2023 Corvette Loses Trunk Key Lock Cylinder
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The 2023 Corvette will not feature a rear trunk key lock cylinder, GM Authority has learned.
On the 2020 to 2022 model-year Corvette, there were two physical key lock cylinders that owners could use to access the cabin of the vehicle or the trunk if the keyfob stopped working, or the power release doors/trunk stopped working. The cabin access lock cylinder was located on the driver-side door, while the trunk lock cylinder was located on the rear of the vehicle behind the license plate.
For the 2023 model year, the Corvette has ditched the rear trunk key lock cylinder and will only have a physical lock on the driver’s side door. This means that if the rear trunk hatch becomes seized, a hole will have to be drilled in the back of the vehicle to open it. According to a GM document, a body shop will have to drill a three-inch hole in the rear of the car, which will allow the technician to lift the rear panel up and access the fasteners that hold the trunk latch to the vehicle. GM of course suggests trying the interior trunk release switch, exterior touch pad trunk release and keyfob trunk release before resorting to cutting into the vehicle to access the seized trunk.
Production of the 2023 Corvette Stingray is underway now at the GM Bowling Green plant in Kentucky. As GM Authority covered prior, production officially began on May 23rd, 2022, after being pushed back from the previously scheduled start date of May 16th. Order books for the 2023 Corvette Stingray opened on April 7th. The start of production for the 2023 Corvette Stingray 70th Anniversary Edition is currently set for mid-summer, while the start of production for the 2023 Corvette Z06 is still yet to be determined.
As a reminder, the C8 Corvette rides on the Y2 platform, with the C8 Corvette Stingray featuring the naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 LT2 gasoline engine, rated at 490 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. The new-for-2023 C8 Corvette Z06 boasts the new naturally aspirated 5.5L V8 LT6 engine, rated at 670 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. Both of these eight-cylinder engines connect to a Tremec-designed and GM-built eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
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Almost forgot the power specs on the damn thing. Thanks for the reminder in every C8 article.
I wonder how much it cost GM to produce a mechanical, non-electric , cable trunk release back in the day?
I would be considerably less than impressed if I had paid the cost of a Corvette and it had to go through the process listed to have the trunk opened. And particularly so if it first involved a towing episode because there was a flat tire and the car’s trunk contained a Jack and spare.
Yeah, except the run flat tires mean there is zero jack, not even an inflator kit (like other cars without run flats). The battery is under the front hood, that is where you need to be to restore electricity to the car.
Unless your jumper pack is in the rear…
Why not have the lock mechanism the same as the C6 very accessible but still out of the line of sight and very workable just in case but yet this year they increase the cost of the car $2,300
Fake news
No jack or spare is carried. Zero pressure tires are supposed to get you to the shop. This change means if the elecric latch fails, your $100k car gets butchered to fix. Ouch.
Cars don’t seem to have spare tires these days… just a compressor and a can of tire sealant… ironically, the 2023 Corvette fits in that category… No need to drill out the trunk.
“2023 Corvette Loses Trunk Key Lock Cylinder”. GM is losing too many things. Mary Bara, please send someone to find it, where you lost it.
Hope no kid get locked in trunk??? This is illegal
Presumably, the emergency hatch/trunk release handle that’s INSIDE the trunk will remain. To that point though, if there’s a concern about losing battery power – it’s interesting to note that the emergency frunk inside release – is also electrically operated.
Tell that to the kid that’s locked in the trunk
The trunk has a separate inside emergency latch release
Are you saying that a kid COULD fit in the trunk? That would be a first… Vettes are not exactly known for their trunk space.
Fake news
Sounds like a Joe Biden idea.
Come on man.
Now how much does a trunk lock cylinder cost GM on an $80,000 car? And how loud will be a C8 owner when they can’t get their damn trunk opened…especially if the roof panel is inside?
Come on, GM, you can do better.
or,,,, if my golf clubs are kidnapped and held for ransom by a C8
Wow, this is beyond stupid! Why?
Yes, please drill a 3” hole in my $80k car because GM decided to eliminate a $10 lock! How did that pass the [email protected] test?!
The presumption is that if this happens, GM will cover it, but even then, I don’t want a “fixed” car
Do they offer color-matched duct tape to cover the hole when the “Fix” is performed?
I suspect that it’s very unlikely that GM will even talk to you about it – much less cover the cost.
One of the dumbest things GM has ever done.
“For the 2023 model year, the Corvette has ditched the rear trunk key lock cylinder and will only have a physical lock on the driver’s side door. This means that if the rear trunk hatch becomes seized, a hole will have to be drilled in the back of the vehicle to open it.” Seriously?
The CPAs are running the show at GM again and engineering is simply told to STFU when they say something is a REALLY BAD IDEA.
“Who cares if an owner gets screwed one day! We will save $4.85 per vehicle!!”
GM – June 2022
Although accounting plays a part, as does supply of parts, this may be an engineering call. I do trust the engineers.
They created this beautiful creation in the first place. The fact it is behind the license plate was no help at all.
I do not usually have a large phillips screwdriver handy to remove my license plate, first time I saw it I was pretty sure I would never use it.
Maybe they needed the space for the flux-capacitor …
Those same engineers were the ones that said “Put it behind the License Plate…”
Still a neat car….
The C7 had the access keyhole, so that when opening the rear, you could pull a cable to operate the door (I think, C7 owners correct me).
On the C8, there is no jack, battery, in the back. No urgent need to get in there.
The drivers door of a C8 has the keyhole to get into interior, from the interior you can cable release the frunk (drivers footwell), in the frunk is the battery. I am thinking the presumption is that if you can get to the battery, you can activate
the release for the rear.
One post here mentions being able to get your roof panel out so you can seal up car, and that is a legitimate reason for this:
I am thinking a manual cable release from the cabin (behind the seats) around the rear, that would match the logic of the frunk release, allow opening manually from the cabin. In other words, go ahead and take away the key operated rear, no need for it, if the manual cable goes a few feet from rear to drivers side behind seat.
I have had my back bumper off twice, and looking at the pictures of the missing rear manual release, I am curious
if the idea is to open the hole where the key used to go, then use a special tool to release.
The language we are reading says cut a hole in the hood, access the fasteners for the latch, but just how it is built.
It would be easier to release the latch through the hole you make behind the plate.
Ever had to release your front hooded , front engine, car when the cable broke ? I have, you just need to get to the latch and release it.
Solid post:
A Cable release mechanism would be more complicated than the simple lock it is replacing.
It would require some modifications to the interior as well which GM always says is “Too cost prohibitive…”
This should never have been done. My C6 has those “Emergency Release” devices and they look terrible IMO.
Maybe it’s a more subtle set-up in a C7. Not sure.
Stupid, stupid, STUPID !
Instead of routing a manual cable release, just leave the key lock where it is and quit creating problems for owners.
Bingo.
Please send your Resume to GM!!
Thanks from Actual Vette owners Everywhere.
OMG! The sky is falling! You already have a couple of viable options of getting your rear deck open. Curious to see how many cases of rear deck opening failure have occurred. As is typical, these hand-ringers are ring-side C8 wannabee’s.
That lock they removed let’s you open the trunk when those other options fail.
Which happens to all three mentioned in this article if the battery is dead.
Got anymore “Snarky Uninformed” posts you want to share?
All of the “viable options” you’re referencing are electric. If the lock/latch electrical solenoid fails – battery power or not – all options are rendered inoperable.
What are those 2 options to get the rear deck open if seized?
I am guessing the access for the rear hatch is behind the license plate so the hole will never be seen. No harm, no foul. Also I am sure (I hope) a grommet will be made available to plug the hole. Further, I am sure the hole is not “pre-installed” from the factory to prevent theft. If a perp knew they can easily access the hatch by ripping off the license plate, they probably would. However, if they know they need to carry a drill with a 3″ hole saw, they will probably just keep walking…
Don’t get me wrong, if I owned one of these cars and needed my rear hatch accessed in this manner, yes I would be upset. But as I always say, “first world problems.”
The access to the rear hatch is “There” because until the 2023 model there was a keyed lock in that spot.
Removing it was a Stupid move.
Maybe if you DID own one of these cars you would understand why it’s BS.
First World Problem? Nope…. It’s a “My $100,000 car won’t let me into the trunk” problem.
🤣🤣🤣
Third world countries don’t have this problem since they cannot afford the car! So yes, first world problem! I work for the company and looked it up, the warranty rate of this lock cylinder is less than .00001% across the entire population of Corvette for the past 10 years so I doubt removing it will be an issue.
The warranty rate of the lock cylinder is meaningless. What is the percentage of people who needed it? Thats the point.
Plenty of snark here. No need for me to add my two cents in … ( Awwwww screw it, does the 2023 Corvette come with a cordless drill and drill bit? )
It comes with a corded drill bro…
This is GM we are talking about.
The car is not perfect , and never will be. If this is a deal breaker , find your dream car that has everything perfect for yourself , I hope for you the car of your dreams. For me , the fix is simple and i would rather GM do it …but , for less than a C note you could battery backup the solenoid for the latch and have a hidden button or RC…. I don’t have the issue w my cars , today but i’m sure i will in the future… peace & happy 4th 2 All
No fix was ever needed…
GM should have left the lock that has been there for years in place…
It’s all about saving $10 bucks.
Maybe Mary can use the extra cash from the savings per car to throw a big Party on the 4th.
All the UAW cats can throw down a few beers before they go back to assembling $75,000 Tahoes.
i have not tried this but ,,, plug a battery booster into the cig lighter hole and power the car …. that prob don’t give cranking power but should power everything else……..
Bill, If you’re referring to the “cig outlet” in the glove box – it will not help, since that outlet is switched and only in the circuit when the ignition is on. But if you’re talking about the accessory outlet (cig lighter outlet) in the Frunk – then yes. It goes directly to the battery positive terminal and chassis ground and would supplement a dead battery. Having said that though – you’re right – it may not provide much benefit for starting given that the small wire gauge wouldn’t support a starting load – but it would help – and should provide enough boost to power everything else.
JFR , ty 4 info ,, i would have tried the one by the glove compartment ,,, and failed …:-( safe travels 2 All & enjoy the 4th
Hi Bill, You’d be saved from your folly as the latch for the glove box is electronic. You’d have to be pretty determined and have a Philips screwdriver handy! The one plug that works is also the only one that you have relatively easy access to.
the cig outlet is outside the glove compartment, read JRFs post , it might help you if you ever get a C8
Saturn SKY owner here (Corvette frame, Cadillac drivetrain, 2.0T…. and no trunk lock cylinder).
Hasn’t ever been a problem. Still, unless you’re restyling the bumper, I don’t see why to do it.
I think GM put it there in case the mechanism had a design flaw, and they haven’t seen any.
That is just absolutely absurd!
I think saving weight is a good idea, it makes the car faster.
When the dealer showed me the keylock behind the license plate my first thought was – what a BAD IDEA.
So really, it is all a matter of perspective.
The problem with that line of thinking is… You can NOT go fast if you cannot get in the vehicle… Just sayin’
I’m about to order a C8 Convertible Corvette ($99,675) and I’m just now hearing about this?
Really?
First, I still have to put up with a premium garbage, and second, I need to worry about the trunk?
Explain to me how this is a selling point?
Did you have any Corvette owners on this panel when you came up with this brilliant idea?
Or is everyone here correct, and it’s the bean counters, who drive a Prius making these kind of decisions?
Assuming that Foregone Conclusion above is correct that the failure rate of the electric actuation system has a failure rate of 0.00001% (a 99.99999% reliability), on par with safety critical components. This is the only single point failure component in the rear hatch open function chain I am aware of. The battery doesn’t count as power-free access to the battery is provided and applying auxiliary power or replacing the battery to power the system to energize the trunk release is provided.
We should note that the glove box has a similar situation, an electrical latch with no alternative manual release. A screw driver and some time is required to get around that without power. I keep the manuals and emergency equipment in the frunk for that reason.
My experience is limited, with only 9 months and 7,500 miles on my 2021, but the electric latches have worked 100% of the time. I’ve tested all the manual latches except the frunk* and they have all worked as advertised.
* I should go check that one too, being important if the battery is depleted, probably should check them all annually just to be sure. In my view the rear hatch is the least important.
I have been putting up with this “premium garbage” rather happily. This has been the most exciting ground based machine I have ever touched. It seems equally at home diving around race course corners as experienced with the Ron Fellows owner’s class as it is cruising across the country on the freeways and backroads in quiet, air conditioned comfort experienced on my drive home to Seattle from Bowling Green last fall.
i’m jealous , the driving skol experience has to be the greatest. I hope i can say i went also , and soon.. I recently checked on availability and they were taking reservations for Dec. I was trying to work that trip with another and leave ‘blu'(my satin blue 20) for some wrap repair at Master Wraps in Jacksonville … The only issue i have had with the trunk is , putting a wet golf bag in there will end up creating ‘funk’ on the latch screws, solution – open the dang thang on a clear hot/warm day….duhhuh….. bakin soda and a tooth brush , grab a towel , repaint the screws if necessary…..that’s so much easier than taken it back for service……anyway , safe travels and RonFellows , i’m coming soon……….
may i suggest to GM ,, when you need to ramp up production , improve design , or solve any other problems , They should look on this forum 1st. The very best engineers are here……:- )
I had a 2021c8 waiting on my 23 I wrecked first one in front couldn’t get battery power to get in trunk luckily I had key for lock behind plate gm do better
I would prefer Corvette’s simply have normal locks and doorpulls…I’ve always thought the electronic door buttons/releases were gimmicky in the c6 thru c8, and it doesn’t save weight because of the redundant physical pulls added for emergencies. Regardless of my opinions, this is a non-discussion with most other cars.
A 3” inch drilled out hole in the back of the C8 Stingray is about the only way to make it look worse…too bad drilling holes into the tail lights isn’t the solution…