In the path of a car’s model cycle, it’s not unusual for things to go missing. The carbon fiber engine cover on the BMW i3, Volvo’s leather-wrapped keys, Ford’s automated parking function … stuff like this is all low-hanging fruit for manufacturers to cull in the pursuit of lower pricing and reduced complexity. Much of the time, drivers don’t notice, but sometimes they might. Take the fuel door locking solenoid on the current Corvette. Chevy’s mid-engined sports car ditched it midway through the 2026 model year, and the official reasoning is unusual.
As GM Authority reports, Corvette Chief Engineer Josh Holder told attendees at the 32nd National Corvette Museum Anniversary Celebration, “We got rid of the locking solenoid because it didn’t do anything,” which is an interesting claim. Usually, a locking fuel door solenoid aims to frustrate thieves because even though these things are often trivially easy to defeat, casuals won’t try to force a fuel door open. It’s really part of a team, where the MVP is anti-siphon protection. Almost all modern cars feature a check valve in the fuel filler neck to prevent fuel from spilling out the way it came in, should the driver be talented enough to point the roof of the car towards the ground. This check valve has the side effect of not letting solid foreign objects in. Very nice.
There is a more legitimate argument to be made, however, about cost and packaging. These solenoids aren’t all that small, and while they may only add a few hundred grams of weight, their footprint makes them tough to tuck next to key components. Think occasional space conflicts with heat exchangers, fender liner clearance, and anything that needs to go where these solenoids normally go. According to Holder, the solenoid placement “blocked airflow for induction systems,” which makes sense considering the Corvette’s mid-engined with a fuel door on the rear quarter panel. Mind you, any claims of weight savings are stretching it. A fuel door lock solenoid weighs a few hundred grams. Ditching the graveyard of other people’s business cards in your wallet would offer almost the same weight savings.
(The video is cued to Holder’s fuel-door comments)
There is one area of savings here that’s legitimate, and that’s money. Fuel door locking solenoids carry a small material and labor cost per unit, and keeping the price of a base Stingray below headline inflation whilst implementing enough substantial improvements to make it a 200 MPH car requires some sacrifices. Not the sort that could affect executive bonuses or stock buybacks, not in America, but some sacrifices nonetheless.
Interestingly, the locking solenoids also allegedly generated gripes, but not for the reason you may expect. As Holder stated, “We did get some complaints like ‘I’m hearing a pop noise,’ because people didn’t know what it was.” This is a strange one, because many cars have these solenoids so owners would likely be used to hearing the solenoids pop already. In addition, sports cars make noise. They aren’t the quietest vehicles by any measure—cooling fans will run for a bit with the engine off if things are hot, fuel pump noise is often less isolated, and you will often get other unusual but normal sounds. Then again, people are people. A bigger problem would be not hearing the solenoid. If you’ve ever had one fail in the locked position, you’d know it’s a bugger to free.
Still, the biggest benefit of having a fuel door locking solenoid is that it stops people from screwing with your car. There’s no easy access for someone to shove anything down your filler neck, be it a siphon or something more sinister. It’s a deterrent against crimes of revenge or opportunity, and while it adds a little bit of cost to a car, it’s cheaper than bail money or an insurance claim. Sure, it’s a minor bit of decontenting, but it’s still annoying. Especially when Holder stated “So, you’re welcome that we got rid of it.” Are we? Are we really? Then again, if that’s part of the cost of building a 200 MPH base-model Corvette that can be serviced at the same place that will sell you a cargo van, so be it.
Top graphic image: Chevrolet
Thee best reason to have a locking cap/door on a sports car is vandalism via sugar/diesel being poured in the tank. Bet there’s a locking gas cap for sale now.
“We did get some complaints like ‘I’m hearing a pop noise,’ because people didn’t know what it was.” – I’m sorry but… what?? Am I wrong for assuming you have to press a button to unlock the fuel door like every single car I’ve ever had with a locking fuel door? If people don’t understand the cause and effect of “I pushed this button and then a noise happened” then they shouldn’t be driving anything… at all. Maybe a bicycle and that’s pushing it.
OK that’s it.
I have tossed out three hooker buisiness cards and two kebab parler discount cards. I don’t think in the near future I will need someone to hook my car and I really should cut down on the kebabs anyway.
Now I am off to do some timed accelerations to see the difference.
200 grams of business cards would make for a very thick wallet.
My ’17 Accord (still) has a cable operated filler door latch. It probably weighs less than a solenoid and the wiring, but that’s just a guess.
Gas thieves around here usually don’t mess with the door. They just drill a hole in the tank and collect it that way.
Cable and latch may weigh less, but that’s significantly more expensive to assemble/install.
None of my cars have a locking fuel door or cap. This is fine, if anything this will save thousands of seconds for owners not having to unlock the door.
This was the biggest surprise about my 4Runner. Despite being burned by Kia skimping on immobilizers, knowing to not take anything for granted, I didn’t even think about checking for a locking fuel door, which the 5th gen 4Runner lacks. (Don’t know about older and newer models.)
Granted, it’s probably a whole lot easier to just roll underneath and drill a hole in the tank itself. Not sure how I’m going to mitigate that yet.
You can mitigate tank fillers by using a full skid plate, also deters catalytic converter thefts.
Can’t wait for the inevitable “Only 1 of 1 manufactured on Tuesday afternoon, upgraded stereo, Z51, optional wheels, and no locking gas cap, etc.” placard at the local car shows
Counterpoint: where are these cars being parked? Valet, private garage, etc. Not some place where the gas will be siphoned (IMO).
Also, some thief sees a ‘vette like this and thinks, “yeah, baby, gonna steal me some gas!!”? No, they are stealing the whole thing.
Lastly, a vette owner gonna care about gas being stolen? Probably wouldn’t even notice.
People with new Corvette money will treat it like us normal people treat our cars.
I saw one street parked in Malta, where I assume Corvettes are pretty rare.
I agree to some extent, but on the other hand, these are Corvettes, you shouldn’t assume it’s a rich person driving around in them.
I designed fuel door/housing assemblies for several years at a supplier. GM mostly attempted to design their own, but I worked on a number of GM programs as support, giving them design feedback, making sure it was manufacturable for us, etc.
GM’s preferred method for locking fuel doors was using a specific linear actuator from a well-known brand. It was NOT cheap; if memory serves, it was ~$7 or $8 for the actuator alone, and this was a few years ago (this is HUGE cost for that type of component). While I’m not 100% sure of the Y2 Corvette program, the Y1 utilized this setup along with nearly every other GM that had a locking fuel door at the time, so I can only assume the Y2 used it as well.
Using this actuator required a separate molded plastic lock rod (different design for each vehicle) that would engage with a hole in the fuel door hinge component when the vehicle was locked. Alignment of this system could be a pain (all molded plastic components that warp). Actuators didn’t make a “pop” noise, just electric motor/gear noise, but if things weren’t aligned quite right, popping noises definitely happened.
They still used a simple push-push mechanism, (so you’d have to press on the door to pop it open), along with this separate actuator/lockrod setup to lock it. The rod would prevent you from actuating the push-push when it was engaged and prevent the door from being pried open. Many GM vehicles used this same style setup, although most of them did not have the locking function for the US market. In some other markets, locking fuel doors are a requirement, and in some markets not required, but expected. There are other reasons to lock as well, like pressurized fuel systems in hybrids which require a delay to depressurize, or on PHEVs where the charge port and fuel door shouldn’t be opened simultaneously.
The actuators were mounted directly to the back/top/or bottom of the fuel housing and were a bit bulky, but I have a hard time buying the blocked airflow argument. I suppose it’s possible as packaging space is always at a premium, especially in a vehicle like the Corvette.
There are other much better options, packaging-wise for locking fuel doors, including few different push-push mechanisms that also have an integrated locking function. Most other OEMs use that type of setup, and I believe GM started trending that direction as well.
My favorite solution (this wasn’t GM), was a vehicle that received a locking cap for the capless refueling system in lieu of a locking fuel door for a certain market.
If you want to lock up your fuel filler, they DO still make/sell locking gas caps (which all our cars had when I was a kid after the ’70s oil crisis). You will have to use an actual key, which may be a skill that most current car owners are lacking – but those old farts (like me) driving the ‘vettes should have that ability.
My Equinox doesn’t have a gas cap at all, and I’d expect the ‘vette doesn’t either. There is still probably an aftermarket solution, though.
Correct it has a capless filler neck. I think all GM vehicles feature this, but not 100%
Smart idea – because a brand new Corvette does NOT provoke random jealousy nor inspire Gary Brissett-type wanabees, so it’s absolutely safe to leave the thing unlocked, because no one, ever, would try to pour some crap in the tank.
Plus gas is so cheap nowadays, siphoning is not worth the hassle.
“Almost all modern cars feature a check valve in the fuel filler neck to prevent fuel from spilling out the way it came in, should the driver be talented enough to point the roof of the car towards the ground. This check valve has the side effect of not letting solid foreign objects in.”
This valve doesn’t stop a pump nozzle inserted into the neck. So why would it be expected to do anything to prevent a siphon?
Besides don’t gas thieves just drill a hole in the tank now?
The anti-siphon device is located farther down the fill neck than the gas nozzle reaches. It’s not always a valve, can be as simple as a mesh screen or baffle that blocks a tube from getting into the gas tank.
Thomas was pretty specific: “Almost all modern cars feature a check valve in the fuel filler neck”. That tends to be a flap right at the top of the neck.
I think you’re talking about a different device which is further down. A mesh screen would certainly stop a siphon but it wouldn’t do anything to stop fuel from gushing out of an inverted gas tank.
Why not install one that can be locked with a key?
Physical keys have been on their last legs for a while now.
What is wrong with the 1982 honda accord style cable release?
Every one I’ve ever used has sucked come winter time. Pull it, and guess what, it’s still frozen shut. Give the fuel door a couple love taps, go pull the cord again, AND THE DAMN THING IS STILL FROZEN SHUT. Repeat until it finally gives way, as your anger grows each time.
My Tacoma doesn’t have a lock, but the 2TR-FE will drink anything you pour in that hole anyway.
A Corvette isn’t my first choice for a winter vehicle.
But if the door is stuck with a cable-lock-release, then it’s likely going to be stuck on a solenoid-lock-release.
But the solenoid one doesn’t require you to walk back to the driver seat. Once you unlock it, it’s unlocked. Even if it’s still frozen to car. So you can unlock (with the fob) and then start banging away.
The cable-lock requires you to walk back to the driver seat every time.
Had to keep a screwdriver handy to pry my Miata’s cap open 9/10 times
I think they kept it until 2019 with the base trim Civic with a quick google search. I know the 2013 had it.
Just say it was to save $1 on your $70,000 car like the external lock to open the hatch you removed last year was. Don’t spin up tales about how you *just* discovered it had packaging constraints on a model going into its 7th model year
I’m amazed how many car people still have no idea how vehicles are designed or built, and how much labor costs to put the vehicle together.
Just in case someone from Kentucky that build corvettes is listening: If the new corvette came in a manual transmission, it would be a dream car.
Taking a break from scrambling to source solenoids at work and I wish it wasn’t an integral part of the machine design. Feels like solenoids are going the way of hydraulics with insane price tags and even dumber lead times.
The only proper response to this announcement is, “Don’t piss on my leg and tell me it’s raining.”
Don’t piss in my beer and call it lemonade.
Wouldn’t that be a shandy?
Don’t modern filler necks make siphoning improbable?
One-way valves are mentioned in the article.
Exactly one customer will be mad about this. He will be the sole annoyed.
I’ll show myself out.
Truly we have a great community to induce such magnetic comments like this.
This induced a large amount of laughter in me.
Something something this mortal coil.
Oh Henry!
COTD
I must be missing something….
sole annoyed = solenoid
Yeah – I was going with the “missing solenoid thing”. (OK, not totally obvious…)
OK I’m not the only one that didn’t get it. But I haven’t finished the first cup of coffee yet.
I must be out of the loop, every car I’ve ever had with a remote-release locking gas flap has had a cable operated one, where it’s clear you’re supplying enough movement pulling the handle to open a physical latch via a Bowden cable.
Same, though I can’t comment on the 2026 Prius PHEV. Purchased in April and still have half a tank of fuel so I haven’t operated the fuel filler door yet. The charging port door is manual (Push in to release/latch).
I’m sure the release is an electronic button on the Prius PHEV. Most PHEVs have highly pressurized fuel tanks, in order to preserve the fuel for longer, since it may not get used as often (as you illustrate here). Pressing the electronic button also depressurizes the tank.
This has been the case for three different PHEVs I’ve either owned or experienced: a 2022 BMW X5 xDrive45e, a 2022 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid and a 2024 Volvo XC90 T8. They’ve all had electronic interior buttons to release the fuel door, when the non-PHEV versions of those cars have the normal exterior push-release mechanisms. On the Pacifica Hybrid, which belongs to my friends, the solenoid failed…forcing them to have to pull the cable behind a door in the cargo area and also throwing a CEL.
Other Chevy’s are similar to new Honda’s, push the lid in and it pops open. It feels similar to a ball point pen mechanism, but the lid won’t open if the car is locked.
AH ! So there is a switch and solenoid.
Is there any other tech PHEV’s have for dealing with fuel that is going to be sitting for long periods?
Yes. 2017 Chevy Volt manages fuel age.
If the engine doesn’t run in a while, it will use it to get everything up to temp, even if there is battery. I forget the time.
also, it’s in the manual, but quote from car talk forum, (twinturbo):
“The car’s computer knows how old the fuel is and how much has been added. It keeps a running average of the fuel age and will run the engine to consume the old fuel until the average age rises above the threshold.”
Ford also has a fuel freshness algorithm that will eventually force the engine to run to use up stale fuel.
Many of them have algorithmic programming that will eventually run the engine regardless of battery state, if the same fuel has been sitting too long, like several months.
Mine has a secondary locking mechanism where you have to jam a card in the flap to put enough tension on it to allow it to pop for maximum security. It’s like having a kill switch for thieves, but it takes 500km to work (give or take).
My Maverick has a solenoid. My Mercedes doesn’t lock. You push on the fuel door and it pops out.
try it again with the car LOCKED.
Interesting. I had no idea.
no big- i learned it the hard way
My 20 year old Beetle has a solenoid to release the fuel door.
None of the other cars I’ve owned in the past 35 years even had a locking fuel door.
Third gen Toyota Avalon has a solenoid locking gas door. Tons of modern cars do.