06 to live up to the lofty expectations set by General Motors, with its 650 hp supercharged LT4 motor, train-stopping brake package, and ultra-sleek aerodynamics. But what you might not expect is to have to change the oil after just 500 miles of thrill-seeking driving.
Yet that’s exactly what GM is recommending to owners of the 2015 Corvette Z06. The Truth About Cars [2] reached out to GM to ask about low-mileage engine failures on the LT4 for some early-build Z06s, and GM responded with a statement highly suggesting owners to schedule their first oil change around 500 miles.
[3]This whole SNAFU began when a Corvette Z06 owner lamented that after just 891 miles of driving, his brand new supercar engine literally went “boom” [4], resulting in a loud knocking and grinding from the supercharger and cylinder number six. GM offered to repair or replace the engine at no cost, but GM’s reaction suggests this may be a production-level error, rather than just a random fluke.
In response to TTAC’s inquiry, GM’s Monte Doran sent out this statement. “We now encourage all owners to change their oil at 500 miles to remove possible contaminants created during the engine break-in process. And, as always, we encourage the use of Mobil 1 synthetic oil – which is a factory fill for all Z06 models, and Stingray Z51 models – and encourage owners to follow the engine break-in process detailed in the owner’s manual.”
GM offers one of the best drivetrain warranties in the industry, and so far there haven’t been widespread reports of engine failure, and rather just a handful of isolated incidents. But it’s a reminder that even an engine built to withstand the rigors of 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque can still succumb to something as simple as contaminated oil.
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